Elizabeth Brown Therapy

12/04/2025

We've all heard about Triggers by now - those events that get us 'jumping up the reaction ladder', causing distress and suffering

🌊 We may become fully immersed in them
👀 We may feel as if we're watching ourselves have this reaction, our 'rational' minds helpless to intervene
❄ We may shutdown or go numb

So what can we actually *do* about them?

Well, as is most often the case, it starts with awareness...

12/01/2025

Thinking about starting therapy, but nervous? That is completely normal ☺️

Reaching out is a brave step, and the first in a truly transformational process.

Remember, this is for you - it's your space, and we take it at your pace.

And don't worry if you're not sure what to say! With curiosity and compassion, we will explore together ✨

11/10/2024

Yesterday was World Mental Health Day... and today (and every day) is YOUR mental health day.

Depression, anxiety, worries, nervousness, stuckness... These symptoms are all too common. But just because they are familiar to you, they don't have to stay that way 😌

And if you're used to dealing with them alone - you don't have to any more 💕

For a chat about where you are, and where you want to get to, drop a comment or message. I'd love to help.

21/05/2024

Hello and Welcome!

My name's Elizabeth and I'm here to help you get to the heart of your life ❤️

Whether you struggle with general mental malaise; you could be finding yourself at a turning point in a relationship or have discontent with your work; perhaps you feel a general 'urgh' - there has to be more to your life, right? Maybe you are just stuck.

I'm a Psychosynthesis Counsellor and Psychotherapist in training, and together we work with curiosity and compassion to not just get to the root of your issues - in fact, not even to just work beyond them - but to help use them as the key to unlocking a brighter future.

If you'd like a chat to see where you are and how I may help, please do get in touch. Reaching out for help is a courageous step, and I'd certainly love to hear from you 😊

15/04/2023

EHB Therapy offers reduced rate Psychotherapy for those in South Somerset and surrounds. As a trainee therapist at the Institute of Psychosynthesis, Elizabeth works with you on both your crises and aspirations towards a fulfilling and meaningful life

17/09/2021

𝗗𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗛𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝗬𝗼𝘂; 𝗗𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗛𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗬𝗼𝘂

⛔️ Self criticism increases our stress activation, eroding away our good health, with potentially huge negative consequences over time
✅ Self acceptance keeps us in a calm state, regulated and able to cope well with the unexpected, and where we can do our best work

⛔️ Living up to others’ expectations has us working towards others’ goals, which over time will lead to subconscious or conscious resentments - eventually completing numbing our drive to achieve more
✅ Working towards our authentic goals keeps us motivated and positive, allowing us to grow in creativity and new pursuits

⛔️ Continuing to work on something or someone just because we’ve already put so much investment in is a road to nowhere - you only veer further and further from YOUR goals
✅ Using what you’ve learned about the situation and then applying it to what, or who, is right for you - well, that’s where the real power lies

⛔️ Doing something *only* because we’re good at it leads to frustration and depression
✅ Choosing to pursue what you love and what is useful - bam! You will become better at that then you ever would have believed

In order to move from continuing to push on in spite of what we want, and be pulled into new pursuits that are in line with who we are, we need to:

- Be aware of our intentions. When are we just succumbing to internal or external pressures?
- Accept and process anything we will lose. Even if it’s not helping us, there is still grief and resistance in that loss
- Take action to change your situation. Know the small steps that will make huge differences, and take them on one at a time
- Find support, encouragement, outside experience and education, and accountability. We can't and don’t need to do this on our own.


Start shifting your perspective, and life shifts with you.
From a life of pressure and stress, to living a life you love.

16/09/2021

“Strive for perfection, but settle for excellence.”?

I used to live by that saying. Now it makes me deeply uncomfortable.

As someone who has previously striven (strove? strived??) for both perfection and excellence, I get the intent behind it. I really do.

But now I think…

Why would you ever strive for the *impossible*??
Why would you *settle* for anything?

We value and hold onto these high expectations of ourselves, lofty goals, because we think that expectation, stress, and pressure are the best drivers for our:

Success
Happiness
Fulfilment
Responsibility
Meaning

But in fact they’re not. We succeed in these aspects of our life in SPITE of the pressure.


Because our deep, authentic drivers - the ones that pull us towards our REAL goals and what is truly important to us in life; the opposite of expectation - come from Connection:

Our connection to who we really are: our life’s purpose, our most important values
Our connection to what we really love: what makes us feel alive, what energises us
Our connection to who we love: the nourishment we get from our relationships
Our connection to how we can be of service: what we do that makes a real difference in the world
Our connection to where we are progressing: overcoming challenges, growing in all aspects of our selves


I know there is value in the journey itself; the integrity in viewing yourself highly enough to really push the edge of your limits, your boundaries.
In wanting more.
But how about making the journey one you want to travel? The goal you’re moving towards, something really true to YOU?

Then you won’t be eroded by pressure, stress and self criticism to get there.
You will be pulled by and grow through connecting to what you love.

15/09/2021

Why wouldn’t we want to use our drive for perfection to achieve more in life?

Self criticism can be so useful to make sure we are doing the very best we can, right?
I mean, if we’re not inviting criticism, judgement - the hard truths about our efforts and who we are - then how on earth are we going to be able to overcome our shortcomings in order to achieve?


Perhaps. But actually, perhaps not. Consider a different perspective:

How often do you use perfectionism as an excuse to not do what you deep down truly want to do?
“Oh I won’t be able to get really good at that, so I may as well try something else”
- It’s hard to progress when we’re on a path going nowhere.

How often do you use perfectionism as a tool to beat yourself up with?
“I’m rubbish at everything! I should have done better and I suck”
- It’s hard to progress when we don’t see how we can ever achieve.

How often does perfectionism take the colour and joy out of your life?
“I would have enjoyed that if I’d just lived up to my super high expectations”
- It’s hard to progress when we feel like sh*te.


Instead of striving for the impossible, it’s time to work out what you’re really striving for.
And your *real*, useful, positive drivers to reach those goals that are truly meaningful to you.

14/09/2021

06/09/2021

*Back to School - Back to YOU*

Morning all! Self Care is a real buzz phrase at the moment, as well it should be. Avoiding burnout, putting ourselves first and feeling truly well are so important.

Unfortunately, there is a lot dumped at us as to what Self Care actually is, and to some of us (me included!) it can sound and feel proper cringey, something we run away from rather than lean into.

BUT... it doesn't have to be. True Self Care:
✅ takes your out of burnout and overwhelm
✅ gets you feeling and being healthy and well inside and out
✅ and moves you purposefully towards your goals and intentions.

This Thursday, I am running a workshop on Strategising Your Self Care, where we will go through what Self Care *really* is, and you will come away with a plan for YOU.

Spaces are limited, as I will be giving personalised coaching during this time.

Time will be 11:30-13:30 and the workshop will run on Zoom.

Drop a 🙋 in the comments or pm if this is something that could benefit you right now 😊

01/09/2021

When starting to notice how and where resistance shows up for you, you will probably find that you encounter a mixture of both, even when it relates to the same event.

The question then becomes, which do you start to deal with first?

-

PUSH Resistance is low energy, driven by the need to come back to equilibrium after we’ve pushed ourselves too much:

The more Push resistance we are feeling, the more we need to rest and recuperate:
⏪ Schedule time and space alone
⏪ Cancel anything from your schedule that is not absolutely, someone-will-die-if-I-don’t-do-this urgent
⏪ Get outside. Get moving. Preferably together: walking is one of the top ways of bringing ourselves back to equilibrium
⏪ Treat yourself with Compassion. This is so important. Not just because it’s nice to do - but because it will get you better, faster

PULL Resistance is high energy, driven by fear and insecurities. Box ticking, worrying about the future and self-criticism are common.

The more Pull resistance we feel, the more ready we are to start Doing something:
⏩ Examine your beliefs. E.g. “I’m not x enough to do this”; “I have no time”
⏩ Give examples of where these are 100% true. Then give yourself examples of where they are Not true
⏩ Start with the smallest, easiest task. Lower your expectations on productivity to the bare minimum - accept and be content with that, for now
⏩ Set your time periods small to start - building up to 20 minutes work, 10 minutes break, is a proven way to optimise efficiency whilst keeping fresh

-

Which of these points do you want to get started on?

31/08/2021

Resistance in our lives is inevitable. Indeed, it is a sign of growth, of moving out of our comfort zone and into something that is better for us.

Resistance feels uncomfortable, and can be difficult to deal with.
Sometimes - oftentimes - it proves so difficult that it prevents us from moving at all.

We can even regress - beating ourselves up over not being (strong, smart, tough, resourceful, good…) enough to overcome our internal resistance.
Leaving us not only stuck, but pretty down in the process.

But… it is not because we’re not enough. Half of the battle with resistance is knowing which TYPE you are dealing with. Once you have that awareness, you are actually in a position to be able to do something to dissipate it.

PULL Resistance is that which you encounter on the road to manifesting your intents and your goals - the things that are truly meaningful to you, the important, long-term stuff.

PUSH Resistance is moving you back into a state of internal equilibrium, and occurs when you’ve gone past your limits, and have become (knowingly or otherwise) overwhelmed.

-

SIGNS OF PULL & PUSH RESISTANCE:

*Pull*
- Procrastination and avoidance of main tasks
- Anxiety and short-temperedness
- Self sabotage and resorting to quick comforts
- Fear of failure, success, self doubt
- Perfectionism and self criticism

*Push*
- Distracted and unable to focus
- Time wasting and laziness
- Sickness, immune system low
- Disconnected with self and others
- Depressed, feeling down and tired

-

Which of these are you experiencing right now?