SWS Counsellor MBACP, NCS Accred.

24/12/2024

Hey everyone,

It’s that time of year again—Christmas! This year has been a bit different and tough in some ways. I’ve learned a lot about myself and done a ton of self-reflection, which has changed me in so many ways.

One of the bright spots over the last year has been working with so many wonderful, authentic clients. Thanks for letting me be part of your journey! I’m not going to say “Merry Christmas” since that feels a bit cliche, and for a lot of us, it might not be all merry anyway. Just know that I’m thinking of each and every one of you, past and present.

Sending you all my warmest wishes,

Suzanne x

08/12/2024

07/12/2024

The holidays can be a challenging time for folks who are grieving (and that makes sense).

Sometimes the best inner-boundaries gift we can give ourselves is to acknowledge that our grief is NOT gonna follow an organized or predictable process.

And this is ESPECIALLY true during the very first holiday season without our loved one present. 💔

Trying to make the holidays be “the-way-they’ve-always-been” will simply not work.

Because the holidays are not going to be the way they’ve always been. 😢

Let go of your expectations and your plans this year, if you can, and just let it be.

Things will look however they look, and feel however they feel—and every single day (and hour) may feel different.

Make space to honor your emotions, allowing the waves of grief to come when they come. ❤️‍🩹

Meaning, it’s okay to not have anything together this holiday season.

The people who love you will understand.

❤️
Molly
Counselor-turned-boundaries-guide

For boundaries help:
Https://boundaried.com/fearless 🕯️

07/12/2024

It's not the most wonderful time of the year for everyone.
In fact, we know it can sometimes feel like the opposite.

The festivities can bring back memories, evoke powerful emotions and be a painful time.

For support, visit https://ow.ly/NAaG50UjbNz

06/12/2024

󰟝

"Here is the story and its interpretation: The story goes like this: There was a monkey who lived in a forest tree, by a river. One day, the monkey saw a fish swimming in the river and thought the fish was struggling. Feeling compassionate, the monkey resolved to save the fish. It swiftly climbed down the tree, reached out, and grabbed the fish from the water. It then climbed back up and laid the fish on a tree branch. There, the fish flapped violently and soon died. The monkey was puzzled, it had only wanted to help. This story highlights a fundamental idea about different perspectives, environments, and misunderstanding. The monkey, being a land-dwelling creature, interpreted the fish's swimming as struggling or suffering because it judged the situation based on its own environment and experience. It saw the fish being underwater, not breathing air as it does, and assumed that the fish was in peril. In its well-intentioned efforts to help, it took the fish out of its natural environment and put it into its own environment, thus leading to the fish's demise. The moral of the story is a caution against assuming that what is right or natural for one being necessarily applies to others. It warns us of the dangers of imposing our own perspectives and ways of living onto others without truly understanding their needs, their nature, or their environment. This parable also encourages us to develop a deep sense of understanding and empathy for the diverse perspectives and needs of different beings, recognizing that each has its own unique way of being in the world." Author unknown

27/11/2024

"The most terrible loneliness is not the kind that comes from being alone, but the kind that comes from being misunderstood. It is the loneliness of standing in a crowded room, surrounded by people who do not see you, who do not hear you, who do not know the true essence of who you are. And in that loneliness, you feel as though you are fading, disappearing into the background, until you are nothing more than a ghost, a shadow of your former self." — George Orwell, 1984

23/11/2024

Ernest Hemingway once said: In our darkest moments, we don’t need solutions or advice. What we yearn for is simply human connection—a quiet presence, a gentle touch. These small gestures are the anchors that hold us steady when life feels like too much.

Please don’t try to fix me. Don’t take on my pain or push away my shadows. Just sit beside me as I work through my own inner storms. Be the steady hand I can reach for as I find my way.

My pain is mine to carry, my battles mine to face. But your presence reminds me I’m not alone in this vast, sometimes frightening world. It’s a quiet reminder that I am worthy of love, even when I feel broken.

So, in those dark hours when I lose my way, will you just be here? Not as a rescuer, but as a companion. Hold my hand until the dawn arrives, helping me remember my strength.

Your silent support is the most precious gift you can give. It’s a love that helps me remember who I am, even when I forget.

(Original Source unknown)

18/11/2024

Have you recently lost a pet, or feel that time may be approaching?

I lost one of my dogs in May, (Lucy-lastic) she was beautiful, loyal and a wonderful (albeit cantankerous) member of the family.

It was an incredibly difficult choice to make, but the right choice, she was 16 ish. (A rescue so I was never sure of her precise age).

I've just discovered this, and thought the link may be of benefit to someone.

https://www.bluecross.org.uk/pet-bereavement-and-pet-loss?fbclid=IwY2xjawGnYvVleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHSQMf5JBr22ygSQW6B8Z6h4urlIUJOvtCcUHPh_g4HC3aIEIIWXAgfIhPg_aem_L5T1hOrE_TnYVODHNnAXwA

(Stock photo)

17/11/2024

At the end of the day, it's about the people who are by your side when life gets hard. It's about the people who are there when you need them the most.

It's about the people who say "we've got this" when you are facing challenges. It's about the people who notice when you're not yourself. It's about the people who check in on you when you have been more quiet than usual.

It's about the people you'd rather sit in comfortable silence with than make small talk with. It's about the people who raise an eyebrow and know you're lying when you say you are okay when you're not.

It's about the people who know your coffee order off by heart, and when you need one. It's about the people who text you to say they are thinking of you on the days that are difficult for you.
Put simply, it's about the people who think of you. It's about the people who notice. It's about the people who show up in the smallest but most meaningful ways. It's about the people who stay, through it all.

Sourcr Unknown.

Do you have a person?

13/11/2024

For any other ADHDers out there.

30/10/2024

The greatest gift you will ever offer someone is far more precious than anything wrapped in ribbon or bought with wealth. It’s the silent permission you give them to feel safe in their own skin, to breathe without fear, and to embrace their true essence without the need to shrink or apologize. It’s the quiet, unspoken acknowledgment that they are worthy, not because of what they do, but because of who they are, in all their imperfect, raw humanity.

To gift someone the feeling of being enough is to hold up a mirror not to what they lack but to the brilliance they already possess. It is to strip away the layers of doubt and insecurity that the world has cast upon them, allowing them to see themselves clearly for the first time, radiant and whole. They no longer need to strive or perform in your presence, for you have created a space where their soul can rest, where they are loved for simply being.

This gift is not loud or grand; it doesn’t announce itself with fanfare. It is a whisper in the quiet moments, a gentle reassurance when their confidence wavers, a steady hand when they feel unsteady. You give them permission to stand tall in their own truth, knowing that they are not too much or too little. They are, and profoundly, enough.

When you offer this gift, you become the light in their darkest corners, the warmth in their coldest doubts. You become the one who sees them, truly sees them, beyond the masks they wear for the world. And in your seeing, they begin to believe in themselves again, trust in their own worthiness, and know that they don’t have to earn love—they already deserve it.

This is the gift that changes everything. It is the gift of belonging, of being seen and held without judgment, of being allowed to take up space in the world as they are. In giving this gift, you are telling them, with every action and word, that they are whole, worthy, and enough. And that is a gift that no one can take away.

Katie Kamara
🎨 Maria Amaral

Post by Rumi and Divine Love