Eleanor Catchpole Counselling

01/03/2026

It can be so hard to say no

28/02/2026

It’s not ok

27/02/2026

Trauma responses, like fight, flight, freeze, flop, & fawn, tend to mirror the stages of grief— denial (flight), anger (fight), bargaining (fawn), and depression (freeze).

That's not a coincidence.

23/02/2026

Take care

31/01/2026

31/01/2026

"When we can find a way and a therapist to explore our thoughts, our feelings and our behaviours, we can then begin to understand what our challenges are, and then it gives us choices and directions."

Fantastic to see Odette Hamilton and Julia Samuel on BBC Breakfast this morning. They raised so many important points about therapy and encouraged women over 50 to seek professional support if they're struggling, as part of our No More Stiff Upper Lip campaign.

Odette spoke about her own experience of therapy, how it helped her to a 'better place' and why it's a good idea to get help when you need it and not leave things piling up on you.

Julia told viewers how speaking to a therapist is different to talking to friends and urged people to look for a therapist from a professional body, such as BACP.

Watch the full interview on BBC iPlayer here (from 7:20) https://orlo.uk/ndbFC

23/01/2026

Due to my history of child sexual abuse, I found being asked the question 'What do you want?' extremely challenging. I didn't trust that it was safe for me to express my needs, because of how I'd been groomed and taken advantage of in childhood. Being asked years later in therapy what I wanted also prompted a deep sense of grief, not just at the bad things that had happened, but at all the good things that I'd missed out on too. It was therefore a profoundly painful question.

But what I experienced in therapy was a therapist who helped me to grasp the concept through some very careful and measured self-disclosure, where she showed me what it's like to have and express needs and even wants – without shame or fear.

—————

I’m Carolyn Spring and I’m an author, trainer, consultant and Founder of the Trauma Recovery Community (www.carolynspring.com/community). I help counsellors and therapists help their clients recover from complex trauma. Over 47,000 people have accessed my live or online training , and I’ve provided hundreds of hours of 1:1 consultations with therapists to unpick the really tricky aspects of working with complex trauma.

I combine perspectives from both the clinical literature and research with the first-person insight of someone who’s actually been there, and I make the complex simple … but without ever being simplistic. I believe in hope for recovery from even the most appalling suffering … but only with the right support. I support the supporters.

Learn more about me and my work here: https://linktr.ee/carolynspring

Free trauma resources. Get one of these two guides delivered to your inbox:
- 'Guide for Therapists: A Three Phase Approach to Trauma Treatment' (50+ pages). A must-read for anyone working therapeutically with trauma.
- 'Trauma Survivors’ Resource Guide' (100+ pages). Neurobiology-based, practical advice to help with flashbacks, triggers, and managing our mental health after trauma.

Find out more and sign up to the mailing list here: https://www.carolynspring.com/subscribe/

11/01/2026

08/01/2026

Here at Norfolk and Waveney Mind, we believe no one should have to face a mental health problem alone.

Whether it’s you needing support, someone in your family, a friend or a work colleague, we are here for you.

Take a look at all of the ways you can access our support and services.

For more information, please visit our website: norfolkandwaveneymind.org.uk

08/01/2026