Evermore Therapies

21/12/2025

The first day of winter? Best get my big coat!

This is a great read however, so might stave off heading outside to have a nice brew and to re-read it!

Do you feel the seasonal changes? Do they affect your mood and wellbeing?

Here are three tips that can help when mood shifts with the seasons (often linked to Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD):

A: Prioritize light exposure

Shorter daylight hours can disrupt your circadian rhythm and serotonin levels.

Try to get outside early in the day, even on cloudy mornings.
Sitting near a window, taking a morning walk, or using a clinically tested light therapy box (usually 10,000 lux for about 20–30 minutes in the morning) can help regulate mood and energy.

B: Keep a consistent routine with movement.

Seasonal changes often lead to less activity and irregular sleep.
Maintaining regular wake-up and bedtimes, along with moderate exercise (like walking, yoga, or strength training), supports neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine.

Even small amounts of daily movement can noticeably improve mood and reduce fatigue.

C: Be intentional about social and emotional connection.

Colder or darker seasons can increase isolation, which can worsen low mood.

Scheduling regular check-ins with friends, joining group activities, or engaging in hobbies that provide a sense of purpose can buffer against seasonal mood dips.
Mindfulness practices or journaling can also help you notice patterns and respond more compassionately to emotional changes.

Haeran’s personal favourite technique?

Slip into your day, week or month a simple chance to engage and embrace the season.

It can be as simple or as complex as you have time and space for.

This season, perhaps go and stamp in a puddle? Or leave deep boot prints in some thick mud?

Why not collect some bark rubbings from the bare tree trunks or take photos of some winter wildlife or plants?

Perhaps stand with a coffee / tea outside in the morning and embrace a few minutes of the crisp, chill air?

Today is the first day of winter. ❄️ It's a time that can feel cosy and calm for some, but understandably difficult for others. If the darker days or colder weather feel overwhelming, please remember you don’t have to face it on your own.

The Samaritans are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. You can call them free on 116 123 whenever you need someone to listen.

If you’d prefer to speak with a qualified counsellor, you can find one in our directory here: https://buff.ly/P4QOMoX

Take things gently this winter, and reach out if you need support.

19/12/2025

Updated decor! Very pleased, a few finishing touches to the practice!

19/12/2025

19/12/2025

Pre Christmas, the move happened!

Taking over a new, larger premises in Sheffield city centre for my Counselling practice.

A very full week of moving, decorating and settling in!

There are still some rooms to decorate and prepare over the coming months to help cater to a range of interventions, but the main practice room is ready!

No, the lift wasn’t working on the day of the move.

The hired help never turned up.

I did drink a lot of coffee. ☕️

All in all, I’m quite pleased!

02/12/2025

As this week is Grief Awareness Week, I thought that this may help some to understanding better the subject of Grief.

As a counsellor who routinely works closely with grief, I often remind people that grief is not limited to bereavement.

In fact, grief in one form or another tends to show itself with practically every client that I see.

Grief is a natural human response to change, or loss and these changes and losses come in many forms.

We may grieve the end of a relationship, a job that shaped our identity, a change in health, the loss of a home, the passing of a life stage, a change or loss in our stability or expectations, or even the future we imagined but no longer have.

Grief can appear in ways we don’t always recognise.

Emotionally, it may show up as sadness, anger, guilt, relief, or numbness.

Physically, it can affect appetite, sleep, and energy.

It influences our thoughts; creating confusion, forgetfulness or questioning.

Behaviour can shift too: pulling away from others, seeking more connection or perhaps struggling to focus.

Grief also shapes how we relate to the world, often making things feel unfamiliar or overwhelming.

There is no “right” way to grieve. There is only your way, shaped by your story, your relationships and your needs.

Grief is not something to fix; it’s something to move through with compassion, patience, and support.

Awareness helps us recognise that grief is everywhere in our lives, and that acknowledging it is an act of care, not weakness.

So what MIGHT you do if you suspect that someone you work with or otherwise care for portrays some of these signs and symptoms? Well, I shan’t read your war and peace on the subject, there are many fantastic podcasts, books and other materials that really go into depth with this. Instead I would recommend a nice starting point…

“Are you alright? I’m here if you fancy a chat about anything…”

Sometimes a cup of tea and a moment to be vulnerable can affect great change. I’ve lost count of how many client reach out and give an example of just such a moment that prompted them to seek help.

Take care!

19/11/2025

Today, on International Men’s Day, I’m reflecting on the good men who often carry far more than they should.

Before becoming a counsellor, I spent years as a firefighter and close protection officer.

In those worlds I was fortunate enough to work with some truly reflective, compassionate men, who taught me the courage to pause, breathe, and take a moment for myself without guilt.

Yet this is easier said than done, and too often I found myself unable (and sometimes unwilling) to move forwards with out guilt… While I carried many physical scars and injuries, there were so many deeper ones, unseen but no less wounding.

Then I retrained as a counsellor, and while training I learned first how to heal. To heal the parts of myself that I carried without recognising them for what they were.

Once I did, I became aware of how all too often men learn to shoulder their burdens…

As though each carries an invisible backpack; every problem a pebble, rock or boulder…

All loaded into that pack and carried forwards… Day by day.

Guilt, expectation, shame, homelessness, su***de, violence, gaslighting… It’s all there, often hidden well by those carrying these strains… More and more pebbles and boulders weighing that pack down.

When these men come to my practice, they often see themselves as protectors, problem-solvers, the steady ones…

But even protectors need recovery time. Even problem-solvers need support.
Even the steady ones deserve a safe place to heal.

How many times I’ve heard: “I never imagined I could feel like this… I never thought I would be one of ‘these’ guys…”

These good men, more often that not, see the process of healing as a failure, weakness…

For the first half hour.

Opening up, grieving and being vulnerable when it is safe to do so…

Then the perception changes. A new realisation and resilience begins.

Taking a moment for yourself isn’t weakness…
It’s maintenance.
It’s a strength.
It’s how you stay well enough to keep doing the things you value.

Let’s celebrate all the good men today not just for what they do, but for who they are, and for the quiet, hard work of looking after their own mental health.

Following quite a period of picking up rocks & putting them in my own backpack, here I am, emptying some rocks back out - relaxing, unwinding & letting go! (You don’t need to go to Tenerife to do so, but following some health complications my wife booked a ‘horizontal holiday’ so that I would actually down tools & rest)!

Happy International Men’s Day. Take your moment. You’ve earned it.

30/10/2025

Around 1/3rd of our Hypnotherapy clients seek help with troubled sleep & the knock on effects to their wellbeing this brings…

Sleep is fundamental to our wellbeing and survival. However, some types of sleep can be more helpful than others. A form of deep sleep, known as slow-wave-sleep, is associated with maintaining good health but can reduce with stress or age. A team of researchers (Cordi, Rossier & Rasch, 2020) wanted to find out if hypnosis before bed could encourage people to have more slow-wave sleep. In the study, 43 participants were connected to EEG machines and provided tapes for either a 15-minute pre-recorded hypnosis session or a 15-minute tape about an unrelated subject, then allowed to sleep for 8 hours. The EEG machines measured the participants’ brainwaves as they were sleeping so that the researchers could assess the quality of their sleep.

The results showed that the people who were more susceptible to hypnosis had significantly more slow-wave-sleep compared to the control group. This suggests that hypnosis could help many of us to get a more restful night’s sleep.

02/10/2025

Couples therapy, an interesting insight into the benefit of early support.

Many couples delay seeking support for years. Discover why early help can transform your relationship – and why it’s never too late to start. 💭 http://ow.ly/BXpg106mZJ9

14/04/2025

At my practice here in Sheffield I am often asked:

“What is stress, and what’s the difference between helpful & unhelpful stress?” (Or perhaps, words to that effect!)

This post from the counselling dorectory offers some great insight…

Not *all* stress is bad. Some stress helps you grow, while other types can leave you feeling drained and overwhelmed.

Here Helen Lyon explores how to spot the difference and find simple ways to protect your well-being

Not all stress is bad. Learn the difference between good stress and toxic stress, how it impacts your well-being, and how to manage it effectively.

11/04/2025

At my practice in Sheffield I routinely see a large volume of men who come seeking support. Most are encouraged to do so by family, friends & colleagues.

Most arrive with the same outlook… “I never thought I’d be someone who needed therapy…” Many express embarresent & guilt for needing help, or feel like a burden.

During the first few sessions that outlook quickly changes, as the clients begin to understand their own needs and move away from that feeling of guilt or being a burden.

The following is a brilliant article from the Counselling Directory, which offers an insight into the experience of many...

The article explains:

"For many men, maintaining control over their emotions is closely tied to their self-worth..."

Discover how therapy can play a vital role. 💭 http://ow.ly/iO841064vio

For many men, maintaining control over their emotions is closely tied to their self-worth. Discover how therapy can play a vital role.

25/02/2025

Sometimes here at Evermore Therapies we are asked what Counselling really is. This helpful post from the BACP is quite informative!

Now, each practitioner may utilise different techniques and modalities (styles) but these general principles hold true.

19/11/2024

There are incredible men working and volunteering all across the world, and as today marks International Men’s Day, we thought we would say something about that.

Across the UK here in particular this International Men’s Day this is a fine opportunity to recognise the positive values the men in our lives bring to our families & communities.

While we promote gender equality for everyone and that we wouldn’t relegate any subject to a “one day occurence” international days are a great opportunity to remind ourselves and others of the value of raising awareness of the various issues faced by those highlighted.

International Men’s Day is no exception and it makes an excellent opportunity to start conversations around men’s mental and physical health.

So reach out to the gents in your life today - recognise their worth, and help them to recognise their value too.

An opportunity to talk is never a bad thing, on this day perhaps you can reach out to those men in your life that you want to show some appreciation for and to check that they are alright.

Here at Evermore Therapies we see a large number of clients each year, and amongst the men who reach out comfort counselling we often hear the following words…

“I don’t really talk to my family about it, they don’t want to see that I’m struggling…”

“My mates and I don’t really talk about how we feel, we’re all going through the same stuff after all…”

“I asked for help once… It didn’t feel well received, everyone ‘understands’ but then go off telling you they feel… It would be nice to just be heard occasionally…”

“I told my partner how low I felt, that I was struggling. I could tell straight away she lost respect for me right then and there…”

While these examples are paraphrased, they are indicative of common thoughts and feelings expressed. 7 out of 10 male clients that seek counselling at Evermore Therapies have either considered, planned or attempted death through su***de.

Sometimes all it takes is to ask. “Are you alright?” “Is everything ok?”

Then listen.
In that silence, we often find truth.

8 out of 10 male clients at Evermore Therapies indicate that they sought counselling following the support, advice or encouragement of loved ones.