Its Not Magic But It Could Be

22/01/2026

Exposure therapy : what is it? For an easy to follow info sheet, head over to https://www.itsnotmagicbutitcouldbe.com/ and sign up to our newsletter to receive the free download.

Quick definition:
Exposure therapy is a psychological treatment approach that helps people gradually face situations, thoughts, or sensations they’ve been avoiding because they feel frightening or overwhelming. It’s widely used for anxiety‑related conditions

26/10/2025

A short poem of inspired by ChatGPT

26/10/2025

The STOPP Technique is a well-known CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) tool for managing distressing thoughts and emotions, especially in moments of stress, anger, or anxiety.

It’s an acronym that guides you through a short mental pause before reacting impulsively:

S – Stop
Pause for a moment. Don’t act immediately.

T – Take a breath
Breathe slowly and deeply to calm your body and mind.

O – Observe
Notice what’s going on:
What am I thinking?
What am I feeling?
What am I reacting to?
What’s happening in my body?

P – Pull back / Perspective
Step back and look at the situation objectively:
What would I tell a friend?
Is this fact or opinion?
How important will this be later?

P – Practice what works / Proceed
Choose a helpful, balanced response based on your goals and values.

It’s often used to help break automatic negative thought cycles and can be very effective for emotional regulation.

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https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/4393033529/stopp-technique-therapy-cbt-emotional?sr_prefetch=0&pf_from=shop_home&ref=shop_home_active_2&pro=1&dd=1&logging_key=2a2f6b3c6219733ffa775ddb4de2f00e306bb990%3A4393033529

25/10/2025

The worry Tree. A useful tool to be aware helpful worries i.e. that you can act on, and unhelpful worries that are more hypothetical or out of your control.
Very powerful when used in conjunction with .
https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/1646345667/worry-management-workbook-bundle-cbt?sr_prefetch=0&pf_from=shop_home&ref=shop_home_active_39&dd=1&logging_key=df7d85d5fc6b7beb80d48d304b677d016101c778%3A1646345667

07/07/2025

Cognitive Distortions Work Book Digital Download
Link in Bio

06/07/2025

One of the quotes I regularly bring to mind to help me stay focused on what is within my control and what is not.
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22/06/2025

First attempt at an infographic style summary of the book ADHD 2.0.
PDF available via website itsnotmagicbutitcould be on 'shop and free resources' tab.

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19/06/2025

Two types of breathing techniques to power up the parasympathetic (rest and restore) nervous system which is the opposite of the sympathetic (fight and flight) nervous system.

Belly Breathing: Breathe in through your nose (if possible) and push the air down into your diaphragm. Expand and push out your belly, as if you were blowing up a balloon in your belly. Slowly release the breath through pursed lips. Repeat a few times.

4/7 Breathing: Breathe in through the nose over the count of 4 seconds. Release in a controlled, slow fashion over 7 seconds through the mouth. Repeat a few times.

The key to long term effectiveness is to build this into a daily routine, i.e. make it a conscious habit to practice breathwork as opposed to just turning to the breath when feeling anxious.

14/06/2025

Just reading 'the teenagers brain' by Frances Jensen. This quote struck a chord for a number of reasons;

1. Environments form cues to experiences eg getting into bed often starts to make us feel tireder. These cues can be useful eg using a certain space for studying or doing a activity like worry time.

2. Environments can be triggering. Because of the way we store information in the body, a sense, sensation or memory associated with an environment can cause an automatic fight or flight response.

3. Going back to the environment in a physical or mental capacity allows us to recognise what we learnt in that moment eg and also work to changing that learning experience to help resolve the impact of traumas and limiting beliefs.

For me the quote "the best way to remember what you've learned is to return to the place you learned it, is a great way to be curious about our learning experiences and how to prime the brain for optimal future learning.

12/06/2025

09/06/2025

A quick look at our new Cognitive Distortions/ Unhelpful Thinking Styles workbook and how we use Canva and Etsy . This workbook took me a good few weeks of pulling information together but that is working around a full time job and family life.
Workbook 75% off until end of June (use COG75 at checkout - 75% of list price) so you can pick it up for a price of a cup coffee (or half a starbucks).

05/06/2025

The basis of CBT is that our thoughts, feelings (bodily sensations and emotions) and behaviours are intrinsically linked. For every behaviour we engage in, we will experience a thought (or numerous thoughts) and various emotions and or sensations in the body. Using this model we can be curious about what is working well for us and what is not working so well and how we might go about changing this.