22/07/2026
A year ago, I used the fairy tale Jack and the Beanstalk as a creative exercise to explore how overwhelmed I felt juggling university, children, family, work, friendships, my health and trying to keep all the plates spinning.
Creative approaches in counselling can help us step back and view our experiences through stories, symbols and images. Sometimes it's easier to understand our struggles when we see them represented outside of ourselves.
In my picture, the beanstalk represented the ever-growing list of demands I was trying to climb. Looking at it helped me realise I wasn't failing, I was simply carrying too much.
What fairy tale best represents your life right now?