Southlake Therapy

22/04/2025

We learn to say no before we can even speak.

A baby turns their head away when they’ve had enough — milk, food, noise. They know their limit, and they let it be known.

But somewhere along the way, many of us unlearn that.

We start saying yes when we mean no — out of guilt, fear, or the pressure to please.

✨ Do you feel bad when you say no?
✨ Does it leave you anxious, guilty, overwhelmed or even resentful?
✨ What do you believe might happen if you don’t say yes?

It’s easy to lose touch with our boundaries and our authentic self when we're constantly trying to avoid conflict or disappointment.

If this resonates with you, you’re not alone. Therapy can help you gently explore where these patterns began — and how to find your way back to a more honest, empowered version of you.

18/03/2025

🧠 The Fight, Flight, Freeze Response Explained

Your body’s stress response is designed to protect you — but when it’s triggered too often, it can leave you feeling stuck and overwhelmed.

👉 Fight – You feel irritable, angry, or defensive.
👉 Flight – You avoid situations or feel the need to escape.
👉 Freeze – You feel numb, shut down, or stuck.

These responses are natural — but when they become your default, they can impact your mental health, relationships, and overall wellbeing.

💬 If this sounds familiar, counselling can help you process these responses and feel more in control.

👉 DM to book or visit the link in bio.

12/03/2025

12/03/2025

Are You Feeling Anxious But Don’t Know Why?

Anxiety doesn’t always announce itself loudly. Sometimes, it’s:
💭 Overthinking every little thing.
😞 Feeling restless but not sure what’s wrong.
🛑 Stopping yourself from making a change because… what if?
💰 Worrying about money, time, or if it’s ‘bad enough’ to get help.

You don’t have to do this alone. Counselling isn’t just for crisis—it’s for growth, change, and self-acceptance.

Working together, we can explore the patterns that keep you feeling stuck and find ways to move forward—not with pressure, but with curiosity and awareness.

If you’ve been thinking about therapy but feel hesitant, I see you. That first step can feel huge, but I’m here when you're ready. 💙

📩 Message me if you want to chat about how counselling could support you. No pressure, just a space to explore what you need.

10/03/2025

Rebuilding Self-Esteem: A Journey of Unlearning & Rediscovery

For me, building self-esteem wasn’t just about 'feeling better' about myself—it started with actually understanding what self-esteem is. I had to unlearn so many things I had believed about myself for years. Things that weren’t true, but that I had accepted as fact.

So, I went back to 'self-school.' I learned who I really was, not who I thought I should be. I started questioning the old narratives, rewriting them with truth and self-compassion.

If you’re struggling with self-esteem, know this: It’s not about becoming someone new. It’s about rediscovering who you’ve always been—beneath the doubt, the expectations, and the old stories.

Does this resonate with you? Have you had to unlearn things about yourself? Let’s talk in the comments. 💬👇

08/03/2025

International Women’s Day 💜

Today is a day to celebrate the strength, resilience, and courage of women everywhere. This year’s theme, , reminds us how important it is to create a world where every woman feels valued, heard, and empowered.

In my work as a counsellor, I see the pressures so many women carry—balancing expectations, navigating self-doubt, and often putting others first. If today is a reminder of anything, let it be this: your voice, your needs, and your well-being matter too.

Take a moment today to celebrate yourself or a woman who inspires you. 💜

05/03/2025

Patterns, Not Just Habits

How many times have you told yourself, 'Monday, I’ll start fresh!'?
How long have you hidden your emotions behind busyness, food, or avoidance?
How often have you said, 'I’m just a perfectionist' or 'I’m all or nothing'?

These aren’t just habits—they’re patterns you’ve learned over 10, 20, maybe even 30 years. And here’s the truth: working with a counsellor won’t just "fix" them. Patterns don’t disappear overnight. If we don’t become aware of them, they’ll circle back around, again and again.

But here’s where it gets exciting—when you see your patterns, when you notice, 'Oh, I’m doing that thing again!'—that’s where change begins. Not in forcing yourself to be different, but in becoming conscious of what’s been unconscious for so long.

Change starts with awareness. The moment you recognise your pattern, you have the power to pause, question it, and choose differently.

What patterns have you started to notice in your own life? 👀

08/01/2025

What Children Learn From Parents: The Power of Small Moments

Children are always observing, absorbing, and learning from the adults around them. A recent moment I witnessed highlighted this beautifully: a child, around 4 or 5 years old, asked her dad in a shop, ‘What about if we don’t tell Mum?’ as she asked for some sweets.

This seemingly small interaction sheds light on how early children begin to navigate trust, honesty, and boundaries. These early lessons can shape how they relate to others and themselves in the future.

In therapy, we often explore the roots of our behaviours and beliefs. Many of these stem from our earliest experiences with caregivers. The way we learn to handle honesty, secrets, or conflict as children can influence our adult relationships and emotional well-being.

As parents or caregivers, it’s valuable to reflect on the lessons we are teaching through everyday actions. Are we modeling healthy communication, honesty, and trust? These small moments can have a big impact on a child’s development and later therapeutic journey.

06/01/2025

✨Walking on eggshells. Making excuses. Constant worry ✨

The reality of a toxic relationship often lies in the subtleties—the constant tension, the justifications you make for their actions, and the endless anxiety about what might come next. It’s not always about shouting matches; sometimes, it’s the quiet, the emotional absence, or the repeated cycle of broken trust.

As someone who has been in this space as an ex-wife of an alcoholic and now as a counsellor, I understand how overwhelming it can feel. Loving someone struggling with addiction is emotionally draining—it can feel like an endless ride of hope, hurt, affection, frustration, fear, and fatigue. But you’re not alone in this.

The hardest truth? Love alone isn’t enough to heal someone who doesn’t want to heal themselves. Recognising that your relationship is toxic is the first step towards change.

You don’t have to face this alone. Your pain matters, and so does your healing. It is not selfish to prioritise your wellbeing this year.

10/04/2024

Restoring the Inner Child❤️ In our journey towards healing, it's crucial to acknowledge the narratives we carry within ourselves. Often, we internalise feelings of inadequacy and guilt, believing we are inherently flawed. But the truth is, many times, our struggles stem from past experiences and traumas that have shaped our perceptions. By recognising and understanding these dynamics, we can begin the process of restoring our inner child, offering compassion and healing to the wounded parts of ourselves.

If you would like support connecting and healing your inner wounded child, please get in contact and together we can embrace your journey of self-discovery and reclaim your sense of worth and wholeness.🌱

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