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You can understand a pattern perfectly when you are on your own, then find yourself doing it again the moment someone disagrees with you. You go quiet. You explain too much. You look after everyone else and forget what you wanted to say. That is one reason group therapy can be so powerful. We do not only talk about our relationships. We have a chance to notice how we relate while we are with other people. What is group therapy? Group therapy brings a small number of people to

Tried traditional therapy but still feel stuck? You may understand your patterns and still find yourself repeating them. I offer a different way to explore what is happening, paying attention to your thoughts, emotions and body’s responses. At Terra Soul Therapies, we can work together at your pace to help you find new ways forward. Sessions are available in Albion or online.

Fawning: When Keeping the Peace Costs You Yourself Have you ever said “No worries” when it was very much a worry? Maybe someone sounded annoyed, so you immediately apologised. Perhaps you agreed to plans you did not want, laughed at a comment that hurt, or spent the rest of the day wondering whether someone was upset with you. From the outside, you might look easygoing. On the inside, you may be working hard to keep everyone comfortable. What is fawning? Fawning is a word peo

Your body is always communicating with you. When you are hungry, your stomach lets you know. When you are cold, you shiver. When you need rest, your eyes become heavy and your energy drops. These signals are usually easy to recognise. But your body also communicates in quieter and more complex ways. A tight chest before a difficult conversation. A heavy feeling when you think about going to work. A sense of ease around certain people. A headache after holding everything toget

The cycle of abuse is a repeating pattern in which thoughts, emotions, body responses and behaviours interact following a trigger. One way of understanding how abusive behaviour develops is through five connected stages: Trigger Thoughts Emotions Body Behaviour Understanding these five stages can help make the pattern more visible. However, it is important to be clear that understanding abusive behaviour does not excuse it. Many people experience anger, jealousy, shame, fear

Do you often feel responsible for keeping other people happy, calm or comfortable? Perhaps you carefully choose your words to avoid upsetting someone. You may try to solve other people’s problems, prevent conflict or change yourself to maintain a relationship. Caring about others is a healthy and important part of relationships. However, caring for someone is different from taking responsibility for their emotions, choices and wellbeing. When we regularly take responsibility

What is awareness, and why does it matter? Awareness is the ability to notice what is happening within you while it is happening. It means becoming aware of your thoughts, emotions, body sensations, reactions, urges and patterns without immediately trying to judge, fix or change them. You might notice: I am becoming tense. I am starting to feel anxious. I want to defend myself. I am shutting down. My stomach feels tight. I am saying yes even though I want to say no. I am assu

Emotion Focused Therapy: Understanding and Working With Your Emotions Emotion Focused Therapy is a form of psychotherapy that helps people better understand, experience and respond to their emotions. Rather than trying to suppress difficult feelings or immediately make them disappear, Emotion Focused Therapy encourages curiosity about what emotions may be communicating. It can be particularly helpful for people experiencing anxiety, emotional overwhelm, relationship difficult

Have you ever stopped long enough to simply notice where your mind goes? Most of us spend much of the day doing something. Working. Scrolling. Talking. Planning. Responding. Solving problems. Thinking about what needs to happen next. Even when our bodies stop, our minds often keep moving. For people experiencing overthinking, anxiety, stress or emotional overwhelm, that mental activity can feel almost constant. But what happens when you stop trying to control your thoughts an

Feeling overwhelmed is something most of us experience at times. But when stress builds up, overwhelm can start affecting your mind, body, emotions and nervous system. You might find yourself thinking: “I can’t deal with one more thing.” Sometimes overwhelm isn’t about one big event. It can be lots of small things accumulating until your nervous system reaches a point where it feels like everything is too much. What Is Overwhelm? Overwhelm can happen when the demands being pl

Your Inner Child and Your Adult Self: Understanding the Parts of You We grow up, but the younger parts of us don’t simply disappear. We can be fully functioning adults, working, raising families, managing relationships and dealing with everyday life, and still find ourselves reacting to certain situations in ways that feel surprisingly intense. You might be 40 or 50 years old, but when someone rejects you, criticises you, ignores your message or seems disappointed in you, som

Swear words have been around for entries, but what we consider offensive has changed dramatically. Once, religious words caused the greatest shock; later, sex bodies and bodily functions became taboo. Swearing gives us an interesting glimpse into what society considers shameful, sacred or unacceptable. It also raises a deeper questions: what were you taught you shouldn’t say, and what did that teach you about the parts of yourself you shouldn’t show.

Many people come to therapy because they want to feel different. They want the anxiety to stop.They want to stop overthinking.They want to feel more confident.They want healthier relationships.They want to stop reacting in ways they don’t understand. While these are all important goals, the real question often becomes: Why do I keep responding this way, even when I know better? The answer usually isn’t because you’re weak or broken. It’s because different parts of you have le

Have you ever walked away from a conversation thinking, “Why did that feel so difficult?” Or perhaps you’ve noticed that some people seem to dominate every discussion, while others barely say a word. The way we communicate isn’t random. It often reflects our personality, our past experiences, what we learned growing up, and even how safe or threatened our nervous system feels in the moment. Understanding conversation styles can help us build stronger relationships, reduce mis

If you’ve ever wondered “What is anxiety?”, “Why do I feel anxious?”, or “Why am I anxious for no reason?”, you’re not alone. Anxiety is one of the most common mental health concerns worldwide, yet it’s also one of the most misunderstood. Many people believe anxiety means something is wrong with them or that they simply need to “calm down” or “stop worrying.” But what if anxiety isn’t the problem? What if anxiety is actually your nervous system trying to protect you? Understa

Separation, divorce, or the end of a long-term relationship is one of life’s most painful experiences. It can feel as though you’ve lost part of yourself. The grief is real, the emotions are intense, and it’s natural to find yourself longing for what once was. But there is a gentle question worth asking: Are you grieving the person, or are you grieving the future you imagined with them? The two can feel almost identical, yet they are very different experiences. The person ver

Have you ever left a conversation thinking, “That didn’t go the way I expected”? Maybe you were looking for comfort but received advice instead. Perhaps you wanted someone to help solve a problem, but they kept asking questions. Or maybe you were trying to help someone, only for them to become frustrated with your response. Often, the problem isn’t what we said—it’s the type of conversation we were having. Every conversation has a purpose. The more we understand different con

Have you ever found yourself reacting in a way that doesn’t quite make sense? Perhaps someone didn’t reply to your message, and you felt unexpectedly rejected. Maybe a small criticism stayed with you for days, or you found yourself avoiding conflict at all costs. You might even hear yourself thinking: “I’m not good enough.” “I’m too much.” “People always leave.” “I have to get everything right.” These reactions often have far less to do with what’s happening today than they d

Divorce and separation are among life’s most significant transitions. While they often mark the end of a relationship, they can also bring grief, uncertainty, relief, hope, and profound personal change—all at the same time. Whether the decision was yours, your partner’s, or mutual, separation can leave you questioning your identity, your future, and your sense of stability. If you’re finding this time overwhelming, it doesn’t necessarily mean you’re not coping. More often, it

We often think of anxiety as something that happens to us. Something that appears out of nowhere, takes over our body, and leaves us wondering, “Why am I like this?” But sometimes anxiety isn’t coming from the outside at all. Sometimes it’s the result of an internal conflict. A conflict between what we believe we should do and what we genuinely want to do. Many of our “shoulds” don’t actually begin with us. They come from the world around us. Society teaches us what a “good”