APT Counselling

25/09/2026

Remember Goldilocks?

As a new mother, what would you expect me to talk about?

Children’s stories, of course. 😄

Okay, let’s go back to Goldilocks.

The story goes like this: she wandered into the bear’s house, tried three bowls of porridge, and discovered that one was just right.

And strangely enough, there might be something in that little story for those of us recovering from burnout.

Because when we are exhausted and experiencing burn out, its recovery can easily become another thing to get right.

The perfect morning routine.

The perfect sleep schedule.

The perfect work-life balance.
And here’s the funny thing about Goldilocks and burnout recovery

What if you don’t always need to find the “just right” porridge?

Because just right increases the likelihood of perfectionism tendencies. As there is a link between perfectionism concerns, pressure to meet ‘just right’ standards increasing the vulnerability to burn out. Suddenly, it becomes another box to tick. Coming back to the Goldilocks story:

Some days it might be too cold

And some days you might look at the porridge and think

Actually, I don’t want porridge today. It’s to stop treating burn out and its recovery from a ‘just right’ lens Disclaimer: Please know that this post is not a substitute for any therapy.

08/09/2026

27/08/2026

Imagine you’re standing at the bottom of a long staircase.
You look up.
There are 100 steps.
And suddenly, your mind races up the staircase before your feet have even touched the first step. From a somatic lens, the important question becomes:
“What is happening in my body right now?” Well, Grounding is about giving your attention a single point of focus. Here is a simple practice for a slow reset to feel something in your hand. A cushion. A warm mug. Curious to know, what holds you? Currently, my mug holds me 🤷‍♀️😀

13/08/2026

We often don’t talk about how one battery affects other batteries. If someone is trying to understand why they suddenly feel overwhelmed, they don’t necessarily need to learn one more thing when exhausted and that’s to learn the terminology to do that. Often, we need a simple analogy to recognise in ourselves. So instead of:

“Your brain is relying on cognitive biases.’

“When my brain is tired, it starts taking shortcuts.”

It may simply want to fill in the blanks.
This way, it starts to create a story.

And suddenly you’re no longer responding to what happened.

Now, you’re responding to what your brain thinks happened. Overwhelm changes how we interpret information triggering a threat response state. This altered state also affects how we physiologically experience the interactions.

04/08/2026

Have you ever noticed that when someone says, “Just close your eyes and breathe,” your mind suddenly decides it’s the perfect time to write tomorrow’s to-do list?

You’re not alone.

In fact, our brains are wired for stories, images and imagination.

Creative exercises give the mind a gentle job to do.

Instead of wrestling with anxious thoughts, your attention begins to follow movement, rhythm and imagery. Here we have elevator breath and circle breathing as a creative breathing exercises.

Disclaimer: This post is for educational purposes and not a substitute for therapy. Please note that if you experience severe anxiety, it can trigger hyperventilation and overbreathing. So, deep breathing exercises are a big no-no.

🌿 Save this post when your nervous system needs a gentle reminder to pause.

30/07/2026

If you needed to hear this today💚✨

27/07/2026

Sometimes anxious parts becomes louder when it has been dismissed for too long.
When we respond with:
❌ “Am I being stupid.”
❌ “I shouldn’t feel this way.”
❌ “Why can’t I just get over it?”
The anxious part may feel even more alone. When people begin hearing anxious part through this lens single shift changes anxiety from an enemy into information. Here are a few metaphorical ways anxiety might speak. Disclaimer: This post is for educational purposes and not a substitute for therapy.

22/06/2026

Have you ever wondered why feelings of anxiety get louder at specific times and most importantly just before something important?

Anxiety has more to do with a familiar voice in your mind. It’s important to understand that the one holding the GPS didn’t appear out of nowhere.

They began their journey much earlier. The inner critic is most often an introjected voice from a relational figure. You are now saying to yourself what was once said to you or what you anticipated would be said.

Over time, they become so loud and it would try so many ways to reach the driver’s seat. Please know that these external voices had nothing to do with you. It’s definitely painful when they start to become your internal voice. Disclaimer: This post is for educational purposes and not a replacement for therapy. If you are experiencing disabling anxiety, this post is not intended for you.

This is a tidbit of my latest blog. Please stay tuned.