Mindful Changes Counselling and Psychotherapy

05/10/2025

The Empty Chair Technique

A powerful Gestalt approach I integrate into my therapy work — creating space to express what’s been left unspoken, whether to yourself, someone from your past, or an inner part that longs to be acknowledged.

Because the Empty Chair Technique can bring up deep emotions, it’s always used in a safe, supportive space where you’re guided through each step with care.

It’s not just a conversation… it’s a bridge between awareness and healing.

01/10/2025

Joanne is a colleague of mine, who offers counselling and psychotherapy services. Genuine and supportive and experienced, Joanne can help you on your mental health and wellbeing journey. Contact her directly at Green Room Therapy - Counselling by Joanne Green 💚

29/09/2025

When I look at nesting dolls, I see more than just a beautiful design. For me, they represent the layers we all carry within ourselves. The outer doll feels like the role we show to the world, the version of us that’s visible and often shaped by expectations.

As you open each layer, you move closer to the more private, tender, and authentic parts of self.

In my own reflection, these dolls remind me of the importance of being in tune with all our layers, not just the polished outer one.

Therapy with me offers a safe space to gently explore these different parts, from the surface roles we play to the innermost feelings we may not often share.

By understanding and connecting with each layer, we can move towards greater wholeness and self-acceptance

28/09/2025

Healing can unfold when we finally pay attention to the parts of ourselves that were overlooked or unheard. Inner child work is a chance to reconnect with those younger aspects and bring them the compassion they deserve. In therapy, I guide clients through this process, helping them to grow a stronger, kinder relationship with themselves. If you feel drawn to this, I’d be happy to talk about how this work could support you.

25/09/2025

I’m pleased to share that I am now offering face-to-face, in-person counselling and psychotherapy sessions at VB Health Clinic, Springhead, Oldham.

📍 Address:
10-11 County End Business Centre
Jackson Street
Springhead
OL4 4TZ

There’s something uniquely grounding about being physically present in the same space. In-person sessions can help build deeper connection, encourage openness, and create a safe container for exploring the thoughts and feelings that matter most.

VB Health Clinic provides a warm and welcoming environment, designed to support your wellbeing and help you feel at ease the moment you walk through the door.

I offer a free, 15 minute consultation: If you’d like to book or find out more, please get in touch either through phone call/WhatsApp, email or directly on my website.

📞 07356 242574
📧 james.integrative.counselling@gmail.com
🌍 www.mindfulchangestherapy.com

Hi, I’m James – a down-to-earth counsellor psychotherapist offering safe, confidential support for anxiety, trauma, low mood & life struggles. Online and concessionary sessions available. Let’s talk – free intro call.

20/09/2025

🌱 The Work of Becoming Ourselves 🌱

For many q***r and gender-diverse people, growing up rarely means growing as themselves. Instead, survival often requires constructing versions of the self that minimise humiliation, avoid prejudice, and reduce the risk of rejection. From a psychological perspective, these are adaptive strategies — defence mechanisms the mind uses to keep us safe. Yet, in adulthood, the challenge often becomes one of careful reflection: Which parts of me belong to my authentic self, and which were shaped primarily to protect me?

This experience extends far beyond the q***r community:

Men are often conditioned to believe emotional expression equals weakness. Many grow a protective layer of stoicism or anger — only later recognising how it distances them from intimacy and vulnerability.

Women are frequently socialised to put others first, building a self that is pleasing, compliant, or nurturing — sometimes at the cost of their own desires and authenticity.

Non-binary and gender-neutral people may have grown up suppressing or disguising their true gender identity to conform to binary expectations. The protective self becomes one of invisibility, silence, or conformity — and the adult task is reclaiming the freedom to live in alignment with their inner truth.

Anyone from difficult backgrounds — whether shaped by trauma, poverty, or cultural pressure — may have constructed survival selves that prioritised safety over individuality.

Therapy with me offers an affirming space for integration: honouring those protective selves for the safety they provided, while compassionately reconnecting with the authentic self that was always there.

This work is not about erasing the past but about choosing, with awareness, who we truly want to become.

18/09/2025

🌊 Urge Surfing & Addiction Recovery 🌊
One of the techniques I have often share with clients in therapy is called urge surfing.

When we’re struggling with addictive behaviours: whether that’s s*x, po*******hy, substances, or even food – the urge to act can feel unbearable, like a wave that will sweep us away unless we give in. This is where urge surfing becomes powerful.

Instead of fighting the urge or trying to crush it, urge surfing invites us to ride it out.
Psychologically, urges are temporary. Research shows that cravings often peak, then naturally decline – much like waves rising and falling in the ocean.
By noticing the urge (without judgement), breathing through it, and staying present in the body, clients learn that they don’t have to obey the impulse. They can let it rise, crest, and pass.

In therapy, I have guided clients to practise this technique with compassion and curiosity. It’s not about “white-knuckling” through addiction or expecting yourself to never have cravings – it’s about building awareness and learning that urges lose power when you don’t immediately react.

💡 What clients often find most freeing is realising:
They don’t need to win an endless battle with addiction all at once.
They only need to ride out this moment, this wave.
Over time, urge surfing helps people feel more in control, strengthens resilience, and creates space for healthier choices.

If you’re struggling with addictive patterns, remember: urges are waves. You can learn to surf them – not drown in them. 🌊✨

01/04/2025

Kitchen/Diner decorated over the weekend

Johnstones: Vanilla Swirl, applied in durable matt, throughout ceiling/walls. Satinwood applied to wood and a feature wallpaper hung and wrapped around dining space.