Being neurodivergent brings so many difficulties daily, especially if diagnosed late. Add to the trauma of not being believed, having...

Before I start with what I want to share, please note this is just my understanding and personal views based on my night-time wanderings on the internet. Have a read, let me know your thoughts if you would like to, maybe do your own research, and most importantly find the answers that work best for you. Some years ago I read or heard something stating that the human brain can only have one thought at a time. That you might have other thoughts which flit very quickly, but only

Throughout my life I felt a little out of sync with most people around me. I was often told I am different from most, a little bit weird at times and questioned about my responses, which many saw as wrong. I struggled to know how to act, what to say, be ok with the way I think. I found relationships and friendships difficult and painful, and ended up in several abusive relationships as I did not see the truth of situations and gave people too much credit, even though part of

The day I discovered I am autistic and have ADHD was quite literally life-changing! Throughout my life, I have had all kinds of struggles and pain. I have been in more abusive relationships, including friendships, than I care to admit to. I had always put it down to my rough start in life, in feeling not good enough, to being wrong somehow but not really knowing why. There were so many relevant reasons as to why I was the way I was that my skills in masking and fitting in wer

People often only come into therapy when they hit a crisis situation, or life feels too hard, their relationships are under threat, their jobs are getting difficult, finances are causing worry, and so many other reasons. What about if you came to therapy before you REALLY needed it? Isn’t prevention better than cure? A couple of recent conversations got me thinking about this, and reflecting on my own life and how my life could have been so different if I had known about coun

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