Iva Dragostinova Counselling

Iva Dragostinova Counselling BACP registered counsellor in Worthing and online. Warm, trauma informed and down-to-earth.

Supporting adults through anxiety, grief, fertility struggles, domestic abuse, identity questions and life transitions.

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03/05/2026

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Nobody prepares you for the emotional side of IVF.The loneliness. The shame. The hope and despair existing in the same b...
22/04/2026

Nobody prepares you for the emotional side of IVF.

The loneliness. The shame. The hope and despair existing in the same breath.

The way it takes over everything.

I've written about it honestly, from a counsellor who has been there. 🌿

You are seen. You don't have to walk this alone. 🤍

To read the full blog, link in the first comment. 👇

Mother’s Day can be beautiful.But it can also be complicated.For some it’s full of love and appreciation.For others it m...
15/03/2026

Mother’s Day can be beautiful.
But it can also be complicated.

For some it’s full of love and appreciation.
For others it may bring grief, longing, distance, or memories that are hard to hold.

Perhaps you’re missing your mum.
Perhaps you’re longing to become one.
Perhaps your relationship with your mother is complicated.
Or perhaps you’re doing the everyday, often unseen work of parenting and feeling exhausted.

However this day lands for you, your experience matters.

Be gentle with yourself today. 🤍

💭 Is that uneasy feeling in your gut intuition… or hypervigilance?When the nervous system is on high alert, it can feel ...
13/03/2026

💭 Is that uneasy feeling in your gut intuition… or hypervigilance?

When the nervous system is on high alert, it can feel like intuition, noticing subtle changes, anticipating what might happen next, or replaying conversations in your head.

How to differentiate?

✨One is calm guidance, spacious and steady
✨The other can feel like anxiety, urgent and pressing.

In my latest blog, I explore this distinction and share ways to notice patterns, respond rather than react, and bring your nervous system back into balance.

🤓 Read the full blog in comments 👇🏽for insights and navigation strategies! ✨

Do you ever feel like you’re anticipating everyone’s next move or rehearsing every response? 😬You might be experiencing ...
11/02/2026

Do you ever feel like you’re anticipating everyone’s next move or rehearsing every response? 😬

You might be experiencing hypervigilance.

Swipe through this carousel to explore what it looks like in everyday life and how it shows up for you. 💜

See if any of these points feel familiar 👀

💭 We often feel we need a tangible crisis or a diagnosable “problem” to justify seeking help.But what about the persiste...
14/01/2026

💭 We often feel we need a tangible crisis or a diagnosable “problem” to justify seeking help.

But what about the persistent flatness? 😞

The sense that something’s missing? 🧩

The quiet guilt that you "should be" happier? 🙁

These experiences are valid reasons to seek support.

In my latest blog, I discuss why you don’t need to be in crisis to benefit from counselling.

It’s often about creating space to listen to yourself, understand your patterns, and reconnect with your inner world, judgment free, unfiltered, safe and supported.

🔗 Read the full blog ✨ link in the first comment 👇

Ever wondered if therapy is helping?Progress can be layered, nuanced, and hard to recognise from the inside immediately....
20/11/2025

Ever wondered if therapy is helping?

Progress can be layered, nuanced, and hard to recognise from the inside immediately. In my latest blog, I share signs that signal progress, both internally and in relationships.

Feeling unsure where you stand? My latest blog might help you make sense of it.
🔗 In comments! ✨

It’s a busy, emotional time of year for many people, and sometimes it’s hard to find a moment to breathe or make sense o...
14/11/2025

It’s a busy, emotional time of year for many people, and sometimes it’s hard to find a moment to breathe or make sense of everything that’s going on.

I have a couple of Wednesday daytime spaces at a reduced fee (£35) for anyone who feels they’d benefit from talking things through.

Sessions are in Worthing or online.

If you’d like to get in touch or ask any questions, you’re welcome to message me. ✨

Heavy, grey days… or a hidden opportunity?Sometimes the dark can feel heavy, even unbearable. But sitting with it can he...
05/11/2025

Heavy, grey days… or a hidden opportunity?

Sometimes the dark can feel heavy, even unbearable. But sitting with it can help us notice small shifts. 🌱

🌙 Pause to notice subtle changes.

💭 Understand what really matters.

🌿 Quietly allow the ground for growth.

Even small moments of stillness can begin to shift how we feel. There’s always room for subtle change, even when life feels heavy.

In my latest blog, I explore how even life’s heaviest moments — loss, uncertainty, or feeling stuck — can quietly spark insight and change.

Link in comments ✨ 📖🔗

💜 The mental load of parenting is real, and parents' evening seems to concentrate it all into one nerve-wracking 10-minu...
17/10/2025

💜 The mental load of parenting is real, and parents' evening seems to concentrate it all into one nerve-wracking 10-minute slot.

💜 I walked in full of "what-ifs" and walked out with a reminder to trust the process more.

✨ Breaking down my 'before' and 'after' in these slides.

Would you add any thoughts to the 'before' list? Let me know below.

10/10/2025

Food is medicine ✨. Follow Elisa to find out more about how nutrition can help us move through life changes. 🌱

Why does change make us want to push through, disconnect, or pretend everything's fine? 🌪️Constant adaptation can feel l...
09/10/2025

Why does change make us want to push through, disconnect, or pretend everything's fine? 🌪️

Constant adaptation can feel like struggling to stand steady among turbulent waves 🌊.

Often, our reactions echo old survival strategies.

Understanding these patterns is the first step toward meeting change with awareness and compassion, not judgment.

If you are feeling a subtle, persistent exhaustion, please know this: you are not failing at coping 💙. This fatigue is a sign you're human.

Does this feel familiar?

⚡- Feeling drained before the day has even begun

🙈 - Turning inward, shutting the world out

🎭 - Wearing smile when you feel chaos inside

⌛ - Feeling time is always slipping away

My latest blog explores these human themes, and how to find anchors and glimmers in the chaos ✨ 🌪️.

Read it here! 📖👇🏽(Link in comments)


Address

Worthing, West
Worthing
BN14

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