Mindful Moments Therapies

14/08/2026

August - The last Hurrah Newsletter -

August arrives carrying the fullness of summer, but with the first quiet signs of change. The days are still warm, gardens are overflowing, and evenings invite us outdoors. Yet the light has begun to soften, the mornings feel different, and the landscape is slowly moving towards harvest. Summer is s...

14/08/2026

FAMILY ESTRANGEMENT: When you don’t know what to say. Embarrassment and the fear of judgement Sometimes it isn’t the estrangement itself that feels embarrassing. It’s having to explain it. Someone asks:
“How’s your daughter?”
“Do you still see your grandchildren?”
“How’s your dad?”
“Are you and your brother still not speaking?”

And suddenly, something deeply private becomes part of a conversation you weren’t prepared to have. What do you say? Do you tell the truth? Do you give the shortened version? Do you say, “We’re not in contact at the moment”? Do you change the subject? Do you smile and pretend everything is fine?

Because how do you explain something that may have taken years to unfold in just a few sentences? You might worry about what people will think. That they will judge you. That they will think you are difficult. That you are unforgiving. That you have failed as a parent. That you have failed as a son or daughter. That you should simply “make up”. Or perhaps you worry that people will judge the other person, when you don’t actually want them to.

Because estrangement can be complicated. You can be deeply hurt by someone and still love them. You can miss someone and still not want contact. You can understand why someone has made a decision to distance themselves from you while still feeling devastated by it.

You can know that a relationship was unhealthy and still grieve what you wanted it to be. There may also be family occasions that make the embarrassment more visible.
Christmas.
Birthdays.
Weddings.
Funerals.
School events.
Grandchildren’s milestones.
Family gatherings where someone asks a completely innocent question and suddenly you are reminded of everything that has changed.

Sometimes you become very good at having a socially acceptable answer.
“We’re not really in touch.”
A few words.
An enormous story.
And perhaps the hardest part is knowing that the person asking may never understand the whole story. But they don’t necessarily need to.

You are allowed to have boundaries around your personal life. You are allowed to say:
“It’s complicated and I’d rather not talk about it.”
You are allowed to protect your privacy. You are allowed to choose who gets to hear your story. And you are allowed to acknowledge that something is painful without explaining every detail of why.

In relational therapy, Phiona holds space for the parts of estrangement that can feel difficult to talk about.
The embarrassment.
The awkwardness.
The fear of being judged.
The things you don’t know how to explain.
The questions you carry about yourself and your relationships.

There is no expectation that you have to present a perfect version of your family story. You can bring the complicated version. The unfinished version. The version where you don’t have all the answers yet.

Because sometimes healing begins with having somewhere you don’t need to explain yourself.
Somewhere you can simply say:
“This is what has happened, and this is what it feels like to live with it.”
And be met with compassion rather than judgement.

Whether you are seeking support for yourself or someone you care about, I offer a calm, neuroaffirming therapeutic space where you can feel heard, understood and valued exactly as you are.

Book your free 15-minute, no-obligation consultation to explore how we can work together. Sessions are available face to face in Havant and online across the UK.

Visit www.mindfulmomentstherapies.co.uk to find out more or book your free consultation.

Or email: [email protected]

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Your time. Your pace. Your expression.

13/08/2026

A new blog post looking at all the emotions of exam results day and how to navigate all the expectations and results. Filled with guidance, support, tips and understanding.

You can read it on my blog at https://mindfulmomentstherapies.blogspot.com/2026/08/results-day-when-grade-can-feel-like-so.html?m=1

13/08/2026

Results Day: It Is About More Than a Grade. If you are a young person waking up to results day with a knot in your stomach, you are not being dramatic.

And if someone tells you, “Exams aren’t the end of the world. You can always resit them. There are other routes,” and somehow that makes you feel even worse, there may be a reason for that.

Because results day is rarely just about a set of numbers on a piece of paper. For many young people, results day has become connected to something much deeper.
Who am I?
Am I good enough?
Have I succeeded or failed?
Will I still be able to do what I wanted to do?
Will I disappoint my parents?
What will everyone else think?

You have spent months revising, worrying, comparing yourself, sitting exams and wondering whether you knew enough. You may have gone into every exam questioning:
Did I revise the right things?
Did I remember enough?
What if I misunderstood the question?
What if everyone else did better?
And now, suddenly, all that uncertainty has reached one moment.

Results day.

It can bring excitement.
Relief.
Pride.
Disappointment.
Fear.
Grief.
Shock.
Confusion.
Or sometimes, all of those emotions at once.

You might be wondering whether to open your results with your friends.
With your parents.
On your own.
Immediately.
Or perhaps you need to wait until you are somewhere you feel safe enough to take in whatever is written on that screen or piece of paper.

There is no right way to receive your results. And if you do not feel ready to open them immediately, that does not mean you are avoiding reality. It may simply mean you are recognising what you need.

Results day can also carry the weight of an ending.
School ending.
College ending.
A familiar routine ending.
Friendships changing.
A chapter you have worked incredibly hard to complete coming to an end.
And alongside that ending comes something much harder to hold:

The unknown.

What happens next?

Sometimes the result you hoped for opens the door you expected. Sometimes it opens a completely different door. And sometimes you may need to pause before you can even think about what comes next.

Please remember this:

A result can tell you what you achieved in an exam. It cannot tell you your worth.

A grade is an external measurement. Your sense of self is something much bigger. When achievement becomes closely tied to identity, a result that feels disappointing can feel like a judgement on the whole person.

It isn’t.
You are still you.
Your creativity is still there.
Your kindness is still there.
Your resilience is still there.
Your abilities are still there.
Your future is still there.

And if today hasn’t gone the way you hoped, you do not have to work out your entire future today. You are allowed to breathe. You are allowed to feel disappointed. You are allowed to cry. You are allowed to celebrate. You are allowed to feel nothing at all. You are allowed to take some time before deciding what comes next.

And perhaps most importantly, you do not have to process it all while surrounded by expectations about what you should be feeling or doing. Sometimes having a safe, non-judgemental space with someone who understands the emotional weight behind results day can make a real difference.

A space where you can say:
“This isn’t what I wanted.”
“I’m scared about what happens now.”
“I feel like I’ve failed.”
“Everyone keeps telling me it’s fine, but it doesn’t feel fine.”
“I don’t know what I want anymore.”

Or simply:

“I need some time to work out how I feel.” Results day is not the end of your story. It is one moment in it.

And sometimes, the next chapter begins not with knowing exactly where you are going, but with giving yourself enough space to discover what comes next.

If today is difficult, be gentle with yourself. You are more than your results. You are more than your achievements. And you are certainly more than a number on a page.

Mindful Moments Therapies

Compassionate support for your mind, body and emotional wellbeing. Face-to-face in Havant | Online nationwide
Children | Adults | Couples | Groups

Whether you are seeking support for yourself or someone you care about, I offer a calm, supportive therapeutic space where you can feel heard, understood and valued exactly as you are.

Book your free 15-minute, no-obligation consultation to explore how we can work together. Sessions are available face to face in Havant and online across the UK.

Visit www.mindfulmomentstherapies.co.uk to find out more or book your free consultation.

Or email: [email protected]

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12/08/2026

12/08/2026

SOLAR ECLIPSE

A time to pause, reflect and begin again. A solar eclipse has long been surrounded by symbolism. For a brief moment, the light of the Sun is obscured. Day becomes darker. Something familiar changes. And then, slowly, the light returns.

Spiritually, an eclipse can be seen as a powerful metaphor for the seasons of our own lives. There are times when our light feels hidden. Times when we cannot see clearly where we are going. Times when something we once relied upon no longer feels right. And sometimes, we enter a period of uncertainty before we understand what is changing within us.

THE THERAPEUTIC WISDOM OF AN ECLIPSE

An eclipse can invite us to consider the parts of ourselves that we may have been unable, or unwilling, to see. Perhaps there are emotions you have pushed aside. A relationship that no longer feels healthy. A version of yourself that you have outgrown. A belief about who you are that was formed through difficult experiences. Or a part of you that has been waiting patiently to be heard.

Therapeutically, this can become an invitation to pause rather than immediately trying to fix everything.
Ask yourself:
What is being brought into my awareness?
What am I beginning to see differently?
What am I ready to release?
What needs more compassion from me?
What part of myself have I been hiding, silencing or neglecting?

The darkness is not the end of light. One of the most beautiful things about eclipse symbolism is that the darkness is temporary.
This can offer a powerful reminder when we are moving through grief, uncertainty, change or emotional overwhelm. You do not have to have everything figured out. You do not have to force yourself to feel positive. You do not have to rush towards the next chapter simply because the current one feels uncomfortable.

Sometimes healing involves sitting gently with the uncertainty. Learning to tolerate not knowing. Listening to what your body is communicating. Allowing emotions to move through you rather than judging them. And trusting that clarity does not always arrive immediately.

What might you be ready to release? An eclipse can symbolise a threshold. A moment between what was and what is becoming. Perhaps you are ready to release: The need to keep everyone happy. The belief that you are not enough. Old expectations of yourself. Guilt that does not belong to you. The need to have all the answers. A relationship with an outdated version of yourself. Or the belief that healing means becoming the person you were before. Sometimes healing is not about going backwards. It is about becoming more fully yourself.

And what are you ready to invite in? After release comes possibility. What would you like to make more space for?
More self-compassion.
More authentic relationships.
More rest.
More creativity.
More boundaries.
More play.
More connection with nature.
More trust in yourself.
More moments of joy.
More freedom to live according to your own values.

A simple eclipse reflection
Find a quiet moment. You could sit outside, journal, meditate or simply take a few slow breaths. Place your feet on the ground and notice your body.
Then ask yourself:
What is asking to be seen?
What am I ready to let go of?
What am I learning about myself?
What no longer belongs in the next chapter of my life?
What would I like to carry forward?
What small step could I take towards that today?
You do not need to find a profound answer. Sometimes the smallest realisation can begin a significant change.

The wisdom of the eclipse. Perhaps the deeper message is not that we lose our light. Perhaps it is that our light can become temporarily obscured without ever disappearing. There may be seasons when you cannot feel your strength. There may be moments when your confidence disappears beneath fear. There may be times when your path feels uncertain. But that does not mean your light has gone. It may simply be asking you to slow down, turn inward and listen. And when you are ready, you can begin to step forward again. Not necessarily as the person you were before. But as someone who has learned, grown, softened, strengthened and discovered something new about themselves along the way.

The eclipse does not have to represent an ending. It can represent a pause between what has been and what is becoming. Take what resonates. Leave what does not. And remember that your journey does not need to look like anyone else’s.

Mindful Moments Therapies
Guiding the soul home
Honouring nature, honouring life, honouring you.

Whether you are seeking support for yourself or someone you care about, I offer a calm, supportive, therapeutic space where you can feel heard, understood and valued exactly as you are.

Book your free 15-minute, no-obligation consultation to explore how we can work together. Sessions are available face to face in Havant and online across the UK.

Visit www.mindfulmomentstherapies.co.uk to find out more or book your free consultation.

Or email: [email protected]

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12/08/2026

August New Moon: a quiet invitation to begin again. There are times in life when you do not need to push harder. You need to pause. The August New Moon can be used as a gentle symbolic invitation to turn inward, listen to yourself and notice what is ready to change.

Not because the Moon magically changes us, but because moments in nature can give us a meaningful opportunity to slow down and reflect. A new moon represents darkness before new light begins to emerge. And perhaps your healing journey has moments like this too.

Times when you cannot yet see what comes next. Times when an old way of living no longer feels right, but the new way has not fully taken shape. Times when you are releasing something you have carried for a long time.

You may be ready to release:
• Limiting beliefs about who you are
• Guilt that does not belong to you
• Old expectations of yourself
• Relationships or patterns that no longer feel healthy
• The need to keep everyone else happy
• The belief that you need to have everything figured out

And perhaps you are ready to create space for something different.
More self-compassion.
More rest.
More authentic relationships.
More creativity.
More meaningful boundaries.
More connection with nature.
More trust in yourself.
More moments of joy.
More freedom to live according to your own values.

Bring the energy into your healing journey. You do not need an elaborate ritual. Find somewhere quiet.
Place your feet on the ground.
Take a few slow breaths.
Notice what is happening inside your body without trying to change it.

Then gently ask yourself:
What am I ready to release?
What am I ready to invite into my life?
What part of me needs more compassion?
What am I learning about myself?
What no longer belongs in my next chapter?
What would my healed self choose?
And perhaps most importantly:

What small step can I take towards that today? You do not need to transform your whole life overnight. Healing often happens through small moments of awareness. A boundary you finally honour. A feeling you allow yourself to acknowledge. A rest you no longer feel guilty for taking. A relationship you begin to see more clearly. A belief you finally question. A part of yourself you begin to welcome home.

A New Moon affirmation
I release what no longer serves me.
I trust my inner wisdom.
I honour my own timing.
I create space for healing, growth and new beginnings.
I allow myself to become more fully who I am.

Take what resonates.
Leave what does not.
You do not have to believe that the Moon causes healing or transformation. You can simply use the rhythm of nature as a reminder to pause, reflect and listen to yourself.

Sometimes the beginning of something new starts very quietly. And sometimes healing begins with simply giving yourself permission to begin again.

Mindful Moments Therapies
Guiding the soul home.
Honouring nature, honouring life, honouring you.

Whether you are seeking support for yourself or someone you care about, I offer a calm, supportive, therapeutic space where you can feel heard, understood and valued exactly as you are.

Book your free 15-minute, no-obligation consultation to explore how we can work together. Sessions are available face to face in Havant and online across the UK.

Visit www.mindfulmomentstherapies.co.uk to find out more or book your free consultation.

Or email: [email protected]

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11/08/2026

FAMILY ESTRANGEMENT: when shame becomes a part of the story. Sometimes the hardest part of family estrangement isn’t only what has happened between you and another person. It is what you begin to believe about yourself because of it.
“What does this say about me?”
“What will people think?”
“Will they think I’m a terrible daughter?”
“A bad parent?”
“A selfish sibling?”
“What kind of person walks away from their family?”

Shame can quietly become part of the experience of estrangement. You may find yourself avoiding conversations about your family. Changing the subject when someone asks how your parents are. Making excuses when someone asks why your sibling wasn’t at the family gathering. Feeling uncomfortable when people talk about their close relationship with their children or grandchildren.

You might smile and say:
“We’re not really in contact at the moment.”
And then quickly move the conversation somewhere else. Because how do you explain years of complicated history in a few sentences? How do you explain the things that happened behind closed doors? The attempts to repair the relationship? The boundaries you tried to put in place? The conversations that didn’t change anything? The hurt? The fear? The exhaustion? The decision to step away? Or perhaps the fact that the decision wasn’t yours at all?

Estrangement doesn’t always fit neatly into a story of who was right and who was wrong. Sometimes there has been harm on one or both sides. Sometimes there are things you regret. Sometimes you have apologised. Sometimes you have tried to make amends. Sometimes you have spent year questioning what you could have done differently. And sometimes you have carried responsibility for things that were never yours to carry.

Shame can make us want to hide all of this. It can tell us that everyone else has a “normal” family and that somehow we have failed. But families are complicated. Relationships are complicated. And estrangement is rarely as simple as the few words we use to describe it.

You don’t have to be ashamed of having a complicated relationship with your family. You can acknowledge your own part without taking responsibility for everything. You can recognise that you made mistakes without deciding that you are a bad person. You can hold love for someone and still have boundaries. You can miss someone and still know that contact is not right for you. And you can be deeply hurt by someone without needing to turn them into a villain in order to validate your own experience.

In relational therapy, Phiona holds space for the parts of your story that may feel difficult to speak about. The parts you are frightened might be judged. The parts you feel embarrassed about. The parts you question. The parts you don’t fully understand yourself.

There is space to explore your relationships with compassion and curiosity, without reducing your experience to blame, shame or a simple story of right and wrong. Because sometimes healing isn’t about proving who was at fault.

Sometimes it begins with being able to tell the truth about what happened without feeling that you have to hide who you are because of it.
**Your family story may be complicated. That does not make you a bad person.**

Whether you are seeking support for yourself or someone you care about, I offer a calm, supportive therapeutic space where you can feel heard, understood and valued exactly as you are.

Book your free 15-minute, no-obligation consultation to explore how we can work together. Sessions are available face to face in Havant and online across the UK.

Visit www.mindfulmomentstherapies.co.uk to find out more or book your free consultation.

Or email: [email protected]

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Your time. Your pace. Your expression.

10/08/2026

FAMILY ESTRANGEMENT: The grief of someone who is still alive

There is a particular kind of grief that can come with family estrangement. It is the grief of losing a relationship with someone who is still alive. There may be no funeral. No card to send. No socially recognised ending.

No moment where everyone around you understands that something has changed. Sometimes the person you are grieving is still living only a few streets away. You might even see them occasionally. And yet, the relationship as you knew it may have ended.

Perhaps you are grieving the person they once were. The parent you needed but didn’t have. The childhood you wished you had. The relationship you hoped you would have with your sibling. The grandparent relationship your children no longer have. The future you imagined together. The family gatherings that no longer happen. The conversations that will never take place. The milestones you are no longer sharing. And because the person is still alive, people may struggle to understand why you are grieving.

They might say:
“But they’re still alive.”
“Surely you can work things out.”
“It’s a shame you’ve fallen out.”
“They’re family.”

Sometimes these comments come from people who genuinely don’t understand the complexity of estrangement. But they can leave you feeling as though your grief isn’t legitimate. As though you shouldn’t be hurting. As though you need to explain what happened before you are allowed to acknowledge what you have lost.

But someone being alive does not mean there is nothing to grieve. You can grieve a relationship. You can grieve a role. You can grieve a hoped-for future. You can grieve the family you thought you would have. And you can grieve deeply, even when there has been no death.

This is sometimes described as disenfranchised grief: grief that is not always openly recognised, acknowledged or supported by the people around us.

And estrangement can make that grief particularly complicated. You might feel sadness and relief. Love and anger. Longing and acceptance. Guilt and certainty. You might even feel all of these things within the same day.

There is no single way you are supposed to grieve an estranged relationship. And you do not have to justify your grief to make it real.

In relational therapy, Phiona holds space for the complexity of these experiences. There is no expectation that you have to choose reconciliation. There is no judgement about whether you should remain estranged.

There is space to explore what the relationship has meant to you, what has been lost, what you still long for, what you may need to let go of, and what you need in order to move forward.

Sometimes healing begins when someone finally has somewhere safe to say: “This person is still alive, but I have lost the relationship I wanted with them.”

And have that loss truly heard. You are allowed to grieve what no longer exists, even when the person still does.

Whether you are seeking support for yourself or someone you care about, I offer a calm, neuroaffirming therapeutic space where you can feel heard, understood and valued exactly as you are.

Book your free 15-minute, no-obligation consultation to explore how we can work together. Sessions are available face to face in Havant and online across the UK.

Visit www.mindfulmomentstherapies.co.uk to find out more or book your free consultation.

Or email: [email protected]

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Your time. Your pace. Your expression.

09/08/2026

What Is Clinical Hypnotherapy? Many people are curious about clinical hypnotherapy but are unsure what it actually involves. Often, the only exposure people have had is through stage hypnosis on television, where volunteers appear to lose control or behave in unusual ways. Clinical hypnotherapy is completely different.

Clinical hypnotherapy is a safe, evidence-informed therapeutic approach that combines deep relaxation with focused attention, allowing you to access your subconscious mind in a calm and comfortable way. Throughout the session, you remain fully aware, in control, and able to stop at any time. Nothing can make you do or say anything against your will.

What Can You Expect During a Session? Your session begins with a relaxed conversation about what you would like to achieve. Whether you’re looking to overcome anxiety, improve confidence, break unwanted habits, or process emotional challenges, your therapy is tailored specifically to your needs.

Once you’re comfortable, you’ll be gently guided into a deeply relaxed state. Many people describe it as feeling similar to daydreaming, meditation, or becoming completely absorbed in a good book or film. While your body relaxes, your mind becomes more focused and receptive to positive change.

You will:

* Hear everything that is said.
* Remain aware and in control.
* Feel calm, safe and deeply relaxed.
* Be able to speak if you wish.
* Remember most, if not all, of the session afterwards.

How Does Clinical Hypnotherapy Work? Our subconscious mind stores our beliefs, habits, memories, emotional responses and automatic behaviours. Many of these patterns are helpful, but some develop over time through stress, past experiences or repeated behaviours that no longer serve us.

Clinical hypnotherapy works by helping your subconscious mind become more open to healthier, more positive patterns. Rather than forcing change, it gently supports your mind in letting go of limiting beliefs, reducing unhelpful habits, easing emotional responses and strengthening more empowering ways of thinking.

It can be particularly effective in supporting:

* Anxiety and overthinking
* Stress and burnout
* Confidence and self-esteem
* Sleep difficulties
* Fears and phobias
* Unwanted habits and behaviours
* Panic and overwhelm
* Emotional wellbeing and resilience

Clinical Hypnotherapy vs Stage Hypnosis One of the biggest misconceptions about hypnotherapy comes from stage shows and television.

Stage hypnosis is entertainment. Performers carefully select willing volunteers who are happy to participate and perform for an audience.

Clinical hypnotherapy is a professional therapeutic service focused entirely on your wellbeing. There are no tricks, no loss of control and no mind control. Instead, the process uses relaxation, guided imagery and therapeutic techniques to help you create lasting, meaningful change in a safe and supportive environment.

You Don’t Need to Force Healing. Sometimes the body and mind simply need the opportunity to slow down, feel safe and reconnect. Clinical hypnotherapy offers a gentle space where lasting change can happen naturally, helping you move forward feeling calmer, more confident and more in control of your life.

I’m Here to Support You. Whether you’re seeking support for anxiety, confidence, habits, emotional wellbeing or simply want to learn more about how hypnotherapy could help, I’d love to hear from you.

Whether you are seeking support for yourself or someone you care about, I offer a calm, neuroaffirming therapeutic space where you can feel heard, understood and valued exactly as you are.

Book your free 15-minute, no-obligation consultation to explore how we can work together. Sessions are available face to face in Havant and online across the UK.

Visit www.mindfulmomentstherapies.co.uk to find out more or book your free consultation.

email: [email protected]

WhatsApp

Honouring nature, honouring life, honouring you.