Dr Vicky Lewis Clinical Psychology and Counselling Services

08/04/2026

April is Stress Awareness Month, a time to recognise the impact of stress on our health and wellbeing.

To reduce stress, it's important to:

Adopt healthy habits like regular walking/exercise

Prioritise sleep

Practice self-care

Spend time in nature

Do not be afraid to say "no" and put yourself first

Implement time management techniques

Use relaxation practices, such as deep breathing or meditation

Spend time with people who make you feel good, doing things that you enjoy.

02/04/2026

01/04/2026

April is World Autism Acceptance Month and this is an opportunity for everyone to come together and raise awareness, acceptance, and create a society where autistics are supported and understood.

For many years, being autistic has been misunderstood.

Unfortunately, the way we assess for Autism and other neurodevelopmental conditions is still very deficit based.

Autistics are individuals with so many strengths, passions, and ways of connecting with the world.

Autism is made up of many different traits and needs, which show up in unique combinations.

Today, we've decided to tackle a common myth about autistics.

It can be wrongly presumed that autistics lack empathy.

However, some of the reasons why some autistics can find it difficult to intuitively know what is going on for someone else, may be related to finding it difficult to interpret, identify and describe what is going on with their own emotions.

This is known as Alexythmia.

Alexithymia is a processing difference to do with identifying, understanding and describing emotions and something that can be improved with the right help and support.

It is not a lack of emotion but a difference in emotional awareness; feelings are real but hard to name.

Not everyone feels emotions in words, some people feel them in their body, in energy, in patterns or in quiet.

Differences may include:

Putting feelings into words feeling hard.Identifying feelings in the moment feeling hardNot finding it easy to tell the difference between different emotions.Explaining emotions to others feeling difficult.

The above could result in saying "I don't know " when asked about feelings, difficulties when trying to explain reacting in a certain way, overwhelm and explosive reactions.

It is not about a choice or behaviour, it is about not having the map to navigate what is happening inside.

26/03/2026

The term "on the spectrum" is considered unhelpful by many autistics and experts and is increasingly discouraged.

Reasons:

It Acts as a Euphemism: Many autistic people find the phrase infantilising or condescending, rather than a neutral description.

Misinterpretation of "Spectrum": The phrase is frequently used to imply a linear scale from "not at all autistic" to "severely autistic". In reality, the spectrum represents a "constellation" of different traits and support needs, not a straight line.

It Invalidates Struggles ("Everyone's a little bit..."): The statement "we are all on the spectrum" is considered unhelpful and often false. It minimises the real, daily challenges that individuals face.

It Dismisses the Need for Support: When people say someone is "only slightly on the spectrum," it is often used to deny them necessary support, services, or accommodations.

Vagueness: Saying someone is "on the spectrum" tells you very little about their actual skills, abilities, or support needs, whereas "autistic" is clear and direct.

Autism is a complex, multi-faceted neurodevelopmental difference, where individuals have unique combinations of strengths and challenges across many different areas.

Language shapes how we see people.

It shapes how people respond, how systems are built and how people see themselves.

When language refers to disorders, deficits or "fixing", it can result in shame and misunderstanding.

We need to move towards increasing compassion, safety and understanding.

24/03/2026

Do you ever find yourself caught in the grip of perfectionism and feel terrified of making a mistake or falling short?

Believe me, you're not alone.

Perfectionism is a personality trait characterised by a relentless striving for flawlessness, unattainable high standards, and critical self-evaluation, often driven by fear of failure.

It's the tendency to demand of others or of oneself an extremely high or even flawless level of performance – above and beyond what is required.

Often it's not just about high standards, in fact it might feel like survival and is utterly exhausting.

Perfectionism can be an overcompensation for past life events and for feeling “not good enough.”

Many people, especially individuals who are neurodivergent feel the weight of perfectionism.

In Autistics, perfectionism can be tied to identity, high personal standards, and pressure to fit in socially or professionally.

In ADHDers and dyslexics, perfectionism can stem from difficult school experiences where traits may have been shamed, misunderstood or even punished by those who did not recognise or understand them - which is misinformed and heartbreaking.

While perfectionism can build strong skills, attention to detail, and impressive work quality, it also creates stress, procrastination, burnout, and self-criticism.

The emotional toll of perfectionism is significant.

Practical strategies, like self-compassion, mindfulness, breaking tasks into small steps, and focusing on progress may help to reduce the pressure that can come with perfectionism.

Letting go of perfectionism does not mean eliminating worries around mistakes, failure, and judgment, but rather accepting that they are part of life — and one that can help us grow.

19/03/2026

Misophonia

This Neurodiversity Celebration week, let's think about Misophonia.

Did you know that...

Misophonia is a sensory experience that can trigger the nervous system into 'fight or flight' mode.

It is a neurological sensitivity where some everyday sounds can trigger significant distress.

It is not just about the sounds being irritating, it is more extreme in that the brain processes certain sounds as a threat.

Whilst this can be difficult for others to understand, it is definitely not about overreacting and it is not intentional.

The nervous system reacts as if the body is under threat. Sounds include things such as:

Chewing
Swallowing
Breathing
Sniffing
Tapping

Stimuli associated with these sounds are experienced as both unpleasant and distressing and evoke a strong negative emotional, psychological and behavioural response.

Whilst Misophonia can affect anyone, the heightened sensory sensitivity and differences in auditory processing within Autistics and ADHDers can lead to higher rates of this unpleasant sound sensitivity.

17/03/2026

Neurodiversity Celebration Week

Celebrating Different Minds:

Neurodiversity is an umbrella term that refers to the natural variation in the human brain and its functions.

It acknowledges that every brain is unique and that these differences are not deficits but simply alternative ways of processing information, thinking, and interacting with the world.

Although the medical model is deeply rooted in our culture, the basic idea of neurodiversity does not agree with a medical, diagnostic model because differences do not need to be thought of as disorders.

Humans are all different and there is infinite variation in the neurological differences in all individuals.

Approximately 15-20% of population has a neurological difference. Instead of labelling people with deficits or disorders, when we use the term neurodiversity, we take a balanced view of an individual’s unique strengths and challenges. Many challenges neurodivergent people face are more to do with the environment and systems they are placed in, often designed by a majority population.

Important things to remember:

No two people are the same and so we will all have different profiles

Although we talk about specific neurodifferences such as being Autistic or an ADHD, the reality is that these can co-occur

Every neurodivergent individual has a unique pattern of strengths and challenges

We tend to operate on an approach to diagnosis and labels which can mean that quite often the focus is on the challenges rather than the many strengths and talents of neurodivergent individuals

It is important that we take a person-centred approach, by tailoring strategies to each individual

It is important to harness the strengths and talents of neurodivergent individuals, this helps to build confidence and self-esteem, and ensures individuals are given the opportunity to flourish in day-to-day