Jo Irvin - Counsellor/Therapist

Jo Irvin - Counsellor/Therapist Counselling and Therapy

08/10/2025

✨ Healthy Relationships Are Built, Not Found ✨
Relationships aren’t perfect — they’re living, evolving connections between imperfect people.
They require communication, patience, boundaries, and the courage to grow both together and individually.
If you’ve ever felt like your relationships should “just work” without effort, you’re not alone. That’s a common myth — but the truth is: deep, fulfilling connection is intentional.
💬 Listen with curiosity, not defensiveness
🧠 Speak your truth with kindness
💛 Make room for both closeness and individuality
Whether you're navigating romantic partnerships, friendships, or family bonds, remember: growth takes time — and love doesn't mean losing yourself.
You are worthy of safe, nourishing connection. Always.

08/10/2025

Vulnerability isn’t weakness.
It’s courage in its rawest form.
In therapy, I don’t ask clients to "be strong"—
I ask them to be real.
To show up messy. Uncertain. Honest. Human.

That’s where the healing happens.
Not in perfection, but in permission—to feel, to speak, to be seen.

Every time a client lets their guard down, even just a little, I see bravery.
And I remind them:
You don’t have to have it all together to start getting better.

05/10/2025

Remind yourself when you die, your ‘in basket’ won’t be empty.

17/08/2025

Now make yours ♥️

14/08/2025

“Sometimes, a client isn’t resisting change, they’re just terrified that if they grow, they’ll lose the people who only knew their survival version”.

Wow 😮

❤️

Imagine…. 🤔
09/01/2025

Imagine…. 🤔

Don’t think you need to change to be accepted or included by others. Some will like you, some won’t.   ❤️
02/01/2025

Don’t think you need to change to be accepted or included by others.

Some will like you, some won’t.

❤️

Love this ❤️
19/12/2024

Love this ❤️

Break the cycle. Acknowledge and heal the trauma. Don’t pass it on ❤️
07/12/2024

Break the cycle. Acknowledge and heal the trauma. Don’t pass it on ❤️

25/10/2024

❤️
Do not sleep with worry
worry is no good in bed
he will interrupt your slumber
spinning dramas like a web

he will plant weeds in your garden
to strangle all you’ve grown
pulling roots up from your flowerbeds
to make room there for his own

he will take your precious memories
and paint them murky grey
he will find your inner child
and send her cowering on her way

do not let him in your bed, love
crack the window, shoo him out
throw his friends out there to join him
fear, perfection and self-doubt

now quickly, close the window
come back and snuggle down
and check that only good thoughts
are allowed to stick around

let hope and joy come by
they are soothing, wise and true
add acceptance to the mix
then let peace wash over you

no do not sleep with worry
worry is no good in bed
you have stress enough in life
to let that monster in your head.

From ‘Wild Hope’

❤️
09/10/2024

❤️

17/09/2024

A patient shared this with me yesterday, ‘It’s what I used to do’ they said, ‘But not anymore, I say now when I’m not ok’
❤️

Today I said “I’m fine”, not once
But five times altogether
When people asked “how are you?”
Then made small talk of the weather

And so I hid behind my mask
The one I’d worn a while
I set in place my bravest face
And dressed it with a smile

And that was how the day went
All “I’m fine” and talk of rain
Until somebody asked me how I was
Then asked again

They asked if I was truly fine
And I said I was not
And they said they were sorry
That they couldn’t do a lot

But then they sat beside me
Whilst I spoke the truth at last
They listened and they held me
As the tears slipped through my mask

And where before, I’d felt I should
Maintain this brave façade,
I realised there was much to gain
By letting down my guard

See, though my load was still the same
It now was not as heavy
‘Cause sitting and offloading it
Had helped a bit already

Today they asked “how are you?”
And I told them I was fine
‘Til someone saw behind the mask
And asked me one more time

And though they may have felt
That there was little they could do
They’ll never know how much it meant
To tell someone the truth

✍️🏻Author|Becky Hemsley 2022

(“I’m fine” is from the poet's second poetry collection: "What the Wild Replied")

🎨Artist|Graham Berry

Address

Ravenspur Road, Hull
Sutton On Hull
HU114

Telephone

+447854220730

Website

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