Counselling with Lucy

04/12/2025

Have you ever felt unsure if you’re “allowed” to grieve an ex-partner? You’re not alone. These losses can feel invisible, yet they can be deeply affecting – especially when children and shared history are involved.

In a new blog for National Grief Awareness Week, I explore mourning an ex-partner and the complex, often hidden grief that can follow. Your feelings matter, however mixed they are.

🌿 Read more here: https://www.counsellingwithlucy.co.uk/post/national-grief-awareness-week-mourning-an-ex-partner-the-grief-we-don-t-speak-about

During National Grief Awareness Week, with its focus on “Growing with Grief,” it’s important to recognise all the ways loss changes us, including the often unspoken grief after the death of an ex-partner. Whether this was your first love, the parent of your child, or someone from a past chapte...

01/12/2025

As National Grief Awareness Week begins, I wanted to talk about something many people carry quietly: the impact of sudden death. When someone dies without warning, there’s often no time to prepare, no chance to say goodbye, and a lot of shock, guilt and “what ifs”. In this new blog, I look at how sudden loss can feel in everyday life and share links to supportive services for those living with bereavement and su***de loss. If this is part of your story, you are not alone.

As National Grief Awareness Week begins, I want to bring up the difficult topic of sudden death. Those moments when life changes in an instant, with no warning and no chance to prepare. Sudden death can feel like the ground has opened beneath you, life one minute, gone the next and with no time to s...

27/11/2025

Being alone at Christmas can be full of mixed feelings – a bit of relief, a lot of pressure, and for some people, a heavy sense of embarrassment or shame. It’s hard to talk about, especially when the world seems to be shouting about family, fun and togetherness.

In this new blog, I look at what can sit under those feelings and how you might start to be more honest and kind with yourself if Christmas looks different for you this year. If this resonates, you’re very much not the only one.

https://www.counsellingwithlucy.co.uk/post/lonely-at-christmas-why-it-doesn-t-feel-like-it-is-a-wonderful-life

If you’ve ever watched the movie, It’s a Wonderful Life, you might remember the scene where George Bailey ends up alone on a bridge on Christmas Eve, convinced he has let everyone down and that the world would be better off without him. The film eventually shows him how connected he really is, b...

21/11/2025

Did you catch Jonathan Bailey with Elmo? Their simple message about taking a break really struck me. With Christmas rushing in, I wanted to share my new blog (from Counselling with Lucy) all about the value of doing nothing and resting - no guilt required! If you feel overwhelmed, come take a breath with me.

https://www.counsellingwithlucy.co.uk/post/finding-stillness-lessons-from-elmo-and-jonathan-bailey

As life gets hectic in the run-up to Christmas, it can be all too easy to forget the power of simply stepping back. Taking a moment, as seen in Jonathan Bailey’s touching “Sesame Street” exchange with Elmo, is a simple but profound act: pausing to breathe, reflect, and just be, no matter what....

14/11/2025

Good Divorce Week is a reminder that even when relationships end, kindness and care still matter.

This time of year can stir up reflection and emotion - especially before January’s “Blue Monday.” If you’re going through a separation, co-parenting, or simply feeling the strain of the season, you might find some gentle insights and practical steps in my latest post:

Good Divorce Week: Reflecting Before Blue Monday

When the colder months roll in, many of us start to look back on the year that was. For those going through separation or thinking about divorce, these weeks are rarely easy. Good Divorce Week, which happens at the end of November, gently nudges us to pause and ask: What could a kinder, healthier ap...

17/10/2025

When John Bishop says, “I don’t see why that’s so hard for people to get their head around,” about his son coming out, it’s meant to reassure. Yet for many parents, acceptance isn’t quite that straightforward — and that’s okay. My new blog talks about the real, sometimes messy feelings that surface when your child comes out, from pride and love to grief and guilt. If this sounds familiar, or if you just want to understand the journey, there’s support here for you. Read on and let me know what resonates.

https://www.counsellingwithlucy.co.uk/post/when-your-teen-or-adult-child-comes-out-understanding-the-grief-behind-acceptance

Comedian John Bishop recently said “I’m just a dad. I’ve got three sons and one of them happens to fancy men. That’s it. I don’t see why that’s so hard for people to get their head around”. His words have been widely praised and understandably so. Many parents wish they felt that same ...

10/10/2025

It’s World Mental Health Day and I’ve written a new blog about why we find it easier to chat about aches and pains—but not so much about what’s weighing on our minds. This piece is all about simple ways we can look out for one another, spark honest conversations, and lead with kindness in our community. Take a moment to read and share with someone who might appreciate it.

World Mental Health Day, marked each year on October 10, reminds us just how essential it is to invest in our mental health and wellbeing. It’s all about creating a culture where it is okay to talk, to ask for help and to support each other as we navigate life’s challenges. The official theme fo...

22/07/2025

https://www.counsellingwithlucy.co.uk/post/real-strength-the-power-of-letting-yourself-cry

If you’ve seen the recent headlines, you’ll know that UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves was spotted in tears on the front bench. It’s sparked all sorts of commentary - some sympathetic, some less so - about whether crying in public, or at work, is a sign of weakness, or even a reason to question som...

06/07/2025

Wealth can bring comfort and opportunity, but it also creates unique pressures—especially around family, legacy, and change. After attending the TL4 International HNW Divorce & Children Summit, I’ve been reflecting on how money shapes our wellbeing and relationships in ways we don’t always talk about.
In my latest blog, I explore the emotional side of wealth and how therapy can help you find balance and authenticity, whatever your circumstances. If you’re curious about how counselling can support you or your family, I hope you’ll have a read—or share with someone who might find it helpful.
As always, if you have any questions or want to talk, I’m here.

Wealth and Wellbeing: Finding Balance and AuthenticityWhen people think about wealth, they often focus on the practical side—assets, investments, planning for the future. But in my counselling work, I see every day how deeply money can affect our sense of self, our relationships, and the choices w...

13/06/2025

You don’t always cry. Sometimes you just survive the day. You show up, you speak, you laugh a little — even though inside, a piece of you feels permanently shattered.

And that’s okay.

Because grief isn’t just sadness. It’s confusion. It’s anger. It’s the numbness that tricks you into thinking you’re okay… until you aren’t.

It’s the moment you realize you’re not broken — you’re different. Your heart has been changed forever.

If you’re reading this and feeling tired, I see you. It’s okay to be worn out. It’s okay to rest.

Your grief doesn’t have to look a certain way to be real. You don’t have to be “over it” or “healed” to be worthy of love.

You’re here. You’re still trying. That is enough.

I.R.💜

18/05/2025

This Mental Health Awareness Week, I’m reflecting on how the power of community can make a real difference to our wellbeing-reminding us that we’re never alone, no matter what we’re facing.

As we reach Mental Health Awareness Week 2025, I find myself reflecting on the threads that run through so many of my conversations with clients, friends, and colleagues: the importance of connection, the impact of community, and the gentle courage it takes to talk about our mental health. This year...

30/04/2025

Adoption is more than a legal process - it’s a lifelong journey of searching for belonging, acceptance, and identity. As both an adoptee and a counsellor, I know firsthand the complex emotions that adoption can bring: the questions of “Who am I?” and “Where do I fit in?” can linger long into adulthood.

In my latest blog for Counselling Directory, I share my personal story and explore how adoption shapes our sense of self, the unique challenges adoptees face, and the healing power of community and acceptance.

If you or someone you know has been touched by adoption, I invite you to read and join the conversation about finding belonging, making peace with the past, and embracing your own story.

An honest reflection on the lifelong impact of adoption, identity, and finding peace through curiosity, connection, and support.