Bristol Counselling and Psychotherapy

22/10/2025

💭 Did you know there’s a powerful connection between trauma and fibromyalgia?

Research highlighted by PTSD UK shows that trauma — whether emotional or physical — may play a significant role in the development or worsening of fibromyalgia.

✨ Key findings:
📊 Between 20% and 80% of people with a history of trauma report chronic pain.
💔 Around 10% to 50% of individuals with PTSD also experience chronic pain.
📚 A 2018 review of 51 studies found a strong link between fibromyalgia and past trauma — with emotional trauma being more common than physical trauma.
⚡ Trauma can sensitise the nervous system. When the body’s “fight or flight” response stays on high alert, stress hormones like cortisol can change how pain is processed — making pain feel stronger and longer lasting.

Understanding this link helps pave the way for more compassionate, trauma-informed care for those living with chronic pain and fibromyalgia. 💙

If you are struggling, get in touch. We're here to help.

Discover the connection between trauma and fibromyalgia — how trauma can influence chronic pain and find holistic approaches to healing.

18/10/2025

MENTAL HEALTH & MENOPAUSE: LET’S TALK ABOUT IT 💚

Today feels wild — like your brain is wobbling on stilts, your emotions are on a rollercoaster, and you’re just trying to keep your footing. And yes — menopause can do that.

Midlife shifts aren’t only about hot flashes or changes to the body. When your hormones start fluctuating, your mood, memory, sense of self — all of it gets stirred up. Depression, anxiety, irritability, “brain fog”, sleep struggles — they can all show up, even if you’ve never experienced them before.


If you’ve ever felt…
• Like your thoughts are scattered
• Like you’re more anxious for no obvious reason
• Like things feel harder than they used to
• Or that maybe you’re just losing your mind

You’re not alone. These are real parts of the menopause journey. And they’re not a failure. They’re signals.

🛠 What helps?
• Gentle self-check: notice what’s happening without judgment
• Sleep hygiene: even small wins matter
• Moving your body — whatever that looks like
• Talking to someone — medical, therapeutic, or just a trusted friend
• Checking in about treatments or supports (HRT, therapy, lifestyle changes)

You don’t have to ride it silently. Let this be your reminder that your mind matters — in every phase. You deserve care, understanding and support through this shift.

Sending extra compassion to anyone navigating their way through this maze today 💫

18/10/2025

✨ The Parentified Daughter ✨

She was the helper.
The peacekeeper.
The one who just knew when to step in.

While other kids were learning how to play,
she was learning how to hold everything together.
Dinner on the table.
Siblings calm.
Parents soothed.
No one noticed that she was still just a child —
because she made it look so easy.

But it wasn’t easy.
It was survival.

And then she grew up —
scattered, exhausted, forgetful.
Always running late, always overwhelmed,
always asking herself: Why can’t I just get it together?

No one saw the ADHD hidden underneath the coping.
The constant mental noise.
The endless lists that never got finished.
The emotions that came in waves.

Because she was too busy being the strong one.
Too busy taking care of everyone else to notice
that her own brain was screaming for help.

Now she’s unlearning.
Healing.
Realizing that responsibility isn’t the same as love,
and that she never had to earn her worth by holding it all together.

She’s learning to rest.
To ask for help.
To let the chaos be,
without making it her job to fix it.

Because she finally knows:
she doesn’t have to cope alone anymore. 🌿

15/10/2025

Looking forward to attending this CPD with Angelique 💚

Are you looking to support clients with eating disorders ahead of the Holiday Season?

Angelique da Silva ( Bristol Counselling and Psychotherapy ), tutor on our Post Qualifying Diploma in Eating Disorders, is once again delivering this 3-hours online course ahead of the upcoming festivities to support clients who may struggle with eating disorders.

This workshop is designed to equip professionals with the knowledge and tools to support clients navigating these challenges, with a specific focus on Christmas-related stressors.

Grab your place today on our website today - https://ironmill.co.uk/CPD/Eating-Disorders-and-Christmas

If you would like to speak to us about this course or any other CPD course we offer please email CPD@ironmill.co.uk

14/10/2025

🧠 October is ADHD Awareness Month! 💛
This year’s theme — “The Many Faces of ADHD” — reminds us that ADHD doesn’t look the same for everyone.

ADHD can show up as:
✨ The daydreamer who drifts off in class.
⚡ The go-getter who thrives under pressure.
💬 The friend who talks a mile a minute.
🎨 The creative thinker with endless ideas.
📅 The adult juggling tasks but forgetting appointments.

There’s no one “look” or “type” of ADHD. It affects people of all ages, genders, and backgrounds — and every face tells a different story.

Let’s use this month to spread understanding, compassion, and real awareness. 💬💛
Because when we see the many faces, we begin to see the whole picture.

11/10/2025

We’re here to help so if you’re struggling, get in touch 💚

10/10/2025

🧠 World Mental Health Day 🌍
Let’s not only care — let’s understand.

📊 By the numbers:
• 1 in 4 adults in England experience a mental health issue each year. 
• 1 in 5 people report a common mental health problem (like anxiety or depression) in any given week. 
• Among young people aged 16–24, 25.8% now live with a common mental health condition (up from ~18.9% in 2014). 
• Severity is rising: in England, 11.6% of adults report severe mental health symptoms — higher than the 9.3% in 2014. 
• In June 2025 alone, 2.16 million people were in contact with mental health services in England. 
• Worryingly, 16,522 people were still waiting 18+ months for mental health treatment — 8× more than those waiting that long for physical health treatments. 
• And this matters in work life too: mental health issues account for 28% of sickness absence days in the UK. 

⸻

✨ Let these numbers remind us:
• Behind every stat is a person — a story, a struggle, a life.
• Progress in awareness must be matched by action — access, support, compassion.
• You are part of the change simply by speaking, listening, sharing.

You are not alone. 📣 Let’s break the silence. Let’s .

07/10/2025

In our latest blog Adriana talks about emotional intelligence as the art of mindful self-expression and connection, transforming how we communicate and understand others.

Adriana talks about Emotional intelligence as the art of mindful self-expression and connection, transforming how we understand others.

06/10/2025

Let us help you 💚 Change is possible 💚

06/10/2025

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03/10/2025

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30/09/2025

✨ Parenting is hard. And if you grew up without a secure attachment yourself, it can feel even harder.

When we haven’t had the chance to work through our own hurts, we might find ourselves feeling triggered, overwhelmed, or disconnected from our little ones. That doesn’t mean you’re a “bad parent” — it means you’re human. ❤️

Parent–child therapy offers a safe space for both you and your child. Together, you can:
🌱 Build trust and strengthen your bond
🌱 Learn tools to manage big feelings (theirs and yours)
🌱 Heal patterns that make parenting feel heavy
🌱 Create the secure base you may not have had growing up

You don’t have to do this alone. Breaking cycles is possible. Healing is possible. And every step you take toward your own growth ripples out to your child. 🫶

👉 Have you ever thought about how your own childhood impacts the way you parent today?

We can help. Get in touch to find out more about our parent and toddler/pre schooler sessions.