Silence Speaks

20/03/2026

Route 1 - The Tom Jones Mile

20/03/2026

🌿 𝐑𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐞 𝟏: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐨𝐦 𝐉𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬 𝐌𝐢𝐥𝐞

𝗗𝘂𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: ~55 minutes
𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁: Setting off & returning to where Silence Speaks is located (CF37 1DL)
𝗙𝗼𝗼𝘁𝗳𝗮𝗹𝗹: Low–moderate
𝗧𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻: Flat, paved. Light elevation toward the end, which can be avoided.

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗶𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗽𝘆
- Gentle, rhythmic walking with minimal interruptions
- Surrounded by tree’s & nature, with minimal passers by

𝗥𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗲: Meeting close to the university car park, before setting along the Taff Trail for one mile (passing the Tom Jones statue), & returning along the same route.

18/03/2026

Thank you to Taff-Ely Foodbank for inviting us in to their warehouse yesterday, to deliver a morning's workshop to the Foodbanks team around the topics related to Mental Health that they wanted to learn more about: 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀, 𝗕𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗼𝘂𝘁, & 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝘂𝗺𝗮, 𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗪𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 & 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗳 𝗢𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀.

We tailored a workshop that was delivered to do exactly that, exploring the neuroscientific & biological building blocks that connect our mind & body, to form what we refer to as our Mental Health. This helped to create a better understanding of stress, burnout, & other areas of our wellbeing, where our mental health can begin to have a negative impact on our physical health.

We then explored the developmental learning processes that we go through that help us to understand the world, & how the perception of our own experience creates feelings that are as unique to us, as our personality or any of our other external characteristics (we really are as unique internally as we are by our looks or accent).

Once the academia was out of the way, as a group, we began to try to understand that if our experience is so unique to us, & we truly can't just assume how others think or feel, then how can we relate better to gain a better understanding of others' experiences'? (ie, how do we understand our service users better?)

This is where the lived experience side came into the workshop (the part that I personally 💛 delivering), & using a coca-cola bottle, Fidgetiers, some black & white dots on a screen, & some case studies, we attempted to do exactly that! Based on the responses of the group, it seems that we were able to create a few 'ah-ha' moments regarding trauma, perspective, & how even if we're both standing in the same spot, it may 'feel' as though we're worlds apart.

We are inspired by all of the work that Trussell undertake at a national level & we would like to thank the group for allowing us the privilege of being able to work alongside one of their most dedicated & caring teams here in South Wales.

17/03/2026

𝐖𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐲

- What is walking therapy?
- How does it work compared to traditional counselling?
- Is it private?
- What kind of routes do we use?

Walking Therapy offers a calm, outdoor alternative to the therapy room — and many people find it helps them feel more at ease, grounded, and able to talk openly. We’ve created a dedicated page that explains how sessions work, who it’s suitable for, and the local routes we may use.

To celebrate the start of Spring this Friday, we will be sharing full details of 𝗥𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗲 𝟭 of our locally selected Walking Therapy routes, & we will continue to do so each Friday at 9am, until all routes have been shared🚶‍➡️

To find out more, you can visit the Walking Therapy section of our website, listed in the comments below 👇

15/03/2026

𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠

- How can we communicate better?
- Why do small disagreements turn into big arguments?
- How do we rebuild trust, connection, or understanding?
- Is couples counselling right for us?

These are some of the questions couples often bring to an introductory session — so we’ve created a dedicated page that explores what couples counselling involves, how sessions work, and how it can support partners to reconnect with clarity and compassion.

A link can be found in the comment section below 👇

13/03/2026

𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 & 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐲

What are the differences between counselling & therapy?
How do sessions work & what kind of things can I discuss?
Will it be confidential?
Who is it suitable for?

These are some of the questions frequently asked during an introductory session, so we've designed a page dedicated to these questions, & many more, in relation to 1:1 counselling & therapy.

A link can be found in the comment section below 👇

23/02/2026

⭐ 𝗦𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸𝘀 𝗨𝗽 - 𝗧𝗮𝗹𝗸𝘀 & 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗽𝘀 ⭐

At Silence Speaks we provide talks & workshops that integrate professional, academic, & lived experience.

We specialise in creating safe space’s where open conversations can take place around areas of mental health that we are passionate about discussing, in order to raise a groups’ empathic understanding, emotional & psychological literacy, & individual levels of self-awareness & self-care around the topics discussed.

We are proud to introduce our first 4 Talks & Workshops, covering the following topics -

🕯️ Stress, Burnout & Your Wellbeing
🫂 Su***de Awareness, Ideation & Prevention
🧠 Common Mental Health Conditions & Personality Disorders
🌩️ Trauma, PTSD, & Complex Trauma

Link in the comments below 👇

Welcome to where Silence Speaks Up 💛

16/01/2026

🗣️ Speaker Announcement

Following on from SPARKS Connect’s November meetup, where we attended & presented “𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 & 𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐲𝐧𝐝𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐞” for the first time, we have since been approached by a member of the group & asked to present the same talk to the members of Cae Court Business Club on January 29th.

Cae Court Business Club is here to connect local businesses by arranging informal networking events for companies in & around Bridgend. Their meetings are there to foster connections, & to motivate the members within the group to support each other in maximizing their potential, values & beliefs that we also value at Silence Speaks.

So what will we be covering during 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 & 𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐲𝐧𝐝𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐞?

💡 What isn’t Imposter Syndrome, & what is.
🧠 Self-diagnosing. Do I have it? Ok, so if I do, what do I do now?
🤔 Can I make my Imposter Syndrome go away? Actually, do I even want to now that I know what I know?

There are already 20+ businesses booked on & spaces are free to book, so feel free to join us at Cae Court in a few weeks time if you would like to connect with other local businesses in the Bridgend area (link for tickets in the comments below) 👇

03/01/2026

✍️ 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐁𝐥𝐨𝐠: 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫, 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭, 𝐨𝐫 𝐉𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐀𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐫? 📅

New Years Resolutions - Something to look forward to in 2026? Or maybe something that we should have left behind in 2025? Whatever your thoughts are, this blog take a deep dive into what really makes resolutions work for some, & why others pop them back on the shelf with the Xmas elf until next December.

✨ Read the full blog here:

New Years resolutions - something to look forward to in 2026? Or maybe something we should have left behind in 2025 or longer ago? Whatever your thoughts are, this blog take a deep dive into what really makes resolutions work for some, & why others pop them back on the shelf along with the Xmas

31/12/2025

With 2025 coming to a close, we wanted to take a moment to say thank you for all of your support this year 🙏

Each like & share, each leaflet taken, each business card passed on, each time someone stopped to photograph our banner, each time a blog was shared, any engagement or mention has helped to bring Silence Speaks to a place that I wouldn't have thought possible back when I launched my little 1:1 counselling service toward the end of 2024.

So this post is for you! To say thank you. Thank you for all that you have done to support the mental health & wellbeing of others in 2025. We can't wait to see where your support takes us in 2026 💛

Take care & we hope you have a Happy New Year 🥳

Steven

03/12/2025

✍️ 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐁𝐥𝐨𝐠: 𝐀𝐧𝐱𝐢𝐞𝐭𝐲 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐝 😟

Anxiety is something we all experience — sometimes it helps us prepare, other times it overwhelms us. In 'Anxiety Explained: Natural Response or Daily Disruption?' I explore when anxiety is a natural response, when it becomes more problematic, & practical steps to manage symptoms, with self-compassion & clarity.

✨ Read the full blog here: www.silence-speaks.co.uk/blogs/anxiety-explained

💬 I’d love to hear your thoughts — how do you recognise when anxiety is helpful, & when it feels unhelpful in your own life?

Anxiety is a natural response to stress, but when it lingers or overwhelms, it can disrupt daily life. This blog explores when anxiety is helpful, when it becomes unhelpful, and practical techniques to manage it — offering clarity, compassion, and tools to navigate anxious moments with resilience.

25/11/2025

We had a wonderful time attending the Mental Health & Wellbeing Network's Norther Ireland's Launch Event last Friday hosted by Geraldine McGrath, where we were able to make many new connections from further afield.

The event was a tremendous success & really opened our eyes to the possibilities of working with other businesses, groups & services from a much wider area. With meaningful conversations taking place across the room, it was really exciting to be a part of something that has the potential to keep growing as the connections within the network continue to flourish.

Thank you to Dawn Evans from Ajuda Training for inviting us along to the event & thank you to all of the group for your warm & nurturing hospitality 💛