Equinox Psychotherapies, UK

01/10/2022

When we push down our painful experiences or trauma instead of processing them, they have to go somewhere. Where to? What I call "The Soul Cupboard" - new blog post.

Alcohol, drugs, smoking, binge eating, obsessive exercise, feeling that we are irreplaceable at work - these can all be ways of stopping us thinking or feeling too deeply. But, crucially, these don't take the trauma away, or help us process it - and it has to go somewhere. So we shove these feelings...

10/09/2022

Being with animals is a unique form of therapy for me. Last week I cuddled many goats in 2 different locations, and spent 15 mins in a paddock with Toffee, a 27 year old mare who lives at Jamie's Farm in Lewes, who joined with me for a spontaneous, joyful run around the field - just because we could.
It was beautiful and profound, and I can understand how powerful equine assisted therapy must be.

Horses are an incredible mirror of our feelings, so for a horse to engage willingly with you, you have to be centred, regulated and grounded. What a perfect representation and metaphor of how being trauma informed can deeply impact on others.

28/08/2022

The Autumn Equinox workshop will be a beautiful, thoughtful, grounding space. Pause and plan what you need to take into autumn, and what you'd like to leave behind. We'll explore the symbolism of the equinoxes and how they can impact on our modern lives. And we'll be making a creative object or symbol to take home with you as a reminder of your intentions 🍂🍁🌓

26/08/2022

Trauma is derived from the Greek τραῦμα - meaning a wound. It's great that the word is becoming more widely used, and we are definitely going in the right direction in terms of sharing knowledge and educating ourselves and others on the impact of trauma. It's sometimes quite a confusing topic though, and hard to get a hold of.

A lot of my clients start therapy with something along the lines of "I had a great childhood, and a really lovely family - so there's no reason for me to feel like this (depressed, sad, anxious, broken). It's not like I had any trauma or anything!"

So I thought I'd write this blog post, reframing trauma - or rather, bringing the definition back into focus.

"This is what we call trauma. It's a wound that can be caused by something happening - or by something you needed that didn't happen. You're not stuck with these wounds. There are ways to see them, clean them, nurture them - and heal them."

It's a word that is being used more and more, and there are a lot of hash tags like floating around social media. In this blog post, I'm going to try to take away the mystery, the stigma and any possible fear around trauma. Remember that even readin...

13/08/2022

This is SO GOOD to see, thank you .clinical.psychologist 👏🏻

Many years ago, before I trained, a therapist said to me on my second or third session, "So, the great tragedy of your life, Caroline, was the trauma of..." and went on to name something we'd barely even touched on. I kinda wish I could have been in a place where I talked to him about it and we may have been able to explore it. I didn't, though, I lost all my words, waited til the end of the session, left and never went back. I can tell you now though, I remembered it and it hurt to remember it for quite a few years afterwards.

*Nobody* gets to tell you what is and isn't your trauma, your experience, your feelings. Our varied defence mechanisms may have been the only things keeping us safe at one time or other. Of course we're not going to want to explore anything that might unsettle us, remind us of previous trauma, make us feel unsafe UNLESS we implicitly trust who we are exploring it with. And even then it may just not be the right time.

Safety first. Physical, mental, emotional. Always.

11/08/2022

When Miss Marple nails intergenerational trauma, the drama triangle and toxic cyclical patterns... This made me stop and reread over and over again.

We all get stuck in negative cycles and patterns to a greater or lesser extent. A foundational belief of mine is that knowledge has power (slightly different to the original "knowledge IS power" Bacon quote...there are many more forms of power, and indeed knowledge, than empiricism).

I love working through these complex feelings and ideas in the therapy space - my own therapy and that of my clients.

Being able to recognise what *your* s**t is, as opposed to the s**t that has been handed to you to carry for other people - often over generations - is radically empowering.

09/08/2022

It helps sometimes to cut through the noise and go back to basics.

When you're feeling anxious, triggered or stressed try any of these:

- if you are comfortable with self-touch, gently and rythhmically stroke or pat yourself on your arm or leg as if you were stroking a favourite animal.
- if breathing techniques feel good, exhale for longer than you inhale for a few breaths
- say to yourself, out loud or in your head for a minute or so, "it's ok, you're ok" like you would to a child.

There's loads of evidence to support all this but sometimes we just need simple tips to help in the moment.

08/08/2022

Nourish yourself ready for winter with our next Autumn Equinox creative workshop event at the beautiful, magical community space which is Mandala Yoga and Wellbeing 🌓🍂🍁

A creative and nourishing workshop to explore balance, the rhythms of nature and bringing nurture and wellbeing into our lives

06/08/2022

I am so delighted to announce our next event - an Autumn Equinox creative workshop at Mandala Yoga and Wellbeing, in Preston, on Sun 25 Sept from 13.30 - 15.30.
See below for details and how to book on Eventbrite.

Equinoxes happen twice a year and are a time when the Night and Day are equal – a time of balance, but also of preparation. This Autumn Equinox signals to us the approach of the darker mornings and evenings of the oncoming Autumn and Winter.
It’s a perfect time to stop and reflect on the passing of the summer, and prepare to nurture and balance ourselves ready for Autumn and Winter, which can sometimes be challenging seasons to get through.
In this creative and experiential workshop we will explore the themes of transition and how they can sometimes make us feel “stuck” in our lives. We’ll be working with storytelling and images and exploring guided creative exercises that can begin to offer insight into where we can perhaps start to feel that we can move forwards in our lives. We’ll explore how following the ancient wheel of the year can offer us comfort and insight in modern times, using easy, practical bodywork movements and the breath to feel grounded, nourished and connected to earth, ourselves and each other.
You’ll have a chance to make something that you can take home with you to use as a powerful reminder of your intentions for the rest of this year and beyond – a drawing, a painting, a clay sculpture, or a mixture of all three!
It’s a chance to slow down, reconnect to nature’s rhythms and reflect on our personal wellbeing. No experience of bodywork, or being creative is needed – this workshop is accessible and enjoyable to anyone. All materials will be provided – just bring yourself!
There is a minimum number of 8 places for this workshop, and a maximum of 20. Please book here - https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/autumn-equinox-creative-workshop-at-mandala-yoga-and-wellbeing-preston-tickets-396047417487?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utm-source=cp&aff=escb
Caroline is a qualified creative psychotherapist, regulated by the HCPC. As the founder of Equinox Psychotherapies, she creates safe and containing spaces where we can be our true selves without fear of judgement, and where we can meet each other with compassion.

03/08/2022

Time for a refresh intro - hello! I'm Caroline, the founder of Equinox, a creative psychotherapist and clinical supervisor.

I've been working as a therapist and wellbeing coach for over 10 years, and during that time I have sat with hundreds of people as they shared their deepest fears, pains, joys and hopes. I never take my job for granted - it is always deeply profound and a privilege to be in the room with my clients.

Thanks for being here 🌓

01/08/2022

Today marks Lammas, or Lughnasadh, the first celebration of the harvest.

It was traditionally a time to be joyful and grateful for the crops which are being gathered - but there was also an awareness that the days are shortening, and that food would need to be stored to last over the winter. There is a tension in holding an awareness of both the present and the future.

These ancient seasons and celebrations may seem far removed from our modern life, but they still have meaning, if we seek it.

I'll be running a workshop for the Autumn Equinox on 25 Sept at Mandala Yoga. This will explore in more detail what resonates for us knowing that we are tipping over into winter. More details to follow soon!

30/07/2022

Welcome to our new page!

I'm Caroline, the founder of Equinox Psychotherapies, which I began in 2014.
​
I've been working as a therapist and wellbeing coach for over 10 years, and over that time I've sat with hundreds of people.

I know that taking the first step into therapy can be a huge one, and I want to help make it achievable for everyone. I'm a passionate believer in talking about mental health and making it as normal a topic to discuss as the weather.

Here you'll see posts about life, living, laughter, loss and finding our paths to wellness and balance. I hope you join me here as I carve out a little space for connection and community.

27/07/2022