Breaking Down the Walls

Great to be a part of and to hear from everyone attending on the panel and in the chat too! Plenty more events listed for the rest of the week also!

20% of the population think differently!

ADHD awareness month..some excellent free resources below.

We need to communicate in ways which meet everybody’s needs..play is the natural form of expression for our younger ones…

New addition to the office

"What’s worse, awareness of catastrophizing isn’t enough to get rid of it. Luckily, I can call on a few effective suppression techniques to temper the worst of catastrophization when it does creep up.”
👉 https://www.additudemag.com/catastrophizing-assuming-the-worst-adhd/

The weather has been amazing and it’s given opportunity for walk and talk sessions as a great way to spend some time in nature. Get in touch to arrange an initial chat🌲

So far this week, the office has been a safe space for some to take shoes off, put feet up, to let go of stuff, to hold on to other parts, to laugh and to cry and to express all the emotions in between and for some to get creative on the floor. Exam, school and college pressures have brought much anxiety right now. And the journey through rites of passage and expectations of others has been a common theme.

Remember to take time for you..to be you.

To all my clients and everyone feeling like anxiety is taking over right now..don’t compare yourself to others; try YOUR best, you are enough already 🥰

Wishing Men Behind the Masc all the best on their return bike ride to Blackpool today raising money for a great cause! 🚴

# Thebodykeepsthescore

Check in with yourself regularly..ask yourself where do you feel that? What happens next?

Mindfulness, movement and rhythm are important factors in connecting with one’s self and beginning to regulate...listen to your body, stretch or create a beat and move 💫🧘🏼‍♀️

So the website is up and running..thankyou to the clients who have already made contact this way over the past few days..feedback has been that the direct message option makes contacting quick and easy. Still a few further bits to add and possibly a section for blogs and feedback?

Breaking Down The Walls | Psychotherapy & Counselling in Southport, Merseyside Welcome, and thank you for visiting Breaking Down the Walls. My name is Laura and I am a fully qualified and insured person-centred counsellor based within Southport, Merseyside. I hold a MSc Psychotherapy and Counselling; contemporary and creative approaches and I am a registered member of the Brit...

When was the last time you stepped outside of your comfort zone? So often fear and shame hold us back, leaving us feeling stuck in the same old routines trapped in the same cycles of emotions. Is there something you would like to try but feel you can’t? Do you want to take the next step on the ladder but are feeling worried?

I remember reading this book and how I started to see that nervous washing machine feeling in my stomach, that I often get in new situations, as growing pains..each time I do something new or take the next step I am simply growing. Even if it doesn’t work out, I still grow as I learn which paths lead to dead ends.

You can do it by feeling the fear and doing it anyway!

While it’s cold today, we are starting to move towards the warmer months and so let’s plan ahead. What do you feel you would like to work towards? What are your next steps?
Coming together as a group offers a support network and the opportunity to engage with others experiencing similar concerns.
Please send suggestions of ideas for future possible group sessions/workshops that you would like to engage in. Let’s make this happen!

The most amazing audio..a personal favourite of mine since I first got audio..and what a delight to see it in picture on Christmas Day..Charlie Mackensy you created something totally beautiful..thankyou!
Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse

Thankyou to all who have allowed me to walk alongside them on their journey this year!! Some of you have moved on, some I will see again very soon and inevitably there are some of you I am ready and waiting to meet.

Wishing you all the best for the new year and the new book for which you are the author 📗

There is some availability for anyone looking to begin sessions this January. I am back in the office from 03/01/2023. To arrange an initial meeting please don’t hesitate to get in touch!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

Support over the Christmas period..

As we are seeing an increased number of clients experiencing low moods at this time of year and as the seasons have changed, I thought it may be useful to share a link with information about Seasonal affective disorder (SAD). It is normal to have some days of feeling down, but if low mood and lack of motivation are lasting longer than this, then it may be time to reach out.

Some things that may be helpful for people with SAD include:

🚶‍♀️Getting out as much as possible in day light hours.

🪴Brighen up your environment;maybe bringing the outdoors in with some plants

🥗Eating a well balanced diet

🧘🏼‍♀️Exercising - if possible outdoors

📔Keep a journal which will help you reflect and notice any patterns which can help you to identify what helps things to feel better and what makes thing worse

🗓 Plan ahead. Think about using a day when your mood is good to start batch cooking and freezing meals for the days when your mood is low.

🛋 Maybe consider the use of a SAD lamp which you can also set as an alarm to wake you up bright and early.

See the link below for more symptoms and advice. If you are unable to keep yourself safe, this is a medical emergency.

https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/conditions/seasonal-affective-disorder-sad/symptoms/

It m

Symptoms - Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) Read about the main symptoms of seasonal affective disorder (SAD) and when you should seek medical advice.

A period of reflection for many.

Gone from my sight. That is all.

Henry Van D**e

Finally popped the new sign up!

‘Creating hope through action’

***dePreventionDay

A day for reflection on those loved ones we may have lost and thoughts of how we can support someone who may be experiencing suicidal thoughts or who are at risk of su***de.

Remember to be kind to yourself too!

https://www.iasp.info/wspd/

WSPD - IASP World Su***de Prevention Day 2022 Creating Hope Through Action By encouraging understanding, reaching in and sharing experiences, we want to give people the confidence to take action. To prevent su***de requires us to become a beacon of light to those in pain. You can be the light. https://youtu.be/...

School transition time!

Here’s a few reminders you may be able to use for your child:

- Feeling a range of feelings including nerves is totally normal - the awkward feelings are helping prepare us and will change.

- Its going to take time to get used to things! And that’s ok.

- Some things they may make mistakes in (such as forgetting the rules, forgetting items etc). We are human and all make mistakes! Executive functioning skills which are the skills necessary to learn, live and function, are still developing and vary from person to person. It may take time for a lot of change to sink in…and that’s very human!

-Not everything will change! Some things will stay the same (such as routines at home if possible).

- It is helpful to talk and share these often difficult moments with peers, family and school staff - you aren’t the first person and won’t be the last to feel like things may be scary and a struggle.

-Finally, reflecting on past transitions may help. Looking at how we have coped in previous difficult times, helps remind us what skills we already have that we can use and reminds us that this time is temporary - it feels like this now but won’t always feel the same.

🥰🥰YOU CAN DO IT 🥰🥰

Day 31;

Reflect on what works well for you and what you need to leave behind..what’s you future goals? Remember to keep goals more of a step at a time..thankyou for joining this months challenge 🙏🏽

Day 30;

Try a new food;
mindfully eat it

Day 29;
Let go of guilt

Day 28;
Spend soMe time outdoors and ground yourself with your feet in the grass

Day 27;

Have a game night

Day 26;
Listen to a podcast..feel free to make suggestions in the comments

Day 25;
Stress bucket; draw a bucket that represents you..now write inside all your stress triggers..how do you know when it’s full? Does your bucket have a release tap? If so, what releases the stress?