Birchwood Counselling

06/02/2026

06/02/2026

Changing your perspective involves actively choosing to reframe challenges as opportunities, cultivating gratitude, and challenging automatic, negative thoughts to foster a growth mindset. It requires shifting focus from limitations to possibilities, often achieved by practicing mindfulness, altering routines, and seeking new, diverse experiences to change how you feel about your situation.
Birchwood Counselling

05/02/2026

05/02/2026

People-pleasing stems from a deep-seated need for safety, validation, and fear of rejection or conflict. It is often a learned behavior or a trauma-based "fawn" response developed to avoid negative consequences, such as anger or abandonment, by prioritizing others' needs over one's own.

People-pleasers often feel guilty or anxious when establishing boundaries, frequently resulting in emotional, physical, or mental exhaustion.

Birchwood Counselling

04/02/2026

A support network—comprising family, friends, or colleagues—is essential for enhancing mental health, reducing stress, and building resilience against life's challenges. It provides emotional comfort, practical help, and a sense of belonging.
Key Reasons for a Support Network
Emotional and Mental Wellbeing: Support systems lower stress levels, reducing the risk of depression and anxiety by allowing you to share feelings and feel understood.
Resilience Against Challenges: During crises, such as illness, job loss, or bereavement, a network offers practical help and encouragement, helping you cope better.
Reduced Isolation: Connecting with others combats feelings of loneliness, fostering a sense of purpose and belonging.
Improved Physical Health: Strong social connections are linked to healthier behaviors, such as better diet and exercise.
Having a support network is not just about having people around; it is about having a trusted group that encourages personal growth and provides a "safety net" during difficult times.
Birchwood Counselling Men’s Walk And Talk Bicester

03/02/2026

Grief is a natural response to loss that profoundly affects mental health, causing waves of sadness, anger, guilt, and anxiety. It can impact sleep, appetite, and concentration, sometimes leading to prolonged, "stuck" grief or depression. While there is no set timeline, self-compassion and professional support are crucial if daily life becomes unmanageable.

Key Aspects of Grief and Mental Health
•Emotional Symptoms: Intense sadness, guilt, anger, shock, disbelief, and numbness are common.
•Physical Effects: Fatigue, headaches, muscle pain, nausea.
•Cognitive & Behavioral Changes: Difficulty concentrating, confusion, memory issues, irritability, social withdrawal, or loss of interest in activities.
•Commonality with Depression: Both share symptoms like low mood and, in some cases, require similar interventions like therapy or medication.

Support and Coping Strategies
•Allow Time: Grief has no expiration date, and it is important not to rush the process.
•Seek Support: Talk to friends, family, or join support groups.
•Professional Help: Contact a therapist or counselor if grief becomes overwhelming, persistent, or leads to harmful behaviors.
•Self-Care: Maintain basic routines for eating and sleeping, and be patient with yourself.
Birchwood Counselling

02/02/2026

When life feels chaotic or overwhelming, it can be easy to get stuck in a cycle of stress and worry. But there are things you can do to cope with the chaos and find some calm.

Managing what you can and cannot control involves focusing energy on your own actions, thoughts, and responses, while accepting external factors like others' behaviors or unpredictable events.

Counselling can support you explore your patterns and coping strategies to move forward with a more manageable path.
Birchwood Counselling

31/01/2026

🌿 Birchwood Counselling – February Newsletter
February: Care, Connection & Compassion
February often arrives with mixed feelings. The excitement of a new year can fade, the days are still short, and there’s a lot of noise around love, relationships, and expectations. At Birchwood Counselling, we see February as an invitation to slow down, check in with ourselves, and focus on meaningful care — for ourselves and for our relationships.
💚 A Gentle Reminder: Your Needs Matter
This month, I want to remind you that caring for your mental and emotional wellbeing isn’t selfish — it’s essential. Whether you’re navigating stress, relationship challenges, anxiety, grief, or simply feeling a little stuck, support can make a real difference.
Counselling isn’t about “fixing” you. It’s about creating space to understand yourself better, build resilience, and move forward in a way that feels right for you.
💬 Relationships in the Spotlight
With Valentine’s Day everywhere we look, February can highlight relationship struggles as much as it celebrates connection. If you’re feeling disconnected, overwhelmed by expectations, or unsure how to communicate your needs, you’re not alone.
Counselling can help you:
• Strengthen communication
• Set healthy boundaries
• Navigate conflict with compassion
• Reconnect with yourself and others
The most important relationship you’ll ever have is the one with yourself.
📖 February Recommended Read
The Sun My Heart by Thich Nhat Hanh
This month, I recommend The Sun My Heart, a gentle and insightful book by mindfulness teacher Thich Nhat Hanh. Through simple yet profound reflections, the book invites us to slow down, reconnect with ourselves, and cultivate compassion — both for ourselves and for others.
“Feelings come and go like clouds in a windy sky. Conscious breathing is my anchor.”
— Thich Nhat Hanh
It’s a comforting read for anyone feeling overwhelmed, disconnected, or caught up in self-criticism. The practices and insights offered align closely with how I practice at Birchwood Counselling, supporting emotional awareness, self-kindness, and inner steadiness.
Perfect for dipping into quietly with a cup of tea on an evening.
🌱 Small Acts of Self-Compassion This Month
Here are a few gentle ways to support your wellbeing this February:
• Check in with yourself daily: “How am I really feeling today?”
• Limit comparison — especially on social media
• Prioritise rest without guilt
• Speak to yourself the way you would a close friend
Small steps add up.
🕯️ You Don’t Have to Do This Alone
At Birchwood Counselling, I offer a safe, confidential, and non-judgemental space where you can talk openly and be heard. Whether you’re seeking short-term support or longer-term counselling, we’re here to walk alongside you.
If you’ve been considering counselling, February can be a meaningful time to begin.
📩 Get in Touch
To learn more or to book an appointment, please contact me.
Warmly,
Kirsty
Birchwood Counselling

Birchwood Counselling

31/01/2026

Grief is the natural, emotional response to any significant loss, extending far beyond bereavement to include divorce, job loss, health changes, pet loss, or the shattering of dreams. It manifests through waves of intense emotions—such as shock, anger, and sadness—and serves as a process of adapting to a new, altered reality.

Common Things We Grieve:
•Bereavement: The death of a loved one, including partners, friends, family, or pets.
•Life Transitions & Changes: Divorce, separation, retirement, or a child leaving home.
•Loss of Health/Body Function: Serious illness, injury, or loss of mobility.
•Loss of Security & Stability: Losing a job, financial instability, or losing a home.
•Intangible Losses: Loss of trust, loss of safety, or the loss of a cherished dream or ideal.
•Ambiguous Loss: When a person is physically gone but emotionally present.

Counselling supports grieving by providing a confidential, safe space to express intense emotions, process loss, and develop healthy coping mechanisms. It helps individuals understand their needs, navigate changing life circumstances, and work through obstacles in the grieving process.
Birchwood Counselling

31/01/2026

In honor of Catherine O'Hara-whose words, wit, and characters shaped generations and somehow always found us.

'You can't heal something unless you're brave enough to say it out loud'.
The Last of Us 2023

31/01/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1EP6XZGaJF/

30/01/2026