PAC Counselling

17/10/2025

World mental health day 2025.

A big thank you to Errigall for inviting me to take part in their Lunch and Learn session for World Mental Health Day 2025.
A real pleasure to see Errigal taking such care of their team’s mental health.

🌍 Ahead of World Mental Health Day tomorrow, we came together at Errigal for a special Lunch & Learn to mark the occasion. 💙

We were honoured to welcome guest speakers from SOSAD, Solas Monaghan, Disability NI, and PAC Counselling, who shared invaluable insights on how we can make mental health care more accessible for everyone.

As we approach World Mental Health Day, we’re reminded that when life feels uncertain, access to mental health support is essential. No one should have to face a crisis alone - and here at Errigal, help, compassion, and understanding are always within reach. 💙

10/10/2025

🌍💚 World Mental Health Day: 10th October 💚🌍

What is Mental Health?
It’s how we think, feel, and cope with life from stress and relationships to rest and purpose. Just like physical health, it needs daily care and attention.

✨ Simple ways to boost your mental health:

💭 Talk about how you feel➡️ don’t bottle it up.
🚶 Move your body ➡️ even a short walk helps.
🤝 Stay connected ➡️ reach out to someone today.
😴 Prioritise rest ➡️ your brain needs it as much as your body.
🌱 Do one thing that nourishes you➡️ read, breathe, listen, create.

Let’s make mental health everyone’s business starting with our own. 💬💚

07/10/2025

🌿 PTSD – When the Body Stays in Survival Mode 🌿

PTSD can happen after trauma:
🌬an accident
🌬loss
🌬abuse
🌬or any event that overwhelms our sense of safety.

⚡️It’s not weakness. It’s your body and brain trying to protect you long after the danger has passed.

💛 Healing begins when safety returns.
Through counselling, you can:
✨ Process memories safely
✨ Calm the nervous system
✨ Reconnect with yourself and others

You don’t have to face it alone. Help is here. 🌱

30/09/2025

🌟 Why do we hide our other emotions? 🌟

We often share only the highlights , our “best life.” 📸✨
But sadness, fear, and struggle are just as human as joy and success. 💔➡️💖

Hiding these parts doesn’t make them go away… it just makes us feel more alone. 🤐😔

💡 Remember: your full range of emotions deserves space, compassion, and understanding. 🌱💙

🌍Sharing the real you can be healing for yourself, and for others who might be struggling too. 🌍

🤝Don't be afraid to tell someone how you are really doing the next time they ask.

19/09/2025

🌟 Good Friends = Positive Mental Health 🌟

Did you know the friends you choose can boost your mood AND your health? 🧠💪
Here’s why having good friends with healthy habits matters:

✨ Positive Influence:
Healthy friendships - friends inspire you to eat well, stay active, and skip risky choices (antisocial behaviors)
💬 Stress Busters:
A supportive chat lowers stress and helps keep anxiety & depression at bay.
🤝 Safe & Steady:
Trustworthy friendships mean fewer drama-filled situations and more peace of mind.
🧩 Long-Term Wellness:
Strong, positive connections are linked to better coping skills and even a longer life!

💡 Tip: Want friendships like this? Join activities that build health physically and mentally.
💚Sports clubs
💚Walking groups
💚Volunteering (sports clubs, youth clubs, in the community)

Tag a friend who keeps you balanced and grateful! 🙌💚

12/09/2025

Su***de Prevention 2025💛

Su***de prevention is any action that reduces the risk someone will take their own life

❗️listening to a person
❗️connecting people with mental-health services
❗️removing access to means (medication, sharp objects, fi****ms)
❗️providing crisis help when someone is in immediate danger

we can all play our part!!
➡️looking out for each other
➡️listening without judgement
➡️getting help when things feel overwhelming.

If you’re feeling like you might end your life right now, please reach out to someone you trust or use a crisis line.

If you want to talk here, I’m listening. ❤️

05/09/2025

When you’re struggling, it can feel like you have to face everything on your own. But the truth is, reaching out is a sign of courage, not weakness.

✨ Ways you can ask for help:

Talk to a trusted friend or family member 💬

Send a message saying “I’m finding things tough, can we talk?” 📱

Speak with your GP or a counsellor 🧑‍⚕️

Call a support line if you need someone right away ☎️

You don’t need to have the perfect words just letting someone know you’re struggling is enough. 💙

👉 Remember: You deserve support, you deserve care, and you don’t have to go through it alone.

29/08/2025

📚✨ New School, New Chapter ✨📚

Starting a new school can feel exciting and a little scary.
Here are some simple ways to help your child thrive:

👂 Listen: Let them share their worries.
🕒 Routine: Keep things steady at home.
💪 Confidence: Remind them of past successes.
💌 Connection: A note in the lunchbox or a chat after school.
🎉 Celebrate: Every small step forward matters.

New beginnings = new opportunities

🌟 You’ve got this (and so do they)! 💛

If they are struggling reach out for some advice.

22/08/2025

🌱 Myth-busting Counselling 🌱

Many people believe counselling is only for when life feels like it’s falling apart.
💡 Myth: Counselling is only for when you hit rock bottom.
✅ Truth: Counselling can help you grow, not just cope.

Counselling isn’t just for when you reach rock bottom

It’s a space to:
🌱 Build resilience
🌱 Understand yourself better
🌱 Strengthen relationships
🌱Explore patterns in relationships
🌱 Gain clarity when you’re feeling stuck

15/08/2025

📌Grades don't define you!!

Received your A- Levels or waiting for your GCSE results?

The pressure to do well in exams can feel overwhelming but grades don’t define who you are. 💛

Not getting the grades you hoped for can sting but your worth isn’t a grade 💛

⭐️At 16 or 18, it’s completely normal to feel disappointed, frustrated, or even lost. What matters now is what you do next:

🛑Take a moment to process your feelings it's okay to be upset.

🛑Talk to someone you trust; sharing helps you gain perspective.

🛑Remember there are different paths to your goals: repeats, courses, apprenticeships, or other opportunities.

💥Focus on your strengths, passions, and what you can learn from this experience.

08/08/2025

🧩 Attachment Styles

💡The way we bonded as children shapes how we connect and cope as adults.

🔹 Secure – Comfortable with closeness, trust, and asking for help. Linked to resilience.
🔸 Anxious – Fear of abandonment, needs reassurance. Can fuel anxiety/depression.
🔹 Avoidant – Keeps distance, struggles with intimacy. Can lead to loneliness or burnout.
🔸 Fearful-Avoidant – Craves closeness but fears it. Often linked to trauma.

💡 Your style can change
💎awareness + support = healthier patterns.

🌱Understanding your attachment style isn’t about blame, it’s about giving yourself the tools to improve your mental wellbeing and relationships.

01/08/2025

🌊 Supporting Someone Through Addiction? 🌊

It’s heavy. It’s heartbreaking.💔 And it can leave you struggling too.

You might feel:

❗️Drained
❗️Guilty
❗️Angry
❗️Alone

🤍 Reminder:
💜You matter too.
✅Set boundaries.
✅Ask for help when you need it.
✅Protect yourself.

❗️You didn’t cause it.
❗️You can’t fix it.
✅But you can love them and still care for you.

💬 Support is out there
For THEM and YOU!!
You’re not alone. 🫶