Psychotherapy in Surrey

07/09/2026

Parent Carer Trauma — finally, a book close to my heart. ❤️

There are books you read, and there are books that reach something deep inside you. This is one of them.

Nicola Hughes has written a powerful, honest, informative and deeply sensitive book about Parent Carer Trauma — something that is still not understood or recognised enough.

As a therapist and a parent myself, I found this book incredibly validating. It puts into words so many feelings that parents experience while navigating the SEND system to get the support their children deserve.

Too often, parents are seen as difficult, depressed, or lacking parenting skills, when in reality, the system itself can create enormous amounts of trauma — sleepless nights, constant fighting, uncertainty, exhaustion and, at times, feelings of helplessness and hopelessness.

And sometimes, even well-meaning advice from friends — “I would have done this…” or “Have you tried that?” — isn't what an exhausted parent needs. When you are using every bit of energy simply to get through the day, you need understanding, not more things to do.

This book offers not only clear and valuable information about the SEND system, but also something equally important: an understanding of what parents are actually going through.

Thank you, Nicola, for creating such an important resource for parents, therapists and professionals who want to understand the lived experience of families raising children with SEND.

Sometimes, being truly understood can be the beginning of feeling less alone. ❤️

02/09/2026

School is reopening — and for many SEND families, this can bring a new wave of challenges.

Attendance, EBSNA, school and LA meetings, professionals, waiting lists, fighting for support… while trying to manage work, family life and your child’s mental health — often while quietly struggling with your own.

I’m a psychotherapist who has worked in the SEND system for many years, and I’m also a parent. I understand how exhausting and painful navigating this journey can be.

Psychotherapy may not be able to fix the SEND system or provide all the answers. But it can offer something important: a safe place to pause.

You don't have to wait until you are completely overwhelmed to ask for support. 💛

If you are a parent of a child or young person with SEND and feel that you need somewhere safe to talk, I offer integrative psychotherapy for parents and adults, both online and face-to-face in Oxted.
🌿 Sometimes, you don't need another solution. You just need somewhere safe to breathe.

30/07/2026

It took me a while to get to this point, but my new website is finally ready! 🎉 I'm so excited to share it with you all. Thanks to everyone who supported me along the way.

Integrative Psychotherapy & SEND Legal Support in Warlingham, Oxted and online with Aurelija Mulier, an integrative psychotherapist and BACP registered member.

07/07/2026

The silent trauma of being a SEND parent...

So much of what SEND parents carry goes unseen.
The endless meetings. The emails. The phone calls. The battles with the system. The constant worry about your child, your family, and what tomorrow might bring.

You keep going because you have to. But inside, you may be feeling exhausted, burnt out, overwhelmed, and hopeless. You question your decisions, your reactions, and sometimes even yourself.

If this feels familiar, please know you are not alone.
You don't always need another parenting course or another professional telling you what to do. Sometimes what you need most is a safe space where you can simply be heard, understood, and supported.

As both an integrative psychotherapist and someone who understands the emotional weight of navigating the SEND journey, I offer a compassionate, non-judgemental therapeutic space where you can lay down some of that burden.

Sessions are available at Ingledale Therapy Centre in Oxted or through Walk and Talk Therapy, where the gentle rhythm of walking can make it easier to process difficult thoughts and emotions.
You deserve support too. ❤️

02/07/2026

Grief touches all of us.

Death is inevitable, but the pain it leaves behind is deeply personal. Grief is messy. It doesn't follow a timeline, and it isn't something to be fixed—it is something to be felt.

If you are grieving, be gentle with yourself. Give your body rest, your heart compassion, and your soul whatever it needs today.
🤍

19/06/2026

Key aspects of reaching a regulated ADHD state include:

Symptom Management: therapy, and lifestyle changes to lower hyperactivity, impulsivity, and inattention.

Emotional Control: Minimizing Deficient Emotional Self-Regulation (DESR)—the ADHD hallmark of reacting intensely to stressors or criticism.

Optimal Brain Function: Compensating for differences in the prefrontal cortex so the brain can better "brake" impulses and sustain attention.

07/05/2026

Working in hospice has taught me that conversations about death, dying, and grief are also conversations about love, connection, and what it means to be human.

Not all are easy, but talking gently about these things can help us cope with impermanence and hold each other a little closer.

Sometimes I wonder:
Have you ever thought about what songs, if any, you would want played at your funeral?
Which melodies hold your memories, your love, your story?

And when conversations about death arise — your own, or the loss of someone you love — do they feel frightening, comforting, distant, or strangely peaceful?

There is no right way to feel.
Only the quiet invitation to reflect, to share, and to remember that these conversations, too, are part of life.

06/05/2026

Just back from a powerful Wild Therapy weekend near Hastings 🌿

Stepping out of the therapy room and into the woods brought a whole new depth to the work — through movement, nature, and connection.

Grateful for the practices, the horses, the laughter and tears, and all the brave therapists who shared this experience together 🌲✨

06/05/2026

Join us in our campaign for emotionally healthy schools - sign the pledge.
We want to campaign for an education system that equips children and young people to develop with the emotional and interpersonal skills to thrive in life.
Learning shouldn't be just about things 'out there'. Our young people also need to learn about how they work and about how they can contribute to individual and collective wellbeing. https://emotionally-healthy-schools.org/pledge?fbclid=IwY2xjawRoA_JleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEe8OIhBg5wDI2USoHFgO1Ohm-zfVXq8ASDZH7oQk51gTCOXWe_oVWY221juf0_aem_DG9kjZcvKnHrE1i_1lTRZA

Nine commitments to make every school an emotionally healthy school. Add your name and join the movement.

23/03/2026

✨📚 Reading for Resilience 📚✨
Starting this Friday at The Story Sanctuary Croydon, we’re creating a calm, welcoming space for home educated and EOTAS young people aged 11–16 to come together through stories.
This is a relaxed, youth-led group where there’s no pressure to read out loud or speak — you can join in as much or as little as feels right for you. Together, we’ll explore books that reflect real life, helping young people make sense of emotions, identity, and resilience in a gentle and supportive way.
Led by an experienced young people’s psychotherapist, the group offers a safe space to feel heard, build confidence, and connect with others at your own pace.
You don’t need to be a confident reader. You don’t need to have the right words. Just come as you are — that is enough.
📍 Join us this Friday https://thestorysanctuary.org.uk/event/reading-for-resilience-11-16-yr-olds/2026-03-27/?fbclid=IwY2xjawQuG-FleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETAxQlZMellYTDROcFlRR2t2c3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHrGGCMhpryf0vuPtH8YavVuQI-6zU-7eo13eWYkEzUgVQJYdikZkQltZnXJ9_aem_aKldKR_Ke3TKhrUHYqhFCA