Eilish Craig Counselling & Facilitation

12/04/2025

Fresh Minds Education are offering funded
🧠✨ Su***de Prevention Training Antrim - Please Share!

Are you supporting people in distress at work, in school, at home or in your community?

This practical course gives you the skills, tools & confidence to:
✔️ Spot the signs
✔️ Step in safely
✔️ Create a plan
✔️ Save lives

Learn the Connect 4-Way Helper Model, gain real-life strategies, and walk away ready to support others, and yourself.

📅 Limited spaces. Book now.
***dePrevention

Registration is Essential: Click on this link
https://forms.gle/YsCzUNMLfDcuFwAXA

10/04/2025

Feedback received after delivery of .

Thank you for having us, we believe in making mental health and su***de training accessible to everyone.

It’s not an easy topic for many people, and we want to create safe spaces for attendees to explore their attitudes and beliefs to mental health and su***de. Roisin and I genuinely love what we do and believe that helps us to connect with those we work alongside.

Thank you Mairead for this lovely feedback - we really appreciate it.

West Wellbeing Fresh Minds Education Belfast Homeless Services

💚

10/04/2025

It’s been a busy time so only getting this posted now.

On Monday 17th February myself and Roisin delivered Fresh Minds Education’s mental health and su***de prevention programme to a dedicated and compassionate team of volunteers within Belfast Homeless Services.

The evening was packed with meaningful conversations around mental health and su***de. The team learned the Connection 4 ways invention model, where they learned to:

➡️ Connect with Signs
➡️ Connect with Su***de - Ask the question!
➡️ Connect with their story
➡️ Connect with Safety

We also introduced everyone to Nellie the Connections mascot. Nellie reminds us that mental health and su***de is often the ‘elephant in the room’ Through the power of Nellie we can open up conversations that will save a life.

We want to thank the staff and volunteers of Belfast Homeless Services, we applaud the work they’re doing, and them having access to this PHA funded course helps equip them with the knowledge and skills to help people in mental and emotional distress and / or in suicidal crisis.

***deawareness ***deintervention

06/02/2025

To anyone out there struggling with your mental health and thinking about su***de please consider these few things

➡️ Your thoughts are not facts. Your mind can take you to dark places & you may feel you’re a burden - I can assure you that isn’t true. Asking for help can lighten that heavy load. You don’t have to face this alone.

➡️ You do matter! We don’t do the work we do because you don’t matter, it’s the exact opposite! Reach Out.

➡️ You DO belong in your family, your friendship circle, your workplace, your school, your college, your university and your community.

➡️ Struggling isn’t a sign of weakness or a sign you’re failing - it’s a sign that you need help. And help IS available.

➡️ People care about you- I know this because I am one, and I know many others working in my field care too.

➡️ You have so many reasons to stay alive, sometimes it takes some help & support to help you reconnect to those reasons.

Please think about this one: If you have letters to write, you have reasons to stay…

West Wellbeing have a freephone number you can call to get the support you need: 0300 124 0498 Mon-Fri

Lifeline are available 24/7
0808 808 8000

Text ‘SHOUT’ to 85258

Samaritans 116 123

23/01/2025

On Saturday 14th December both Roisin and I delivered Connections Link Life training to a group of CYP counsellors in training and soon to be counselling supervisors.

Mental health and su***de is an important subject, that we must continue to talk about openly and directly. Su***de is everyone’s business.

Talking about mental health and su***de helps reduce the stigma that surrounds it.

Having training like Fresh Minds Education’s programme helps Participants leave with:

➡️ Knowledge of the contributing factors that lead to poor mental health, emotional distress & su***de.

➡️ Practical knowledge and skills to implement the Connect 4-Way Helper Model to help reduce overwhelm and save lives.

➡️ Tools, resources, and knowledge of support agencies in your community

➡️ Knowledge of the role of self-care and wellbeing in fortifying mental health and preventing su***de.

Thanks to all who took part and for all the contributions made 🙏🏼

If you would like to find out more about the amazing work by FME please check out their website;

https://freshmindseducation.com/

Or find them on Facebook or instagram.

Congratulations to our newest Connections Ambassadors

23/12/2024

You’ll always hear me talk about ‘toxic positivity’ and how it minimises the experience of another person.

As Susan explains TP is deeply rooted in our discomfort of emotions.

But in order to heal, we must feel each emotion and move through it. We often labels emotions like sadness, anger and anxiety as negative and instead of leaning in we try to steer away from it.

But these emotions are real and worth exploring in a safe and contained space like the counselling room.

The holidays can bring up lots of emotions for people, so honour them, feel them and validate your own or others experiences by simply seeing and hearing… like really hearing….

Take care over this festive period and reach out to the numbers below should you need to.

Lifeline 0808 808 8000
Samaritans 116 123
Text ‘shout’ to 85258

26/11/2024

Really delighted to announce that I will be working with a reputable breast cancer charity in providing mental health care to those just diagnosed or at different stages in their cancer journey.

This work really fills me with such a sense of purpose. And because I’ve lived it the last two years I’ve seen the gaps and seen where women need help the most.

I’m so happy for this to be part of my onward journey…

17/11/2024

It’s been a while… ☺️

I am back to work. I will be taking on a limited number of clients in the New Year.

If any adults, children or young people are looking to have me walk alongside them in their therapeutic journey please get in touch via Private message, email or give me a call, Details on my page.

***Please do not leave a comment as I want to respect and contain your privacy & confidentiality 🙏🏼***

I am a qualified integrative therapist of Adults and trauma informed therapist of Children and Young People. I have a range of experiences working across the ages.

I provide a safe, welcoming space for you to explore what’s going on for you, based in Antrim Town.

I look forward to answering your questions or any queries you may have.

"When I have been listened to and when I have been heard, I am able to re-perceive my world in a new way and to go on".

Carl R. Rogers

31/12/2023

Going into a New Year making no promises which I know I’ll break by tomorrow.

I just wanted to put a reminder out there that things can change in the blink of an eye, and life forever changed…. But things do get better, last year as I lay bald, exhausted, feeling hopeless waiting for 12 to come so I could go to bed, I’m sitting this year with my hair growing back, I’m doing what I love, I have still many challenges and surgeries but I’m better than I was.

I suppose what I wanted to show in these photos is that “this too shall pass” not always I know, but things change nothing is ever permanent, not even your sadness.

So, don’t take anything or anyone for granted. Be the best version of you. Don’t waste your precious time or energy on those that don’t matter. Plenty will dislike you, not care about you, blame you but that’s their stuff, not yours.

Take each day as it comes, hour by hour or minute by minute if you need to. Protect your space, protect those you love & most importantly protect yourself.

I’m going into 2024 hopeful instead of hopeless.

Thanks to everyone who continues to support me and cheer me on as I navigate life as a cancer patient.

Much love to each and everyone of you

💖💖💖

28/12/2023

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23/09/2023

DAY 11 Make Life Worth Living – by Eilish

Angel Number 21

Did you know that the number 21 has a powerful spiritual meaning? The number 21 is a powerful angel number that represents passion, enthusiasm, and hard work. The Fresh Minds Education earth angels (aka the Connections Link Life Ambassadors) are sharing 21 thoughts on what makes a life worth living. Today is our Senior Ambassador & Facilitator, Eilish’s turn, and she finds spiritual solace in having good boundaries, her family and friends and of course, that all important morning coffee!

These knowledgeable and passionate Senior Ambassadors always work to the utmost of their ability to deliver high quality, useful and meaningful training to support those working with those in crisis or with suicidal ideation.

To register to attend one of our pre-scheduled su***de prevention training courses check out this form for next dates & to register here; https://share-eu1.hsforms.com/1a_VINQGlRw-bjSWR4L3upwg2f4f or enquire about booking training for your workplace, group or community here; https://share-eu1.hsforms.com/1eHqGNxNoSV6YtKKtEPxCSQg2f4f

If you need help today, contact Lifeline for more urgent help; https://www.lifelinehelpline.info/

***deprevention ***depreventiontraining

02/05/2023

Proud to be a NI committee member of this wonderful, supportive professional body.

What can you expect from a counselling course?