Southlake Therapy

Southlake Therapy I am a qualified Humanistic Counsellor working with individuals, couples and young people offering professional psychological support.

"If I just work harder, I'll catch up.""Everyone else seems to cope.""Why can't I?"Many people who experience burnout do...
30/06/2026

"If I just work harder, I'll catch up."

"Everyone else seems to cope."

"Why can't I?"

Many people who experience burnout don't see it coming.

They pride themselves on being reliable, hardworking and always showing up. They keep going, even when they're exhausted.

Until one day, they can't.

I recently read a counsellor's reflection on being a teacher and hearing her GP say the words, "You're burnt out."

Teachers can be particularly vulnerable to burnout. They spend their days managing competing demands, supporting others, carrying responsibility, meeting deadlines and often putting their own needs at the bottom of the list.

But burnout isn't just a teacher problem.

I see similar patterns in professionals, carers, parents, business owners and people who have spent years pushing themselves to keep going.

Some common signs include:

• Feeling constantly depleted
• Changes in sleep
• Feeling overwhelmed by everyday tasks
• Sunday night dread
• Irritability
• Physical symptoms such as headaches, tension or digestive issues
• A loss of enjoyment or fulfilment

Burnout doesn't usually happen because someone isn't coping.

More often, it happens because they've been coping for far too long.

Does any of this sound familiar?

I think there can be a misconception that counsellors somehow have life all figured out.We don't.What we do have is the ...
30/06/2026

I think there can be a misconception that counsellors somehow have life all figured out.

We don't.

What we do have is the training, self-awareness and willingness to sit alongside another human being without judgement.

For me, counselling has always been about creating a space where you don't have to pretend you're okay. You don't need the right words, and you certainly don't need to have everything worked out before you walk through my door.

Sometimes that's where healing begins.

💚 Theresa

A little act of kindness today 💙I recently asked if anyone had a good quality photo of Southlake that I could use on my ...
25/06/2026

A little act of kindness today 💙

I recently asked if anyone had a good quality photo of Southlake that I could use on my website, and this morning a kind member of the Woodley community got their drone out and captured these beautiful images for me.

I feel incredibly lucky to have Southlake on my doorstep. It's where my practice takes its name from, and it's where my dog and I start most mornings with a walk. Being surrounded by nature before the day begins is something I never take for granted.

A huge thank you for your kindness and generosity. I can't wait to use these beautiful photos on my website

One of the most important discoveries from relationship research is that trust sits at the heart of a strong marriage.No...
21/06/2026

One of the most important discoveries from relationship research is that trust sits at the heart of a strong marriage.

Not trust in the big dramatic moments, but trust in the everyday ones.

Can I trust you to be there when I'm upset?

Can I trust you to listen when something matters to me?

Can I trust you to treat me with respect, even when we disagree?

Healthy relationships don't just happen. They are built over time through small moments of connection, care and consistency.

I often compare relationships to a car. Most of us understand that a car needs regular servicing if we want it to keep running well. Relationships are no different. They need attention, maintenance and care, not just when something breaks down.

What is one small thing that helps you feel valued and cared for in a relationship?

Burnout drains us.Support helps us refill.The older I get, the more I realise energy is expensive.Where we place our tim...
28/05/2026

Burnout drains us.
Support helps us refill.

The older I get, the more I realise energy is expensive.

Where we place our time, attention and emotional energy quietly shapes our lives.

Many professionals become so used to coping, pushing through and carrying responsibility that exhaustion starts to feel normal. They keep functioning externally whilst internally feeling drained, detached or overwhelmed.

Burnout does not always look dramatic. Sometimes it looks like:

struggling to switch off
feeling emotionally flat
irritability
losing motivation
constantly feeling “behind”
having nothing left for yourself at the end of the day

Support is not weakness. Sometimes it is the very thing that helps us reconnect with ourselves again.

Part of healing is learning what deserves your energy.Not every comment, opinion or reaction deserves your attention.In ...
26/05/2026

Part of healing is learning what deserves your energy.

Not every comment, opinion or reaction deserves your attention.

In counselling, we often explore the difference between what genuinely needs care, reflection or action… and what has simply become noise, fear or old patterns.

Sometimes growth is learning not to react to everything around you.

www.theresacurtiscounselling.com

The more we avoid difficult emotions, the more those emotions often begin to control us in ways we may not even realise....
25/05/2026

The more we avoid difficult emotions, the more those emotions often begin to control us in ways we may not even realise.

Managing emotions and working through emotions are not always the same thing.

Many approaches, including CBT, can be incredibly helpful for managing thoughts, behaviours and day-to-day coping. And coping matters. Sometimes we need tools simply to get through the day.

But often underneath the coping is still a nervous system carrying fear, grief, shame, anger, hurt or overwhelm.

When emotions feel too much, too unbearable, too disturbing or too intense, we naturally try to get rid of them somehow because the body needs to discharge the tension.

Sometimes that shows up as:
overthinking, staying busy, emotional eating, withdrawing, scrolling, pleasing others, anger, shutting down, numbing, drinking, anxiety or constantly needing control.

The emotion does not disappear.
It often just finds another route out.

Therapy is not about forcing emotions open before you are ready. It is about creating enough safety to begin understanding what sits underneath the coping.

Where do your emotions go when there is no space for them to be felt?

📍Woodley, Berkshire & Online
🌿 www.theresacurtiscounselling.com

Considering counselling does not define your ability to cope with what comes your way….. it reflects a willingness to ex...
25/05/2026

Considering counselling does not define your ability to cope with what comes your way….. it reflects a willingness to explore, to be brave, to experience, to grow and to understand yourself more deeply.

Sometimes reaching out is not about “not coping.”

Sometimes it’s about no longer wanting to carry everything alone.

📍Woodley, Berkshire & Online
📞 Call or text: 07780 163515
🌿 www.theresacurtiscounselling.com

World Health Day 2026 — Together for scienceWe often think of science as something 'out there' — research, data, breakth...
25/05/2026

World Health Day 2026 — Together for science

We often think of science as something 'out there' — research, data, breakthroughs.

But science is also helping us understand something closer to home.

Why we react the way we do.
Why stress lingers in the body.
Why change can feel so hard… even when we want it.

Health isn’t just about fixing.

It’s about understanding.

And sometimes, that’s where things begin to shift.

👉 You don’t have to figure it all out on your own.
This is often the kind of space we create in counselling.

I have been thinking a lot about consistency lately.Not in a I must 'try harder' way… but in a more honest way. Often, i...
06/04/2026

I have been thinking a lot about consistency lately.

Not in a I must 'try harder' way… but in a more honest way. Often, it’s not that we don’t know what to do - it’s that UNCERTAINTY has become familiar.

And when that’s our baseline —
with food, finances, relationships, life —
we can end up overthinking, avoiding,
or even sabotaging the very things we want.

Not because we want to… but because it feels known.

So instead of asking: 'Why can’t I stay consistent?'
Maybe the question becomes:
'Where can I create a little more certainty?'

Something small.
Something steady.
Something you can return to.

Because change doesn’t always come from pushing harder… Sometimes it comes from creating just enough safety to do things differently.

And that’s often where things begin to shift.

www.theresacurtiscounselling.com

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Sandhurst

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