Emma Ryland Positive About Neurodiversity

29/05/2026

I'm delighted to have started working with the wonderful charity The Motherless Mothers.

They offer free counselling, support groups and a huge range of resources for mums who don't have their mum around, for whatever the reason. The charity also campaigns for better support and awareness around navigating motherhood without a mum, and many resources for professionals.

I'll be posting more about the charity over the next few weeks as it's something that is very close to my heart, and in the meantime why not check out their website for more information? And please pass this on to anyone you think may welcome it.🌻

There is support available to you.You don’t have to navigate this alone.Becoming a mother without your own mother by your side is a journey like no other. Whether you’ve lost your mother recently or years ago, the challenges of motherhood can feel overwhelming and isolating when you lack that fo...

06/05/2026

I've shared before how wonderful I think Good Life, Good Death, Good Grief is - so many of us are scared of thinking/talking about death, and yet it's something that affects us all, and this organisation works in creative ways throughout communities to support all of us, no matter what stage we're at in life, dying or grieving.

This week, there are a wide variety of events throughout Scotland and online to get us more comfortable around death -there's even an escape room game, which I love the sound of and am slightly horrified by at the same time!

Why not click on their link and see if there's something you fancy? And if you go to one of the escape rooms, please do let me know how it was!!!

Demystifying Death Week activities on 6 May include events by Humanist Society Scotland and Typewronger Books, Peace Out CIC, North Berwick Coastal Community Connections, and more.

Find out what's happening near you or online:
https://www.goodlifedeathgrief.org.uk/blogs/demystifying-death-week-2026/

03/04/2026

I found this very informative and interesting- please feel free to share widely! 🌻

11/03/2026

Another wonderful piece by NeuroWild
Unmasking can be a really complicated and challenging thing; it’s something that is often the subject of exploration with many of my clients. If you’ve spent a lifetime acting in ways that were considered ‘acceptable’, what a cost there is to that, and how vulnerable it can make you feel to try and change….
If you’d like to unmask, what’s a tiny, safe place that you could start?
How could you support someone you love to be a little bit more truly themselves?
Please feel free to share this with anyone you think might appreciate it…🌻

01/03/2026

I was delighted to be able to go out on my bike again this week!

As many of you know, I'm not a natural cyclist and as winter wore on I was becoming more apprehensive about getting back on my bike - somehow the joy I'd felt in the autumn at owning my first adult pushbike, enjoying exploring, and feeling fitter, had morphed into a familiar fear of not being fit enough and being wobbly and in a bit of danger. Amazing what our brain will do, isn't it?!

In the past I'd have probably given into the thoughts and feelings, and quietly put the bike at the back of the shed and never mentioned it again. But I spend a lot of my time as a therapist encouraging people to explore and challenge their self-limiting beliefs, so it seemed a bit hypocritical not to do the same... and I'm SO happy I did!!!

I was not fit and found it ridiculously hard, and I was nervous and wobbly and glad to stay on cycle paths, but I laughed as I went down a wee hill, and I delighted at being by the sea, listening to the birds as I sat on a bench, waiting for my heart to calm down. I felt proud of myself for not just giving up.

And look at that blue sky, finally! Spring is a time of renewal and growth and I'm so excited to see what new things are going to come into my world this season, and wondering where my bike will take me, if I let it...

I wonder what you're feeling proud about this week? What are you looking forward to this spring? 🚴🌻🌺🌷💐

Image description: Emma's bike, black with colourful flowers on the crossbar and a basket on the back, stands in front of some grass, which leads to the beach and a grey-blue sea. Above is a bank of fluffy white clouds and above that is the blue sky.

25/02/2026

I've just come across this very helpful-seeming list of counselling and support services throughout Edinburgh, most of them free. I don't know the compiling organisation but I do know that counselling and therapy can be prohibitively expensive or inaccessible to many so please pass this on to anyone you think may find it useful...🌻

A complete list of Edinburgh Counselling Agencies in Edinburgh

08/02/2026

From Me to You - writing letters to people with cancer...

Yesterday, I joined a 24 hour letter writing marathon run by the lovely charity, From Me to You. The charity encourages us to write letters to people who are undergoing cancer treatment. Each week, hundreds of people who are feeling isolated receive a letter from a stranger and are maybe distracted for a few moments by a wee bit of cheer.

There were 35 of us online for the 3 hours I took part, from all over the world, and it felt gently wonderful and peaceful to be sitting with others all quietly writing. I wrote and decorated 5 letters in that time, mainly about my garden, dahlias, and the complications of the Scottish weather. It's tricky to pinpoint exactly why I enjoyed it so much but I think the light creativity without any pressure was part of it.

I heard about the charity several months ago, even signed up, and then did nothing, mainly because I wasn't sure what to say. The prompts, testimonies and community yesterday were enough to get me started and I'm so glad I did - I'm going to find a way now to write regularly, not just for others, but to give myself that quietly creative space.

If you're even slightly interested, I urge you to check the charity out and be inspired
https://www.frommetoyouletters.co.uk/donate-a-letter or https://www.facebook.com/FromMetoYouLetters

Happy writing!!

PS Several people on the call yesterday belong to letter writing groups that meet monthly. I'm thinking of setting one up - please do get in touch if you're interested in joining us 🌻

Image description: 5 letters, all decorated with cheerful mainly flowery borders, and five delicious berry teabags, which are going to be included with the letters. The writing and borders show that you don't need to be talented to write letters.

03/02/2026

I'm a qualified clinical supervisor!🎉

Consultation, training and supervision were a big part of my life when I was a teacher within autism outreach and I loved being able to work with education staff who were keen to support and understand their neurodivergent students. Seeing the relief when someone was able to admit in a safe place that they weren't sure if they were doing a helpful thing, and then watching the positive ripple effect when small but hugely significant neuro-affirming changes were made, was always a joy for me.

And I'm delighted to now bring the same to my therapy practice! I've been facilitating ad hoc training and consultation sessions since I was a student, and now that I'm offering supervision as well, I'm really hoping to support more people so that they can become genuinely more neuro-affirming, confident that their practical approaches are based in good understanding.

If this sounds interesting, please get in touch. And please share this with anyone you think might welcome it - let's spread the neuro-affirming love!🌻

https://emmaryland.co.uk/

Image description: A loch is in front of a hillside. What is remarkable about the picture is that because of the sun and dark cloud combination, both the clouds and the reflection in the water are many shades of orange, white and grey, and many shades of brown and grey are visible on the hillside. It is nothing to do with supervision, just beautiful.

27/01/2026

Unfortunately I can’t attend this but I’m sharing it because it looks like a great opportunity. I’ll definitely be looking out for future dates 🌻

Limited places available on an upcoming EASE course in Leith!

11 February, 18 February, (note break), 11 March and 18 March from 1-3pm.
Duncan Place Community Hub in Leith Duncan Place Leith

Book your free place by emailing samara@palliativecarescotland.org.uk

22/01/2026

Hooooorrrraayyyy! 🤸‍♂️🌻🌞

Here comes the sun! 🌞