Emma Ryland Positive About Neurodiversity

23/09/2025

Number 6 One Stop Shop - Autism Initiatives Scotland provides a huge variety of services and support for many, many autistic people and their families, and is going to be a terrible loss to Edinburgh and the Lothians if its funding is cut.

Working together can bring about change, so please take a moment to sign this petition if you can. Thank you 🌻

Save Number 6 One Stop Shop- Tell City of Edinburgh Council No funding cuts

10/09/2025

Reach out if you need support this World Su***de Prevention Day 💙

Please share this so people know where to go for help.

08/09/2025

Did you know that there is a phoneline every evening from 6-10pm for anyone aged 12+ living in Scotland who is self-harming and needs some support?
Or that you can self-refer for a block of support from peers with lived experience of self-harm if you live in Scotland?

Self-harm Network Scotland's website has a wide range of practical resources and information and is well worth checking out if you or anyone you know self-harms: https://selfharmnetworkscotland.org.uk/

They also provide fully funded Self-Harm Awareness training for anyone who is interested in learning more. I attended a three hour session last week and it was brilliant - informative, interesting and practical. I already knew a fair bit, but learned loads and came away feeling more confident and with a range of tools and strategies. I'd definitely recommend this training!
Check out upcoming training sessions here: https://bit.ly/49DsGWW

The Self-harm Network aims to debunk myths around self-harm, and reduce stigma. Please feel free to forward this post to anyone you think might appreciate it 💗

05/09/2025

In my last post I spoke about the power of holding two thoughts/feelings at once and here are some more examples. Using ‘and’ instead of ‘but’ changes things…

The power of 'AND'. Walking the middle path.

02/09/2025

⚠️ Government Emergency Alert Test – What You Need to Know if You’re Affected by PTSD or C-PTSD

On Sunday 7th September 2025, there will be a nationwide test of the UK Government’s Emergency Alerts system. This test is designed to trial the system used to warn people about life-threatening emergencies like severe flooding, fires, or extreme weather events.

As part of the test, your mobile phone or tablet may make a loud, siren-like sound, even if it’s set to silent. It will also vibrate and display a message on your screen. The alert will last for around 10 seconds.

Why we’re sharing this
We know that sudden, unexpected noises - especially those that sound like alarms - can be distressing or triggering for people living with PTSD or C-PTSD.

Many people with PTSD or C-PTSD experience hypervigilance, a state of being constantly alert and on guard, always scanning the environment for potential threats. Loud sounds, abrupt vibrations, or unexpected messages can understandably cause feelings of fear, panic, or flashbacks.

That’s why we want to make sure you have the chance to prepare, plan, and protect your wellbeing, especially if you think this alert might affect you.

Find out more: PTSDuk.org/government-alert-system-test/

What to expect on 7th September
If your device is compatible and the alerts are switched on, it may:

🔊 Make a loud, siren-like sound (even on silent mode)

📳 Vibrate

📱 Display a message on your screen, including a link or phone number for more info

The alert will last for about 10 seconds, and there’s no action required from you during the test.

Can I turn the alert off?
Yes, you can opt out of emergency alerts on most devices - and we’ve included clear instructions in our article to help you do this, if you feel it’s necessary for your wellbeing.

Please note, for your safety, we don't suggest you turn the notifications off. Emergency alerts contain life-saving information and should be kept switched on for your own safety. But we always advise people to make informed decisions that feel right for them.

You can read step-by-step guidance for iPhones, Androids, and other devices on our article.

A gentle reminder
We aren’t able to answer questions about the Emergency Alert system itself - this is a government-led initiative. But we’re sharing this information to ensure you’re not caught off guard, and so you have the tools to make the right choice for your own safety and peace of mind.

https://www.ptsduk.org/government-alert-system-test/

01/09/2025

I went for a bike ride early in the morning (please see my previous post to understand how thrilled I am to write that) and I was watching the birds in the shallow water where the river meets the sea. Do you know that this is called brackish water? It's where water isn't as salty as the sea but is saltier than freshwater, often found at estuaries. This combination of waters is incredibly rich and important for wildlife as it contains benefits of both types of water.

Anyway, it got me thinking about how our emotions, thoughts and experiences are rarely just one thing. Like brackish water, we’re often holding two truths at once — sadness and hope, grief and love, fear and courage. That in-between space can sometimes feel uncomfortable, but it can also be where the richness is, where life can thrive.

One of the things we often explore in therapy is the in-between: when we discover that things are often not just one thing or another, it can feel less rigid and constricting. What if I'm someone who enjoys the company of others and also finds it draining and both things are okay? What if I'm terrified of doing this thing and I'm also determined to do it? I think that 'and also' can sometimes help us change our narrative to include more possibilities.

I've been a lifelong all-or-nothing thinker and I'm also trying to embrace and explore the in-between. And back to my cycling (of course!) - I'm really struggling to get up in the morning and I'm also going to continue to do it for as long as I'm benefiting from some early morning time in nature.

I wonder what 'and also' might add to your life? 🌻

PS If you're interested in learning more about the benefits of brackish water, here's a link:https://www.omicsonline.org/open-access-pdfs/bridging-worlds-exploring-the-ecological-importance-of-brackish-water-ecosystems.pdf

ID: a dramatic grey cloudy sky is above a sliver of grey sea, In the foreground is sand and shallow water and you can just about see that there are lots of seabirds on the ground and one flying.

21/08/2025

I was thinking a lot about my post on Saturday on micro-steps and decided to take one...and this is where it ended up - me buying my first push bike as an adult!

I've always believed that I hate cycling and so I've never done it, and a brief unsuccessful interlude with an electric bike just confirmed this story. And then people close to me recently got bikes and I could see the fun they were having, and I was missing out. It was a shame I hated cycling.

The concept of micro-steps kept nipping at me, however: the thought that I could just try and it didn't matter if I really did hate it. And so on Sunday I borrowed a bike, and it definitely did not feel micro - I was nervous as anything. But I went for a ride and LOVED it!!! And so, here we are, a few days later with my lovely second hand bike. Is it impulsiveness? Not the first time I've been accused of that. I prefer to think of it as enthusiasm. Will I lose interest in a few days, weeks or months? Not the first time that's happened. I don't know. I also don't care, because for now, I'm someone who loves cycling and has her own bike and a packet of flower stickers to make it even more beautiful, and that is all that matters!

I wonder where your first (micro) step could take you? 🚴‍♀️🌻

ID: Emma, a light haired woman in black top, pink skirt and sunglasses, is sitting on a dark coloured bike, on the pavement outside a bike shop. She is smiling happily.

17/08/2025

I love this concept of micro-assertions! It can feel overwhelming to start doing something differently, and so I always encourage clients to start small. Start tiny, even tinier if you want, whatever it takes to start. Or to get closer to starting. Not just with asserting ourselves, but with anything that's difficult - a micro-step maybe?

What micro-step might you be able to take today? 🌻

07/08/2025

Language is important and affects how we think about ourselves. Is there a word you can change and see if it makes you feel a bit better? I definitely prefer to think of myself as spontaneous-it sounds much more fun than impulsive! 🤸🌻

Reframing Neurodivergent Traits, because language matters.. 🫂🙏🫂

Credit to 🙌
Morgan Beidleman

21/07/2025

I don’t know this person or this course so I don’t know if it’s any good in reality.

But I do know how damaging the narrative can be that you’re a failure if you don’t somehow turn grief or adversity into to something great. And I’ve seen time and again with both individual therapy and Motherless Daughter groups, the power of sharing our story, and expressing ourselves, even the difficult stuff, especially with others who we know will get it.

This post has also got me thinking about the concept of being brave. I wonder what being brave means to you? 🌻

Pain is not always redeemed, in the end or otherwise.

All of our cultural stories are stories of transformation, of redemption. Books, movies, documentaries, children’s stories, even the tales we tell ourselves — they all end on a positive note.

We demand a happy ending. If there isn’t one, well, that’s the hero’s fault. Nobody wants to read a book where the main character is still in pain at the end.

We’ve got a cultural narrative that says bad things happen in order to help you grow, and no matter how bleak it seems, the end result is always worth the struggle.

Grieving people are met with impatience precisely because they are failing the cultural storyline of overcoming adversity. If you don’t “transform,” if you don’t find something beautiful inside this, you’ve failed.

But pain is not always redeemed, in the end or otherwise. Being brave — being a hero — is not about overcoming what hurts or turning it into a gift.

Being brave is about waking to face each day when you would rather just stop waking up.

Being brave is staying present to your own heart when that heart is shattered into a million different pieces and can never be made right.

Being brave is standing at the edge of the abyss that just opened in someone’s life and not turning away from it, not covering your discomfort with a pithy “think positive” emoticon.

Being brave is letting pain unfurl and take up all the space it needs. Being brave is telling that story. It’s terrifying. And it’s beautiful. Those are the stories we need.

We all need a place where we can tell the truth about how hard this is. The Writing Your Grief 30 day e-course gives you the space to tell the truth about what it’s like to be you.

Saying it on the page – even if you can’t yet say it to the people in your life – is incredibly powerful. Get started now at https://refugeingrief.com/wyg
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18/07/2025

I was saddened this week to learn of the death, aged 49, of the wonderful Andrea Gibson. I was lucky enough to see them in Edinburgh a few years ago and it remains one of my favourite gigs - I’m often in awe at their ability to simply and beautifully articulate thoughts and feelings that I can barely recognise.

I’ve been following with utmost respect their cancer journey. Andrea’s life was often made extremely difficult by anxiety, but since their diagnosis they’ve been writing about ‘befriending my mortality and the countless ways that process has increased the joy in my life.’ (https://andreagibson.substack.com/)

I worry about toxic positivity. I don’t ever want to cause people who are doing their best, to feel as though they’re not doing enough to think themselves out of distress. I’ve been angry and upset in my life when I’ve felt that way (People genuinely did suggest to me that my own mum didn’t try hard enough to not die of cancer) but I’ve seen how Andrea’s embracing of awe and love allowed some of their final words to be “I fu***ng loved my life” and I want some of that. And I want to encourage people in my life, both professionally and personally, to risk embracing acceptance, awe and love, because really, why not?

If you haven’t yet discovered Andrea’s work, I think their newsletter, Things That Don’t Suck (https://andreagibson.substack.com/) is a good place to start. Or watch them on YouTube and feel some love and awe.

❤️🩷💙💚

Awe is the most powerful medicine in the world.
I have never felt awe and shame at the same time,
awe and loneliness at the same time,
awe and judgment at the same time,
and nothing wakes us to awe more than life’s brevity.
which is to say forming an intimate relationship
with our mortality could not only save us,
it could save our world. If you don’t
believe me, tell me the last time you saw
anything bite with it's jaw dropped.
(The Lifegiving Benefits of Befriending Our Mortality)

Picture is of Andrea Gibson sitting on a swing, with mug in their hand, somewhere in woodland with logs behind them. They're wearing jeans and a hoody and looking directly at the camera with their head on one side.

(Image credit: Andrea Gibson, Things That Don't Suck)

17/07/2025

This has really made me chuckle this morning!