Forest Bathing

Press the pause button. Take a slow deep breath. Picture yourself in a forest. As you look up you see the trees towering majestically above you and the light radiating through the leaves. All around you is the sound of beautiful bird song. As you breathe in the air feels so clean and you can … Read more

A Healing Read

I’ve always loved reading. When I was a teenager I had a Saturday job at my local library, which I really enjoyed. I think if I hadn’t gone down the therapy path I would probably be a librarian now. I have recently been thinking about what it is I like so much about reading, and … Read more

Embracing Imperfection

man pushing rock up a hill

What is perfectionism? Perfectionism is a word we hear a lot. It may be said with pride, self-deprecation, humour or perhaps even exasperation at someone else. Perfectionism is a personality trait where we feel driven to constantly strive for flawlessness. We can be perfectionistic about any part of our lives, including our appearance, career, studies, … Read more

Ageing and wellbeing

None of us are getting any younger – in fact the UK population is ageing rapidly, with the Office of National Statistics predicting that by 2038 one in four people will be aged 65 years and over.  Whilst living longer is a cause for celebration, older people are unfortunately more at risk of mental health … Read more

Feel Pawsome!

Man and dog

April marks both National Stress Awareness month and National Pet Month so in this blog I thought it would be fun to combine these two campaigns by exploring the mental health benefits of keeping a pet! Whatever your choice of pet may be – dog, cat, rabbit, lizard or tarantula – studies have shown that … Read more

Self-Compassion

We are currently surrounded by hearts, chocolates, roses and all manner of pink and red gifts for Valentine’s Day. This is wonderful for any of us who are lucky to be in a romantic and happy relationship, but what about those of us whose relationship is not great, those who are single, bereaved or lonely? … Read more

Effective Resolutions

2020 is here, and it’s that time of year when we traditionally look to the future and set ourselves resolutions in the hope of living a happier, more fulfilled life. This is a tradition which dates back to the people of ancient Babylonia, who at the start of each year made promises to their Gods … Read more