Flourish Counselling

30/04/2026

This spring has been refreshing and beautiful and it reminds me of this metaphor that I love about the seasons: we all recognise that Autumn is known as a time of change: leaves change and fall 🍁 🍂 which can also represent times in our lives when change or hard times happen, when there is change in the form of grief, loss, breakdown of relationships or any challenging times we face.
Then winter ❄️ comes and it’s dark and cold and can feel lonely and never-ending. 😢Often, when we are struggling with times of challenge or change, we can feel like winter - cold and lonely and dark. Although winter can feel like forever, it isn’t and it does subside, slowly …
Spring comes and with it comes signs of new life and hope in the form of beautiful spring flowers and cherry blossom 🌸 starting to bud and grow. Colour starts to come back into life - and for us, in our times of struggle, at some point, after a long, dark time, we start to feel little buds of hope once more. Life starts to feel a little brighter, bit by bit….
Finally, summer arrives ☀️ and sunshine and longer days and more joy - it feels good and we have better days, we have energy and positivity and gladness… but even in summer we get rainy ☔️ days - days when we might hear a piece of music that reminds us of a special person who is no longer with us, or days when life just hits hard again…but they don’t last as long: sunshine comes again. ☀️

When we realise life is like the seasons, the hard times won’t last forever, it helps us to see that there can be better times ahead and things can get better! I use this metaphor with children in sessions all the time and it really helps them to understand that whatever they are struggling with, there is hope and there will be brighter times ahead. What they are going through is a season…and seasons don’t last forever. It comes from a super programme called Seasons for Growth which is run in many schools. I hope it helps you too. ❤️ Hope you like my photos of some of my favourite flowers from my spring time walks 🌺 🌹 🌳

04/04/2026

I got up this morning and out for a walk at my local National Trust property before Storm Dave arrives. My go-to stress buster and mood booster is to get out for a walk with these two sweet souls. The bilateral movement of walking, the woods, the bird song and the fresh air are so therapeutic and make my nervous system calm and at peace. I am trained in Walk and Therapy and I fully and whole-heartedly believe in its power. And I don’t just talk the talk, I walk the walk!!! 🚶 🌳 🌳 🌳

28/03/2026

🌳 🌳🌳I’m excited to be doing training in online and telephone counselling with Counselling Tutor Ltd. It will take a while to complete, but watch this space, as I’ll be able to offer this service once my training is complete.
I take my CPD really seriously and love continuously learning and growing my expertise to help me work with confidence. I’ve also done Walk and Talk therapy training recently, as well as Matryoshka Doll training and Sandtray therapy training, to name a few. Always learning, always growing, always flourishing.🌳 🌳 🌳

28/03/2026

Psychotherapist Mia Heseltine explores why anxiety feels overwhelming, how the anxiety cycle works, and how CBT can help you break the pattern and feel more in control. 💬 http://ow.ly/6X73106w4gr

20/03/2026

20/03/2026

There are lots of reasons for a child or young person to come to counselling. I’ve noticed that anger comes up a fair bit and I love this visual to help children understand that anger is a secondary emotion - and being mad isn’t bad. The Anger Iceberg (see earlier in feed) and the Fire Drill (stop,drop, roll) are always helpful in supporting a child in understanding where their anger stems from and how to manage it effectively. If we can help children when they are young to manage their anger, it will mean a world of more emotionally resilient adults who can live happy lives, with happy relationships, in the future.

06/03/2026

Comment ⬇️ ‘Perfectionism’ for this PDF

Perfectionism in children looks like:
• Fear of making mistakes
• Avoiding tasks they might "fail"
• Extreme upset over small errors
• "All or nothing" thinking
• Harsh self-talk
• Meltdowns over schoolwork
• Needing constant reassurance
• Comparing themselves to others
• Refusing to try new things
• Overworking and exhaustion
• Procrastination

Perfectionism is often driven by:
• Anxiety
• Fear of rejection
• Fear of not being "good enough"
• Need for control
• Past criticism or pressure
• Trauma or emotional insecurity
• High sensitivity
• Feeling unsafe making mistakes