Invest in You with Vivienne

27/04/2026

After surgery, it’s very common for areas to feel tight, swollen or uncomfortable.
Whether you’ve had a tummy tuck, liposuction, breast uplift or a mummy makeover, your body is working hard to heal, and that healing doesn’t just happen on the surface.
Even in the early stages, the tissue underneath can feel:
• tight
• heavy or swollen
• sensitive or restricted

Manual Lymphatic Drainage (MLD) can be introduced from early on (often from around 5 days post-surgery) to gently support your body through this stage.
It can help to:
• reduce swelling and fluid build-up
• ease discomfort
• support the healing process

Alongside this, I also use very gentle scar tissue work (Myofascial Release) to support the area as it heals, helping reduce that feeling of tightness and allowing the tissue to settle more comfortably.

This is a calm, gentle approach.
No force. Just working with your body to help it to heal.

If you’re preparing for surgery, or already in recovery and things feel tight or swollen, this is something that can be supported.
👉 You can read more here:
https://invest-in-you.co.uk/manual-lymphatic-drainage-after-surgery-why-your-scar-still-feels-tight-and-how-to-help-it-soften/

👉 Or Checkout my latest appointments here: https://invest-in-you.co.uk/body-work-and-holistic-appointments/

Sometimes the body just needs the right kind of support at the right time.
#

20/04/2026

What your counsellor brings to the session (that you might not realise)

Have you ever felt like you should be able to talk things through with someone… but still feel stuck?

Talking helps, but counselling offers something different.
It’s a space that is completely yours.
No judgement. No interruptions. No pressure to be anything other than how you are.
A place where you can say things out loud that you might not feel able to say anywhere else.

Alongside this, your counsellor brings experience and professional skills to gently help you: make sense of what you’re feeling
• understand your responses and reactions
• begin to find a way forward that feels right for you

There’s also a lot happening behind the scenes.
Ongoing training, regular supervision, and a commitment to working safely and ethically, all there to support you in the best way possible.

And sometimes, just understanding why you feel the way you do can bring a real sense of relief.
You don’t need to have everything figured out before you come to counselling.
You just need a place to start.

👉 If this resonates, you’re very welcome to take a look: https://invest-in-you.co.uk/counselling-plymouth/
👉 or check out my appointments: https://invest-in-you.co.uk/counselling-appointments-in-plymouth/

Explore how counselling can help you cope with life's challenges and find your way back to feeling like yourself.

14/04/2026

More Bowen case studies underway 😀❤️

13/04/2026

Recovering from surgery isn’t always as straightforward as we expect.
The swelling… the discomfort… that feeling of your body not quite being back to itself yet.
It can take time—and sometimes a little extra support.
Post operative MLD massage (Manual Lymphatic Drainage) is a gentle, calming treatment that works with your body to:
• Reduce swelling and fluid retention
• Ease discomfort and pressure
• Support healing and tissue repair
• Help scar tissue settle and soften
It’s not about forcing change—just supporting your body to do what it’s already trying to do.
From my practice in Plymouth, I offer post operative MLD tailored to your stage of recovery.

If you’re preparing for surgery, or currently healing, you might find this helpful:
👉 https://invest-in-you.co.uk/post-operative-manual-lymphatic-drainage/⁠

08/04/2026

Managed to take a photo of the deer at rest yesterday 🙂

06/04/2026

Do you ever find yourself having the same difficult experiences with different people?

You tell yourself “this time I’ll handle it differently”…but it ends up going the same way.
They talk.
You listen.
They need.
You give.

And somehow, your needs don’t quite make it into the room.

It can leave you feeling drained, frustrated, or questioning yourself afterwards…
wondering why you keep ending up in the same position.
These kinds of patterns in relationships can be hard to spot when you’re in them — and even harder to shift on your own.

If this feels familiar, I’ve shared more about this here:
👉 https://invest-in-you.co.uk/how-do-i-keep-ending-up-here-in-the-same-pattern-with-different-people/

And if you’re thinking about counselling, you can find more about how I work here:
👉 https://invest-in-you.co.uk/counselling-plymouth/

23/03/2026

“It’s Not Bad Enough for Counselling”… Or Is It?

One of the biggest myths about counselling is that you need a serious problem to justify going.

You don’t need to be in crisis.
You don’t need to have everything falling apart.
And there’s nothing weak about wanting support.

Modern life is fast, pressured and often isolating.
When we don’t have space to process what we’re carrying, it can quietly build, showing up as anxiety, low mood, poor sleep, tension, irritability, or simply feeling constantly on edge.

It doesn’t have to be dramatic to matter.

Counselling offers a calm, confidential space to talk things through and understand yourself more clearly, without judgement or pressure.

If you’ve been wondering whether it might help, you don’t need all the answers before taking a first step.

Find out more here:
🔗 https://invest-in-you.co.uk/barriers-to-counselling-what-stops-people-reaching-out-for-support/

📍 Counselling in Plymouth

16/03/2026

The Surprising Truth About Pain Relief: Why Gentle Can Work Better Than Deep Pressure

Most people assume that if you want to ease back pain, shoulder tension, hip discomfort or headaches… the pressure has to be deep. Almost punishing.

But what if that’s not how the body releases best?
The nervous system doesn’t respond well to force.

When touch is gentle and sustained, something different happens.
The system begins to settle.
Circulation improves.
Muscles stop guarding.

Sometimes people notice a subtle fizzing or tingling sensation, not because something is being forced, but because the body is reorganising itself.

“No pain” doesn’t mean “no effect”.
In fact, it can mean deeper, longer-lasting change.

Find out more about the nervous system & why gentle work can be so powerful:
🔗 https://invest-in-you.co.uk/why-gentle-techniques-often-create-deeper-change-than-force/

📍 Spinal Touch in Plymouth
Supporting back pain, shoulder pain, hip pain, headaches & migraines

09/03/2026

What is counselling actually used for? 🤍

Many people think counselling is only for moments of crisis, but it can support you in lots of different ways.

Some people come to counselling for short-term support, to help them through a stressful situation or life “hiccup”.

Others choose longer-term counselling to gently explore deeper patterns, behaviours, and ways of coping that may have built up over time.

Counselling can be practical, reflective, supportive, or exploratory, and often a blend of all of these. There’s no need to have a “big enough” problem. Sometimes it’s simply about wanting greater understanding and steadiness.

If you’d like to learn more about counselling in Plymouth, you can find information on my website: 👉 https://invest-in-you.co.uk/counselling-plymouth/

Explore how counselling can help you cope with life's challenges and find your way back to feeling like yourself.

02/03/2026

Can Reiki Help with Pain? Research Is Beginning to Explore This 🌿

Living with pain can be exhausting, especially when stress and tension keep the body stuck in a constant state of alert.

Recent research is beginning to explore how Reiki may help support people living with pain. The findings suggest that Reiki’s calming effect on the nervous system may help reduce pain intensity and improve overall comfort for some individuals.

Reiki doesn’t force change. Instead, it offers gentle support helping the body settle, relax, and feel safer. Many people report feeling calmer, more at ease, and better able to cope with pain after sessions.

If you enjoy looking at the evidence behind complementary therapies, you’re welcome to read the research here: 👉 https://share.google/Oxpe0xEmc8RMg74DK

If you’d like to learn more about Reiki sessions in Plymouth, you can find details on my website: 👉 https://invest-in-you.co.uk/reiki-in-plymouth/

Reiki Healing can help you relax and restore balance. Discover this ancient technique and its benefits for your energetic body.

23/02/2026

The quiet exhaustion of some relationships

Not all difficult relationships are dramatic or obvious. Some quietly wear you down over time, leaving you feeling emotionally drained, confused, or less like yourself, even when nothing seems “wrong” on the surface.

These subtle, often unrecognised behaviours can be unsupportive at best and harmful at worst. You don’t need a crisis to seek support, and you don’t need to attend counselling with your partner to explore what’s happening for you.

Individual counselling offers a calm, confidential space to make sense of your experience, reconnect with your own needs, and begin to feel clearer and more supported.

👉 Read more on the website: https://invest-in-you.co.uk/the-quiet-exhaustion-of-some-relationships/

16/02/2026

The Body’s Own Healing Ability, Supporting What’s Already There

Our bodies are designed to heal.
From repairing a small cut to recovering from illness, injury, or long-term stress, the body is constantly working to restore balance and function.
Gentle bodywork doesn’t force change, it supports the nervous system to settle, rest, and repair, allowing the body’s own healing processes to come back online.

In my latest website post, I explore the body’s natural ability for self-repair and how gentle approaches such as Spinal Touch and Bowen can support what’s already there.

👉 https://invest-in-you.co.uk/the-bodys-own-healing-ability-supporting-whats-already-there/