Recently, I came to the end of counselling with a client who asked whether they'd still receive my newsletters, as they'd found them really helpful. It was a lovely thing to hear, and it meant a great deal to me. It also got me thinking about how we can continue to support ourselves when counselling comes to an end, or when we're simply taking a break. Therapy isn't always about reaching a point where everything feels resolved or life becomes easy. Often, it's about deve

Does this sound familiar? An inner voice telling us we should be doing more, coping better, trying harder or that we really ought to have all this sorted by now? Sometimes we even believe that voice is useful; that being hard on ourselves keeps us motivated, stops us becoming complacent or pushes us to change. But does it actually work? When criticism becomes the motivator Think about the way we sometimes speak to ourselves: “Why did I do that?” “I should be better at thi

It’s a familiar answer to a familiar question. But when did you last give yourself a little space to consider how you’re actually feeling? How are you? It’s a question we probably ask, and answer, all the time. “Fine, thanks.” “Good.” “Busy!” But how often do we actually stop long enough to consider the answer? Life has a habit of carrying us along. There’s work, family, relationships, responsibilities and the endless list of things that need doing. Sometimes it isn’t

We All Have Mental Health. Mental Health Awareness Month often encourages important conversations around wellbeing, stress, burnout and emotional health. For me, one of the most important reminders is actually quite simple: we all have mental health. Just as we all experience physical health differently throughout our lives, our mental and emotional wellbeing also shifts depending on what we are carrying, experiencing and navigating. Sometimes we feel resilient and balanced.

Workplace wellbeing is something many organisations are talking about more openly than ever before, and rightly so. Most employers genuinely want to support their staff well. Policies, wellbeing initiatives and access to support services can all play an important role. But in practice, what often makes the biggest difference to employees is something much more human. In my work as a counsellor, I regularly meet people who are coping professionally on the surface whilst quietl