Rhian Molloy Counselling

29/08/2024

Quote of the day.

18/10/2023

So lovely to receive this review from one of my clients. This client really embraced the sessions and now feels ready to move on with life. It was an absolute pleasure working alongside them.

“The first thing that struck me about my sessions with Rhian is that she was completely non judgemental and not fazed by anything which made me immediately feel at ease. She is tough, but warm and kind and always encouraged me and challenged me.
I had tried quite a few therapists, to no real joy, but Rhian made me feel heard and understood and strong, to fight for me. I would highly recommend.”

15/09/2023

Your child leaving home for the first time can be a difficult time for parents. There is a huge sense of pride that they are achieving their goals and moving on to the next stage of their lives but it is very normal to feel sad and to wish you could turn back the clock. If your child ( young adult really) is about to start university for the first time you may find yourself struggling to cope with the thought of them leaving and what this will mean for you. Many parents feel very anxious about this and worried about the hole it will leave in their homes and hearts. Here are a few tips to help you navigate this transition:

• Try to focus on the positives. This is what you’ve been working towards for the past 18 years +. All the life lessons you’ve taught them, the times you’ve nagged them to study or to help out around the house, it’s all been leading to this. It’s the natural order of things and means you’ve done a great job as they have the confidence to go forward with their lives.

• Avoid being too emotional in front of them. Of course you can tell them you’ll miss them but also let them see that you’re excited for them and can’t wait to hear all about their new lives.

•Let them know it’s ok if they feel anxious and scared. Remind them that most people they meet in those first few days will be feeling exactly the same even if they don’t show it.

• Before they leave put together a few simple recipes/meal ideas and help them with their shopping list. We may find food shopping a chore but doing their own shopping for the first time is often very exciting for them and a sign that they have grown up! You can send them with a package including essential toiletries and cleaning products, things they might not think of. Put together a little first aid kit with cold and flu remedies for freshers flu, plasters, etc this will also help you to feel better as you will make sure they’re prepared for anything!

• Arrange a regular time to FaceTime or call but let them know if they have plans a text is ok and you can reschedule. They will be busy socialising and building a new friendship group, parents may not be their priority at this time. Take comfort in the fact they are throwing themselves into their new life.

• When you drop them off, help to make their room look inviting and cosy with some reminders of home.

• When it comes to saying goodbye be brave. Remind them they’re very much loved, that they are going to have a great time and that you are always available if they want to talk. You can then cry all the way home if you want to!

• The house will feel different without them but again try to focus on the positives. This is the start of the next stage of your life, a time to think about what you want to achieve, to have more time for your partner if you’re married or in a relationship, an opportunity to take up a new hobby or start a new career. Make a list of things you’d like to do before the Christmas holidays are here and your child is back with a big load of washing and a whole new respect for all you do for them!

If you find yourself struggling at this time and would like more help in dealing with this please don’t hesitate to contact me, I too have been through this with my eldest and am currently getting ready for my youngest to fly the nest! Good luck!

03/05/2023

Free counselling sessions.

What to expect from your first session.

Many people find the idea of starting therapy quite daunting, this can be for a number of reasons; maybe you had therapy in the past and it didn’t work, perhaps you are scared of being judged, it can be hard to admit you need a helping hand at this point in your life or perhaps you think therapy doesn’t work. All of these are legitimate reasons and it can be scary starting something new and looking for change.
If, at the moment, life is not going as you’d like it to a therapy session might help. Here are some things to remember about your first session:

Everything you say is strictly confidential.

There is no judgement.

It is your opportunity to see if you get on with the therapist and if you feel comfortable with them. One size does not fit all.

You have the freedom to express yourself in ways you perhaps can’t or don’t want to with family and friends.

Coming to therapy doesn’t mean you’re broken, it may just be you’re feeling out of sorts with life and want to work out why and how to resolve this.

If you would like any further information on what to expect please feel free to contact me.

£FREE. Solution focused therapy in a warm and friendly atmosphere. I can help relieve distress from problems caused by anxiety, depression, stress, anger and phobias. My aim is to help you feel better and move on with your life as quickly as possible.

27/04/2023

Free counselling sessions.

Anxiety is a common problem and you may be surprised to learn that it is a resource we need. It is there to keep us safe and to alert us to danger however, it can become a problem and when it takes over it can cause us to struggle physically, emotionally and cognitively. We all feel anxiety in different ways; for some it will be tension in the shoulders, some will get headaches, others may feel a tightening in their chest, some people report knots in their stomach and some people will experience panic attacks. Anxiety robs you of control over your own thoughts, feelings and behaviours and people often say “I’m not usually like this”. The good news is these feelings don’t have to last forever, our brains are plastic - patterns can be changed and we can learn new ways of thinking and behaving.
If you find yourself feeling anxious on a regular basis and it’s starting to make daily life difficult try these relaxation tips, they can be done anywhere and can help you to regain some control:
7:11 breathing. Inhale for a count of 7 and then exhale to a count of 11. By breathing out more slowly than breathing in you trigger the parasympathetic nervous system (the body’s relaxation response) which means your relaxation response becomes stronger than the arousal response.

Tense your hands. Make your hands into a tight fist (be careful if you have long nails), be aware of the hardness of your fingernails in the palm of your hands, notice the skin stretched across your muscles, feel how the tension spreads up your arms and into your shoulders. Really concentrate on those feelings then relax your hands and be aware of how the relaxation starts in your fingers then spreads up your arms and into your shoulders. Really focus on how your body reacts.

If you are struggling with anxiety and would like to learn more about how to control it, give me a call or send me a message, I’d love to help.

13/04/2023

In order to survive we are all aware that we must have our physical needs met. Without basics like food and water we soon become ill and unable to function. Psychologists have found that there are emotional needs that are equally as crucial for our wellbeing. Giving and receiving attention is one of these needs; it is an essential nutrition that fuels the development of individuals, families and cultures.

Last week, a young boy called Ewan made the news as he was using his pocket money to buy flowers to give to strangers in his hometown. His reason for doing this was he wanted to make people happy. We have all heard the saying ‘it’s better to give than receive’ but this saying is actually backed up by research. Being kind to and helping others can have huge benefits for your own physical and mental health. Helping others, even in a small way, can give you a sense of purpose and achievement, it can help to alleviate stress and improve our mood and emotional well being.

If you would like learn more about your emotional needs and how to get them met in order to improve your mental well being I can help you with this and would love to hear from you.

A nine-year-old boy has been giving out free flowers to strangers to help brighten their day.

11/04/2023

Sleep is something we all take for granted until we have problems with it, then we realise how important a good nights sleep is. There is a close relationship between sleep and almost all mental health issues and it has been implicated in a range of conditions including heart disease, diabetes and Alzheimers.
People suffering with depression will often sleep for a long time but wake feeling exhausted, those with anxiety will often find it hard to get to sleep as their minds are racing. Poor sleep hygiene can also lead to insomnia.
If you are having trouble sleeping and find that this is impacting your performance during the day there are many things you can do to help yourself. Try establishing consistent bedtime and wake uptimes, eat regularly during the day and try not to eat too late at night so your body has a chance to digest food before you go to sleep. What do you do to ensure a good night's sleep?
If you find you are having trouble sleeping and this is causing you distress, give me a call and we can find a routine that will ensure you have the amount of rest of you need to be at your best.

05/04/2023

Spending time outdoors, in the sunshine can help your wellbeing. Sunshine prompts the production of vitamin D which is associated with improved emotional regulation and prevention of depression. Sunlight can also help you to get a good nights sleep. Your circadian rhythm (your bodies natural clock) uses sunlight to determine whether it is time to feel awake, or ready to sleep. If you don’t get enough sunlight during the day you can disrupt this rhythm which will then make it difficult to get enough sleep at night. Sleep deprivation can have a negative impact on your mental health; it can lower your mood and mean you have less energy to cope with your day.
Try increasing you exposure to sunlight by having your morning cuppa in the garden, walking to work or taking a walk during your lunch break.
If you’re not feeling yourself at the moment and would like help getting back on track, contact me for free counselling sessions to help you get back to your best 🌸

22/03/2023

A great day yesterday discussing mental health at Kilnbridge’s Safety Stand Down on their Colne Valley Viaduct project. organisation of this event was second to none! Over 200 people involved! It’s great to see the construction industry educating its workforce on all matters mental health.

20/02/2023

Hi. My name is Rhian and I live in the Wootton area of Northampton. After 20+ years as a teacher I made the decision to retrain as a counsellor, it’s been the best decision I ever made. I offer solution focused therapy in a warm and friendly atmosphere. I work with the Human Givens approach which aims to help relieve distress from problems caused by anxiety, depression, stress, anger, sleep issues, one off traumas and phobias. My aim is to help you feel better and move on with your life as quickly as possible. By getting to know you, your situation and your resources we can work together to find tailored solutions that will enable you to live the life you want.
I am a graduate (trainee) member of the Human Givens institute. As a graduate member I work in accordance with the institutes ethics code and under a HGI and BACP registered supervisor, I am fully insured and follow all GDPR regulations as set out by the ICO. For more information on the Human Givens approach, please refer to www.hgi.org.uk or message/call me, l'd love to hear from you.

£FREE. Solution focused therapy in a warm and friendly atmosphere. I can help relieve distress from problems caused by anxiety, depression, stress, anger and phobias. My aim is to help you feel better and move on with your life as quickly as possible.