Awaken Psychotherapeutic Counselling

30/07/2026

Eros and Psyche is about love that must survive fear, doubt, and personal growth.

The myth isn’t just a love story. It’s about the journey of the soul.

The trials symbolize the inner work we all must do before we can experience mature, enduring love.

Eros and Psyche is far more than a love story—it is the story of the soul.

In Jungian psychology, Psyche represents the human soul on its journey towards wholeness. Her trials are not punishments, but initiations. Each impossible task asks her to develop qualities she did not yet possess: patience, discernment, courage, humility and trust.

Eros is not simply the lover; he is the force of life that calls us towards transformation. Yet before Psyche can truly unite with him, she must first descend into her own darkness and become whole within herself.

Perhaps this is why the myth still speaks to us today. The love we long for is rarely found before we have met ourselves. Every heartbreak, every loss, every descent into the underworld becomes part of the soul’s initiation. We do not emerge unchanged—we emerge transformed.

As Jung reminded us, “One does not become enlightened by imagining figures of light, but by making the darkness conscious.”

Maybe the greatest love story was never about finding another… perhaps it was always about becoming ourselves.

09/07/2026

Sexual wellbeing is about so much more than s*x.

As a therapist, I’ve come to understand that many of the difficulties people experience with intimacy, desire, arousal, pain during s*x, or feeling disconnected from their bodies are rarely just about the physical act itself.

Our relationship with intimacy is shaped by our earliest experiences of attachment. It is influenced by how safe we felt, whether our emotions were welcomed, the messages we received about our bodies, love, pleasure, and whether we learned that vulnerability was safe.

For many people, shame, trauma, anxiety, grief, stress, hormonal changes, relationship difficulties, or life transitions can all impact s*xual wellbeing. These experiences are far more common than most people realise, yet they are often carried in silence.

Psychos*xual therapy offers a confidential, compassionate, and non-judgemental space to explore these experiences. It is not about being told what is “normal” or what you should do. It is about understanding your unique story, reconnecting with yourself, improving communication, and building a healthier relationship with intimacy.

Healing doesn’t begin by striving to be different.

It begins by feeling safe enough to be curious about yourself.

There is no shame in struggling with intimacy.

There is only courage in choosing to talk about it.

🤍 Lesley Anne Parfitt
Psychotherapeutic Counsellor & Psychotherapist
Awaken Therapy

08/07/2026

🌿 AWAKEN THERAPY MONTHLY BREATHWORK CIRCLE

Sunday 26th July 10am to 12pm

Breathwork for the Feminine

Join me for a nurturing Sunday morning dedicated to slowing down, breathing deeply, and reconnecting with yourself.

This monthly women’s circle combines trauma-informed breathwork, nervous system regulation, gentle psychoeducation, and reflective practices to help you release emotional tension, cultivate inner calm, and reconnect with your authentic self.

Whether you’re feeling overwhelmed, navigating a life transition, healing from past experiences, or simply craving space to pause and reconnect, this circle offers a safe, supportive and compassionate environment where every woman is welcome.

What is Conscious Connected Breathwork?

Conscious Connected Breathwork is a guided breathing practice that uses a continuous, connected rhythm of breath to deepen awareness of the body, calm the nervous system, and create space for emotional release. By breathing without pauses between the inhale and exhale, many people experience a greater sense of presence, clarity, and connection with themselves.

Held in a safe and supportive environment, this practice can help release stored tension, reduce stress, increase self-awareness, and foster a deeper connection with your inner world. Every experience is unique—some people feel deeply relaxed, others gain profound insights, and many leave feeling lighter, calmer, and more grounded.

No previous experience is necessary. You will be fully guided throughout the session and encouraged to work at a pace that feels right for you.

What to expect

✨ Grounding meditation
✨ Gentle psychoeducation and intention setting
✨ Guided Conscious Connected Breathwork journey
✨ Time for reflection and integration
✨ Optional sharing within the group

📅 One Sunday each month
🕙 10:00am – 12:00pm
📍 Clevedon

Spaces are intentionally limited to create a safe and intimate experience.

Come home to yourself—one breath at a time.

To reserve your place, send me a message via what’s app 07538029364

30/06/2026

Have you ever wondered why…

…you constantly feel like you’re not enough?

Why you find yourself people-pleasing, overthinking, or feeling responsible for everyone else’s emotions?

Why setting boundaries fills you with guilt?

Why you crave love and approval, yet struggle to truly receive it?

Or why, despite doing so much inner work, something still feels unresolved?

You are not alone.

Many women carry invisible emotional patterns that began long before they had the words to describe them. Often, they started in the relationship with the person who was meant to nurture, protect and emotionally see us.

This isn’t about blaming mothers.

It’s about understanding how early relationships shape the way we love, trust, care for ourselves and move through the world.

Join me for a gentle, therapeutic workshop where we’ll explore these hidden patterns through attachment, Jungian psychology and somatic healing.

You’ll leave with greater self-understanding, practical tools to regulate your nervous system, and a deeper sense of compassion for yourself.

Because healing doesn’t begin with fixing yourself.

It begins with finally understanding your story.

THE MOTHER COMPLEX
Discovering the Inner Mother

📍 Clevedon
🗓 Sunday 30th August 2026
⏰ 10am–1pm

A 3-hour therapeutic workshop with Lesley Anne Parfitt
Psychotherapeutic Counsellor & Women’s Coach

“The relationship you build with yourself can become the safe place you were always searching for.”

27/06/2026

Hi Ladies

My August Workshop is open for booking.

The relationship with your mother becomes the relationship you carry within yourself.

Exploring the Mother Complex Through a Jungian Lens

Our earliest relationship shapes the way we experience ourselves, others, and the world. In Jungian psychology, the mother complex is not simply about our relationship with our biological mother, but the unconscious beliefs, emotional patterns, and inner images that continue to influence our lives long into adulthood.

Whether our experience of mothering was nurturing, absent, critical, engulfing, or inconsistent, these early dynamics can shape our relationships, self-worth, boundaries, creativity, and capacity to care for ourselves.

In this three-hour workshop, we will explore the mother complex through a Jungian lens, alongside attachment theory and somatic awareness. Together, we’ll begin to uncover the unconscious patterns that may still be operating beneath the surface and gently explore how to cultivate a more compassionate, nurturing relationship with yourself.

This workshop offers both insight and practical tools, inviting you to move beyond understanding into embodied healing. It is a space to reconnect with your inner mother—the part of you that can offer the care, protection, and acceptance you may have longed for.

No previous knowledge of Jungian psychology is needed—just curiosity and a willingness to explore yourself with compassion.

17/05/2026

Hi ladies, introducing my next workshop which will be running in June.

Journey with the Dark Goddess
A transformational workshop exploring shadow, descent, and rebirth through the lens of Jungian psychology and the sacred feminine.

This is a space for women who are moving through heartbreak, burnout, identity shifts, emotional awakening, or the quiet feeling that the life they once inhabited no longer fits.

Drawing on the work of Carl Jung and the archetypes of the dark feminine — Kali, Persephone, Hecate, Lilith, and Inanna — we will explore the unconscious patterns that shape our lives, relationships, grief, creativity, and healing.

Together we will journey into:
• shadow work and emotional truth
• the psychology of the descent
• reclaiming lost parts of the self
• nervous system awareness and emotional integration
• transformation through grief, rage, and awakening
• returning to authenticity and soul

This is not about becoming darker.
It is about becoming more conscious.

A gentle yet powerful experience for women ready to meet themselves more deeply and emerge more whole.
DM for more information

Facilitated by Lesley Anne Parfitt
Psychotherapeutic Counsellor & Women’s Coach

15/05/2026

https://substack.com//note/p-197928351?r=2334s0&utm_medium=ios&utm_source=notes-share-action

We often believe loving another person is the deepest form of love, but Jung suggests it can also be an escape from ourselves.

28/04/2026

The process of Individuation

22/04/2026

🔥 Beltane Women’s Circle 🔥📍 Clevedon | 🗓 15th May | ⏰ 5:00pm – 7:30pm

Hi ladies,

I have a few spaces available for my Beltane Women’s Circle this May 🌿

Beltane is a powerful time of fertility, passion, creation, and new beginnings—a celebration of life force energy and the blooming of all that has been quietly growing within you.

Joining a women’s circle is a beautiful way to connect with other women, no matter your age or background. Each of us walks a unique path, yet so much of what we feel and experience is shared. Circle is a space to honour where you are, gently process your past, and open to where you’re being called next.

In a warm, non-judgemental and supportive space, we gather to share stories, thoughts, and emotions. So many women move through life feeling alone—but when we sit together and speak honestly, we remember how deeply connected we truly are.

This is a space where you can exhale.A space to be seen, heard, and held.A space where there is no competition—only support, compassion, and connection.

Together we’ll share tears, laughter, reflection, and joy. My circles include gentle rituals, heart-led practices, cacao, herbal teas, and exploration of the feminine through archetypes, myth, and seasonal energy.

🔥 This Beltane circle: Awakening the Inner Fire—desire, creativity & feminine power🌀 Includes a guided trauma release breathwork session

These circles are intentionally kept small to honour the depth of the work ✨

If you feel the call to join us, I’d love to hear from you.📲 WhatsApp me for more details: 07538 029364

With love,Lesley 💕Psychotherapeutic Counsellor & Women’s Circle Facilitator

28/03/2026

🌿 Come Home to Yourself: An 8-Week Yoga & Nervous System Healing Journey

There comes a point where pushing through no longer works.

Where you’re tired of holding it all together.
Tired of overthinking.
Tired of feeling disconnected—from your body, your needs, your truth.

This is your invitation to stop striving…
and start coming home.

This is not just a yoga course.

This is a gentle, therapeutic 8-week journey for women who are ready to:
Regulate a constantly overwhelmed nervous system
Release emotional tension held in the body
Reconnect with themselves after burnout, heartbreak, or years of putting others first
Feel safe, soft, and grounded again

✨ What makes this different

This space is created by a psychotherapist who understands that your body holds your story.

Each week, you’ll be guided through:

Slow, nervous-system-led yoga (no pressure, no perfection)

Emotional awareness and gentle reflection
Practices to help you feel safe in your body again

A deeper understanding of why you feel the way you do

This is not about flexibility.

It’s about feeling again—safely.

🌙 Over 8 weeks, you will begin to:
• Breathe more deeply without forcing it
• Let go of tension you didn’t realise you were holding
• Feel calmer, clearer, and more anchored
• Trust your body instead of overriding it
• Reconnect with parts of yourself you’ve had to shut down

🤍 This is for you if:
• You’re emotionally exhausted but don’t know how to stop
• You feel disconnected from your body or constantly “in your head”
• You’ve experienced heartbreak, burnout, or long-term stress
• You crave a softer, more compassionate way of being

🌿 A gentle promise

You don’t have to be consistent.
You don’t have to get it “right.”
You don’t have to be fixed.

You just have to arrive… exactly as you are.

✨ Your next step

If something in you is quietly saying “I need this”…

Trust that.

Join me for this 8-week journey back to yourself.
Course runs through April and May in person Clevedon

What’s App me for more details
07538029364