Zoe Burnett Counselling

30/04/2026

Ever tried to hold a beach ball under water?

It takes effort. Constant effort. It can feel bloody exhausitng!
And the second your grip loosens…... It explodes to the surface with force!😅

Feelings can be a bit like that.

⚽️The more we push feelings down, avoid them, or tell ourselves “not now,” the more pressure builds underneath. Until eventually it can’t stay there anymore… and like a beach ball, it flies back up to the surface with force. When it does, it can feel overwhelming, and we push it back down again. Continuing a cycle!

🤔What if, instead of forcing it under, we did something different?

What if we noticed the beach ball.

Saw it for what it is.
A feeling, and not something to try and get rid of.

What if we then bring it a little closer, without judgement.
We name it. Sit with it. Let it exist.

And when we’re ready, we don’t shove it away, back under the water......
We simply let it drift.☮

It might come back. That’s okay.
Each time, it gets a little less forceful, a little less urgent.

You don’t have to wrestle your feelings to be okay, sometimes it’s just about floating alongside them.🏖

💜💜

27/03/2026

Last week I spent time at Lincoln university, with Dr. Kamila Irvine, talking about all things eating disorders and answering questions asked anonymously.

From lived experience, to my work at First Steps ED to private practice, to the messy, non-linear path from patient to practitioner.

There were also a lot of questions this year about weight loss injections and social media… which tells its own story.

But this one question/comment caught me completely off guard.
I paused, completely stunned and thankful. It reminded me, this is why I speak. To help others feel a little less alone. A reminder to others that they are not the only one walking this path.

That matters, more than anything 💜

13/03/2026

08/03/2026

🔥For every woman learning to reclaim her voice after being silenced.
I see you.
Happy International Women’s Day.

02/03/2026

I’ve been a little quiet this Eating Disorders Awareness Week.

Not because it doesn’t matter, Of course it does!
But because behind the scenes, it’s been business as usual.

💜Fighting fires.
💜Holding families.
💜Taking the calls when parents are desperate and don’t know where to turn.
💜Working hard in rooms where awareness has long since become reality.

🙌EDAW is important. It starts conversations. It reduces shame. It reminds people they aren’t alone.

But when services are being cut, presentations are getting more severe, and families are being turned away… awareness alone isn’t enough. 😞

After Awareness Week, we need Action Week.
Better yet… Funding Week.

To every family fighting right now, I see you.
To every practitioner holding impossible caseloads, I see you too.

Let’s keep pushing. As a community

@

01/03/2026

Let’s listen with kindness today and every day. Creating space for honest conversations helps bring hope and break stigma.

14/02/2026

It was an absolute privilege to speak at this conference yesterday!

I was presenting on eating disorders in the perinatal period and I’m still holding the weight and warmth of it!

Talking about pregnancy and early motherhood alongside eating disorders is extremely close to my heart. It is layered. It is tender. It is complicated. It holds shame, silence, body changes, identity shifts, grief, joy, and fear all tangled together. Basically...... ALL THE FEELINGS 😅

I spoke about how the ED can grow louder during times of change. About the collision between a body that is meant to expand and a mind that has been wired to shrink. About the things professionals say that land well...... and the ones that don’t. About why awareness matters even when you don’t feel equipped to “fix” it.

If you work in perinatal services, maternity, health visiting, primary care, mental health or third sector support, please know this: you do not have to be an eating disorder specialist to make a difference. Language matters. Curiosity matters. Compassion matters!!!!

feel free to get in touch 😉

Massive thank you to Kel O'Neill for hosting and creating space for these conversations!
Also a massive thanks to everyone who came and listened, and joined in the conversation so openly. I left feeling hopeful. ☺️💜

12/02/2026

🥰It was an absolute pleasure to present to the NHS Board of Directors today!

I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to contribute to a conversation about where services are now, where the gaps remain, and how we might begin to do things differently.

It was encouraging to see openness to discussions about lived experience, and to hear genuine interest in perspectives from those working within systems but perhaps from a slightly different angle. 😊

These conversations matter if we are serious about reducing barriers, improving access and creating services that people can actually use!!

We also reflected on how fixed, time limited session models do not always work, particularly for those who have experienced trauma or who are neurodivergent. Building rapport and psychological safety often takes several sessions before meaningful therapeutic work can begin. When we rush straight into structured interventions, it can lead to overwhelm and shutdown rather than engagement. While CBT has its place, a more integrative and flexible approach is often needed. Our role as therapists is to find what works for the client, not expect the client to mould themselves to a specific modality.

The current system is failing people.😔

I am very much looking forward to the follow up conversations that were suggested, and to continuing to advocate for approaches that are relational, integrative and grounded.

What a way to start a Thursday morning!🙌

30/01/2026

Stepping away today to do something just for me. A cuppa, some paint, no plan, no outcome. 🖌️

I’m reminding myself that rest doesn’t have to be earned, and creativity doesn’t have to be shared to be valid!

There is wisdom in the pause. 💜

How are you resting over the weekend?

26/01/2026

I can not stress this enough....... Language matters 🙏💜

Talking about su***de can be difficult.

However, learning how to talk about it in a safe and hopeful way has the power of potentially saving lives and avoiding reinforcing stigma that can prevent people from seeking the support they need.

Refrain from using the term ‘committed’. 'Commit' implies su***de is a sin or crime, reinforcing the stigma that it’s a selfish act and personal choice. Su***de has not been a crime in England since 1961.

Instead, let's use phrases such as 'died by su***de' or 'experienced suicidal thoughts'.
Let's keep talking about su***de safely and sensitively, and keep saving young lives. 💜

24/01/2026

I've been playing around with some art therapy ideas this afternoon. 💜
I've seen a few things but not had chance to try them out..... This one was a firm fave 🙂🫟

This one involved randomly drawing black squiggles on the page.

Then colouring in each section.

I went over the lines, in a thicker pen, then rounded off all the edges.

It's not perfect. That's the point. Just a burst of random colour. Allowing the lines to just flow. Colouring in. Then rounding off all the points.

I also have a pebble you could use for the random squiggle, if you did not want to go free flow!

It allowed my brain to pause.....
Allowed me to breathe.

This is a tool I will definitely be passing on to relevant clients 😆 a chance to let the inner child play!

REMEMBER!!!!! You do not have to be an artist to do this sort of thing. (Evidently lol) It's about pausing. Engaging in the task, and allowing the flow of the lines to guide you.

☺️🫟