Emma C Counselling & Coaching

15/09/2026

Have you ever achieved something you worked really hard for… and then immediately wondered whether you somehow fooled everyone into thinking you were more capable than you really are?

You get the job, the promotion, the qualification, the good feedback — and instead of thinking, “I earned this”, part of you thinks, “They’ve overestimated me.”

That’s what my latest blog is about.

Not “imposter syndrome” as a diagnosis, because it isn’t one, but those very real imposter feelings that can show up even when there is plenty of evidence that you’re actually good at what you do.

I explore where those feelings can come from — perfectionism, criticism, neurodivergence, marginalisation, disability, workplace culture and the pressure to constantly prove yourself.

Because sometimes the problem isn’t that you lack ability.

Sometimes your confidence just hasn’t caught up with the evidence yet.

One line I keep coming back to is:

There’s a difference between “I’m not ready” and “I don’t feel ready”. Those two sentences can lead to very different careers.

My latest blog is now live:

Why Do I Feel Like a Fraud When I’m Actually Good at What I Do? Understanding Imposter Feelings at Work

🔗 Link in bio

08/09/2026

We talk a lot about resilience.

How to build it. Strengthen it. Become better at coping. And, occasionally, attend a lunchtime wellbeing webinar about it while simultaneously answering emails and wondering when exactly we were supposed to eat. 😅

But I think there’s another question we don’t ask often enough:

Why is this situation requiring so much resilience in the first place?

Sometimes we genuinely do need better boundaries, different coping strategies or more confidence in how we manage difficult situations.

But sometimes the workload is unrealistic. The environment isn’t working. Reasonable adjustments are needed. We’re continually overriding our own capacity. Or we’ve become so good at appearing capable that nobody — including us — has stopped to consider what that performance is actually costing.

This is particularly relevant for neurodivergent, disabled and chronically ill people, who may already spend an enormous amount of energy adapting.

My latest blog explores burnout, resilience and the difference between learning how to cope better… and recognising when something actually needs to change.

Maybe You Don’t Need More Resilience. Maybe Something Needs to Change.

One question I think is worth asking:

Am I struggling because I need more support and better strategies — or have I become exceptionally good at surviving something that isn’t sustainable?

🔗 Link in bio

01/09/2026

Why do we sometimes miss people who hurt us?

It can feel confusing, even embarrassing. You know the relationship wasn’t good for you. You remember the hurt, the inconsistency, the manipulation or the way you gradually stopped trusting yourself.

And yet… you still miss them.

That doesn’t necessarily mean you want them back. It doesn’t mean the relationship was healthy. And it certainly doesn’t mean the harm wasn’t real.

Sometimes we’re grieving the person we thought they were, the version of the relationship we kept hoping would return, or the future we imagined we were going to have.

In my latest blog, I explore why attachment can linger after unhealthy or emotionally abusive relationships, why “closure” can become such a powerful fixation, and why recovery may eventually involve becoming less interested in understanding them and more interested in understanding you.

One thought I keep coming back to is this:

Maybe closure isn’t the moment they finally say the right thing. Maybe it’s the point where you realise you no longer need them to.

My latest blog is now live:

Why Do I Still Miss Someone Who Treated Me Badly?

🔗 Link in bio

18/08/2026

Do you ever know exactly what you need to do… but still can’t seem to make yourself do it?

The email needs replying to. The appointment needs booking. The washing has been sitting there long enough that it may now legally qualify as furniture.

You haven’t forgotten. In fact, you’ve probably thought about it 47 times already today.

This is something I hear a lot from neurodivergent adults, and it can very quickly turn into: Why am I like this? Why can’t I just get on with things? Am I lazy?

My latest blog looks at what might actually be happening in that gap between knowing, wanting and doing — from executive functioning and ADHD to perfectionism, anxiety, overwhelm, burnout and simply not having enough capacity.

Because sometimes we spend an enormous amount of energy trying to solve an overload problem with a discipline solution.

And perhaps a more useful question than “What’s wrong with me?” is:

“What is making this particular thing so difficult to start?”

I’ve written more about it in my latest blog:

Why Do I Know Exactly What I Need to Do — But Still Can’t Make Myself Do It?

🔗 Link in bio

01/08/2026

You can be strong, capable and resilient—and still reach a point where you’re no longer sure who you are or what comes next.

Sometimes confidence doesn’t disappear because we lack ability. It can become buried beneath caring for others, managing our health, masking our needs or trying to meet expectations that no longer fit.

Perhaps you’ve become a single mum, experienced separation, returned to work, reached burnout, begun navigating disability or neurodivergence, or realised that the life or career you once planned no longer feels right.

You may look as though you’re coping while privately wondering:

What about me?
What do I actually want now?
Where do I begin?

As a BACP-accredited psychotherapist and ICF-trained coach, I’m preparing to open the first round of a complimentary coaching initiative for women navigating significant life or career change.

Across three online coaching sessions, held over approximately six to eight weeks, we’ll work through:

✨ RECONNECT
Understand where you are now, what has changed and what may be keeping you stuck.

✨ REDISCOVER
Recognise your strengths, needs, values and priorities—and separate what you genuinely want from what you feel you should want.

✨ REBUILD
Turn that clarity into practical, manageable next steps that respect your responsibilities, energy and circumstances.

This first round will include three complimentary places. Each participant will receive:

• Three 60-minute one-to-one sessions
• Personalised reflections and relevant resources
• One agreed email check-in between sessions
• A practical way-forward plan
• No obligation to continue afterwards

This is coaching rather than therapy, and a brief suitability conversation will take place before places are confirmed.

Three conversations won’t transform an entire life. But they can create space to hear yourself again, recognise what you already bring and move forward with greater clarity, confidence and self-trust.

DM me the word RECONNECT to join the priority list. I’ll send the full details and application information when places open 💛

19/07/2026

18/07/2026

Consider this my proper reintroduction 👋🏼

I’m Emma — a BACP-accredited psychotherapist, EMDR practitioner and ICF-trained coach.

I have an ADHD brain with plenty of tabs open, I’m a shameless metaphor queen, and I don’t believe professionalism requires pretending to be a perfectly polished human.

My work sits at the intersection of mental health, trauma, neurodivergence, disability, chronic illness and work.

In therapy, I support people navigating anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, low self-worth, chronic illness, disability and recovery from narcissistic or emotional abuse.

In coaching, I work particularly with neurodivergent, disabled and chronically ill professionals around burnout, executive functioning, workplace pressure, confidence, boundaries, self-advocacy, returning to work and sustainable career development.

Across both, my approach is warm, direct, trauma-informed, neuro-affirming, anti-oppressive and culturally attuned.

I’m not here to treat you as a problem to fix or push you towards somebody else’s version of healing or success. We make space for your experiences, your goals and what your mind, body and circumstances can genuinely sustain.

These are some of the areas I specialise in — not a checklist you need to fit before reaching out.

I offer online therapy and coaching, and I also welcome enquiries from organisations looking for psychologically informed, confidential coaching for their staff.

What brought you to my page — therapy, coaching, or a bit of both?

04/06/2026

36 today 🩷♊️🌸

Apparently I’m now at an age where my back hurts for no reason and I get excited about a good parking space.

Looking back, 35 was a big year.

Professionally, I qualified as a Clinical Supervisor, became an EMDR Practitioner, completed my Professional Coaching Diploma, and started working towards ICF accreditation.

Personally?

I survived.

And honestly, that feels like the bigger achievement.

This year brought challenges I never expected, alongside continuing to navigate the grief of losing my dad. It wasn’t always pretty, graceful, or inspiring. Sometimes it was simply getting through the next hour, the next day, the next week.

But I’m still here.

Still learning.
Still growing.
Still showing up.
Still refusing to let life have the final word.

As I head into 36, I’m excited to continue developing my coaching skills, supporting more neurodivergent clients, and starting training in couples therapy.

Mostly though, I’m grateful.

For the people who stood beside me.
For the opportunities I’ve been given.
And for another trip around the sun.

36 looks pretty good from here ✨

11/03/2026

A lot of ADHD productivity struggles are framed as a motivation problem.

But often the issue is not effort.
It’s that the strategies people are taught don’t match how their brain actually works.

Rigid routines, long lists, and “just focus” advice can leave people feeling worse, not better.

Over time that often creates shame, self-doubt, and the belief that they’re somehow failing at things that seem easy for everyone else.

This is one of the reasons neurodivergent coaching can be so helpful — because the goal isn’t to force you into someone else’s system. It’s to build one that works with your brain.

09/03/2026

One of the hardest things about being “high functioning” is that people often only see the output, not the cost.

They see that you’re capable.
They don’t see the overthinking, masking, exhaustion, or pressure underneath it.

A lot of neurodivergent adults become very good at appearing okay while privately struggling to keep everything together.

That doesn’t mean they’re thriving.
It often means they’ve had to become incredibly adaptive.

Coaching can help create more sustainable ways of working, living, and supporting yourself.