In our previous blog, we explored self-compassion and how Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT) describes three emotional regulation systems: threat, drive and soothing. While many people like the idea of being kinder to themselves, putting self-compassion into practice can feel difficult. If you've ever found yourself thinking, "I don't deserve compassion" or "being kind to myself will make me lazy," you're not alone. Many people experience blocks, fears and resistances to self-c

Many of us find it easier to show compassion to a friend than to ourselves. When someone we care about is struggling, we might offer understanding and encouragement. Yet when we make a mistake or face difficulties ourselves, our inner voice can quickly become critical and harsh. Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT), developed by Professor Paul Gilbert, helps us understand why this happens and how self-compassion can support our wellbeing. What Is Self-Compassion? Self-compassion

In my last post, we explored what self-care really means beyond productivity and purchasing. Here, we’ll focus on how to practise it in everyday life. Self-care is often framed as something extra to squeeze into an already full schedule. But sustainable self-care isn’t an added task. It’s a shift in how we relate to ourselves, our bodies, and our limits. What Stops You Taking Care of Yourself? If self-care feels difficult, it can help to gently explore why. Common barriers in

The term “self-care” is everywhere, used for marketing and plastered across social media, often inviting us to spend money as a route to “wellness”. In this post, we will explore understanding self-care and what it really means considering how we can personalise the concept to support ourselves. Origins of the Term “Self-Care” Although self-care is now mostly known as being tied to wellness spaces, the roots of the concept are political and community oriented. In the 1950s,

One of the most common questions clients ask is "How do I know if therapy is actually working?” It’s a fair question. Therapy is an investment of time, money, and emotional energy, and progress doesn’t always unfold in a straight line and is not always obvious. Therapy is a collaborative process focused on the relationship, exploration, building skills and healing. Every person arrives with a unique history and set of needs so signs of progress can look different. Still, the

Ideas for what to do to support the therapy process in between sessions

This explores what the "quarter-life crisis" is and how we can begin to explore its meaning

This post talks about what mindfulness is, challenges of practicing and small ways to get started

Trust is essential for therapy. Here are some signs you trust your therapist.

An exploration of looking at power and opression in therapy as a means for greater self-understanding for clients

Explore what therapy endings can teach us about ourselves and different responses to endings

This post explains what makes the therapy relationship unique and why it matters

For general information about starting something new, read this post first . Writing about our lives and experiences is a tool that...

Why is it so hard to try a new thing? To do something different? This post explores why change is hard and how to work through barriers

Setting boundaries is the advice we keep hearing, this post outlines some of the reasons it is more challenging than it seems

Most people who start therapy are looking to bring about some type of change in their lives. Change can and does happen as a result of...

In training, we’re taught a whole lot of rules and guidelines for best practice in counselling. Many of these have been created for the...

There is a lot of different terminology that we use in therapy and when talking about therapy that we often fail to explain. In this...

There’s a video clip from ‘Inside Out’ that I often use to show the different purposes of our emotions and it ends on the question of why...

We’re quick to dismiss our emotions, to push them away and to judge them. This post follows a closer look at anxiety which you can read...