The Harton Practice

24/07/2026

17/07/2026

☀️ SCHOOL HOLIDAYS ARE HERE ☀️

And there’s no better time to start CBT

With fewer school pressures and more space in the week, the summer holidays can be a great opportunity for your child or teen to understand what’s keeping them stuck and learn new ways to cope.

CBT is a structured, evidence-based therapy that helps young people understand the link between their thoughts, feelings and behaviours. It’s about learning practical tools, facing fears gradually and building skills they can use long after therapy ends.

CBT can help teens with difficulties such as:

✨ Social Anxiety

Building confidence and reducing fears of judgement, embarrassment or avoidance.

✨ General Anxiety & Worry

Learning how to manage “what if” thoughts and uncertainty.

✨ OCD

Understanding the OCD cycle and reducing compulsions and reassurance seeking.

📅 Available Wednesdays & Fridays
Limited availability remaining.

03/07/2026

A reflection from our therapy team about something that often comes up in sessions.

People will sometimes say they feel clearer after a session, even when nothing new has been added by a therapist. This can feel surprising, particularly when there has already been a lot of discussion with family or friends about the same issue.

What often makes the difference is not new advice or direction, but the space therapy creates to think without outside opinions or pressure. In that space, it can become easier to slow down and make sense of what is already known.

This can challenge a common assumption that therapy is about the therapist providing answers or deciding what is right. While therapy is informed by psychological theory, research and clinical training, it is not about the therapist holding authority over a person’s life.

At Harton Practice, therapy is understood as a collaborative process that supports reflection, understanding and trust in your own judgement.

It also matters that therapy does not rely on the therapist being positioned as someone who has everything figured out. Therapists are human, and the work is not dependent on perfection. For many people, that is part of what makes the process feel different.

28/06/2026

This post is for the person who never thought it was talking about them.

You hold down a good job, have the nice car, the family home, the holidays, the 2.4 children. You’re the one everyone thinks has it all together and the one your colleagues aspire to be.

But habits don’t care what your salary is.For many professionals, alcohol becomes the way to switch off, and co***ne becomes the way to switch back on. Shame keeps the cycle going, and also prevents you from accessing help at traditional addiction services, believing you don’t need that help because you’re not ‘bad enough’

Not because you don’t want help, but because walking into an addiction service can feel impossible when you’re terrified someone might see you. When you’re worried about your career, your reputation, or what people might think.

That’s why we do things differently.

We offer confidential appointments in the evenings, on Saturdays and Sundays, so you don’t have to explain an afternoon off work or put yourself in a situation that feels exposing.

If you’ve been telling yourself, “People like me don’t have addiction problems,” this is your reminder that people like you do. And we see it all of the time.

And people like you deserve support that recognises your life, protects your privacy, and meets you where you are.

📞 Ready to start your sober journey? Contact for a free consultation with Kieran to discuss further, visit website in bio.

22/06/2026

They’re still here, but something feels different. Sometimes it’s illness, addiction, dementia, emotional distance — and sometimes it’s relational change where boundaries have been placed to protect wellbeing. Slowly, you realise the relationship you once knew has shifted in a way you can’t easily name.

This is often called ambiguous loss — where there’s no clear ending, no goodbye, and no recognised space to grieve. Because of that, people can end up questioning their own reaction, feeling guilty for struggling, or telling themselves they “shouldn’t” feel this way.

But grief isn’t only about death. It can be about change, absence within presence, and the loss of the connection you once had or hoped for.

This is where Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) can be a helpful addition to traditional counselling approaches in supporting emotional wellbeing and change. ACT focuses on making space for painful thoughts and feelings rather than fighting them, while gently supporting people to reconnect with what matters to them, even in the presence of grief. In the context of loss like this, it can help people move away from getting stuck in struggle with uncertainty, and instead build a different relationship with their experience.

There’s no right way to respond to this kind of loss. But naming it can help make sense of what’s happening internally, and allow space for emotions that often get pushed down or dismissed.

You don’t need permission to grieve what has changed.

20/06/2026

Today we popped down to support a local business Electric Beacon Books , as part of Independent Bookshop Week, and returned with a few new additions for our client library at The Harton Practice.

We’ve chosen a selection of non-fiction books that encourage curiosity, invite reflection, and offer different perspectives on the world around us. The library is available for clients to browse and borrow, whether to support their therapeutic journey or simply to explore new ideas and lived experiences.

Our latest additions include:

📚 A View From Down Here by Lucy Webster
An insightful and thought-provoking exploration of life as a disabled woman in Britain, challenging assumptions and encouraging readers to view the world through a different lens.

📚 I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy
A candid memoir exploring family relationships, identity, childhood pressures, and the process of finding autonomy and self-understanding.

📚 Strong Female Character by Fern Brady
A powerful and often humorous account of Fern’s experience of growing up autistic without knowing it, offering valuable insights into neurodiversity, belonging, and self-acceptance.

At The Harton Practice, we believe growth is supported when we are able to be curious. Curiosity helps us move beyond assumptions, explore different perspectives, and develop a deeper understanding of ourselves and others. Reading can be a valuable way to nurture that curiosity, offering opportunities for reflection and new ways of seeing the world.

A big thank you to Electric Beacon Books for helping us build a library that we hope will continue to inspire our clients, one book at a time. 📚💙

08/06/2026

As parents, it can be difficult to know where to turn when something doesn’t feel quite right.

Whether you’re concerned about your child’s emotions, behaviour, relationships, school experience, or development, getting the right support can make all the difference.

At The Harton Practice, we offer a range of specialist services to support children, young people and their families, including:

✔️ Assessment for referral to CYPS
✔️ ASD screening
✔️ Family sessions
✔️ EMDR therapy
✔️ Liaison with schools and multi-professional teams
✔️ Art psychotherapy

Every child is unique, which is why support is tailored to their individual needs, strengths and circumstances.

If you’re wondering whether support could help your child, we’d be happy to discuss the options available and help you find the right fit.

📩 Get in touch to find out more via our website, socials or call 📞

03/06/2026

Often in sessions people say it feels so much easier after therapy—like untangling a ball of wool. And then real life kicks back in.

Let’s be clear… shifting from thinking and feeling into doing can feel like going from GCSE level understanding to PhD level application.

And in the middle of a busy week, the mind has a tendency to zoom in on what hasn’t been done, what’s still left, or how things feel like they’re “not going well enough.” It’s rarely neutral—it’s often critical.

So as we reach the middle of the week, here are a few simple reframes:

1. To-do list → priority list
Not everything belongs today. What actually matters today?

2. “I’ll start next week” → “What’s one small thing I can do today?” You don’t need perfect motivation—small steps still count. Just because you haven’t done it so far this week.. don’t wait until next.

3. “I should keep going” → “What is my body asking for?”
Rest isn’t laziness. It’s regulation. Notice what comes up when you pause. Does it feel uncomfortable? What does this feeling remind you of?

Sometimes the shift isn’t doing more… it’s seeing differently what is already happening.

‼️Save this as a reminder for your midweek mood critic

30/05/2026

🤔This quote speaks to something many of us experience in relationships.

We are often drawn to people whose strengths complement our own. The calm person may be attracted to someone spontaneous. The planner may admire someone who lives in the moment. The nurturer may be drawn to someone independent.

Yet during times of stress, those very differences can become sources of frustration. We can find ourselves wishing the other person would think, feel, or respond more like we do.

Understanding these dynamics can help us move from blame to curiosity. Instead of asking, “Why aren’t they more like me?” we might ask, “What can I learn from this difference?”

Sometimes our greatest relationship challenges point us towards parts of ourselves that are still growing.