Heal 2 Thrive Counselling & Therapies

28/01/2026

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26/01/2026

A Message for Anyone Tired of Performing

We were never meant to live our lives as a performance for other people’s comfort. Yes it is natural to want praise especially from people who matter to us.
That doesn’t make us insecure,but when we live for approval from others and silence what feels true for us our nervous system rarely feels safe.

It can make us feel on edge.
Cause us to overthink & second guess ourselves. Over time, this can feed anxiety, burnout, resentment, people-pleasing,
and a deep sense of disconnection from who we really are.

Your soul grows heavy when you abandon your truth to keep the peace, to avoid judgment,
to be liked. Real safety doesn’t come from being approved of
it comes from being aligned with yourself. From saying what you feel is true and from letting your nervous system exhale.

You don’t have to keep performing.You don’t have to keep auditioning for approval.
You are allowed to just… be you.
If you are ready to step off the stage and into your truth, therapy can be a gentle place to begin.

Laura@heal2thrive.co.uk

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23/01/2026

“A Part of Me feels ….”

A gentle reframe I often share in sessions is , a part of me feels this way” instead of “ This is who I am.” When we use parts language, we:

Create space between who we are and what we are feeling

Avoid over-identifying with one mood, reaction, or moment

Reduce shame and harsh self-talk

Increase self-compassion and emotional flexibility

Remember we are multi-layered, complex, and whole

You are not one reaction
You are not one mood
You are not how you feel in one moment. You are a whole person and one part of you is having a particular experience right now.
But other parts still exist too:
the steady part
the playful part
the thoughtful part
the resilient part
the wise part

Sometimes growth isn’t about changing who you are,it’s about loosening the grip of one loud part and letting the rest of you breathe.

If you’re curious, try it:
When you notice yourself saying “I am…”, experiment with
“A part of me feels…”
and see if anything shifts — even slightly.

I hope all of your parts are excited for the weekend 😂 😉❤️🫶

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21/01/2026

Sometimes therapy is a few sessions.
A place to pour out what’s been heavy.
To be witnessed & to feel less alone with it all, sometimes therapy is a longer process.Not because anything is being avoided.Not because the “real issue” is hiding. But because the body only speaks in truth when it feels safe enough to do so.

I’ve been reminded of this lately through my work. There can be weeks or months of settling, building a relationship and trust before we start understanding patterns & easing the nervous system and then, when the timing is right, something deeper gently surfaces. Not forced or dragged up just simply ready.
Healing doesn’t respond well to urgency.It listens for safety.

Sometimes people come to therapy for a season.To steady themselves.
To find their feet again.Not every journey is meant to go all the way to the roots — and that doesn’t make it incomplete. There’s no right length of time for therapy. No expectation that everything must be opened all at once when you begin.We move at the pace the nervous system allows. Often that’s where the deepest healing unfolds. ❤️🫶

Laura@heal2thrive.co.uk

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19/01/2026

Today is just another day.

Blue Monday gets talked about a lot.
And yes I get it ,January in England can feel pretty grim some days.
Less light, commuting in the dark. Grey skies. Cold toes. Tired nervous systems.Still waiting for that first proper payday.All true.

But a random Monday doesn’t actually get to decide how you feel.When we are told a day is going to be depressing,our brains start scanning for proof, noticing the tiredness more
and before we know it, the label starts to feel true. So instead of bracing ourselves for the worst day of the year,” maybe try a few different uplifting things.

🎶 Get ready with a song that always makes you smile

❤️ Start the day thinking of 3 things you are grateful for.

🌬 Step outside and get some air even briefly

🚶‍♀️ Move your body a little at lunchtime

💬 Message or call someone you love

None of this is about fixing your mood,
just nudging the day in a slightly kinder direction.

If today does feel particularly heavy for you,you don’t have to hold that alone.
You can reach out to Samaritans on 116 123,or text SHOUT to 85258 for free, confidential support.
Or send me a dm or email - laura@heal2thrive.co.uk to arrange a ten min no obligation call.

☀️🌈. Let’s prove them wrong, no pressure ❤️

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14/01/2026

Lifting the Lid

Many of us keep going through pain, disappointment, or deep emotional strain, not because we don’t feel it ,
but because somewhere inside, we’re afraid of what might happen if we do.
There’s often a quiet fear underneath:
“If I lift the lid, say this out loud, it makes it more real and I have to deal with it” and there’s a fear around how this will feel, “ will I be able to carry on once I release some of what I’ve been holding” “ Will I be able to stop crying once I start” So the box stays closed.
For a long time , that can be exactly what keeps us safe and what we need to get us through normal life.

Our nervous systems are wise.
They learn when something feels too much and they protect us by holding it in. But holding the lid shut comes at a cost if you never let it out. What isn’t felt doesn’t disappear.
It often finds other ways to show itself as tension, anxiety, exhaustion, numbness,or a constant sense of strain.

Healing isn’t about throwing the box open.It isn’t about forcing release or overwhelming yourself with feeling.
It’s about learning that now,
you can lift the lid slowly when the time is right, at your pace, with pauses & with support.

You don’t have to open everything.
You don’t have to do it all at once.
And you don’t have to do it alone.
Sometimes healing begins with a simple, gentle realisation:
you’re safer now than you were
when the lid first closed. ❤️🙏🫶

I am always here with an ear if you are contemplating lifting the lid ❤️
Laura@heal2thrive.co.uk

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12/01/2026

A Timeline Exercise

Something I often do with clients is a timeline exercise — we go right from birth to now.

We map out the big stuff:
The good bits,
The hard bits,
The moments that changed things,
The times you had to grow up too fast,
The Heartbreaks
The losses
The big life changes

And as we go, something usually happens. People stop saying,
“What’s wrong with me?” And start saying, “ Oh… that makes sense.”

❤️ Of course you are anxious — look at how much you’ve lived through.

❤️ Of course you protect yourself — look at what you had to learn early.

❤️ No wonder you feel flat you have been holding a lot for a long time with no time to release and work through feelings.

It’s not about digging up the past for the sake of it, and it is definitely not about looking for blame.

It’ is about connecting the dots,
so you can see yourself more clearly,
and a lot more kindly.

You are shaped by many moments.
When your story starts to make sense, change stops feeling so hard.
Seeing in black & white what happened, how you learned to cope, and where support was missing can bring real compassion.

Most people leave this work feeling lighter. It is a step towards self compassion & no longer fighting yourself.

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09/01/2026

Considering Therapy: Support, Not More Pressure

People often come to therapy not at a breaking point, but at a moment where something inside says, “I don’t want to keep carrying this alone.”
It might be a sense of emotional heaviness or a pattern that keeps repeating or a feeling that life has moved on, but something inside hasn’t caught up yet.

After periods of intensity or change, our nervous systems can feel stretched — even when things look “fine” from the outside. Motivation can dip. Emotions can sit closer to the surface. Simple things can take more effort than usual.

That doesn’t mean anything is wrong with you.It may simply mean your system is asking for support, not pressure. If you have been quietly considering therapy — not to fix yourself, but to have a space to offload what you’ve been carrying — I’m currently open to welcoming new clients.”

My work is gentle, collaborative, and paced with your nervous system in mind. There’s no expectation to arrive with the right words or a clear goal. We begin exactly where you are.

Therapy can be a place to:

• soften self-criticism
• understand anxiety and overwhelm
• process grief or life transitions
• rebuild trust in yourself
• feel less alone with what you’re carrying

If this resonates, you are very welcome to get in touch. Either via DM, email laura@heal2thrive.co.uk or by completing an enquiry form at www.heal2thrive.co.uk

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07/01/2026

Why the First Week Back can Feel So Hard - Handle Yourself With Care ❤️

Something I often notice is how hard the first couple of weeks back can feel.

After a break, the nervous system is re-adjusting to structure, decisions, people, and pace.

Add in the short, dark January days and reduced daylight, many people feel more tired, irritable, foggy, or emotionally flat than usual.

When the nervous system is unsettled, it can be tempting to make big conclusions —about work, relationships, or life direction.
Especially with pressures of New Year new me.

Sometimes those thoughts are meaningful and sometimes they are signals that the system needs time and gentleness, not immediate answers.

In therapy, we often slow things down first, regulation tends to come before clarity.

If things still feel heavy once your system has settled, that information matters.

Clarity often arrives when the body feels safe enough to breathe.

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04/01/2026

The Return of Routines

There’s a particular kind of anxiety that can show up on Sundays
especially before the first full week back at work after Christmas.

The pace has been different.
There’s been more rest, more softness, more unstructured time —
maybe even moments of joy, connection, or fun. And now, quietly, the body knows routine is returning.

That nervous feeling doesn’t mean you’re failing or “not coping.”
It’s often just your system adjusting —
from freedom back into structure,
from spaciousness back into responsibility.

After a break, the nervous system can feel the contrast more sharply:

• less choice about your time
• more expectations
• more “shoulds”
• less space to drift and exhale So anxiety shows up before anything has actually happened.

And yet — as much as we may dread the return of routine, there’s something important to remember.

Routines can be regulating.

They create predictability, rhythm, and a sense of containment for the nervous system.

Knowing what comes next can reduce decision fatigue and help the body feel safer — even if part of you resists it at first.

Often, it’s the anticipation that feels hardest.

The first day back is rarely as bad as we imagine.

Once we’re moving, the body often settles.

Muscle memory kicks in. Familiar patterns return.

And we remember: I’ve done this before. I can do it again.

❤️ You don’t need to have the whole week or month figured out tonight.

❤️ You don’t need to snap back into productivity immediately.

❤️ You are allowed a gentle re-entry.

If Sunday feels heavy this morning you might offer yourself some soft self-care:

• prepare something comforting (a warm drink, cosy clothes, a nourishing meal for lunch or after work.

• do one small grounding ritual you already know helps
Start the day with gratitude, while you get ready for work think of 5 things you are grateful for.

• limit “doom-scrolling” or future-planning tonight

• remind yourself: I only have to show up for the first step

Let tomorrow arrive when it arrives. Try to enjoy every minute of today 🙏❤️

03/01/2026

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When life feels off-centre, a counsellor can help you slow down, reflect, and rediscover a sense of balance that feels right for you. 🌱

01/01/2026

Anti–New Year, New You — Gentle January

There’s no perfect version of you waiting on January 1st.

There’s the same you — tender, unpolished, whole in your own messy, real way.

This year isn’t about reinvention,or hitting “reset” like you were broken.

There’s a lot of noise at the start of a new year. Messages about becoming better, doing more, fixing what didn’t quite work before.

But Gentle January asks something different.

It reminds you that you are already a whole person —with a nervous system that’s been doing its best,a body that’s been adapting,and a heart that’s been learning in ways you might not even notice yet.

This isn’t a month for pushing yourself into change or setting expectations you have to live up to.

It’s a month for continuing —
from where you actually are,
at the pace your system can tolerate,
with a little more curiosity and a little less pressure.

It’s about learning what feels softer in your body.

What helps you exhale.

What supports you to stay present rather than perform.

You don’t need to reinvent yourself.
You don’t owe the new year a better version of you.

Gentle January isn’t a challenge —
it’s a chance to remember you don’t have to do more, you need to love and care for yourself just as you are.

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