Niki Ridgley Counselling

11/05/2025

Nice visual reminder of what we can do to help ourselves when we are feeling stressed

While stress isn't a mental health condition, the two are closely related – stress can result in poor mental health, and poor mental health can result in stress. In , here are a few things that may help ease some stress 💙

Thanks to Ella Harding Illustrates for the gorgeous infographic

01/01/2025

An important reminder of our basic rights when navigating relationships and setting our boundaries as we enter the new year

11/12/2024

Sometimes when friends and family tell you they’re doing alright, we might have to read between the lines to find out how they’re really feeling.

As we come to the end of , look out for those who have lost loved ones, including yourself 💙

Thanks so much to (Insta) for their fantastic illustration.

05/12/2024

Is it ok to tell children about Santa Claus? We may feel it’s wrong to tell children this fairytale, but it can help to enhance a child’s imagination and creativity and later be part of helping them to distinguish between fairytale and reality ….

Could a child's imagination be beneficial to their mental health and well-being?

10/11/2024

Check out my new website! I hope you like it and find it informative, let me know what you think!

Counselling in Dorking near Reigate and Guildford, Surrey with BACP accredited counsellor Niki Ridgley. Online sessions are also available.

10/11/2024

The clocks have been back a couple of weeks now and it seems like there’s been no sight of any sunlight since! Check out this post from Mind for tips on how to cope if you find yourself feeling low on these dark days.

Find out about seasonal affective disorder (SAD) and its symptoms.

21/11/2023

Really good day at Mindfest on Saturday, so many inspiring mental health organisations including Dorking Minds, who organise talks on subjects including why children self harm and how connecting with nature helps our wellbeing. See their post below for full details of upcoming events in Dorking.

Firstly thank you to everyone that came to speak to us at as always a fantastic networking event with fantastic speakers!

We have been busy building a fantastic line up for our 2024 monthly mental health talks, with the first 6 months confirmed and the final few being confirmed to complete our schedule for 2024!

Booking will be made available for these before the end of the year so keep an eye on our website.

We also have 3 dates booked for our heavily subsided mental health first aid. These will sell out so make sure you book your spot now!

Adult MHFA Saturday 16th & 23rd March https://bit.ly/3NZgQOE

Youth MHFA Saturday 11th & 18th May https://bit.ly/3PZLnO3

Adult MHFA Saturday 5th & 12th October
https://bit.ly/3us6gIZ

01/02/2022

Reasons why it’s important for parents to prioritise children’s needs and wellbeing when parental relationships break down

Anger, guilt, grief, disconnection, and low self-esteem.

25/01/2022

Focusing on our breathing helps our body manage stress and anxiety. This article gives some simple breathing exercises and explains how and why they work!

Practical ways to calm your breath to ease stress and anxiety right now

10/12/2021

Chemistry often gets mistaken for compatibility, this article explains the difference….

How we trick ourselves into falling for the wrong partner.

12/03/2021

18/02/2021

Catastrophising, something we all do to some extent, is an anxious thought process where we assume that disaster is the only possible outcome to a given situation. For example, we are running late for a meeting and jump to the conclusion that we will automatically get the sack, lose our home, lose our partner and never be able to work again. It is a useful survival mechanism, helping us to anticipate threat and danger, however it can lead us to overestimate likelihood of threat and under-estimate our ability to cope with it. This type of extreme thinking can lead to a anxiety and stress spiralling out of control. Here are some ideas for recognising and dealing with it:

Does your mind automatically jump to the worst-case scenario when things appear to be going wrong? Learn how to reconnect with reality by following these tips