Chapman Counselling

23/11/2025

I’m delighted to support the Donside Girls U10 football team by providing their new training jackets. As a football fan myself, it means a lot to be able to support a local team of talented young players.
Sport plays such an important role in supporting positive mental health and wellbeing, building confidence, resilience, teamwork, and a sense of belonging.
Wishing the team a fantastic season ahead!

A massive thank you to Chapman Counselling for supporting us and providing our U10 girls with amazing new jackets. Here is Caroline from Chapman Counselling handing them over. The girls are delighted with their jackets.

21/11/2025

About these snowy days… ❄️

With the yellow weather warnings and all the changes they’ve brought, many people I’ve spoken to have said their week has felt a bit different.

I’ve felt that too, as although it’s bonny to look at and fun for the kiddos, as it’s been a bit of a juggle trying to get safely around the North East and navigate the traffic chaos. The kids were delighted with their snow day, but even that can bring a mix of things: a pause, a disruption, or just a strange change in pace.

Snowy days can affect mood, energy, and stress levels, and you might have noticed that for yourself. If you’ve been feeling a certain way about it, whatever that might be, it’s OK.

You might have enjoyed the slower moments, or you might have found the change unsettling or stressful. Your experience is your own.

Some people find that small things help them feel a bit more settled, like a warm drink, a breath of fresh air, a chat with someone, or simply checking in with how they’re feeling.

You’ll know what feels supportive for you, and it might shift from day to day.

However this week has been for you, be kind to yourself as you move through it. (And hopefully the snow will get a shift in time for the weekend and more normal service can resume for everyone!)

16/11/2025

Sunday ramblings and a wee check in! 😀

It’s the usual Sunday vibes here tonight as we get ready to head into a new week. Dogs chuffed to be by the fire as per usual! Hope you’re all doing ok and managed to carve out a bit of time for yourself if you could.

I’ve spent the day essay writing and eating mince pies (purely for brain fuel of course). It felt a bit colder today and with the rumours of snow flying about, I decided it was totally acceptable to crack on the Christmas playlists on Spotify. No regrets!

I also caught the John Lewis advert earlier. Damn you John Lewis! My wee heart 😭They really know how to go for the emotional side of us parents and carers of teens.

It did get me thinking though about how certain things can stir up old memories or bring feelings to the surface when we least expect it. Music is one of those things for me for sure.

That’s something I see a lot in counselling too. The small moments that catch us off guard can tell us a lot about where we’re at, what we’re holding, or what we might need. Sometimes it’s just a wee nudge to check in with ourselves.

Anyway, however you’ve spent your weekend, I hope you’re ok. There’s a busy week ahead so I’m taking the calm while I have it tonight.

Take care, and be gentle with yourself as we head into Monday.

15/11/2025

Each person’s feelings belong to them.

This is something I’ve had to learn (and relearn) over the years. As a reformed people pleaser, I spent a long time believing it was my job to keep everyone else happy, often at the cost of my own wellbeing.

If someone was upset, disappointed, or a bit grumpy, I would leap straight into fixing mode. (It was probably quite annoying for folk, but what can I say… it came from a good place. 🙃)

I was so uncomfortable with other people’s emotional discomfort that I’d often assume I must somehow be to blame. Even when it had absolutely nothing to do with me.

Looking back, I can see how often I put my own needs aside or carried emotions that were never mine to carry. It was well intentioned, but it was heavy.

And here’s the lightbulb moment: it didn’t belong to me.

These days I try to remind myself that caring about someone doesn’t mean taking responsibility for how they feel. I can listen, be present, and offer support, but their emotional world is theirs to navigate. Just like mine is mine.

We are all allowed to feel sad, mad, grumpy, disappointed, and that is OK.

So maybe this week is a gentle nudge to notice the moments when you pick up responsibility that isn’t yours. And to see how it feels to put it back down. 🧡

07/11/2025

Give Laura a message if you might benefit from one of her groups. She has loads of expertise and will meet you with care, warmth and without judgement.

06/11/2025

Food can be such a complicated part of life. For some, it’s tied to comfort and connection; for others, it can bring stress, guilt, or fear. And sometimes at different times.

There’s so much noise in the media right now too, about food, weight loss, weight gain, injections, diets- it can feel never-ending and overwhelming.

If you’re finding your relationship with food difficult at the moment, whether that’s eating too much, not enough, or feeling caught somewhere in between, you’re not alone.

These struggles are rarely just about food. They can be about control, self-worth, or finding ways to cope with difficult feelings.

In counselling, there’s space to gently explore what’s happening for you, without judgement or pressure.
You deserve kindness, patience, and understanding (especially from yourself.❤️)

Edited to add: you can also get support around food and nutrition from the wonderful Laura Leslie Natural Health who is also based in 15B High Street.
We are here to support you.

02/11/2025

This week, I’ve been thinking a lot about boundaries.
With the rush of school routines starting up again, I’ve found myself trying to be all things to all people, and doing very little for myself.

I saw a reel earlier that said “therapists love to bang on about boundaries” 🤣 and it made me smile, because maybe we do!
Anyway- what does having boundaries even mean?

Boundaries aren’t about pushing people away, being bossy or building walls. They’re about understanding what helps you feel safe, respected, and at ease, and finding ways to communicate that. That’s sometimes the tricky bit!

Sometimes boundaries might sound like:
✨ “I can’t take that on right now.”
✨ “I’d love to help, but I need to rest first.”
✨ “I’m not sure that works for me.”
✨ “I need a bit of quiet today.”
They don’t have to sound firm or formal. They can be kind, honest ways of saying “this is what I need right now.”

Many of us struggle to put boundaries in place because we don’t want to let people down, or we want everyone to be happy, even if it means stretching ourselves too thin.

Sometimes we feel the weight of expectations that were placed on us, ones we probably didn’t ask for or don’t belong to us in the first place.

Setting boundaries doesn’t make you difficult or unkind.

So today, I’m giving myself a little time without expectations from others, just having a cup of tea with the poodles and my kindle for a wee mintie.

I have said no to a few things today because I realise I need to have a quiet reset before the week ahead. And that is OK. It really is.

Sometimes the kindest thing you can do, for yourself and others, is to be honest about what you can give.

(Picture of me and Ru- little Doug was here but has gone off to bark ferociously at folk who have the audacity to walk past the house🙄)

23/10/2025

Hello! 👋
I’m now on Instagram at 🍃
I’m not very good at Insta…yet! 😅 But once I figure it out, I’ll be sharing reflections, therapy related stuff, thoughts about life’s ups and downs (and probably pictures of my poodles!)
Come and say hi! I’d love to see you over there! 💚

21/10/2025

“Other people have it worse.”

This is a comment I have heard in the therapy room quite often.

Maybe you’ve said that to yourself before too.You’re finding something hard, but then you think of someone else’s pain and decide yours shouldn’t really count.
So, you keep going, tell yourself you should be fine, to “get on with it” and tuck your feelings away. Maybe you mask your true feelings to others and overthink every interaction. It is exhausting and can feel overwhelming. Perhaps just “stuffing it down” feels familiar.

However, our struggles don’t stop mattering just because someone else is struggling too. And those feelings don’t disappear-no matter how neatly we package them away, or how convincing our mask might be.

I sometimes mention to my clients (and my children too- usually met with eye rolling but I am hopeful they take it in🤣) that those feelings have got to go somewhere. Sometimes they might show up in an unexpected moment or a reaction that surprises you-because there’s only so much stuffing down we have capacity for.
Pain isn’t a competition, and what hurts for you, still hurts.

In my therapy room, there’s no need to compare or justify yourself. You don’t have to prove your pain is worth talking about.
It’s simply a space for you to bring what’s real, the things that feel too small to mention, or too heavy to hold alone. It’s your space. And what you bring matters.

You don’t have to wait until things feel unbearable to ask for support.
You’re allowed to reach out, just as you are, right now.

18/10/2025

Credit: Nicole Arzt

14/10/2025

When you lose someone you love, people often talk about “the first year” as if it’s a finish line, as if something magical happens once you pass that milestone.

But grief doesn’t follow a calendar. There isn’t a moment when the pain simply stops, or when you’re meant to “move on.”

You might find yourself oscillating- moving between moments of deep sadness and times when life feels a little more familiar again. This is a natural and healthy part of grieving. Some days you might feel steady, and then, without warning, a memory, a date, or even a song can bring a wave that takes your breath away. That doesn’t mean you’re going backwards. It means you’re human.

At times, it can feel like you are going up the hill and never quite reaching the summit to enjoy the view.

There’s no “right” way to grieve, and no expiry date for your feelings. You deserve space to honour your loss at your own pace - not on society’s schedule.

If you’re navigating grief and need a safe, compassionate space to talk, I’m here to walk alongside you. 💛

12/10/2025

As a parent of teens myself, I know the holidays can be a bit of a mixed bag. I’m on a break from my school job at the moment (which means no Sunday school scaries!), but I’m still seeing clients, doing plenty of driving around (teen taxi service!), juggling plans, studying and trying to find those little pockets of calm in between.

For many children and young people, the change in routine can bring up all sorts of emotions. Sometimes those feelings show up in obvious ways; other times it’s a quieter shift- a bit more clinginess, big emotions, or seeming withdrawn. It’s so common.

And let’s be honest, the holidays can be a bit of a juggling act for parents too. Between the taxi runs, shifting routines, and keeping everyone (mostly) happy, it can feel like we’re spinning a fair few plates ourselves! Those competing demands on top of the expectations we can put on ourselves as parents to make sure the holidays meet everyone’s expectations can make it a stressful time. (Honestly I feel like we are winning if we have managed the basics of ‘everyone’s fed, nobody’s dead’ some days!)

Having a safe, neutral space to talk things through can really help young people make sense of what’s going on and feel understood in their own way.

If this sounds familiar, you’re always welcome to get in touch for a friendly chat about how I work with children and young people. 🧡

Pic: a wee view from my run last weekend- one foot in front of the other!