What is the bravest thing you’ve ever said?” asked the boy. “Help” said the horse.
I love the book The Boy, the mole, the fox and the horse by Charlie Mackesy. This is a story of friendship, courage, overcoming fear and finding fulfilment. It is about being loved and accepted for just who you are. I have many favourite quotes from the book but one I particularly like is the […]
Life is a journey
I read a post recently about living life like Google Maps. On the way to a destination, you may take a wrong turn, or there is an obstacle in the way, but Google Maps never gives up on you. It never says you are in the wrong, or make bad decisions, it just calmly reroutes […]
Christmas is the season to be jolly …. or is it?
Christmas often comes up in the therapy room at this time of the year. Christmas is enjoyed by many for its Christian beliefs, or as a time of reconnecting with family and friends, experiencing the joy of giving and receiving of gifts. For others anxiety, depression, can be made worse by the pressures of Christmas. […]
Not Parent Expected (NPE)
Not Parent Expected (NPE) I learnt a new acronym recently. NPE, or Not Parent Expected. This is the term used when people using DNA testing sites, for example AncestryDNA and 23andme, learn that their mother is not their mother, or their father isn’t their father, or even that they have siblings they didn’t know about. […]
Trauma, Hope, Recovery
Over the weekend I found myself watching the film Castaway. Tom Hanks stars as Chuck, a FedEx employee who finds himself the only survivor of a plane crash and stranded on an uninhabited island. Chuck is forced to find ways to survive, finding food, water, shelter – the basics of human needs. He faces immense […]
Self-compassion
How often do you find yourself angry, critical with yourself? Judging yourself for perceived flaws, angry with yourself for doing something you regret or for not being on top of things? Do you find yourself saying: ‘I am usually strong; I just get on with it?’ Life challenges happen, things may not go the way […]
World Childless Week, 16-22 September 2024
As a bereavement counsellor I have heard first hand from clients the devastating loss and grief when their much-loved baby dies, or the loss of a planned future that included children. World Childless Week aims to raise awareness of those who are childless not by choice (cnbc), or who are not able to have children, […]
Looking after your health and wellbeing as Autumn approaches
With the onset of Autumn, I feel a sense of loss for the summer, the warm, light filled days. For some this is the time of year when they start to feel low anticipating the impact of the short dark days, colder weather, on their mental health and wellbeing. Some may have the winter blues, […]
Long Term Physical Health Conditions and Mental Health
As a carer for a family member living with long term physical health conditions, I have first-hand experience of how they affect mental health and other areas of their life. I have observed how utterly exhausting it is for my family member to live with chronic pain, flare ups, and never-ending fatigue. It has affected […]
Empty Nest Syndrome
The onset of children going back to school, perhaps for the very first time, and for young people starting University, got me thinking about my own experience as a mum when my grown-up children left home. I had heard the term ‘empty nest syndrome’ but had not really given it much thought as I juggled […]
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