SeeClear Counselling-Anxiety Specialist

07/09/2025

Here is a chance for all my fellow counsellors to have a shout out today

I specialise in Anxiety, but some of my followers may be looking for something different.

Why not give yourself a shout out in the comments below

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07/09/2025

H is for HELP.

Why is asking for HELP such a difficult thing to do?
Many look at it as a sign of weakness

HELP can come in so many different ways, but asking for help is not a sign of weakness, it can actually be the strongest thing you do.

Confident people often ask others for help, not only because they’re secure enough to let it be known they need help but they know that trying to do everything themselves can leave them feeling overwhelmed and stressed and then they can’t do things properly.

Asking ‘Can you help me?’ shows respect for the other person’s knowledge and abilities.

Asking for HELP means you're strong enough to admit you don't have all the answers. And that's a real sign of strength.

It means you're trying to deal with uncomfortable emotions, like humility, fear, and embarrassment, head-on.
It also means you're willing to be vulnerable.

Many of my clients tell me they have been struggling with their problems on their own for so long that they have become overwhelmed with them.

Finally asking for help feels like a weight has been lifted and they can start to see things more clearly.
Sharing a burden lessens the impact it has on you.

Next time you are struggling ask for the help you feel you need, you will likely feel better because of it.

06/09/2025

What’s your favourite book?

Today Sept 6th is National Read A Book Day
A day to read a book you love.
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Reading has many benefits, a quiet time to yourself, reflection time, escapism, the joy of sharing, often with your children/grandchildren.
Reading improves memory and concentration, reduces stress and can slow down cognitive decline.

All good reasons to take some time out today and curl up with a good book.

‘The Notebook’ is one of my favourites, I turn to it again and again, a reflective journey on relationships and growing old.

‘Tom’s Midnight Garden’ my favourite from childhood, a bit of escapism and a wish that time travel was real. 😊

Do you have a favourite book you turn to time and again?
Why not pick it up today and have another read.
Or find new inspiration from a book you’ve never read before.

Comment below, let’s share our books.

06/09/2025

G is for GRIEF, an emotion that can be extremely difficult to manage.

The dictionary describes GRIEF as intense sorrow, caused by someone’s death.
But GRIEF is so much more than this.
GRIEF can be experienced by the loss of anything. The loss from a relationship breakdown, loss of a job, illness or disability leading to loss of who you once were, loss of dignity.

Grief is a natural response to loss but is experienced differently by different people and the length of time to recover from grief varies.

In 1969 Psychiatrist Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, in her book ‘On Death and Dying’ suggested we go through 5 stages of grief.

1. Denial
2. Anger
3. Bargaining
4. Depression
5. Acceptance

Not everyone experiences all these stages and not everyone goes through the stages in this order. The stages may last different lengths of time for different people.

The key to understanding grief is realizing that no one experiences the same thing.

Grief is very personal, and you may feel something different every time.
You may need several weeks, or grief may be years long.

If your emotions from GRIEF are so intense you feel you can’t go on, or if you can’t cope with your day-to-day life it is important to get support and a trained counsellor can help you.

05/09/2025

A long time ago when I was trying to manage my anxiety I was introduced to breathing exercises, grounding techniques using all my senses and ways to not engage with my negative thoughts.

I do the same with my clients, they can be useful and help to reduce anxiety.

But I found sometimes they worked, sometimes they didn’t. I’d forget to use them, or I just didn’t think they really changed things.

Then I started to learn more about mindfulness and mindful meditation and I noticed a shift in how I was feeling.

Overtime as I began to make this more part of my day to day living I noticed how much calmer I became and how I could manage difficult moments better.

Today I can lie in bed with absolutely no thoughts rattling round in my head, I sleep well and peacefully and have stopped concerning myself with ‘what if’s’ and now stay with where I am in the moment.

Mindfulness meditation helped me get to this place and now I want to share the possibility of that change with you, and for you, in the hope it does the same for you.

I will soon be fully trained as a Mindfulness Teacher and my first mindfulness course starts in October

Want to know more?
head over to my website SeeClear Counselling

05/09/2025

This is a crucial one to understand if you have anxiety

F is for FEAR

FEAR is an unpleasant emotion or thought that you have when you are frightened or worried that something bad might happen or might have happened.

FEAR is our most basic human emotion almost from birth we are equipped with survival instincts necessary to respond to fear and keep us safe.

When you sense danger you get a fear response which can be divided into a biochemical response and an emotional response.

The biochemical response is the same for everyone the emotional response is personal to you.
Your current environment, past environment and past experiences can all have an impact on your emotional response to fear.

When danger is perceived your biochemical response will kick in and high adrenaline levels will trigger your ‘fight or flight’ response, so you can run away from the danger or fight back.

‘Fight or flight’ is an automatic response that is crucial to survival.

You will experience physical symptoms of fear such as racing heart, churning stomach, sweating, the need to go to the toilet etc, preparing you for ‘fight or flight’.

FEAR can be rational and appropriate or irrational and inappropriate.

An irrational fear is called a phobia.

Anxiety and fear are different but if you have anxiety you will likely experience the physical symptoms associated with fear regularly.

This may be because of your constant worries about danger.

Resilience comes from facing your fears, helping your brain to realise you are not in danger will reduce the likelihood of your biochemical response and stop the fight or flight response and therefore prevent the physical symptoms from occurring.

If fear, phobias or anxiety are a problem for you counselling and especially CBT, can help you find ways to manage them.

04/09/2025

These are the seven foundational attitudes of Mindfulness

Bringing these into
your mindful meditations helps you experience a deeper and more stable practice

Jon Kabat-Zinn, the founder of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), outlined them as the foundational “pillars” for a strong and successful mindfulness practice

* Non-Judging: Observing thoughts and experiences without criticism, labels, or opinions.

* Patience: Understanding and accepting that things unfold in their own time, fostering calmness and resilience.

* Beginner’s Mind: Approaching each moment with a fresh perspective, free from preconceptions and past experiences.

* Trust: Believing in your own inner guidance and intuition, trusting that your mind and body can support you.

* Non-Striving: Focusing on the present moment without seeking a specific outcome, relaxation, or goal to achieve.

* Acceptance: Recognizing and acknowledging things as they are, even if they are not how you’d prefer them to be.

* Letting Go: Releasing attachment to specific thoughts, experiences, or a desire for things to be different.

I help you embed these into your practice, exploring what they mean to you and checking in regularly where you are with them

03/09/2025

Brand New Mindfulness Classes for anxiety and stress reduction

Within just two months, mindfulness practices reduced anxiety levels by 30%, proving to be as effective as conventional medication. 79% of adults reported that practicing meditation and mindfulness enhanced their overall health and well-being. (source:-golemanei.com/mindfulness-statistics)

03/09/2025

Todays letter is E for EMOTIONS

Emotions are our feelings. Literally. We feel them in our bodies, increased heart rate, tingling sensations, heat etc.
We can think something, but the physical sensation we experience is the emotion attached to that thought.

Gaining control over your emotions will help you become mentally stronger. Fortunately, anyone can become better at regulating their emotions, but just like any other skill, managing your emotions requires practice and dedication.

During the 1970s, psychologist Paul Eckman identified six basic emotions that he suggested were universally experienced in all human cultures. The emotions he identified were

1. happiness
2. sadness
3. disgust
4. fear
5. surprise
6. anger

Emotions play a critical role in how we live our lives, from influencing how we engage with others in our day to day lives to affecting the decisions we make. By understanding some of the different types of emotions, you can gain a deeper understanding of how these emotions are expressed and the impact they have on your behavior.

Many people struggle with identifying their emotions or controlling their emotions.

Counselling can help you understand your emotions better and through understanding, accepting and controlling your emotions you will find you have a better understand yourself and others around you.

03/09/2025

This Egg chair is my favourite place in my house.

03/09/2025

Join me in a short mindful meditation that you can do at anytime.

02/09/2025

Today we look at D for DEPRESSION.

Everybody, at some point in their life, will experience times of deep sadness that are difficult to manage.
However if these feelings of sadness persist then you may be experiencing depression.

Depression can feel different for different people but many of the signs and symptoms will be similar, you may feel all of these or only some of these, but you will be aware of an overwhelming feeling that makes life seem like it is too hard to cope with.

*deep feelings of sadness
*dark moods
*feelings of worthlessness or hopelessness
*changes in appetite
*changes in sleep patterns
*lack of energy
*inability to concentrate
*lack of interest in things you used to enjoy
*withdrawing from friends and family
*pre-occupation with death or thoughts of harming yourself.

If you have experienced any of these persistently for more than 2 weeks then I recommend you seek help from your GP.

Depression is fairly common, affecting about 1 in 10 people at some point during their life. It affects men and women, young and old.

If you feel you may have depression call today for a chat, together we can work on reducing the symptoms and how they affect you daily.

I recommend watching the video “I had a Black Dog, his name was Depression” which clearly describes how depression can feel.