Kay Thomas Counselling

01/10/2025

Feeling a little cross or a big bit ragey?

I've written a musing on anger over on the blog this week. Have a read by clicking the link, below.

As an interesting aside about the link between hunger and anger - being 'hangry' is genetic. Some people never feel hangry at all and it's all down to your DNA.

https://kaythomascounselling.com/2025/10/01/why-you-should-make-friends-with-your-anger/

26/09/2025

It's been a busy month as everyone heads back to normality after summer hols and school breaks.

But kids aren't the only ones returning to learning... I'm committed to ongoing professional development, and that means the learning never stops. Alongside the reading and research I undertake into topics that present themselves to me in the counselling space, here's a selection of just a few of the workshops, seminars and presentations I've attended this month. Lots of notebooks filled and the further reading list grows longer, of course...

19/09/2025

Yup, healing is a journey and the road is never a straight one. Be kind to yourself en route

🌱 Healing from trauma is not a straight line.

Some days you may feel like you’re making progress, other days it can feel like you’re right back at the start. This doesn’t mean you’re failing. It means you’re human, and your mind and body are working hard to process what’s happened.

Relapses, dips in mood, feeling triggered or unable to get out of bed, these are all part of the healing journey. Just as much as the moments of strength, hope, and “maybe I’ve overcome this?”

At Hope Therapy Services, we understand how complex and overwhelming trauma recovery can feel. That’s why we offer specialist trauma therapy designed to support you at every stage of the journey – whether you’re just beginning to process, feeling stuck, or ready to move forward.

You don’t have to do this alone. 🌿

📞 Get in touch today to find out how we can help you or someone you care about.

Image credit:

12/09/2025

I've been very quiet on social media of late... mainly due to being busy. But I have made time this month to look for new learning opportunities, specifically around working with clients who are neurodiverse. I've got a workshop on ADHD and Food and another on ADHD and Relationships.
And I found this lovely testimonial on my Psychology Today profile from a peer. https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/counselling/kay-thomas-bromley/1432530

Always nice to receive kind words, isn't it?

22/08/2025

A while ago I noticed that the plants in my office and my daughter's bedroom were failing to flourish. Some were brown and a bit dusty looking; others were tiny and slow growing. One - an aloe - had been dropped and was looking broken and sad. In short, they were not happy.

So, I took action.

I moved them to the bathroom, wiped their leaves, added coffee grounds, pruned, watered, fed with seaweed solution and generally provided a little attention. I even chatted to them.

They started to perk up. Some have even flourished.

There was nothing wrong with these plants that a changed approach, time, care and attention couldn't fix.

And humans are much the same.
Counselling can help people by providing a safe, confidential, non judgemental space in which you can identify what's working for you, and what isn't. And by taking the time to process difficult thoughts and feelings in a supportive environment, you can see what needs to change so you can flourish.
Like a spider plant 🪴🌿🪴

16/08/2025

A good reminder for us all.
Change, progress, growth… none of this happens in a linear fashion 📈
Life is a journey, and as humans we navigate the path in our own unique way🙏🏻

08/08/2025

There are lots of things on the increase at the moment that affect our mental health. Fuel, food, housing costs, energy... but also the number of people feeling the impacts of loneliness.

So, I've written a blog about it. https://kaythomascounselling.com/2025/08/08/why-loneliness-is-bad-for-you/

And while the price of a cuppa may have also risen (along with everything else, except our incomes), this is your reminder to maybe swallow the cost if it means getting out of the house and spending time with someone in real life.

It's good to talk, right?

07/08/2025

Often what we think of as ‘good parenting’ isn’t good for either us - nor our child.
This explains why

These parenting behaviors are codependent, not caring.

21/07/2025

First counselling sessions can feel a little different to subsequent ones. I always try to clarify this when someone books in, but here’s a handy infographic from my membership body British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy that helpfully explains why.

Always happy to chat this through in an intro call, too - no fee, no obligation.

#

11/07/2025

If you know someone who is living with a breast cancer diagnosis The Primrose Centre is a fantastic resource to signpost them to.
Craig Minto Acupuncture is just one of many practitioners providing support. I’m there on Tuesdays offering counselling services and you’ll find it on the same site as the Princess Royal University Hospital, with on-site parking and a warm welcome from the volunteers who run it.

Afternoon at the Primrose Centre - a brilliant source of support and treatment for those undergoing breast cancer treatment and recovery.

09/07/2025

This is something I share regularly in the counselling room.

No growth is linear: be it fitness, health, weight loss, career or personal development.

Stop viewing yourself as a mountain that needs to be conquered. The journey is the important part

🌱 Healing Isn’t a Straight Line. It’s a Spiral. 🌱
Inspired by

At Hope Therapy Services, we talk a lot about the truth of healing - the messy, non-linear, deeply human process of integrating pain into something meaningful.

One of the most powerful (and often surprising) lessons is this:

Healing is cyclical, not linear.
You might revisit the same wounds you thought you'd "dealt with", but this time, you're meeting them with more awareness, more capacity, and more compassion. That isn’t regression. It’s growth.

You’re not back at square one. You’re uncovering deeper layers.
You’re integrating.

This re-visiting isn’t a sign of failure.
It’s a sign that your nervous system now feels safe enough to go deeper.

✨ That’s the work. That’s the healing. That’s the becoming.

If you're in this space, feeling like you should be further along or wondering why old hurts still sting, please know this:

You are not broken. You are brave. You are healing.

We offer one-to-one therapy, workshops, and practitioner training to support this kind of embodied, trauma-informed healing in individuals, families, schools, and frontline teams.

📩 Message us to find out more
🧠 Or visit www.hopetherapyservices.co.uk