Jilly Whitham Counselling

Jilly Whitham Counselling MBACP counsellor offering mental health support to the people of York and nationwide through online therapy

Dogs offer us so much; comfort, emotional support, contagious excitement. But also utter congruence! There is no doubt...
28/04/2026

Dogs offer us so much; comfort, emotional support, contagious excitement. But also utter congruence! There is no doubt about Wizby’s thoughts regarding the Easter cake here 😂. For those of us who are dog people, I feel a worthy goal is to strive to be the person our dog thinks we are. For me that is a person so safe that even the dulcet tones of heavy machinery or metal don’t disturb his sleep, because I am there. But also a person who often provides cake🤔☺️. What sort of person do you strive to be?

Sometimes it takes the darkness to show the most beautiful, the most awe-inspiring, the most wonderful. I was so please...
22/04/2026

Sometimes it takes the darkness to show the most beautiful, the most awe-inspiring, the most wonderful. I was so pleased to capture beaming Jupiter and twinkling Venus either side of the moon in this inky sunset. It got me realising one part of my work I love is seeing the whole sky in someone’s world. Being there through the darkness as well as when the first stars appear is a true privilege.

You can’t see the detail here but tiny Venus hangs radiant in the blue expanse beneath the moon here, and I was so very ...
01/04/2026

You can’t see the detail here but tiny Venus hangs radiant in the blue expanse beneath the moon here, and I was so very excited to see her! This quote really reflects something of the approach I take to both life and my work as a therapist. Always one of wonder, curiosity, awe. I believe this is where we learn the most; when we explore, we expand.

Updating ahead that I will be away adventuring at the end of March and will respond to any messages on my return!
16/03/2026

Updating ahead that I will be away adventuring at the end of March and will respond to any messages on my return!

I wanted to add my voice in support of recognising the unique (but deeply human) challenges that impact University stude...
11/03/2026

I wanted to add my voice in support of recognising the unique (but deeply human) challenges that impact University students - having both been a student myself and offered my support to others.

There are 2.9 million students in the UK. However, at least 1 in 3 has felt lonely, and loneliness is increasing. Academic and financial pressures combine with potential political polarisation, navigating identity, and relationship complexities against the backdrop of a uniquely technological way of relating.

Human Connection (this year’s theme) is such nourishment for mental wellbeing. I feel it is essential to understand how this theme features and what it means to students.

Therapy can absolutely be a place in which you can experience that human connection, as well as explore more broadly what connection means to you. Many universities provide therapeutic services accessible to students, but there is also the possibility of contacting a registered therapist to work with privately.

While I do not currently have any availability, please reach out if I can help you find the support you deserve.

What is it you dream of, what really matters? How do you nurture that?
03/03/2026

What is it you dream of, what really matters? How do you nurture that?

Did you know that volunteering random acts of kindness actually improves the subjective wellbeing of the volunteer as we...
16/02/2026

Did you know that volunteering random acts of kindness actually improves the subjective wellbeing of the volunteer as well as the recipient of the kindness?

For me this seems a good reason to try to make the world a better place, and day feels a perfect opportunity!

Kind acts don’t have to be huge. Small gestures can have a big impact - noticing, complimenting, smiling, listening, really deeply listening. Offering time, help, company. Creating something with an uplifting message - a note, letter, a painted stone.

What random acts of kindness have you been involved with?

The imminence of Valentine’s Day has got me pondering about the nature of love. I think the concept can mean so many di...
11/02/2026

The imminence of Valentine’s Day has got me pondering about the nature of love. I think the concept can mean so many different things.

Scientists will describe the survival/reproductive motivations that drive romantic love and the biochemical symphonies that inundate our nervous systems, receptors, hearts.

What about other kinds of love, love for experiences, places, feelings. I “love” the feeling of accomplishment after climbing a mountain. Is this love? Or is this meaning, satisfaction, something else?

I’ve definitely said “I love …” about things where it doesn’t feel quite accurate. I don’t feel quite as passionate about butternut squash as I might have led people to believe 😂

It has got me curious about how we use the word “love”, does it have other meanings, and what do we mean by it? I really LOVE that there will be as many answers to this as there are people, and I feel so privileged to work with people to deepen and unfurl their own understanding

I think sometimes the cultural pressure that glorifies independence can overshadow the basic truth that humans are wired...
05/02/2026

I think sometimes the cultural pressure that glorifies independence can overshadow the basic truth that humans are wired for connection! There is wisdom in depending on those who are safe and trustworthy; this is where we regulate our nervous system, heal, build resilience and live!

It is ok to depend on others, just like it is ok to depend on oxygen to breathe and on water to hydrate.

Reflection is, to me, a key part of what a therapeutic relationship can support. When I see nature reflected in water l...
26/01/2026

Reflection is, to me, a key part of what a therapeutic relationship can support.

When I see nature reflected in water like this, I always feel it adds something, a depth and a curiosity. Though the scene remains the same, the process of reflection enhances something about it.

I see something of the same process through my therapeutic work. When I share what I see, feel, sense, experience, this can change the scene in some way. Perhaps bringing to the foreground what was in the back, or to light what was in shadow.

I see it as a process and a shared endeavour, one that is very much worthwhile!

How has reflection impacted your life?

I love this quote by Carl Rogers and it really sums up my approach to working with people. With a science background I ...
21/01/2026

I love this quote by Carl Rogers and it really sums up my approach to working with people. With a science background I am just naturally curious and looking for the bigger picture, the variables, the patterns and the anomalies. Judgement does not actually make sense to me!

I am humbled by what I don’t know, but am driven to strive to deepen my understanding. This is my approach to both my work and life in general. If something about this approach resonates and you feel we may work well together, please reach out (currently full and operating a waiting list, Jan 26)

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Blossom Street
York
YO241AQ

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