Counselling with Lucy

24/04/2026

Be honest. When did you last sit with a difficult feeling instead of reaching for your phone, pouring a drink, or finding something urgent to do? Most of us are much better at avoiding emotions than we realise. New blog out this week on spotting the signs and what to actually do about it. Link below. And if you'd like posts like this straight to your inbox, you can sign up at counsellingwithlucy.co.uk

10/04/2026

Really pleased to share that I've now achieved BACP accreditation. It has been a long time coming. The process was challenging and reflective, but I'm proud to have pushed myself to reach this next milestone in my counselling journey.

13/03/2026

Mother's Day is almost here, and I have been thinking a lot about how different this Sunday feels for different people.

For some it is joyful and straightforward. For others it brings up grief, complicated feelings, a sense of not quite fitting into the version of the day the world puts on display. Loss of a mother. Loss of a child. Estrangement. Infertility. Or simply the feeling of not belonging to the neat, ribbon-tied story.

I have written a blog exploring all of it. Including something I feel strongly about: that mothering yourself through a hard situation is something worth celebrating too. 💛



Read the full blog here:

Every year, as March rolls around, the shop windows fill up. The cards, the flowers, the pastel gift sets with their neat little bows. The adverts show smiling women in dressing gowns being handed breakfast in bed, children with paint-smudged hands clutching wonky homemade cards. And for lots of peo...

13/01/2026

A new year can really highlight the ways we have been getting through. For some of us that might mean drinking more than we feel comfortable with, using food to cope or feeling increasingly distant from ourselves and the people around us.

In my new blog, I look at self-neglect and the idea that the opposite of neglect might actually be self-connection. It is about what connection can look like in everyday life and how small, kind choices towards ourselves can begin to shift long-standing patterns.

If this feels familiar for you, or for someone you care about, you are very welcome to have a read and share it. Comments are welcome. https://www.counsellingwithlucy.co.uk/post/when-self-neglect-speaks-louder-than-words

A new year can bring a strange mix of hope and pressure. There is often an expectation to reinvent yourself, to set bold intentions, to become a “better” version of who you are. Yet for many people, January arrives with something quieter and more complicated: exhaustion from getting through the ...

04/12/2025

Have you ever felt unsure if you’re “allowed” to grieve an ex-partner? You’re not alone. These losses can feel invisible, yet they can be deeply affecting – especially when children and shared history are involved.

In a new blog for National Grief Awareness Week, I explore mourning an ex-partner and the complex, often hidden grief that can follow. Your feelings matter, however mixed they are.

🌿 Read more here: https://www.counsellingwithlucy.co.uk/post/national-grief-awareness-week-mourning-an-ex-partner-the-grief-we-don-t-speak-about

During National Grief Awareness Week, with its focus on “Growing with Grief,” it’s important to recognise all the ways loss changes us, including the often unspoken grief after the death of an ex-partner. Whether this was your first love, the parent of your child, or someone from a past chapte...

01/12/2025

As National Grief Awareness Week begins, I wanted to talk about something many people carry quietly: the impact of sudden death. When someone dies without warning, there’s often no time to prepare, no chance to say goodbye, and a lot of shock, guilt and “what ifs”. In this new blog, I look at how sudden loss can feel in everyday life and share links to supportive services for those living with bereavement and su***de loss. If this is part of your story, you are not alone.

As National Grief Awareness Week begins, I want to bring up the difficult topic of sudden death. Those moments when life changes in an instant, with no warning and no chance to prepare. Sudden death can feel like the ground has opened beneath you, life one minute, gone the next and with no time to s...

27/11/2025

Being alone at Christmas can be full of mixed feelings – a bit of relief, a lot of pressure, and for some people, a heavy sense of embarrassment or shame. It’s hard to talk about, especially when the world seems to be shouting about family, fun and togetherness.

In this new blog, I look at what can sit under those feelings and how you might start to be more honest and kind with yourself if Christmas looks different for you this year. If this resonates, you’re very much not the only one.

https://www.counsellingwithlucy.co.uk/post/lonely-at-christmas-why-it-doesn-t-feel-like-it-is-a-wonderful-life

If you’ve ever watched the movie, It’s a Wonderful Life, you might remember the scene where George Bailey ends up alone on a bridge on Christmas Eve, convinced he has let everyone down and that the world would be better off without him. The film eventually shows him how connected he really is, b...

21/11/2025

Did you catch Jonathan Bailey with Elmo? Their simple message about taking a break really struck me. With Christmas rushing in, I wanted to share my new blog (from Counselling with Lucy) all about the value of doing nothing and resting - no guilt required! If you feel overwhelmed, come take a breath with me.

https://www.counsellingwithlucy.co.uk/post/finding-stillness-lessons-from-elmo-and-jonathan-bailey

As life gets hectic in the run-up to Christmas, it can be all too easy to forget the power of simply stepping back. Taking a moment, as seen in Jonathan Bailey’s touching “Sesame Street” exchange with Elmo, is a simple but profound act: pausing to breathe, reflect, and just be, no matter what....

14/11/2025

Good Divorce Week is a reminder that even when relationships end, kindness and care still matter.

This time of year can stir up reflection and emotion - especially before January’s “Blue Monday.” If you’re going through a separation, co-parenting, or simply feeling the strain of the season, you might find some gentle insights and practical steps in my latest post:

Good Divorce Week: Reflecting Before Blue Monday

When the colder months roll in, many of us start to look back on the year that was. For those going through separation or thinking about divorce, these weeks are rarely easy. Good Divorce Week, which happens at the end of November, gently nudges us to pause and ask: What could a kinder, healthier ap...

17/10/2025

When John Bishop says, “I don’t see why that’s so hard for people to get their head around,” about his son coming out, it’s meant to reassure. Yet for many parents, acceptance isn’t quite that straightforward — and that’s okay. My new blog talks about the real, sometimes messy feelings that surface when your child comes out, from pride and love to grief and guilt. If this sounds familiar, or if you just want to understand the journey, there’s support here for you. Read on and let me know what resonates.

https://www.counsellingwithlucy.co.uk/post/when-your-teen-or-adult-child-comes-out-understanding-the-grief-behind-acceptance

Comedian John Bishop recently said “I’m just a dad. I’ve got three sons and one of them happens to fancy men. That’s it. I don’t see why that’s so hard for people to get their head around”. His words have been widely praised and understandably so. Many parents wish they felt that same ...

10/10/2025

It’s World Mental Health Day and I’ve written a new blog about why we find it easier to chat about aches and pains—but not so much about what’s weighing on our minds. This piece is all about simple ways we can look out for one another, spark honest conversations, and lead with kindness in our community. Take a moment to read and share with someone who might appreciate it.

World Mental Health Day, marked each year on October 10, reminds us just how essential it is to invest in our mental health and wellbeing. It’s all about creating a culture where it is okay to talk, to ask for help and to support each other as we navigate life’s challenges. The official theme fo...