Evolve Talking Therapies

02/09/2026

01/09/2026

💌 World Letter Writing Day – 1 September

If you could write one more letter to someone you have lost, what would you say?

When someone we love dies, the conversations may stop — but that doesn't necessarily mean we have nothing left to say.

Perhaps you would tell them something that happened this week.

Maybe you'd share a memory, tell them how much you miss them, say something you never had the chance to say, or even write about anger, regret or sadness.

There are no rules.

Writing a letter to someone who has died can give our thoughts, memories and feelings somewhere to go. It can also be a way of maintaining that connection with someone who remains an important part of our life.

For World Letter Writing Day, you might like to try something simple.

Make yourself a cuppa. ☕
Find a quiet place.
Pick up a pen and a piece of paper.

And begin:

“If you were here, there is something I would like to tell you…”

Then see what comes.

You don't need beautiful words. You don't even need to finish the letter.

Sometimes there are simply words we still need to say. 💚

Your grief does not need fixing. Sometimes it simply needs somewhere to be heard.

Warmly,
Sue
Evolve Talking Therapies

30/08/2026

Why Do Bank Holidays Feel So Lonely After Bereavement?

Everyone seems to have plans.

A family barbecue. A day at the coast. Lunch out. A weekend away.

But when you're grieving, a Bank Holiday can feel less like an extra day off and more like an extra day to fill.

The usual routine disappears. There are more hours with nowhere you have to be, and sometimes that makes the absence of the person you would normally have spent the day with feel even greater.

You can have friends.
You can have family.
You can have people who genuinely care about you.

And still feel incredibly lonely.

Because sometimes loneliness after bereavement isn't about having nobody around you.

It's about missing one particular person.

If that's you this Bank Holiday, don't put pressure on yourself to have a wonderful day just because everyone else appears to be having one.

Give the day a little shape. Go for a walk. Have a coffee somewhere. Call someone. Read. Sit in the garden. Watch something familiar.

These things won't fix your grief.

They aren't supposed to.

Sometimes making a difficult day a little more manageable is enough.

I've written more about Bank Holidays, bereavement and loneliness in my latest Evolve blog.

And if you know somebody who is grieving this Bank Holiday, perhaps send them a message.

Don't assume they already have plans.

A simple “Fancy a coffee or a walk?” might mean more than you realise.

🌿 Your grief does not need fixing. But you don't have to carry it entirely alone.

Warmly,
Sue
Evolve Talking Therapies

22/08/2026

“Why can’t I think straight since they died?”

You might forget why you walked into a room.

Read the same thing three times.

Lose your train of thought halfway through a conversation.

Or sit at work staring at something you would normally deal with easily.

This is sometimes described as grief brain.

Grief doesn't only affect how we feel. It can also affect memory, concentration, sleep, energy and decision-making.

Your mind may be trying to process the reality of your loss while you're also trying to keep up with work, family, responsibilities and everyday life.

That's a lot to carry.

So perhaps instead of asking:

“What's wrong with me?”

Try asking:

“What am I carrying at the moment?”

Write things down.
Do one thing at a time.
Give yourself longer.
Rest when you need to.
And try not to expect yourself to function exactly as you did before your loss.

You do not have to grieve efficiently.

At Evolve Talking Therapies, I offer professional and confidential grief and bereavement support in East Yorkshire and online.

🌿 Your grief does not need fixing. Sometimes it simply needs somewhere to be heard.

Warmly,
Sue

18/08/2026

A Warm Thank You from the East Riding Bereavement Community Café 💚

Thank you to everyone who joined us at the East Riding Bereavement Community Café at East Riding Crematorium, Octon today.

It was a really worthwhile morning, and it was lovely to hear that those who came along found the café beneficial. Sometimes simply being with people who understand something of grief and loss can make a difference.

The café offers a gentle, informal space for anyone experiencing grief, bereavement or loss in East Yorkshire. You can talk, listen, share memories, ask questions or simply sit with a cuppa in the company of others.

There was plenty of tea and coffee, and a special thank you once again to Peter, Hospitality Suite Manager, for looking after us so well — including the very welcome chocolate biscuits!

📅 A change of day from September

From September, the East Riding Bereavement Community Café will move from the third Tuesday to the FOURTH Tuesday of each month.

Our next meeting will therefore be:

Tuesday 22 September 2026
9.30am–11.30am
Hospitality Suite, East Riding Crematorium, Octon

No booking is needed. Just come along whenever it feels right for you.

No pressure. No expectations. No fixing. Just a welcoming space where you can come as you are.

Warmly,
Sue 💚
Evolve Talking Therapies

18/08/2026

I’m looking to open a conversation with a local HR company or HR professionals who might be interested in collaborating on the development of practical HR wellbeing courses.

The aim is to create meaningful, engaging learning that supports both HR teams and employees — focusing on areas such as workplace wellbeing, resilience, stress management, healthy workplace culture, and sustainable performance.

I’d love to connect with an organisation that shares this vision and explore how we could combine our experience and expertise to create something genuinely valuable for workplaces.

If you’re part of an HR company, know someone who might be interested, or would simply like to have an initial conversation, please feel free to comment below or send me a message.

I’d be very happy to explore what we could build together. 🤝

17/08/2026

You don’t have to be in crisis to ask for grief support

Grief does not always look like falling apart.

You may be going to work, caring for your family and managing everyday life while privately carrying a loss that still feels heavy. From the outside, you may appear to be coping. Inside, you may feel lonely, exhausted or tired of saying, “I’m fine.”

You do not have to wait until grief becomes unbearable before reaching out.

Grief counselling is not about fixing you, taking you through prescribed stages or telling you when it is time to move on. It offers a professional, confidential space where you can speak honestly, share memories and have your grief acknowledged without judgement.

Evolve Talking Therapies offers specialist grief and bereavement counselling in Driffield, East Yorkshire, as well as online support across the UK. Support is also available for grief following divorce, relationship breakdown, job loss and other significant life changes.

My latest blog explores why you do not need to be in crisis to deserve support.

Read it at: evolvetalkingtherapies.co.uk

You can also arrange a complimentary 30-minute conversation to talk about what you need, with no pressure and no obligation to book.

You do not have to find your way through grief alone.

Feel free to pop over and read the latest blog for further info.
https://evolvetalkingtherapies.co.uk/you-dont-have-to-be-in-crisis-to-ask-for-grief-support/

Warmly,
Sue

09/08/2026

Grief and Decision Fatigue – Why Can’t I Think Straight?

Have you noticed that since someone you love died, even the simplest decisions can feel exhausting?

What shall I have for tea?
Should I go out today?
What do I do with their belongings?
Should I stay in the house?
Why can't I seem to concentrate?

You may find yourself forgetting things, struggling with paperwork, reading the same paragraph several times or standing in the supermarket unable to decide what you actually came in for.

This is sometimes described as ‘grief brain’ or brain fog after bereavement.

Grief doesn't only affect how we feel emotionally. It can take up an enormous amount of mental space too. You may be coping with disrupted sleep, memories, practical responsibilities, loneliness and the reality of a life that now looks very different.

And sometimes there is another loss hidden within it.

What if the person who died was also the person you talked everything through with?

The person you asked, “What do you think?”

The person you told about your day.

The person who helped you make the big decisions — and the completely ordinary ones.

You haven't only lost someone you love. You may also have lost your sounding board.

So if making decisions feels harder at the moment, perhaps you don't need to have all the answers.

Sometimes “I don't know yet” is enough.

At Evolve Talking Therapies, I offer grief counselling and bereavement support in Driffield and East Yorkshire, alongside online counselling for those further afield.

Counselling isn't about somebody telling you what you should do. It can give you a confidential space to talk, explore what you are feeling and begin to hear your own thoughts amongst all the noise.

If you are struggling with grief, bereavement, loneliness, grief brain or feeling overwhelmed after loss, you're welcome to reach out for a complimentary 30-minute conversation, with no obligation to continue.

You don't have to walk through grief alone.

Warmly,
Sue
Evolve Talking Therapies