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

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

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

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

I have found a recurring difficulty that a lot of people struggle with is that they do not feel they are good enough. Whether this comes from childhood experiences, from people leading them to think that they get things wrong, or from a wide spectrum of reasons, it is common for people to feel that others are better, smarter, or always get it right. This can lead you to ignore your own wants and needs and to always put others first. You make sure those around you are happy, e

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