Esther Morch Therapy

Since bringing EMDR into my practice I just keep being astounded at the results I see. Honestly, I’m blown away by how effective this method is for lots of my clients. 🤯

It’s definitely not an easy process, but it can be so worth it once you get to the other side and start living again.

If you’ve ever considered therapy to help you deal with the consequences of traumatic experiences, maybe now’s the time to do it?

As always, give me a call or message me if you’d like to chat about how EMDR could work for you.

What is EMDR and how can it help us with traumatic memories? http://ow.ly/yUnu50KORPn

I’m excited to let you know that I’m now taking online bookings. It should make it a bit easier to set up a date and time that suits you and hopefully minimise the ‘email ping pong’ that sometimes happens!
To book, go to https://esther-morch-therapy.selectandbook.com/

I'm excited to let you know that I've recently launched an online booking service. It should make it a bit easier for us to set up a date and time that suits you and minimise the 'email ping pong' that sometimes happens!

To book, go to: https://esther-morch-therapy.selectandbook.com/

UNHELPFUL THINKING STYLE #3

Labelling 🏷

Labelling and mislabelling describe the process of ‘summing up’ ourselves or others by labelling ourselves with tags such as “I am hopeless” or “I am stupid” “They’re such an idiot.”

These labels are often names we wouldn't dream of using to other people, so why are we so mean to ourselves? And does it help?
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Counselling vs CBT

What's the difference? 🤔

Counselling is non-directive talking therapy. It’s good for exploring issues. The therapist uses listening skills, empathy, compassion and questioning to help the client understand and find their own way through a situation (good for processing grief and loss and other issues).

CBT is more directive in that we use the counselling skills mentioned above plus teaching new skills and strategies for preventing, managing and minimising the effects of anxiety, depression etc. We feel the way we think so in CBT we look at new ways of thinking and behaving to improve mood and lessen anxiety. We look for what is working well for the person (do more of that) and what doesn’t work so well (do less of that) and then add in some new stuff. It’s tailored to the individual as everyone is so different.

Both styles of therapy will be right for people at different times in their lives, but CBT can teach skills that you take away with you 😊
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Happy 1st August 💛
Wishing you all a happy and healthy month ahead.
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Fantastic review 🤩

I’m so grateful when my client’s take the time to send me feedback. Here’s a recent review from a CBT client who accessed her sessions with me virtually using Skype 🤍

Also, a big shout out to Hannah Edmonds for the wonderful designs that she’s been doing for me.

“THE THERAPY HAS GIVEN ME THE TOOLS TO COPE WITH MY PHOBIA, GIVEN ME MORE CONFIDENCE AND LED TO A GREAT REDUCTION IN ANXIOUS THINKING.

I was referred for cognitive behavioural therapy from Anxiety UK for help with anxiety and a phobia. Esther made me feel at ease and free to speak openly about my issues. She worked out a programme of steps for me to work through, enabling me to gradually face my fears, and helped me become aware of the negative thinking at the root of the problem.

The therapy has given me the tools to cope with my phobia, given me more confidence and led to a great reduction in anxious thinking. Thank you!”
– A, Skype Client

UNHELPFUL THINKING STYLE #2

Mental filter 😵‍💫❎

Mental filter or selective abstraction describes only paying attention to certain types of evidence.
Noticing our failures 😞 but not seeing our successes ✅🥳

Who’s guilty of this?

We don’t often realise we’re doing this but once we recognise that this is something we do, it is helpful for us to tackle and change the way we think about our successes rather than what we perceive to be our failures.

V I R T U A L 👩🏻‍💻 T H E R A P Y 📱

I am currently offering my therapy sessions virtually, via Skype, Zoom, Teams, Facetime or telephone. I appreciate virtual therapy might not be for everyone but the feedback from my clients is that it has many positives over face-to-face appointments.

One of the main advantages is that it is much more flexible but still just as good... there’s no travel time and fitting the sessions in around childcare and/or work is much easier, saving travel time and fuel costs 🙌🏼

To book an appointment, please email me [email protected] or call 07540 414 972 🤍

Today is world social media day & it’s almost four months to the day since I started to up my social media game 🙌🏼😄

Big thanks to everyone liking, commenting, and sharing my posts – I’ve received enquiries as a direct result of my social media output 🥳

Social media is a tough cookie to crack and the algorithms make it difficult for small businesses but I’m determined to be true to myself and my business by posting genuine content.

Much love, Esther 🤍

UNHELPFUL THINKING STYLE #1
Jumping to conclusions

2 + 2 = 5
➡️ “randomly jumping to a negative conclusion that is not justified by the facts”.

In CBT we focus on two variants of jumping to conclusions. The first is ‘fortune telling’ 🔮 – where we imagine and predict that bad things will happen to us. The second is ‘mind reading’, where we assume that other people are thinking negatively about us 🤔💭

Both of these are unhelpful thinking styles which affect our mental health in varying amounts.

I know I’m not alone when I say I have jumped to conclusions myself many times, what’s important is that we recognise when we are doing this and teach ourselves how to think differently about a thought or a situation 🤍

🖊📝 📖
Sometimes just opening up a notebook and putting pen to paper can make an enormous difference to how we feel.

In CBT we really encourage journaling but I’m a big believer that no matter where your mental health is at, simply writing down a few notes about your day, how you feel - can make a huge difference. Sometimes we just need to clear our minds and this is one great way of doing that.

Have you ever tried writing down your thoughts in a notebook or diary?

Even plants need a little encouragement to reach their potential.
I be-leaf in you.

Okay, terrible joke, I know 😆😂 … but hands up if you love plants as much as me 🙌🏼
🪴🪴🪴🪴🪴🪴🪴🪴🪴🪴🪴🪴

Lift your head. Now, look up.

How beautiful is the blue sky and the playful patterns the clouds make?

Take a moment, enjoy the peace, lift your head and look up ☺️

Wishing everyone a happy weekend, enjoy the sunshine ☀️

💭💭💭 I posted a week or two ago about CBT and one of the first things I teach is the concept that, as humans, we feel how we think and how becoming aware of that can help.

Sometimes the thoughts we have don’t paint a fair picture.

The next thing we work on is how to spot unhelpful ways of thinking (also called 'cognitive distortions') and how to deal with them.

Cognitive therapy suggests that thoughts, feelings, and behaviour are inter-related and that changing unhelpful thinking can lead to positive changes in feelings and behaviour 💛

There’s ten most commonly presented unhelpful ways of thinking. I'll be sharing an insight into each of these over the coming weeks. I’m hoping they will be really helpful for some of you.

Watch this space 👀

I can’t believe we’re already a week into June! Where does time go?!
Hope everyone is well.

I’m having a busy week helping some lovely people. Please do get in touch if you’re curious about whether Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) or Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) could help you and your mental health - I’m happy to answer any questions you might have.

Much love
Esther 🤍
www.esthermorchtherapy.co.uk

I’m switching off until Monday but you can still drop me an email and I’ll reply early next week 😊

Wishing you all a happy and well-rested bank holiday weekend!!
Have fun whatever you have planned 🇬🇧🎉

Esther 🤍
[email protected]

It’s National Smile Day 😊

Sometimes we forget, a smile can also hide someone’s hurt, pain and how they’re really feeling. We never really know what’s going on in someone’s life.

So today, and everyday, let’s try to be a little bit kinder to each other, be a little more patient, a little more understanding and whether that person is a friend, colleague, family or a stranger, we have the power to help someone smile inside and out ❤️☺️

Remember, it doesn’t need to be a grand gesture but little random acts of kindness go a long way - saying hello and smiling, holding a door, stopping and really listening when someone chats to you.

Let’s try and help as many people as possible have a Happy World Smile Day 😁

What makes you smile?

THURSDAY THOUGHT 💭

Did you know? We have between 6000 and 7000 thoughts, many of them on autopilot, every day. Because of this, it’s so easy to believe everything you think and all of your thoughts buzzing around your head 🤔😵‍💫

The first skill I teach in CBT is to notice what you're thinking, to sit and be present with your thoughts. The key idea to understand is - 'You feel the way you think,' so if you can change the way you think, you can change the way you feel 😔😡🤨😄

Because many of these thoughts occur so frequently, almost subconsciously, we often don’t notice them so our first job to bring them into our consciousness.

So the next time you find yourself feeling frustrated or upset, say to yourself ‘I notice I'm having the thought that...' 💭

Then I teach how to spot unhelpful ways of thinking (also called 'cognitive distortions') and how to deal with them. I’ll be posting about this shortly 🤍

It’s World Bee Day today and to honour these incredible little creatures, I’m wearing my bee dress! 🐝🐝🐝🐝

They help to pollinate 90% of the worlds plants and without them, life would be very, very different. And of course, as a proud Mancunian, the bee holds a special place in my heart 💛

So please, ‘bee’ good to those amazing, stripy, little insects and plant some flowers in your garden 🌻🌷🌼🌱

Have a lovely Friday ☺️

Books, books, books & more books! My therapy library gets bigger every week! 📚

I do love a CBT book, whether it's academic or self-help style. Sometimes a client will buy a book and we work through it together 🤍

It’s important to remember, therapy is a collaboration and I enjoy learning new techniques, understanding people’s behaviours and emotions. I also recommend books for people who can't access therapy for whatever reason.

I must admit I have a bit of a book-buying habit, both for work and pleasure!

What books do you enjoy?
Have you ever read a self-help type book before? 📖

This week, it’s Mental Health Awareness Week and the theme is loneliness. As someone who is self-employed, sometimes I find myself in the office on my own and it can be easy to find myself feeling isolated

Today, I have a special colleague with me who I can talk to, bounce ideas off and who will help the hours fly by!

Reach out to those around you and if you help just one person feel a little less lonely then you’ve made a big difference 💚

Mental Health Foundation
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Wonderful feedback from a CBT client ☺️

"Esther puts you at your ease as soon as you meet her and I felt completely comfortable discussing my feelings and anxieties. The therapy has been very beneficial to me. Thank you so much, Esther!"

Hello & Happy Wednesday! 👋🏼😊

Just a little update to say that I am taking on new clients from June onwards.

Please get in touch if you’d like to know more about my services and what might suit you.

Esther 🤍

📧 [email protected]
📱 07540 314 972
www.esthermorchtherapy.co.uk

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I'll never get bored of this view from my office. I absolutely love these cherry blossom trees!

Wishing you all a wonderful week ☺️

I’m back from a lovely break away, feeling rested and refreshed – well, as much as you can when you go away with three kids in tow! 🤪 I did really enjoy the change of scenery though and joking aside - I feel very lucky.
I do hope everyone had a fantastic Easter 🧡🐰🐣

Also, just a little update to let you know that I am taking on new clients from May, so please get in touch if you would like some help. I offer virtual therapy sessions to help people overcome common mental health problems, such as anxiety, depression, trauma and self-esteem.

If you have any questions about anything at all please do get in touch, DM or email me: [email protected]

Esther 🤍

I’m enjoying a little break in Scotland with my family over the Easter hols… as you can see, we didn’t come for the weather but family time is always good fun! 😆🃏🚴🏻‍♀️❤️

HI THERE 👋🏼

I’ve noticed a few new followers on here which is always a good opportunity to say hello & tell you a bit about me 😊

I’m Esther – a Cognitive Behavioural Therapist (CBT) based in North Manchester.

I offer CBT and EMDR online or by phone with adults and older teens. I help people learn knowledge and skills to overcome common mental health problems. The bulk of my work I’d say is anxiety, depression and self-esteem with some trauma.

I set up Esther Morch Therapy five years ago to work around my children but also to be my own boss. I love it so much! I honestly just love coming to work and seeing my clients. It’s an enormous buzz to see people blossoming 💛💛💛

So that’s the professional side of me, but here’s three random facts that you probably don’t know about me…

🚴 I used to hate exercise. I was always the one trying to get out of PE, picked last for teams etc. Until… in the first lockdown we got a Peloton spin bike and I’m obsessed! I’ve now done 300 classes, joined an online team to do regular challenges and I’m seeing my fitness actually improve for the first time in my life!

🎸🎤🥁 My husband is in the band Elbow - so that has been a big part of our lives. We’re very lucky to have been to lots of festivals and gigs, though not so much recently, obviously. Here’s the crowd scene from the main stage at Glastonbury when elbow supported Coldplay a few years ago👇🏻😁

🍷❌ I consider myself to be one of a growing gang of ‘sober curious’ types having reduced my drinking massively over the past year. It’s an interesting journey… I will do a separate post about this as I've found it really helpful seeing others posting about it on social.

I’d love to know a random fact about you? 😊

🌱 Happy World Health Day 🌱

One of the things I do to keep my mind and body happy and healthy is getting outdoors, walking our dog🦮
We got her just before the first lockdown and she has been wonderful for helping me be more active (even just short walks) - watching a happy dog running around is pure joy. I just love taking her to the woods and listening to a good podcast and my two current favourites are Feeling Good Institute, Inc. (a CBT podcast) and Parenting Hell (for a good laugh).

The second thing I practice is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). Being a CBT practitioner myself, I understand its importance in helping us to find a distance between us and our thoughts, to learn to accept things we can’t change, and to help us to cope with difficult feelings. I’m an anxious person myself and found CBT to be so very helpful for me that I want to evangelise about it and help everyone understand that thoughts are not facts 💛

Today is also the inaugural World CBT Day! The World Confederation of Cognitive and Behavioural Therapies (WCCBT) is a global organisation, bringing together the regional associations of CBT from around the world and was incorporated in 2021. As part of its work to bring CBT to a wider audience, World CBT Day will include a series of lectures, workshops and a documentary from around the world.

If you’d like to know more about CBT, please message me 😊

Brrr, it’s a chilly one in Bury today 🥶

I’m clinging onto this glorious view from my office, taken last week. How lucky am I?!
Please come back sunshine ☀️

Wishing everyone a wonderful Wednesday!