Learning to live and keep up as a neurodivergent brings so many challenges. The way we process, our understanding of other people, all...

The spoon theory came to us thanks to Christine Miserandino, and you can read more about her on her page at butyoudontlooksick.com I...

I don’t know about you, but lockdown was one of the weirdest parts of my life so far. I am one of the lucky ones who survived it fairly...

What does Stress Awareness Day mean to you? Does it mean looking at all the things that stress you out? Or spending time thinking about...

Obviously, I am not speaking for everyone in this, although I am sure many can relate... I wanted to explain some of the, seemingly, daft ways that my good intentions often fizzle out before I have reached the end of my plan. One of the more notable behaviours that I have repeated countless times, relates to my love of books. I’ll see an advert, or hear from others about a great book, and the ADHD urge to go shopping kicks in. I excitedly search for the book in question, comp

As many of you know, I express myself and parts of my journey in my tattoo choices. There have been a variety of reasons why I have chosen some of my designs, and wanted to share this one with you as it represents me, my clients, and the work we do together. Jiminy Cricket came first as a lot of people said they imagined me sitting on their shoulders helping them to make different choices in their real lives. Jiminy represents many areas of therapy work, and for me, it starts

10 Year Difference Another 10 years have passed, and it is time to renew my driving licence and add a new photo. Well, what a revelation that was! When looking at the two photos side by side, my first reaction was to laugh at the difference between them. I first noticed all the physical changes, like my hair, the number of visible piercings, and my facial expressions. What I saw was a younger, more scared version of me, which is so far from who I am now. This led me to a mome

How many times has fear or uncertainty held you back from something you want or need to do? We create our comfort zones for many different reasons. Maybe you tried something in the past and it did not go the way you wanted or needed. Maybe you gave something a go but something went wrong and you feel like you failed. Maybe others have told you that you can’t do it – whatever it is. Whatever the reason, there is only so much growth that can be done without pushing your limits

Let’s turn the tables – how to recognise a neurotypical! We see so much about how to recognise and deal with neurodivergent individuals, that I thought I’d turn the tables to demonstrate how unfair it is. This is a light-hearted look at what to expect from neurotypicals (NT), and how neurodivergent people “should” change their behaviours to fit in. The constant need for communication with others – respond immediately to any communication, whether this be direct, on social med

I have heard many people speak about levels of neurodiversity, such as Autism and ADHD, and whether someone is just a little bit or very ND. The other similar comment I hear is that everyone is a little bit ND. Neither of these thoughts is right, and I would like to share my thoughts and feelings about this. Neurodiversity isn’t a choice. It's not an illness that can be cured, you don’t grow out of it, it does not just affect certain types of people, and it’s not something th

Since discovering my neurodiversity, especially ADHD, I have heard many different responses when I have spoken to others about this. I...

Gaslighting is a term used for, and often subtle, forms of emotional and psychological abuse. Victims of this behaviour have often been controlled and manipulated for many years not knowing what is happening. You may find that you regularly doubt yourself, are often making excuses for your partner’s behaviour, apologising while not really knowing what you are sorry for and your self-esteem, self-worth, and view of yourself drop over a period of time. Gaslighters are often ch

When you think of hope, what comes to mind? Maybe that warm, happy feeling of something good coming your way. Possibly that anticipation of hard work finally pays off. It might even be a vague feeling that a situation or person is going to change for the better. Hope is often seen as something warm, sunny, and positive and this can distract us from the emptiness of blind, unfounded hope. This is the darker side of hope and which can lead you to wait longer than you should, t

There still seem to be so many myths about what counselling is, what good it could do, and who ‘should’ be considering it. I have heard many reasons from people who deny themselves the chance to feel better about themselves and their lives, based on preconceived ideas about what happens in the therapy room, or even about the kind of people that would give it a go. Most people who have an ongoing physical issue will recognise the value in going to see their GP, and getting so

It fills me with a certain amount of hope that counselling, and support with mental health in general, is finally being seen in a more positive light. More than once I have heard people make comments along the lines of “Isn’t counselling just about chatting and having a moan?” and it makes me a little sad to hear it. That is like saying that cake is just flour, eggs, butter, and sugar. Technically this may be right, but the result is so much more than that. Of course, the pr

I have been asked many times why I chose to be a counsellor and if I find it hard listening to other people’s stories each day. My answer every time is that I love my work and feel very privileged that I am trusted with such precious information about people’s lives. For some years, I worked in a couple of roles within mental health and the work was incredibly rewarding. However, many of my clients felt they were not really listened to, that many of the professionals they wo

How many times have you been told to cheer up, stop moping, or not to cry, regardless of what you might actually be experiencing? Lots? Too often? People can sometimes mistake feeling sad for being depressed, which can cause them to worry if they don’t check to see if they have a real reason for feeling sad. Feeling sad is just one part of being human, just one of our emotions, and it is ok to feel sad at times. For example, if someone you love has died, you’ve lost or broke

When choosing a therapist, I often advise people to contact, and possibly meet, 2 or 3 different therapists before deciding who to work with. A crucial part of successful, healthy counselling is the relationship that develops between the client and the therapist, and you can only really get a feel of whether or not they are the right person for you by meeting them. By having an initial session, you are able to reflect on how you felt with the counsellor, if you felt safe beli

Sometimes we feel trapped, or as if we do not have choices. We have pressures from life, people, and responsibilities - and these can all cloud our ability to see that we have choices and that decisions are ours to make. We do things automatically, or as a reflex, and can repeat the same things we have done many times before. We can all make a change by making a new choice, accepting this truth, and deciding to do it a new way. This can be a small decision, such as reacting

So often in life, we are faced with decision or situations which creates a feeling of fear or anxiety. How we deal with this feeling is what makes the difference in how we live our lives. Do we give in to the fear or do we strive to push through it and do what we need anyway? Healing this fear is not always about not feeling scared anymore. It can be about finding the strength and courage to push forward and become bigger than the fear. Sometimes we have to do this alone, bu