Wishing You Well

08/11/2026

Starting over can feel embarrassing in a way we didn’t anticipate.

We might be stepping into something we genuinely want, but suddenly we are new again. We don’t quite know where we fit, how things will unfold or whether it will work out in the way we hope. We might become more conscious of how other people see us, question whether we belong, or find ourselves wondering whether we’ve got it wrong.

When something matters to us and we don’t yet know how it will turn out, that uncertainty can leave us feeling exposed. We might become more watchful, notice potential rejection more quickly or look for signs that perhaps we have made the wrong choice - we can begin to interpret vulnerability as danger.

When that happens, protecting ourselves makes sense; we might pull back, doubt ourselves, anticipate disappointment or prepare for failure before anything has actually gone wrong. What looks like a lack of confidence may sometimes be an attempt to protect ourselves from the vulnerability of caring about something without knowing how it will turn out.

Starting again asks us to tolerate that uncertainty for a while. There may be a space between the familiarity of who we have been and feeling secure in whatever comes next, and perhaps that space isn’t a sign that we have made the wrong decision, it may simply take time to find our feet.

Counselling can offer a space to explore what happens for you when you feel uncertain, exposed or outside of your comfort zone. Together, we can become curious about the experiences and patterns that may have taught you to anticipate rejection, disappointment or failure, while gently exploring what it might mean to feel vulnerable without automatically needing to protect yourself from it.

🌿 You don’t have to know how something will turn out to trust yourself enough to begin.

📍 Counselling in Exeter & online
🔗 www.wishing-you-well.co.uk/counselling

06/11/2026

Life can feel heavy in many different ways. You may be navigating change, living with anxiety or overwhelm, questioning your self-worth, experiencing relationship difficulties, or simply feeling stuck and unsure how to move forward.

You don’t need to wait until you’re at breaking point to seek counselling.

I offer a warm, grounded and confidential space where you can slow down, explore what’s happening beneath the surface and begin to understand yourself with greater compassion.

Together, we can explore the experiences and patterns that may be shaping how you feel, while gently making space for what you need now.

📍 Counselling in Exeter & online
🔗 www.wishing-you-well.co.uk

01/11/2026

Have you ever noticed a part of you that prefers to stay small, quiet, or comfortably out of sight? Not because you're incapable, lacking confidence, or don't have something valuable to offer, but because being seen can feel vulnerable.

Often, the reluctance to be visible isn't a personal flaw - it's a form of protection. A thoughtful response shaped by past experiences, nervous system wisdom, and the relationship between our inner and outer selves.

In my latest reflection, I explore why hiding can sometimes feel safer than being seen, the protective role of the "outer self", and how visibility can become an experience of alignment rather than exposure.

Sometimes the goal isn't to push ourselves into the spotlight, it's simply to understand the part of us that's been trying to keep us safe.

You can read the full reflection here:

A counsellor’s reflection on the instinct to stay hidden, and the thoughful work of understanding why visibility can feel exposing.

30/10/2026

Sometimes losing trust in yourself doesn’t happen all at once... it happens gradually.

You start checking what other people think before trusting your own response, you replay decisions, wondering whether you got them wrong, you look for reassurance, you adapt to expectations. You become so used to questioning yourself that eventually it can become difficult to hear what you actually think, feel or need.

And when you’ve spent a long time looking outside yourself for the “right” answer, trusting your own inner compass can feel unfamiliar.

Self-trust isn’t about always making the perfect decision. It’s about knowing that you can listen to yourself, make choices with the information you have, and meet yourself with compassion if things don’t unfold exactly as you hoped.

Your inner compass doesn’t need to know the whole route - sometimes it only needs to help you find the next direction.

Counselling can offer a space to begin reconnecting with that inner voice. Together, we can explore the experiences and patterns that may have taught you to doubt yourself, while gently building greater trust in your own feelings, needs and choices.

🌿 Sometimes, the voice you need to hear is your own.

📍 Counselling in Exeter & online
🔗 www.wishing-you-well.co.uk/counselling

24/10/2026

Belonging is more than being around other people, it's the feeling that you are accepted, valued and connected. It's knowing there is space for you to be yourself, to be seen, and to feel part of something bigger than yourself.

Belonging can be found in relationships, communities, workplaces, families, friendships, shared interests and even in the relationship we have with ourselves. When our sense of belonging feels secure, it can provide stability, safety and support during life's challenges.

But belonging isn't fixed - sometimes a significant life change can shake our sense of where we fit. The end of a relationship, changing careers, retirement, becoming a parent, children leaving home, moving house, illness, loss, or other major transitions can alter our roles, routines and connections.

Suddenly, we may find ourselves questioning:
• Where do I belong now?
• Who understands this version of me?
• Where do I fit in this next chapter of my life?

The discomfort many people experience during periods of change is not always about the practical adjustment itself - sometimes it's about the loss of a familiar sense of belonging.

If this feels familiar, know that you're not alone, it can take time to find your place again after life has shifted, to discover new connections, new communities, and new ways of feeling at home in yourself.

Counselling can provide a supportive space to explore these feelings, make sense of what has changed, and reconnect with what matters most to you. It can help you navigate uncertainty, strengthen your sense of self, and begin to build a feeling of belonging both within yourself and in the world around you.

If you're navigating a significant life transition and would like support, I offer online and in-person counselling in Exeter.

See www.wishing-you-well.co.uk or https://www.counselling-directory.org.uk/counsellors/sabrina-evans for more information.

17/10/2026

Values act like an inner compass, shaping how we show up in the world and what we choose to move toward. They’re not rules or expectations, but qualities that help life feel aligned, meaningful, and true to who we are.

Integrity is one of those anchoring values, it’s the commitment to act in alignment with your truth, even when it’s inconvenient, uncomfortable, or unseen. Integrity doesn’t ask you to be perfect; it asks you to be congruent, to pause long enough to ask, “Is this choice true to who I am - and who I’m becoming?”

Living with integrity isn’t about rigid self control, it’s about returning to yourself when you drift, noticing when you’ve stepped out of alignment, and gently guiding yourself back without shame or self criticism. It’s a practice of honesty, intention, and self‑respect.

Counselling offers a gentle space to explore those values - what you’ve inherited, what you want to keep, and what no longer fits - so your choices begin to reflect the life you actually want to live. It can be a place to enquire:
- Where do my actions and values feel aligned - and where do they feel out of sync.
- What helps me stay honest with myself, even when honesty feels uncomfortable.
- How can I hold myself accountable in ways that feel supportive rather than punishing.

See www.wishing-you-well.co.uk or https://www.counselling-directory.org.uk/counsellors/sabrina-evans for more information.

11/10/2026

High sensitivity is a temperament trait found in around 15–20% of people. It’s not a diagnosis, not a flaw, and not something you “grow out of”. It’s simply a way your nervous system processes the world - more deeply, more thoroughly, and more responsively than average.

People with high sensitivity tend to experience:

- Deep processing: You think and feel in layers. You reflect, analyse, and make meaning. You don’t skim life - you absorb it.

- Emotional attunement: You pick up on tone shifts, tension, and unspoken dynamics quickly. You sense what’s happening beneath the surface.

- Sensitivity to stimulation: Busy environments, noise, bright lights, or too many demands at once can overwhelm your system faster than others. It’s not overreaction - it’s input overload.

- Strong empathy: You feel with people, not just for them. You often notice when someone is struggling even if they haven’t said a word.

- Intuition and subtle noticing: You pick up on details others miss - micro‑expressions, atmosphere shifts, emotional cues, inconsistencies.

- Need for recovery time: Socialising, conflict, or fast paced days drain you more quickly. Quiet, solitude, and gentle environments help you reset.

- Sensitivity to beauty: Music, art, nature, and small moments move you deeply. Your inner world is rich and vivid.

Counselling offers a space where your sensitivity is understood rather than minimised. It helps you recognise your nervous system’s patterns, build boundaries that protect your energy, and develop ways of responding that feel grounded rather than overwhelmed. Together, we explore what supports your system, what drains it, and how you can move through the world with more steadiness, clarity, and self‑trust. Sensitivity becomes something you work with, not against.

See www.wishing-you-well.co.uk or https://www.counselling-directory.org.uk/counsellors/sabrina-evans for more information.

02/10/2026

This month I’ve written about when life changes in ways you never expected - the end of a marriage or long‑term relationship, bereavement, career shifts, redundancy or relocating. These moments don’t just alter your circumstances, they reshape you.

Rebuilding yourself after a big life change isn’t neat or linear… it’s slow, uneven, and deeply human. It asks you to meet yourself with gentleness, to honour your pace, and to recognise the strength it takes to begin again.

If you’re in that space, you’re not failing but becoming someone new.

You can read the full reflection here:

A counsellor’s reflection on upheaval, adjustment, and the slow, human process of piecing life back together.

27/09/2026

Some people don’t pull away because they don’t care… they pull away because closeness stirs something in their system that feels too fast, too much, too soon. These patterns aren’t about a lack of desire for connection, they’re often about a nervous system that learned early on that distance feels safer than closeness; that staying in control, keeping things steady, or sticking to routine helps prevent overwhelm.

It might show up in everyday life as:
- keeping routines exactly as they are because they feel grounding
- choosing hobbies or tasks that create space
- feeling overwhelmed when someone wants more connection than you’re ready for
- enjoying interest or affection, but finding the step into real contact unsettling
- going quiet when emotions rise
- feeling safer in predictability than in spontaneity
- wanting relationship, but struggling with the parts that require flexibility or vulnerability

And sometimes, these protective patterns create a different kind of pain; the loneliness of being on the outside of your own life, the sense of being unseen because you’ve learned to stay just far enough away, or the soft grief of wanting closeness but not knowing how to stay in it without feeling overwhelmed. These responses aren’t failures, they’re strategies your nervous system learned to keep you safe.

Counselling can help by offering a relationship that moves at your pace - one where distance isn’t judged, and closeness isn’t rushed. A space where you can notice what happens in you when someone is consistent, attuned, and not asking you to be more available than you can be. A room where the part of you that protects can be understood, and the part of you that longs for connection can have time to breathe.

You don’t have to choose between safety and closeness, you’re allowed to learn connection in a way that honours both.

See www.wishing-you-well.co.uk or https://www.bacp.co.uk/therapists/406729/sabrina-evans/ for more information.