Arise Counselling

07/01/2026

It has been SO cold this week! Brr... 🥶!

On my morning walk earlier this week I was trying to practice some mindfulness, and using my senses to take in my surroundings and the present moment - and what did I find? Several hand-painted rocks by the fence...!

The butterfly one reminded me of the process of transformation. I felt it was special and took it home as a reminder that life is full of possibilities, sometimes there are positive surprises around the corner (literally!).

I was also reminded of how often transformation takes time. Before a butterfly is a butterfly, it has to go through what feels like death, before it emerges as its full form. And how true that is of therapy. It can be a difficult process but you do come through the other side, transformed.

May this encourage you to always have hope for life's possibilities.

31/12/2025

A brief summary of 2025 - a pivotal year for me going fully into private practice and finally fulfilling my dream of training in EMDR!

A special shoutout to The Counselling Space for having me!

Looking forward to see what 2026 brings!

29/10/2025

Love this quote from Andy at Silver Seas Counselling.

The most important thing in therapy is the therapeutic relationship. In therapy speak we call it the 'vessel of change' which means before what the therapist say, the techniques you learn, etc, the relationship itself is the transformative thing in therapy.

If as therapists we don't show up authentically in the room, we are doing clients a disservice.

A thoughtful quote for me to reflect on my self-care so that I can fully be there for my clients.

Self-awareness and self-care are ethical acts - not indulgence.

16/10/2025

I don't know about you but certainly on gloomy days I don't feel much like going outside these days! I know it's good for me but it take extra energy to get the jackets 🧥and boots 👢👢on and sometimes the motivation is just not there.

What I find helpful is focussing on things I get to do when I am outside. Here is where mindfulness may come in.

Your walk can be fully enhanced if you fully attend to your surroundings: the crispy sound it makes when you step on a dry leaf, the crunch of an acorn under your boot, the swirl of colours in the trees when a squirrel leap from branch to branch, the smell of autumn, the touch of moss as you run your fingers along it... the list goes on.

Here's me enjoying a moment of rare sunshine when it broke through the clouds.

13/10/2025

Grieving can be such hard work.

The weight of the grief itself, but also feeling under pressure to mask, or pretend we are ok. Whether it is because we don't want to worry those around us, or the need to simply survive, we do oscillate between grieving and functioning.

Often the energy spent on pretending can be so draining. Thus making us not want to be with people, but then isolation is also hard.

If you are grieving today, do you have that space you can go to, where you don't need to pretend, or suppress?

30/09/2025

On Sunday I did something new for the first time! A little while ago I had seen this retreat advertised in the New Forest.

The title 'Composting for the Soul' 🍁 really caught my attention, as I had been getting into my garden this summer, the idea of composting and seeding was not new, but for the soul? Now that's intriguing. I decided to go for it.

In a small group with 3 others, the brilliant Lucy from facilitated a reflective, and therapeutic day that involved different activities, the most impactful was the sits spot: sitting in silence by myself in the forest for 30 mins at a time, and just taking in my surrounding. The more I did it the more I craved it. I could have spent my whole day there. Watching the acorns fall without apology. Noticing the different trees in their glory, with no pressure to be a certain way, they just are. Hearing the birds call out their various tunes. I thought about God, the creator of all this beauty.

My soul was fully restored! I promise myself I will try and spend time outdoors every day, I learned that I need it for my wellbeing 😌 Just a little reflection I thought I'd share.

22/09/2025

So pleased to announce that I have been approved by both Aviva and Bupa to be their vetted providers. This means that if you have a private health insurance with either, you should be able to see me under your policy, saving you some £££.

Email me at arisecounsellinguk@gmail.com to find out more.

18/09/2025

🧠 Did you know...? That women going through infertility had equivalent anxiety and depression scores to someone diagnosed with cancer? This was demonstrated in a study by Domar and colleagues in 1993.

If you are struggling with infertility grief, please know that it is heavy, it is real, it is not all 'in your head'. Give yourself grace and space to process your feelings 🧡

12/09/2025

As we are heading into Autumn, just like the trees letting go of their golden brown leaves, we too, can reflect on what to let go of and what to hold on to.

Here are 4️⃣ things to think about letting go of this season ⬇️⬇️

11/09/2025

Here's your reminder to PAUSE.

Take a breath. Look away from your screen and look around you. Notice the temperature you feel. Become aware of the sensation of your body as you breathe in and out. Notice the taste in your mouth.

Have a mindful moment.

10/09/2025

Today is World Su***de Prevention Day.

In 2025, it's time to bust these myths.

If you find yourself struggling, or know someone who is, please don't ignore this post. Reach out to one of the helplines there or text SHOUT on 85258.

***de ***deawareness ***depreventionday

04/09/2025

A really beautiful template to remember your child.

I know how triggering it can be to see all the school photos when you’ve lost a child. It is that gut wrenching moment when you’ll never get another one again. You not only grieve that they passed but for all the lost years as well.

To remember your child we have found this and would love for you to complete it and share it in the comments as we don’t think any child should be forgotten.

Sophie would be starting year 10, her favourite colour used to be yellow, her favourite foods were Wagamamas, cinnamon swirls, dirty rice, fajitas, hot dog etc, favourite things were dancing, Roblox, reading, being around people and liking boys a bit too much 😂.