Mark Smith Counselling

01/05/2026

As we begin Mental Health Awareness Month, we want to remind everyone that mental health is just as important as physical health.

We often talk about looking after our bodies staying active, eating well, attending check-ups but looking after our minds deserves the same attention and care. Stress, anxiety, trauma, and emotional struggles can affect anyone, and ignoring them can be just as damaging as neglecting our physical wellbeing.

For the veteran community, this message carries even greater importance. Many veterans face unique challenges after service, and too often suffer in silence. Reaching out for support is not weakness — it is strength. Taking time to talk, to rest, to seek help, and to support one another can make all the difference.

This month, let’s help break the stigma surrounding mental health. Let’s encourage open conversations, check in on our mates, and remind one another that asking for help is a sign of courage.

Look after your mental health just as much as your physical health — because both matter.

From all of us at VINT we stand together in support, awareness, and hope.

20/04/2026

Practical Guide to Engaging with Online Therapy
How Mark Smith Counselling Adapts to Meet Your Needs,
Online therapy offers a flexible and accessible way to access support, and at Mark Smith Counselling, the service is tailored to fit your unique circumstances and preferences. Below is a practical guide to help you make the most of your online therapy experience, highlighting both the benefits and challenges, and how the service can be shaped around you.
Why Choose Online Therapy?
• Familiar Communication: Many clients are already comfortable with screen-based communication from work meetings or family calls. This familiarity can make the transition to online therapy smooth, and some clients even feel a greater sense of closeness in this setting.
• Convenience and Accessibility: Online sessions remove the physical effort and time involved in travelling to a therapy room. This makes it far easier to fit sessions into a busy schedule.
• Consistency from Anywhere: Regular sessions can still provide a consistent therapeutic space, even if you’re joining from different locations each week.
• Comfort of Your Own Space: Being in your own home or another safe place can help you feel more at ease and open during sessions.
Potential Challenges and How We Address Them
• Missing Cues: Online communication can sometimes lack some of the visual or auditory cues of in-person meetings, which might make the connection feel less immediate. Mark Smith Counselling is mindful of this and adapts communication styles to bridge the gap, ensuring you feel heard and understood.
• Emotional Responses: It’s natural to experience unexpected emotions during or after sessions, especially as technology can change the way we express ourselves. You are supported throughout, and your therapist checks in to ensure you feel comfortable with the pace and style of communication.
• Confidentiality: While every effort is made to keep your sessions private, there are limits to confidentiality due to the use of third-party platforms. Mark Smith Counselling uses secure, reputable technology and discusses privacy measures with you before sessions begin.
• Finding a Private Space: It can sometimes be tricky to find a quiet, uninterrupted place for your session. Your therapist can help you strategise about how to create a safe and confidential environment, even within a busy household.
How Mark Smith Counselling Tailors Online Therapy for You
Understanding that each client has different needs and preferences, Mark Smith Counselling offers a flexible approach:
• Initial consultations focus on your comfort with technology and any specific requirements you might have.
• Session times are arranged to suit your diary, and adjustments can be made if your circumstances change.
• The therapeutic approach is adapted to your personality, communication style, and goals, whether you prefer structured sessions or a more relaxed conversation.
• Ongoing feedback is encouraged so that your experience can be continually improved.
Online therapy can be a highly effective and convenient way to receive support. With a personalised approach, Mark Smith Counselling is committed to making the process as smooth and beneficial as possible for you. If you have any questions or concerns, your therapist is always available to discuss and adapt the service to your needs.

Mark Smith is a qualified and registered Counsellor / Psychotherapist with BACP based in Leeds, UK.

15/02/2026

Putting pen to paper and journaling is something I ask clients to do to enable clarity of thought. It helps with overthinking and is a great tool for self reflection.
I practice what I preach and have expanded my ability to more deeper thinking, and processing both positive and negative thoughts alike, and thought I'd share a poem.

Across the years I’ve come to see,
Life’s tangled paths and what they mean,
A journey marked by loss and light,
And struggles woven through each night.
I’ve battled thoughts that cloud the dawn,
And wrestled with the fear of being gone,
Seeking always, not just to survive,
But to find the strength to feel alive.
My days have spanned the storm and sun,
Their rise and fall, not easily outrun,
The whole sweep of feeling, deep and wide,
Sometimes left me numb inside.
The world might see resilience and cheer,
A helper keeping worries clear,
Yet truth exists in quieter spaces,
A longing for meaning in hidden places.
For not the mask, nor wealth amassed,
Nor fleeting joys that seldom last,
But love, connection, gentle grace,
Give purpose to my steady pace.
So here I stand, still questioning why,
But grateful for each earnest try,
It’s family, friends, and feelings true
That carry me and see me through.

26/01/2026

The past year hasn't been easy, but I'm back and focused on the path ahead. I'm now a double amputee and have learned some valuable lessons regarding overcoming adversity, and working to understand and put into perspective my mental health to foster a positive mindset.
I took time away from work to recover, and utilised various resources to ensure optimum physical and mental health, and give thanks to everyone who has supported me through my recovery.

31/07/2025

With a date for my amputation set for Aug 4th, I am taking time to consider my family...
"A Personal Insight into Resilience & Family Dynamics "
There are moments in life that redefine not just our bodies, but the very geography of our daily existence. Facing a second amputation is one such moment—charged with a swirl of emotions, practical anxieties, and the determination to forge ahead, even when the path seems daunting. My journey through this process is as much about my own adaptation as it is about the profound adjustments my family must make, wrestling with both the emotional and practical realities of the situation.
When I first learned that a second amputation was inevitable, my own sense of that looming reality was accompanied by an acute awareness of my family’s struggle. It is one thing to adapt personally to a new physical reality; it is quite another to watch loved ones confront their fears, hopes, and uncertainties. The household must shift, both literally and figuratively. Rooms are are rearranged for downstairs living, routines are rewritten, and everyone is called to summon a new kind of resilience.
For my family, the challenge has been twofold: not only must they come to terms with their own sense of commitment and worry, but they must also become caregivers, advocates, and emotional pillars during a period of great vulnerability. My wife and children have had to learn new skills, from managing medical supplies to navigating the emotional rollercoaster that comes with witnessing pain and recovery. There are moments of grief for the life we had planned, but also moments of quiet strength, when someone instinctively steadies a wheelchair or offers a reassuring smile that says, “We are in this together.”

17/01/2025

Can I ask all my friends out there to take a look and maybe follow & like this veterans group that means so much to me.
Many thanks ❤️

https://www.facebook.com/share/1HyBC6VGqi/

Non-profit organisation

09/01/2025

31/12/2024

Wishing you all good health and happiness for the new year xx🎉

31/12/2024

Always looking for the next good thing, and proud to be a part of VINT - Veterans In Need Together

Our plans for 2025 are so big we needed a little help, a new year, a new facilitator.

Meet Mark Smith Counselling 💚

I left the Armed Forces in 1997 after serving 9 years with HM 1st Bn Coldstream Guards and served 3 operational tours of duty. On leaving I chose to seek any line of work that gave me the buzz of adrenaline I had become accustomed to and this often led to me getting in trouble and on occasion falling foul of the law. I spiralled over a period of years, and my mental health declined leading to misuse of drink and drugs and a period of homelessness leading to a su***de attempt in 2004. Since then with the love and support of my wife (who I met that year) I worked to educate myself at University to gain an understanding of mental health issues, in particular PTSD that I had been diagnosed with as a result of my military service. I now work as a trauma counsellor / Psychotherapist in private practice and more recently work voluntarily to support members of VINT with their mental health , whilst also being a group member. I find my work extremely rewarding and the veterans I have met at VINT have become family, with shared experiences and a willingness to embrace change. It’s a honour to have been asked to co-facilitate and support with taking things to the next level.

25/12/2024

Wishing you all a merry Christmas, and a New year that brings you all good health and happiness.
😉🎅🥃