Marie Vaile Counselling

04/09/2026

So, I've been following this trial as have many others I know.

I've refrained from talking about it publicly because I can appreciate how awfully distressing it all is and that ultimately, three innocent children have lost their lives. I also understand that people will have differing views on what happened etc.

However, seeing this has actually boiled my blood and I refuse to stay quiet!

To begin, postpartum psychosis and postpartum depression/anxiety are two very different illnesses that require two very different treatment plans. But both are still postpartum mental illnesses. Lindsay's defence is that she was suffering from postpartum psychosis.

Postpartum psychosis is very very rare. Postpartum depression unfortunately is more common.

But this message is stating that women and birthing people with postpartum mental illnesses should lose their children because it's believed they are a risk. How is that supporting people to come forward to seek necessary help to recover from postpartum illness and to ensure the safety and wellbeing of them and their children? This message is shaming and cements further the belief that you are bad for feeling whatever you feel.

I had postpartum depression and anxiety. I was well supported by health professionals and family and friends. Postpartum mental illnesses are not like going out and getting hammered and facing the consequences of a self inflicted illness, and therefore the shame needs to be removed!

If the consequences of my mental health would be to have had my son removed from my care, I don't know how I'd have recovered from that. We need to be supporting and aiding recovery, not demonising people!

To be clear, postpartum psychosis requires specialist inpatient treatment and of course there's a possibility a child's safety would need to be considered here, but statements like this are incredibly damaging for the large amounts of people who do suffer with mental illnesses after birth.

So for anyone currently suffering with ANY form of postpartum mental health illness right now, please seek help. ❤️

01/09/2026

A little personal reflection 🤍

Back home after an amazing holiday with friends and family, and I’ve been reflecting on just how grateful I feel.

Growing up, holidays and experiences like this weren’t something I had. So being able to experience them now feels pretty special.

And I know it hasn’t just happened by chance. I’ve worked hard to create the life I have, made sacrifices, pushed through difficult times and kept going.
So being able to stop and think “Wow, I get to experience this” is something I don’t want to take for granted.

It also reminded me that life is for living.

We can spend so much time waiting…
Waiting for more money.
Waiting for work to calm down.
Waiting for the right time.

But there may never be a perfect time.
So when the good moments come, I want to embrace them fully.

I’m incredibly aware of the privilege in being able to do these things, but I also don’t want to feel guilty for enjoying a life I’ve worked hard to build.

We shouldn’t just work hard to get through life. We should make space to actually live it too.

Feeling very grateful for this holiday, the memories made and how far I’ve come.

Now… back to reality and planning my next adventure! ❤️

13/08/2026

WHAT A WEEK!! They say it comes in 3's.....

Earlier this week, I confirmed I became a founding member of which is very exciting.

Just now, I received an email from NCPS confirming I have been granted Accredited Professional Registrant status. My fellow counselling colleagues will appreciate how much of a big deal this is with the amount of work that goes into these applications.

And this weekend, I'm getting on a big ass plane and flying over the pond to live out my inner child's biggest dreams.... DISNEY WORLD!

So, I'm now on annual leave and what a way to end a great week!

All messages will be responded to in September when I return.

Enjoy the rest of the summer holidays!

Marie ❤️

10/08/2026

I am so incredibly proud to announce I've joined on the HG Clinicians panel!

10 years ago, I was preparing to have my one and only HG baby. A pregnancy that destroyed my mental health and forced me down a very different path to what I would have chosen for my future in terms of family.

I knew back then that I was determined to make a difference and to change how HG is managed and viewed by both clinicians and society in general. I've done some wonderful work with women during and post their HG pregnancies over the past few years that I'm incredibly proud of.

But now, we're onto something that I wouldn't have dreamt possible. And I'm honoured and very excited to be a part of this with some powerhouse people!

Watch this space! ❤️

29/07/2026

15/07/2026

Just a little reflection after watching the latest clip of the podcast we filmed in March last year on our shared experience of a HG pregnancy. ❤️

These feelings I shared are not just about HG and its impacts, but can be felt from any pregnancy experience.

12/07/2026

In a world where we've been conditioned to fit in with societal views and conform to whatever normal is....

I'm making a decision to stand out.

I will talk about matters that may feel uncomfortable, to normalise them and reduce stigma others may carry.

I will say when I'm struggling with anxiety, to normalise this human emotion and reduce the stigma that we "should" hide our anxiety.

I will cry when I need to cry, to normalise sadness and reduce the stigma that crying is a weakness.

If you're looking to explore something that you worry others will judge you for and are therefore keeping it bottled up and trying to conform to what society considers "normal", then you're already in the right place.

Let's have a conversation about what that feels like for you.

03/07/2026

This week has been quite a big one for my practice.

I finally moved into my lovely new space in The Stables and began welcoming clients here. The response so far has been truly wonderful and I'm already feeling quite at home.

I was gifted a gorgeous orchid to mark the occasion of this new beginning, which I'm assured I can't kill, which is good because I'm rubbish at keeping plants alive!

So if you'd like to explore therapy, and now I'm in a location that's more accessible, drop me a message and we can have a chat.

23/06/2026

One of the other reasons I've been a little absent here for a while, is because I've been very busy relocating my practice to a new office.

From the 1st July, I will be working from a rather stunning space in The Stables in central Barry.

The move comes with a range of emotions as I've been at the Business Centre for some time now, and it gave me the opportunity to grow my business into what it's become today and I'll be eternally grateful for that. But now, it's time for me to take that next step and see what awaits me.

This premises gives me the opportunity to hold therapeutic group work, something I've wanted to do since starting out so I'm hoping to develop something over the next 12 months with that.

The Stables houses other small independent businesses so I'm looking forward to settling in establishing my practice further.

This move comes with the advantage of being more accessible for all clients too. I'm a 5 minute walk away from Kings Square bus station and a 10 minute walk from Barry Docks train station, so for people who couldn't get to me before, now you can grab a coffee from one of the many coffee shops and have a chill in the stunning courtyard before or after your session. There is plenty of parking around too for people who will drive.

A huge thank you to my current clients for being flexible with sessions during this period, I look forward to welcoming you here. And to all potential new clients, come say hello!

20/06/2026

I realised tonight that I hadn't posted anything for a little while.

If I'm honest, the social media thing has never come naturally to me so it's something I feel I need to put a great deal of effort into. But lately, my professional and personal life have felt a little intense with some big changes coming for my practice (more details on that very soon) and, well parenting as we all know is a challenge but I've found things to be just more consuming lately.

I often talk about the spinning plates with clients during sessions and that sometimes, we need to place some of those plates down to look after ourselves. So I put down the social media plate these last few weeks to focus on more pressing things.

This morning, I got my paddle board out down the beach with my small human and enjoyed some quiet and calm moments on the water. Like me, the water regulates his emotions too so it was bliss being able to do that today.

So if you're spinning many plates and feeling overwhelmed, know it's ok to put something down. ❤️