Dr Claire Plumbly

08/03/2026

My Burnout book has been put on a discount on Amazon this week.

It tends to get good reviews from most.

If you want to grab it whilst it’s on offer then the link is in the comments!

05/03/2026

Yesterday the senior leadership team for the National Institute for Health & Care Research invited me to their team Away Day to lead a workshop on Burnout recognition and prevention.

I’m so grateful that teams are creating space to have these discussions. It signals that it’s OK to be talking about mental health. It creates a shared language and way of thinking that everyone in the team can use. And all of this starts to generate more psychological safety - an essential ingredient for all members of the team to function well at work and to be able to reach out when they need to.

This is important because the most recent UK Burnout report (Jan 2026) said that lack of trust in managers and isolation are amongst reasons for the high sick leave linked to stress.

Amongst our topics today we discussed how to recognise your personal stress reduction flags, how stress is different to burnout, risk factors at work, and how to start rebalancing the demands Vs resources available to you.

P.s - at the risk of ripping off an Usborne book… can you spot the duck in this picture?!

27/02/2026

EMDR is an effective form of therapy for a number of difficulties, from PTSD to anxiety, phobias to stuck behaviour patterns (like overworking, people-pleasing and avoidance).

It's a therapy model our practice specialise in so we have built an EMDR Resource Page on our website- packed everything from a reflective quiz (to check if EMDR is right for you), to articles what actually happens in sessions, how it works online or intensively and more.

We continue to add to this page so let us know which other questions you have about this therapy and we can create the appropriate resource.

We have a new space available on Wednesdays from next week if you'd like to book a call to see if this could be right for you.

02/02/2026

This is me with my ‘scary’ face on.. according to my to my youngest.

He hates it when I wear foundation, but today I did my full make-up routine (not just a quickie mascara one) ready for a recording with psychotherapist Emma Reed Turrell on her awesome Dial Emma podcast.

It was worth scaring my child for in my humble opinion 🤣 as we had such a great episode discussing the dilemma of one of her listeners - how to switch off after work when you work from home.

The highlight was probably doing some cross-crawl and dancing with Emma to demonstrate a tool!

Do you do anything akin to my scary makeup routine which inadvertently ruffles feathers in your household? Would love to hear!

P.s, go follow Dial Emma to get this one when it drops at the end of February.

27/01/2026

I was recently stopped in the street by someone I didn't know, but she knew me. She explained that she had been in touch with me many months ago asking for therapy and we had spoken on the phone for the free 20 minute call.

After hearing what she needed therapy for I had said that I wasn't actually the best fit - but had recommended one of my team who I thought would be.

This person had approached me to say thank you, that the match had been perfect, her exact words were:

"it was life-changing therapy, I wish I'd done it sooner".

This is one of my favourite things about working within a team - I know the expertise of each psychologist and the kind of work they excel in.

We have a couple of spots that have come available for therapy next week - if you're not sure what you need then I can hop on a call with you to hear what's going on and let you know who would be right.

It's hard taking the first step - I can help you to do this if you would like me to. Either DM me with your email address so I can contact you or fill in the form below.

26/01/2026

Have you had therapy for burnout? Which approach did you find helpful? Do share in the comments here.

I've added my own tuppenceworth in this new article for Psychology Today

Therapy for Burnout - learn about five good options and how these can help at different stages of burnout, from functional to severe.

23/01/2026

Trying to choose a psychological therapy centre in Taunton?

Here is some guidance on how to go about this from a practicing psychologist with local knowledge of the area and what’s available.

A guide to therapy options in Taunton, Somerset, UK

22/01/2026

Thank you so much to those who have supported my business by taking advantage of my January offer.

As a reminder, this is 50% off my EMDR Procrastination Workshop - still available at this price until the end of the month.

This pre-recorded workshop is for you if you:

1) are curious about EMDR and want a taster of the techniques

2) have a task you should be getting on with but feel stuck or keep procrastinating on it

If you're not sure if it's right for you just reply to this email with your question and I'll let you know.

Things that people have overcome using this technique include: filling in a job application form; getting a DIY project finished; putting a boundary in place with a demanding family member.

Details below

21/01/2026

What do bento boxes, lemons and microwaveable lunches all have in common??

They are all practical techniques for stress-eating that Dr Anna Colton and I discuss on this new podcast episode all about appetite and food intake when we are frazzled.

Aptly named Chew On This!

Podcast Episode · Chew On This with Dr Anna Colton · 21/01/2026 · 36m

17/01/2026

“Which type of therapy is suitable for me if I'm neurodivergent?”

“Do I need a diagnosis of ADHD or Autism before trying therapy?”

“Why do coping strategies work for everyone else but not me?”

The answer to all of these questions is... neuroaffirming therapy. A specific approach to therapies of any kind (CBT, EMDR, ACT, you name it!).

One of my experienced colleagues Dr Gemma Finlay-Carruthers has written a short article exploring what neuroaffirming therapy is, who it’s for, and how it's different from traditional approaches. Link in the comments here👇

14/01/2026

When someone returns to work from time off for their mental health in the UK, their employer has a legal duty to make reasonable adjustments to support them.

Examples include: a phased return to work, reviewing duties and making adjustments to the physical environment.

When I'm supporting a client in therapy as they return to work I:

1) offer to write a letter with recommendations to their employer of the adjustments that will make a real difference based on what we have learnt from our therapy together.

2) make time to talk about their own internal 'reasonable adjustments' too (we might also visualise these and operationalise how to try them out in their workplace).

A few examples of internal reasonable adjustments include:

- Understanding that your capacity rebuilds gradually, and that this includes cognitive as well as physical (which can be a surprise to many). For example, expect your focus, decision-making, emotional tolerance for challenges to be compromised. Trying, therefore, to start with 'easier' tasks to develop your confidence in your own skills again, and being patient with yourself if things feel harder or slower than before.

- Noticing if there a mindset around "I'm back and therefore should be operating at the same level as before" present (this is very common). If you notice this yourself try writing down these words to keep re-reading: "I'm back and easing myself back in, I have permission to go slowly".

- Loosening your grip on any familiar high (often unrelenting) standards for your work, and trying on more flexible standards for size e.g. "I would usually continue working on this for another hour to perfect it, but I'm tired and I've done a good enough first-draft so will send this version for now"

This is just a taster of adjustments which can support Post-Burnout Growth - "the process of coming back stronger after adversity by embracing your relationships, appreciating new elements of life, and becoming open to making positive changes".

Have you made any internal 'reasonable adjustments' when returning to work that you can share below?

(The quote is from p226 of my book Burnout: How to Manage Your Nervous System Before It Manages You)