Attachment usually begins in your very early childhood. It is an innate, biologically driven process that leads you, as an infant, to form strong bonds with the people who care for you. When you were very young, experiences of illness, threat, or exhaustion would naturally… Read More »How attachment styles can shape your everyday life
Grief is a deep emotional response to losing someone or something important. It can feel overwhelming, confusing, and sometimes unpredictable. Although it is often linked to death, grief can also happen after many kinds of loss, including changes in identity, relationships, roles, health, or future… Read More »Grief and Loss: understanding your experience
This piece brings together research and observations about how spending time in nature can support both physical and mental health, and how going for a walk and different ways of engaging with the outdoors may influence how we feel. From a personal wellbeing perspective, the… Read More »Finding calm in nature: how walking outdoors can support your wellbeing
Depression is often described as feeling low for a sustained period of time, but for many people it can feel much more complex than that. It is not just “feeling sad”. You might notice a persistent heaviness, emptiness, or disconnection from life, where things that… Read More »Depression: understanding it from your own experience and what can help
This blog post on anxiety brings together the experiences of Michelle Vickers, UK psychotherapist and coach, alongside my experience of working with anxiety in a trauma-informed way. From a trauma-informed perspective, it’s important to remember that anxiety is not “just in the mind” or something… Read More »Anxiety: what it is and what can help
Anger is a natural human emotion that everyone experiences at times. You might notice it arising when you feel hurt, misunderstood, disrespected, or blocked from something important to you. Although it can feel overwhelming or even frightening, anger is not “bad” in itself. In fact,… Read More »Anger: understanding it from your perspective and how to manage it
Living with a long-term health condition can affect every aspect of life — physically, emotionally, relationally and practically. Whether you are living with unexplained symptoms, adjusting to a diagnosis, managing chronic illness, chronic pain, or facing a terminal illness, it is understandable to feel frightened,… Read More »Living with Chronic Illness, Chronic Pain, or a Terminal Diagnosis: Caring for Yourself with Compassion
If you’re trying to understand and regulate your emotions better, but don’t currently have access to therapy, you’re not alone. Many people are navigating stress, overwhelm, or emotional ups and downs without formal support. The good news is that there are simple, practical tools you… Read More »Learning to Regulate Your Emotions: Practical Tools You Can Use on Your Own
If you’ve ever felt judged, dismissed, or misunderstood because of your weight, you’re not alone. For many people, weight is not just a physical issue – it’s emotional, social, and deeply personal. Add in neurodivergence or the recent rise of weight loss medications, and things… Read More »Weight Stigma, Neurodivergence and Weight Loss Drugs
The Polyvagal Theory helps explain how our body reacts to stress, connection, and safety. Developed by neuroscientist Dr Stephen Porges in the 1990s, it’s now widely used in counselling and psychotherapy to understand why people sometimes feel anxious, disconnected, or overwhelmed — even when they… Read More »How Our Body and Mind Work Together: Understanding the Polyvagal Theory