Connected Wellbeing Psychotherapy

26/06/2026

Do you know which medications can impact your ability to withstand hot weather? Are you aware of groups of people who’s bodies can not tolerate the high heat and may need extra help?

I myself have heat intolerance due to an auto-immune condition, and have had to creatively adapt in order to keep myself well. Creative adaptions include; Cooling scarfs and mats, Portable Air con units and fans, closing curtains to block out the sun, or even tinfoil to help reflect it away. Altered working patterns; which acknowledges my own need for my body to rest more and help keep my heart rate down while it is working hard to stay cool. Obviously, staying well hydrated is also vital. If you do need to go out and are more affected by the weather, I recommend a hat to keep the sun off your head. I will add some links in the comments to some of my essential “keep cool kit” (other products and retailers are available).

The article in the comments has more information about how heat can affect different people, ways to stay cool and what to do if you over heat. Here is a snap shot of what it says:

“Factors that may limit your ability to regulate your body temperature include:

Being older.

Being overweight.

Having certain health conditions.

Taking certain medicines.

The risk of a heat-related illness also rises with:

High humidity, which prevents sweat from evaporating as quickly to cool down your body.

High elevation, which increases your chances of dehydration and sunburn.

Strenuous exercise or activity, like hiking or biking in hot weather.

Medications that raise your risk of heat-related illness

Heart medications such as water pills (diuretics), beta blockers and ACE inhibitors.

Psychotropic medicines, including antidepressants, antipsychotics and benzodiazepines.

Drugs for Parkinson’s disease and overactive bladder.

Stimulants.

Antihistamines. “

12/05/2026

Left over parts.



When I was about 11 years old, my radio cassette player stopped working. I took it to my Dad who I knew could always fix these sorts of problems. After a period of time he called me over to the dinning table where he had been taking it apart, and proudly informed me he had fixed it. Then... I noticed a small pile of springs, screws and odd bits left to the side! This really confused me and did not sit right. My Dad said they were spare parts and told me you always get bits left over when taking something apart. This did not sit well with me and I started protesting they came with it so should go back in. Becoming weary he told me he could open it back up and put the bits inside if I really wanted, but the radio cassette player worked now and didn’t need them.

This has stuck with me through life and brought me comfort in 2012 when my auto-immune condition hit a major flare, and my life came grinding to a halt. I began thinking about how I had ‘broken’ and began thinking about all the parts I took apart, examined, and played about with considering what I needed now, and which parts are no longer any use to me (the spare parts). I have used this analogy a few times with myself and have also passed it on to some clients. There can be a whole host of different reasons a person’s life may dramatically change and feel like it not longer functions, finding your way through that is possible. Having someone by your side while you do it can make all the difference. This is what I offer my clients.

www.connectedwellbeingpsychotherapy.com

16/03/2026

Did you know that Art Psychotherapist and Art Therapist are protected titles? Only people who have received the required training can use them (however there are still instances I come across where unqualified people accidentally use these terms). It is always best to check your therapist’s training, registration and membership bodies. As a qualified Art Psychotherapist registered with UKCP and HCPC and a member of the British Association of Art Therapists (BAAT) I would warmly invite any client to ask me what training I have had and which registrations I hold.

Did you know that 'art therapist' is a protected title in the UK? This means it's illegal for someone who is not qualified and registered with the HCPC to use it.

➡️ Read and share the full explainer from Rebecca Kidson from the Health and Care Professions Council: https://baat.org/publications/insight/winter-2024/art-therapist-as-protected-title/

27/02/2026

I recognise therapy can be difficult to access. That is why I reserve a reduced rate space for those who can not afford the full cost of a session. I also offer flexibility with fortnightly or monthly sessions. All my sessions are offered online offering greater flexibility for those who may not be able to physically access a therapy space.

I am also registered to delivery therapy through Insurance companies, such as; Axa, Aviva, Bupa, Vitality, Cigna and WPA (Western Provident Association).

To find out more visit my website www.connectedwellbeingpsychotherapy.com or get in contact by emailing [email protected]

31/12/2025

As a new year begins, one of the many questions we can ask ourselves is;
Where do I want to be a year from now?

Visualising your future is about listening to what matters to you and starting to make small, compassionate choices starting now.

You don’t need to see the whole path.
You just need to choose the direction and begin moving towards it authentically.

Your tomorrow is shaped by what you practice today and preparation in the here and now can help support you tomorrow, and the next day, and the days after that.

24/12/2025

Christmas is a time of year that can bring up a multitude of emotions. Not everyone will experience it in the same way. If you or someone you know need some support, take a look below. There is help available. Reach out.

16/12/2025

At this time of year, life fills up fast — festivities, planning, organising, social commitments, family expectations… and somehow we’re meant to hold it all together.

Often, the moments when we’re busiest are the times we need support the most. Traditional therapy doesn’t always fit around an already overflowing schedule.

This is where Email Therapy can be a lifeline.

You can write your session at the crack of dawn, in the quiet hum of a late-night kitchen, or in stolen moments between responsibilities. You set the pace. You choose the timing. No need to fit into a specific 1 hour diary slot. You are “allowed” to do what works for you. We will agree on a day to return your email by, then you will receive my therapeutic email response 48 hours later.

Email Therapy offers space to breathe, reflect, express and be heard… even when life feels too full to stop, or topics feel to sensitive for face-to-face interactions.

Sometimes, clients find it difficult getting privacy at home to partake in therapy remotely by video call. Email therapy provides this privacy as we both use encrypted email with Proton Mail.

If this season is feeling heavy, hectic, or emotionally stretched, you don’t have to carry it alone.

I’m here to listen — in your words, and in your own time.

📩 Email Therapy sessions available now

Flexible, Compassionate and Private.

05/12/2025

Across centuries and cultures, humans have always created rituals and celebrations to carry them through the darkest months.

From ancient solstice fires to communal feasts, lantern festivals, midwinter gatherings, and the many winter traditions we know today — every community has developed ways to bring light, connection, and meaning to the coldest, quietest part of the year. These rituals weren’t just about celebration; they were about survival. They lifted spirits, strengthened bonds, and helped people feel “topped up” enough to face the long stretch of winter still ahead.

But not everyone feels part of the celebrations around them.
And when the world begins to glow with connection, tradition, and togetherness, feeling outside of it can highlight something deeper; a sense of separation, loneliness, or disconnection from those around us.

If the season makes you feel out-of-step, isolated, or simply unseen, it could be a sign that you might need a space where someone can listen fully, compassionately, and without judgement. This is what I offer all my therapy clients.

If the winter feels heavy this year, you don’t have to go through it alone. Reaching out could be the first small light at the darkest time of the year.

14/11/2025

When the workplace stops feeling safe… you do not need to be alone.

The recent Metro piece on the “insidious new way people are being bullied in workplaces across the UK” highlights something I hear so often in therapy: workplace bullying is increasingly subtle, harder to name, and deeply destabilising. Quiet exclusion or left on the outside of meetings or emails, constant undermining, “jokes” that leave you shrinking inside, or being repeatedly overlooked. These behaviours leave many people feeling anxious, isolated, and unsure of themselves.

What’s most painful is that so many begin to question their own instincts:
“Am I overreacting?”
“Is it just me?”
“Maybe I’m imagining it?”

You are not imagining it.
And you are not alone.

In therapy, we walk this path together.
My work with clients often involves gently unpacking what’s been happening, piece by piece. We explore how the behaviour has affected you, how it has eroded your confidence, and how it has made you doubt your own inner knowing.

Together, we look at:

Understanding and naming subtle bullying without minimising your experience.

Untangling the self-doubt that bullying creates.

Reconnecting with your instincts and learning to trust them again.

Navigating workplace dynamics and better understanding the systems and structures of a workplace that can often mimic previous experiences in relationships within the hierarchy of the family or the school environment.

Clarifying your boundaries and how to stay true to them.

Finding a way forward that supports your emotional and physical wellbeing.

This is not something you have to figure out on your own.
Through therapy, you can have someone alongside you, someone who listens, validates, and helps you make sense of what has felt confusing, intimidating, or overwhelming.

If this resonates with you…
Reach out if you would like to explore your experiences together and find a way toward clarity, strength, and a healthier way of living.

You deserve to feel grounded, valued, and confident in your working environment.

Link to the article in the comments.

11/11/2025

John McCrae’s “In Flanders Fields” reminds us that remembrance is not only about honouring those who died, but also about holding space for the emotions that war leaves behind; grief, trauma, love, and the longing for peace.

The image of poppies growing among graves shows how life continues to emerge even in devastation. It speaks of the human capacity to heal and create meaning after loss, something I often explore in therapy.

The “torch” passed from “failing hands” can be seen as a call not just to fight, but to remember, care, and carry forward compassion. A sense of rebuilding and finding peace within ourselves and our communities.

Just as artists and poets of that time turned pain into creative expression, we too can use art, reflection, and therapy to give voice to experiences that words alone can’t contain.
Creativity becomes a bridge between what has been lost and what still endures.

Here is the full poem written by Canadian Army Doctor Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae in 1915, after witnessing the death of a friend on the battlefield in Belgium and then noticing the number of poppy flowers that began growing afterwards.

In Flanders Fields

by John McCrae (1872–1918)

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.