Emily Duffy Therapy

Emily Duffy Therapy She/Her
Online Integrative Therapist in the UK
I work with identity e.g. I'm an ENM & LGBTQ+ affirmative therapist.

sexuality, gender, neurodivergence, chronic illness, and mental health, the relationship with "self", and how you then relate to the outside world and the people around you. I work in an integrative approach meaning I adapt my way of working to your preferences, where possible, in a collaborative way. We will talk about what it is you would like to get out of counselling and look at ways we can do this. My core way of working is offering a safe and non-judgemental space through person centred counselling and it's core conditions, which are to hold you with unconditional positive regard, empathy, and congruence. From here I layer on tools and techniques from other approaches such as gestalt ways of working (metaphors, 'here & now' work, somatic exploration), ways of working from MBCT/SFT/CBT (using mindfulness techniques to explore our ways of thinking, looking at how this can be different, and how this can then impact our behaviour/emotions), and CFT/ACT (looking at our internal narrative, how we can be more compassionate and accepting to ourselves). Depending on what it is you're wanting to explore, how long we work together, and your preferences, will depend on the techniques used in our sessions. If you are considering short term work with myself then we will look at the most pressing issue you would like to focus on, whereas longer term work will allow more breadth of work.

Ever feel like the universe is testing you? 😅Had a GP appointment for my migraines and said "at least my glasses help th...
25/11/2025

Ever feel like the universe is testing you? 😅

Had a GP appointment for my migraines and said "at least my glasses help the eye strain".....

Forward to later that night; I'm making a cup of tea, hear a crunch, run into the lounge, and see one of my dogs has bitten into said glasses 🙈 thankfully he didn't hurt himself!! It was definitely a "do I laugh or cry?" moment.

It can feel like this in private practice too. I have people get in touch for sessions when I'm not actively advertising. Then when I decide to open up more space and advertise....crickets 🫠

I swear whenever I say, "I'm going to slow down a little" more lands on my plate. And if I decide to do more, it goes quiet. I'm gonna take it as a sign to focus on all I've got going on anyway with my resources, CPD courses, and personal life!!

Anyone else get moments like this? 💚

***rtherapist

24/11/2025

Still one of my favourite analagies I've come up with 💚

Our inner narratives, thought processes, and behaviours can take time to change through lots of practice.

The more we practice the more it becomes engrained.

The analogy - our thought processes, narratives, and behaviours are shaped over our life like a river in the ground. When we start to challenge and change these processes it can be like taking a stick and dragging it in the ground in the direction we want the water to go in. Eventually you will shape the ground enough that the water will take and redirect.
It will never completely redirect, the old river divet still exists, but over time the new direction will be stronger.

Does this resonate with you? 🏞


***rtherapist #

Getting in the holiday spirit early this year ✨️We're away for a little bit of December so we like to put our decoration...
23/11/2025

Getting in the holiday spirit early this year ✨️

We're away for a little bit of December so we like to put our decorations up early so we can enjoy them, but this time of year is always a mix of emotions for me, and many others, and this year is no different!

This time of year holds a lot of loss for my family and in-laws too. So it often leads to a lot of reflection.

But then it's also my birthday in December and I have always loved this time of year.

So, the decorations are up, hot chocoleat with all the fixings is enjoyed, and the first "Christmas" film is on (Krampus).

How do you manage in these months? 💚


I have learned so much about these conditions 😅Some random things I've learned in general:💚 Endometriosis and adenomyosi...
22/11/2025

I have learned so much about these conditions 😅

Some random things I've learned in general:
💚 Endometriosis and adenomyosis research is significantly underfunded. E.g. erectile dysfunction research has historically received up to ~25–30x more funding per patient!
💚 Endo has no known cure
💚 Adeno can only be "cured" through hysterectomy
💚 Adeno is only found in the wall lining of the uterus
💚 Endo is a whole body disease and whilst it's ot a cancer is acts in similar invasive ways
💚 Endo has been found on every major organ
💚 On average it can take 10 years to get diagnosed - for me it was 17!
💚 Both are inflammatory diseases
💚 There are different stagings for both endo and adeno but the staging doesn't also mean symptoms match. E.g. I was stage 1-2 but my symptoms were daily and intense having a high impact. Others can have stage 4 but have minimal symptoms.

The biggest shocker for me...
💚 Endo has been found in fetuses and in rare cases cis men


What I've personally learned
✨️ My pain and bloating happen daily
✨️ Hormonal treatment only eases it *slightly* but definitely not a cure
✨️ Being childless by choice doesn't speed up the chance of hysterectomy (in my case)
✨️ After having my diagnostic laparoscopy and having endo ablated...... I learned it's best to have it excised as ablation can cover endo rather than fully remove it
✨️ Heat, Tens machine, massage, and pain killers can ease it but don't remove symptoms.

I only had my first laparoscopy in Jan 2023 and am on a waiting list again as symptoms returned within a year - this time with an endo specialist!

Endo impacts peoples day to day, work, relationships, relationship with self, hobbies, and can be debilitating.

These conditions impact SO many people and the estimates are likely underestimates. The same as many other chronic illnesses more research needs to be done, there's still so much we don't know about causation, prevention, treatments, and potential cures!

Have you become far too knowledgeable about your own health? 😅 share with me what you've learned ⬇️


Acknowledging and understanding intersectionality within therapy is so important 💚"Intersectionality shapes how we have ...
21/11/2025

Acknowledging and understanding intersectionality within therapy is so important 💚

"Intersectionality shapes how we have experienced the world we're living in, and so as a therapist, it's so important to acknowledge in the therapeutic relationship" - Emily Duffy

My experience of the world as a white, cis, q***r teen was different from my experience of the world as a white, cis, q***r, chronically ill adult! And so it's definitely going to differ to clients who have different intersections to me.

We need to acknowledge and understand how diversity impacts our experiences - especially around oppression, discrimination, and privilege - so that we can meet our clients where they're at and begin to co-create safety in the therapeutic space.

A safe space is built with the individuality of the client and therapist. It's not something that is automatically assumed.

It also means challenging our assumptions and biases. An ethos I try to stick to in therapy is to never make assumptions. I'm not going to get that right 100% of the time, but my intention is always to stay with the client's experience without placing my own assumptions on them.

E.g. A client who also has fibromyalgia might experience completely different symptoms from me. We may share a diagnosis, but our lived experiences can be very different - so I still ask what fibro is like for them.

Does this resonate with you? Have you experienced this in therapy?


Want to learn more about non-monogamy and intersectionality? I cover this in my guide and CPD available on my site - www.emilyduffytherapy.co.uk/courses

Want to work with me? Check out my availability now - www.emilyduffytherapy.co.uk/book-online


***rtherapist

It's Trans Day of Remembrance 🏳️‍⚧️Sending love to all trans siblings today and every day!Your lives matter and I'm so s...
20/11/2025

It's Trans Day of Remembrance 🏳️‍⚧️

Sending love to all trans siblings today and every day!

Your lives matter and I'm so sorry this world and the people in it ever make you feel that your lives don't.

This post covers some key findings from the last year from TGEU as well as the list of names to remember today from TDOR

💚

(I have included "name unknown" in the list to show the full extent of lives lost too soon. This includes those lost by su***de)

💚

Ooooof! It's been a week 🙃My latest flare up has been a week now, which I really wasn't expecting, and it seems like my ...
19/11/2025

Ooooof! It's been a week 🙃

My latest flare up has been a week now, which I really wasn't expecting, and it seems like my conditions all flare up in waves.

First it was my fibro pain, then over the weekend my migraines flare up, and now my endo and adeno pain has joined in 🌊🌊🌊

And then trying to manage all of them together is so hit and miss.

🔥Heated blanket for my fibro and endo but it sets off my tachycardia and dizziness
🥶 Far too cold out of the blanket and in single layers but then temperature dysregulation hits when I layer up or use a blanket and I overheat
😴Rest for my endo and adeno as moving triggers it at the moment, but I can't stay too still for too long else my fibro acts up
💧Drink more for my migraines and POTS symptoms but then sets off my endo bladder symptoms
🍬 try to get healthy snacks but constantly craving carbs and sugar from the pain
🥙 random hunger cravings and then hit with migraine nausea

I'm sure there's more!

Sometimes we just have to do our nest for ourselves in the moment and ride it out. When we have so many different symptoms and conditions it can be hard to manage them all together.

It's so so so frustrating, especially when it's meant cancelled plans and cancelled work, but self compassion goes a long way for me. To not blame myself and still allow the frustration at the situation, then looking at how to be kind to myself in the moment and going forward.

Do you experience this? What have you found that helps?


Want to work on your own self talk, self compassion, and chronic illnesses? Get in touch 💚


***rtherapist

International Men's Day 💚I’ve been looking at some stats around men’s mental health and experiences of therapy for inter...
19/11/2025

International Men's Day 💚

I’ve been looking at some stats around men’s mental health and experiences of therapy for international men’s day.

There is still so much stigma, prejudice, and resistance to therapy and a disparity in effective treatments for cis men and trans men.

The BACP found in their survey that:
💚 47% of men think there’s a stigma attached to having therapy
💚 34% of men think therapy is self indulgent unless for a “serious” problem
💚 Only 29% of men went to therapy
💚 Only 49% of men are comfortable talking to anyone about mental health

Yet out of the men who did go to therapy they had just as, if not more, positive experiences than other genders.

Other surveys have found:
💚 Half of gay, bisexual, or trans (GBT) boys have harmed themselves deliberately (2017 school report)
💚 one in four GBT boys has attempted to take their life at some point (2017 school report)
💚 21% of trans men experienced DV (2018 survey)
💚 2 in 5 of trans people (43 per cent) reporting experiences of others trying to change or supress their identity (GALOP report)

EVERYONE has mental health. We ALL experience emotions and feelings. We ALL go through struggles of some form.

Therapy is the help you help yourself, it’s not weakness, it’s support.

You don’t have to persevere alone and suffering. You can reach out!

Check out my blog post on how to find the right therapist for you. You can ask as many questions as you want and find someone who you can feel comfortable with - especially if you've had a previous bad experience(s).

Therapy doesn't have to be for a crisis.

What's your experience of therapy been??


Think I could be a good fit for you? Check out my site and book in a consultation with me - www.emilyduffytherapy.co.uk


***rtherapist

New blog post - What is Cheating?This post explores what cheating and boundaries are, why people might cheat, how to tal...
18/11/2025

New blog post - What is Cheating?

This post explores what cheating and boundaries are, why people might cheat, how to talk to your partner, the after effects, and resources.

Cheating is something that happens often in western society and has a huge impact on those involved, mostly the person cheated on.

This post tries to stick to the factual side of cheating to explore it all. This isn't to excuse cheating as a behaviour but for information and understanding.

Check out the full post here (link in bio) -
https://www.emilyduffytherapy.co.uk/post/what-is-cheating

18/11/2025

The clichés are clichés for a reason! 💚

I love watching my dogs walk, they make me laugh with their bounce and tail wags as they sniff and find things that they enjoy. But sometimes they get too ahead of themselves and trip over their paws 😅

And it makes me think about the expression "take things one step at a time" because I use it alot for myself with my health and also in my work.

It means to be intentional with each step you make, to do it in a slow and considered way.

It's not slowing down so you stop or move backwards; It's a way of maintaining moving forward just with more compassion and care for yourself.

It doesn't mean you can't do anything, it just means doing things in a paced way.

Chronic illness has really taught me this, even though my innate want to do more fights it!! If I try to run ahead and do all the things, I will trip and need to recover before moving again....whereas if I take things steady and one step at a time, I can actually do more over a longer period 💚

What clichés do you like and why? ✨️


If you're looking to start sessions you can book in with me via my site (link in bio) -
www.emilyduffytherapy.co.uk


❤️

What do you wish for? 💚I'm in a week long flare and my migraines have kicked in badly the last couple of days.The fatigu...
18/11/2025

What do you wish for? 💚

I'm in a week long flare and my migraines have kicked in badly the last couple of days.

The fatigue makes typing and even talking feel like too much some days and it makes me wish telekinesis was a thing so I could still do things and communicate with others.

It's that typical chronic illness thing of my brain whirring away but no energy or capacity to do any of it!

Without telekinesis, I rely on rest, painkillers, naps, dimmed light, pacing movements, and sometimes having to push though a little in order to do the most basic of things - it drives my driven "wanting to do all the things" internal self up the wall 😅

Anyone else?

# fibromyalgia

Check out my updated site 💚My brain seems to have all my ideas when I'm lying in bed trying to sleep. Last night I made ...
16/11/2025

Check out my updated site 💚

My brain seems to have all my ideas when I'm lying in bed trying to sleep. Last night I made a list of things I wanted to do with my site and I've managed to get them all in place this afternoon.

I try to keep my website as up to date as I can, as user friendly as possible, and improve it as I learn more....however my dogs have other plans any prefer me to be at their whim 😅

My homepage has all you need to know how therapy with me can work, but if you want to know more I go i to more detail on About Me, How I Work, Fees, Qualifications, and FAQs.

I also have resources available to anyone as well as other therapists, my blog, and my guides/CPD on non-monogamy.

Then you can see availability and book in with me via my Book Online page ✨️

Hopefully Arty approves 😂 but let me know what you think!

***rtherapist

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