Refresh Integrative Wellbeing

05/03/2026

World Book Day 2026 💖

I've recorded a seaside reading of
Sally The Seagull and uploaded it to my YouTube channel (link below) if you'd like to share some story time with your child, children, pet, pets, or your sweet self, for this

I am so very passionate about making wellbeing tools, books and other creative modalities available for everyone because I truly believe it can make life that little bit sweeter....and we can all use that sometimes💖

Here are just a few of the benefits of reading:

Creativity provides us with an escape

A form of Expression

A mode of 'making' & all of those beautiful, authentic reward & dopamine hits rather than the addictive short-span manufactured hits of consuming

A branch of our Identity

A Sensory stimulation that acts as Grounding

A tool for making meaning

Reading enhances our complex reasoning skills

Helps us Communicate by expanding our language & vocabulary

Fires up our imagination, & subsequently, our ability to dream big for ourselves and our world

It provides connection, to a character, to an author, to a story or act we might identify with

It helps us learn life lessons & skills

It helps break stereotypes, limits & prejudices

It helps us tackle difficult topics & world issues with a soft, comforting & supportive hand

It helps us feel a sense of belonging, hope, wonder, awe, gratitude....and often, humour

It boosts our sense of playfulness, sillyness & brings us in to touch with the innocence of our inner childlike joy
...and much, much more besides 💖

https://youtube.com/?si=XD8qnl5txJIM90jA

24/02/2026

Never let anyone tell you that dreams can't come true....

Never be scared to give something new a try....

Never forget you have an army of supporters cheering you on (whether you've met them yet or not)....

And most of all NEVER forget that, although bad or difficult things can happen....so can unexpected joy & synchronicity💖✨️

This time last year I attended a magazine writing workshop on a whim....it was at -Hammond House Publishing's International Literary Festival and although I had a few jotted down stories in the back of my cupboard & a mini-dream (I didn't really expect anything to come of it)....
...THIS year, I'm somehow a published author & running a Mindfullness based Children's Story Writing Workshop.

The book is so dear & important to me, its family hommage during intense & difficult times, it's roadmap to start living from the inside out (that seems particularly vital in these times), and it's a story of weathering storms with kindness, connection, friendship & a fair amount of sensory grounding sprinkled in for good measure....
...we all need a little child-like innocence & joy in our lives to balance out the doom & gloom....

I hand-on-heart hope that Sally the Seagull can bring that to you & yours 🌈☀️⛈️💖

Much love & Gratitude, Danielle x

(Instagram)

24/02/2026

Never let anyone tell you that dreams can't come true....

Never be scared to give something new a try....

Never forget you have an army of supporters cheering you on (whether you've met them yet or not)....

And most of all NEVER forget that, although bad or difficult things can happen....so can unexpected joy & synchronicity💖✨️

This time last year I attended a magazine writing workshop on a whim....it was at -Hammond House Publishing's International Literary Festival and although I had a few jotted down stories in the back of my cupboard & a mini-dream (I didn't really expect anything to come of it)....
...THIS year, I'm somehow a published author & running a Mindfullness based Children's Story Writing Workshop.

The book is so dear & important to me, its family hommage during intense & difficult times, it's roadmap to start living from the inside out (that seems particularly vital in these times), and it's a story of weathering storms with kindness, connection, friendship & a fair amount of sensory grounding sprinkled in for good measure....
...we all need a little child-like innocence & joy in our lives to balance out the doom & gloom....

I hand-on-heart hope that Sally the Seagull can bring that to you & yours 🌈☀️⛈️💖

Much love & Gratitude, Danielle x

09/01/2026

My 5 moments of sunshine on a gloomy (and ferociously windy!!!) day in

There's actually 6 as the sight of my windswept barnet when I got back in the car made me giggle!

1 & 2 Listening to the sound of rain pattering on my hood while Teddy had a 10 hour sniff stop on our walk 😬

3 My Rose tea order arriving....LOVE Yogi Rose tea, it's a rose & lavender blend and each tea bag has a cute little life message on 💖 How gorgeous is the big package decoration too💖

4 The unexpected feeling of a great big, relaxing hug from the teddy bear chair-pillow I 'borrowed' from one of my children so I could chill and read in comfort 😍 ....and the book I was thoughtfully and heart-warmingly gifted by my beautiful friend and talented writer 😊

5 Sneaking a mug of nettle tea onto the school run to keep myself cosy from the inside out (I think I may be reptilian and / or need a portable heat lamp 😬)

6 My new, ridiculously windswept mane 🦁😳

31/12/2025

So very thankful for a few slow days connecting with loved ones & enjoying some time in nature 💖

I love to take a little time over 'Betwixtmas' to appreciate the year gone....celebrate the things i'm thankful for, the successes, grieve a little and let go of some of the things lost, and reflect on the lessons of the year so I can be a little more intentional about my daily choices in the coming New Year
...which actually doesnt get started for me until around February when the frost is thawing & life starts to emerge from hibernation! 🌱

One intention I have had this year is to place some healthy boundaries around how much I 'give' and instead be more intentional with my time.

One of the things I've found difficult to balance is keeping up with social media posts....

I love & value sharing and connecting with you all on here but I've found time and content limitations challenging, not to mention the dreaded algorithm rules that prioritise certain types of content & now prevent public profiles with fewer than 1000 followers from going 'Live'...something i'd thought would provide a time-viable and authentic mode of sharing that's true to my values

So in the New Year i've decided to hop over to YouTube....I'd love to see you there if you feel called to join & i'll keep you posted on progress, here💖

But for now, whether you are taking time out to be intentional about your next moves, celebrating with glitz glamour & festive cheer, charging in to your New Years' Resolutions, or having a quiet one and an early night....

I wish you love, good health, peace of mind, authentic connection and some life affirming surprises for 2026 💖✨️

With lots of love & big New Years hugs,

Danielle x

25/12/2025

Its wrap!

A bit late in the day but Christmas is always a busy one (especially, I suspect, in single parent households!), but I just wanted to send you all lots of love at Christmas 🤗🎄

I'm thankful for you being here, whether you work with me in my practice, view / like / share my work, know me personally or virtually, I'm so thankful to connect with you💖

Christmas can be magical....it can also be painful, tough, amazing, frustrating, isolating and joy filled....sometimes all of those things, all at once!

But connection with the right people, sharing experience, seeing new perspectives or validating existing ones ....
whether in 'real life' or through social media,
is what breathes colour into life🌈

So however your day has been, whether you celebrate Christmas or not, I hope you find connection....a shared smile, experience, emotion, hope, recipe, tradition, frustration....

And I hope it offers you comfort, warms your heart and reminds you you're never alone.

Personally, i'm bruised (See huge purple circle on left leg....I fell off the sofa taking a birthday banner down!),
Sleep deprived, Temporarily financially ruined and far too full of wine, cheese & crackers!!!
...but incredibly grateful 💖

Sending lots of love, Danielle x

10/09/2025

Yesterday was my first day off (ish) since the start of the Summer Holidays....
...not exactly practicing what I preach hey 😬

I wanted to share because I want to apologise for the lack of content....I know it's not fashionable to apologise but I am so thankful to you all for being here & getting involved whether through liking, commenting or even sharing my work....

It is my passion & when you spend sometimes hours creating content & giving your professional knowledge out to the ether pro bono, it really is nice to know it makes even a little difference, so sorry and thank you 💖

Also, I wanted to be accountable to myself....Ironically I am hosting a day Retreat on Friday with a theme of nurturing the carer within, following the Summer madness

Being a single parent it's only natural that you sometimes have to make difficult choices, & at times and end up at the bottom of the pile so to speak....

and being self employed during the holidays means to having to cram client sessions in to the couple of days a week that the children spend with their father....

but its all because I choose things to be this way

I maybe could get childcare, I maybe could lessen the sense of responsibility I take for my clients, helping others & possibly even let the kids take their own plates away after tea....

but the time passes by in the blink of an eye and before you know it your wishes to publish your book, commit to your weekly hike, test the waters of dating (with boundaries not walls 😬) and let life in a little, have been relegated

So yesterday, I chose me, for a huge change

Parked the parent / therapist / writer / friend / creator guilt and had a beautiful walk, lunch & me time

I hope you create the chance to do the same for yourself....possibly at Friday's retreat if you feel called (still a couple of places up for grabs)

Thank you for being here 💖

'5 Ways to use Wellbeing tools to stretch your Window of Tolerance' is coming soon....

07/09/2025

Great course starting this Monday....Learn a new stress & anxiety busting tool each week. DM me or Anything Goes to book your spot 💖

Week 2 tomorrow,, ping us to book

🖌️ Art for Anxiety: 8-Week Therapeutic Art Course 🧘‍♀️
Transform stress into creativity—no art skills needed.

Feeling overwhelmed, anxious, or emotionally stuck?
Discover the healing power of creativity in our 8-week “Art for Anxiety” course. Designed for adults who want to explore self-expression, calm the nervous system, and reconnect with their inner peace through guided art practices.

🎨 What You'll Experience:

Weekly 1 hour sessions.

Mindful drawing, painting, and mixed media techniques

Tools to manage anxiety through creative expression

A supportive, judgment-free space

🗓️ Course Dates:

Starts Monday 8th September 1pm -2pm
£10 per session

03/08/2025

Did you know that

22/07/2025

Your body is an amazing machine doing its thing....

🌬Increasing your breathing & heart rates to get oxygen to your muscles when you exercise

💪Sending 'repair' cells to your muscles to help them repair & grow after a workout

🍕Sending messages brain to gut, triggering the release of appetite hormones when you're low on fuel

💖🔥Triggering various mood hormones to help you know what helps you feel good....and what needs attention

But it needs a little help....

The cells in our body will do their thing but they need the right ingredients....

Our Window of Tolerance shrinks under the weight of stress and trauma, but not all of that stress and trauma is what we experience

If our cells can't repair due to lack of nutrients, it causes Inflammation, just like when we bump & bruise ourselves....Inflammation is a stress on our system

When our gut does not have the right balance of bacteria, it cannot eliminate waste & toxins from our body, causing Inflammation & blocking the absorption of all the nutrients we need to repair the damage....AND for every day, balanced function

Chemicals absorbed into our body, such as artificial sweeteners, are treated as a 'threat' by immune cells, causing Inflammation, while the low calorie content marked by sweet taste tricks our body into thinking it has more energy than is present, causing blood sugar imbalances & mood disturbances....hello hangry!

Nutrition has a powerful impact on our Mind, Body & Soul wellbeing, so why not try using one of these 5 tools to give your body some support & love 💖

Next week, we're looking at 5 ways to use movement to help stretch our Window of Tolerance 💪💪

21/07/2025

4 posts, 20 strategies to improve your life....

Why?

Because we all deserve to have the best experience of life that we can....

For ourselves and for those around us who care, and who are also watching and learning from how we treat ourselves when things get tough

The start of the Summer holidays has landed in our household, and while some of the time & logistics pressures have been removed, life will always present new challenges in their place....

We can't always choose or control our environment, but our power lies in learning how our Mind, Body & Soul system works, and how we can use it for collective benefit to:

🌋Reduce stress & reactivity
🔥Process big feelings
🥊Successful resolve conflicts
⚠️Navigate unexpected changes
💖Soothe emotional discord
✨️Increase energy & motivation
⏰️Get the most out of your precious time

The most crucial element of our Mind, Body, Soul system is our Central Nervous System....

It's the pathway where all of our thoughts, feelings, emotions & behaviours are created and learning how to balance it is our greatest asset

So over the coming weeks we'll be looking at some of the CNS balancing tools I use successfully both in my personal life and that I teach clients in my private practice, so you can begin to thrive in the summer season....and beyond💪

We'll keep it simple, 5 practical ways you can use Nutrition; Movement; Wellbeing practices; & Trauma Focused Therapy approaches to stretch your Window of Tolerance & stay in Central Nervous System balance

It starts with 'Nutrition' tomorrow....subscribe to notifications so you don't miss it 💖

09/07/2025

Emergency Responders work changes neurobiology, but it can be retrained....

Do you know about your Window of Tolerance?
...& how to regulate it?

The Window of Tolerance shows zones where we have less & optimum Tolerance to life, triggers & stress

When we operate from the middle part, the window of tolerance, we are open, flexible, adaptable & in control, but in under or over activation zones, we have less control of our thoughts, feelings, emotions & actions & instead, act with greater influence of our automatic survival modes

Following on from our chat about our Central Nervous System 'Baseline'....the point where we NOTICE we are over or under activated, this little diagram shows a few of the signs of being over-activated or under activated, along with a few tools to shift us back into a state of balance

Two key things to note about the Window of Tolerance....

1. Your Tolerance Window will be different for different 'types' of event / experience / circumstance....although different circumstances, etc can have a key theme, such as feeling 'not good enough', alone, rejected, betrayed, etc

2. Your Window of Tolerance will shrink the more you encounter the same event / experience / circumstance, causing you to enter over or under activation modes (Huper or Hypo activation) quicker & with greater force.

If you've been following previous posts, we looked at Hot and Cold response modes of our Central Nervous System, Hot is Hyper activated, Cold is Hypo activated, the middle area is tge sweet spot of warmth & gentle activation

Thinking of your Nervous system as a pan of water can help you visualise the effect....not enough heat on the pan & the water remains stuck, stagnant & cold.
Add a little heat energy & we get warmth & some gentle movement....but too much & the water boils over or evaporates quicker.
Staying in the warm zone allows greater comfort & adaptability without moving into extremes at either end of the temperature scale

You can use up & down regulating tools to bring your system back into the window of Tolerance, or as I usually refer to it, balance

The more you practice returning to balance, the more automatically you'll do it in response to life's twists & turns

Want to learn more? We're Live tomorrow at 6pm 💖