The Empathic Therapist

The Empathic Therapist Person-centred counsellor in Stirling, offering in-person and online counselling internationally. BACP registered.

Compassionate, professional support for grief, loss, emotional wellbeing, and life changes.

I sometimes use this mask exercise with clients when it feels appropriate, but today I decided to turn the mirror on mys...
02/09/2026

I sometimes use this mask exercise with clients when it feels appropriate, but today I decided to turn the mirror on myself.

On the front of the mask, I wrote some of the positive things I see in myself on a good day, or that I think other people might see when they look at me.

Strong. Capable. Friendly. Confident. Determined. Loved. I am enough.

Then I turned the mask over and wrote down some of the things my inner critic says to me on a bad day.

These are mine.

I did the same exercise when I was training, and what surprised me was how much easier, and quicker, it was to fill the inside of the mask. Interesting.

Those words came quickly. I’m not good enough. I’m not worthy. People will realise I don’t know what I’m talking about. Why did you say that? You’re lazy. You’re weak.

The inner critic can be loud, convincing and vicious. The words we say to ourselves are designed to hurt, to have maximum impact. Can you ever imagine using those words against someone you love? I think not.

These words are strong because we’ve spent years listening to them. Thought patterns which are born from negative experiences throughout our lives.

I am reminded that being aware of my inner critic doesn’t mean I don’t have one. I’m human too. What I can do is notice when it shows up, reflect on where those words are coming from, and question whether they really belong to me. When those words do sneak into my consciousness, I like to tell them to “F*** off!”

If you were to turn your own mask over, I wonder what your inner critic might be saying behind it?

Affirmation of the day:

“It’s only a thought, and a thought can be changed.” 💛 Louise Hay

Understanding and Living with Grief 💛Today is National Grief Awareness Day and we’d like to share something that can sup...
30/08/2026

Understanding and Living with Grief 💛

Today is National Grief Awareness Day and we’d like to share something that can support you in your grief journey.

A FREE 1-hour webinar for anyone navigating loss.

Grief touches every one of us at some point, yet it’s rarely something we’re taught how to understand, let alone live with. In this hour-long session, we’ll explore what grief really is (and what it isn’t), different types, why it doesn’t follow a neat, linear path, and how it can show up in unexpected ways, emotionally, physically, and in everyday life.

Drawing on psycho-educational and person-centred approaches, this session offers a compassionate, practical space to make sense of loss, whether it’s recent, long-held, or anticipated.

You’ll leave with a clearer understanding of the grieving process, the grief iceberg, and gentle tools to support yourself or someone you love.

Open to all, no experience or prior knowledge needed. Just bring yourself.
More details to follow soon.

Your Hosts:

📌 Anita Guru is an Integrative Psychotherapeutic Counsellor and founder of The Mind Coach who has shared her own experiences with loss and grief. She has supported clients in the counselling and coaching space to work through grief.

📌 Lynn Guthrie is a person-centred counsellor and founder of The Empathic Therapist, with a particular interest in grief and bereavement. She supports people experiencing bereavement as well as the many other forms of loss that can affect our lives.

📅 Monday 5th October
🕰️ 7:30pm BST
💻 Online
💲 FREE

Today is National Grief Awareness Day.When we think about grief, we often think about the death of someone we know. But ...
30/08/2026

Today is National Grief Awareness Day.

When we think about grief, we often think about the death of someone we know. But grief can come from many different kinds of loss.

The end of a relationship. A friendship. A job or career. Changes to our health. Losing a home. Estrangement from family. A future we thought we were going to have. Even a change we chose for ourselves can leave us grieving what we’ve left behind.

And even with bereavement, we can find ourselves questioning whether we deserve to feel the way we do. Perhaps it happened years ago. Perhaps the relationship was complicated. Perhaps other people don’t understand why the loss has affected us so deeply.

We can be very quick to minimise our own grief by comparing it with somebody else’s. There will always be someone who may seem worse off than you, but grief isn’t a competition, and there is no right or wrong way to grieve.

This National Grief Awareness Day, perhaps part of raising awareness is recognising that there is more to grieve than death.

Your loss matters because it matters to you.

Affirmation of the day:
"My grief matters." 💗

There are days when a tree is just waiting to be hugged... 🌿Affirmation of the day:"Connecting with nature feeds my soul...
29/08/2026

There are days when a tree is just waiting to be hugged... 🌿

Affirmation of the day:
"Connecting with nature feeds my soul."

I was in my local train station earlier and came across this ‘mental health bench’.What a thing.The station was busy, wi...
25/08/2026

I was in my local train station earlier and came across this ‘mental health bench’.

What a thing.

The station was busy, with people focused on where they needed to get to, and yet here was this space, a place to catch our breath.

We could be doing with these little pockets of peace everywhere!

A big shout-out to Samaritans, ANDYSMANCLUB and ScotRail for doing their bit to support positive mental health.

Please never feel that you are alone with your thoughts. There is always someone waiting to listen. 💛

Affirmation of the day:
"I give myself permission to pause."

I was talking about grief recently and found myself using the analogy of something frozen beginning to thaw.In the early...
15/08/2026

I was talking about grief recently and found myself using the analogy of something frozen beginning to thaw.

In the early days, weeks or even months after someone dies, shock can leave us feeling numb or disconnected from what has happened. We might go through the motions, do what needs to be done and wonder why we aren’t feeling what we think we should be feeling.

Then, sometimes, the numbness begins to thaw.

The feelings that weren’t even a consideration at the beginning can start to surface. Anger, guilt, pain, longing and so much more can suddenly feel much closer to the surface. It can be confusing, especially if you felt you were “coping better” before, when, in fact, it’s possible that you were surviving.

You might even wonder why you seem to be feeling worse as more time passes.

Grief isn’t linear, though, and feeling more emotions doesn’t necessarily mean you’re moving backwards. Sometimes it means you’re beginning to feel what shock may have protected you from when everything was simply too much.

I created this visual after that conversation because I think it’s something we don’t talk about enough. We often expect grief to become easier as time passes, but sometimes the reality of a loss only begins to sink in when the numbness starts to thaw.

There is no right time for that to happen and no right way to feel when it does.

Affirmation of the day:
“I give myself permission to feel whatever comes in my own time.” 🤍

Why The Empathic Therapist?I’ve noticed quite a few new faces around here recently, so I thought I’d introduce myself. I...
11/08/2026

Why The Empathic Therapist?

I’ve noticed quite a few new faces around here recently, so I thought I’d introduce myself. I’m Lynn, and I’m the person behind The Empathic Therapist.

People sometimes ask why I chose that name.

Empathy is at the heart of person-centred counselling and, for me, it’s a huge part of being alongside someone when they’re struggling. But there’s another reason too. Long before I became a counsellor, I was a client.

Counselling helped me through some really difficult times in my life. It gave me somewhere I could turn up exactly as I was. I didn’t need to have the right words or know where to start. Some days I cried. Some days I laughed. Some days I shouted and swore...a lot! This is why I tell my clients that I’m happy with all of the above, because I never felt shamed when I was at my lowest points.

That’s one of the reasons I became a counsellor.

I know how hard it can be to walk into a counselling room for the first time, and I also know what a difference it can make when you feel accepted just as you are.

You’ll probably notice that I like to keep things simple on this page. Whether I’m talking about grief, anxiety, relationships or life changing in ways we never expected, I try to use plain language. Emotional struggles are hard enough without making them sound more complicated than they need to be.

My interpretation of the Grief Iceberg has brought so many of you here recently, and I honestly never imagined it would resonate with so many people. I think that’s because we’ve all had moments where we’ve felt one thing on the inside and shown something completely different on the outside. That’s why I share the things I do. Sometimes having the right words can help us make sense of what we’re feeling.

So, whether you’ve been here for a while or you’ve only just found this page, welcome! I’m really glad you’re here.

Lynn 💖

Affirmation of the day:

“I am allowed to show up exactly as I am.”

I felt the need to pick a card from my Inner Child Oracle deck this morning by Amanda Lynn Aisling 🦋 and the nature card...
10/08/2026

I felt the need to pick a card from my Inner Child Oracle deck this morning by Amanda Lynn Aisling 🦋 and the nature card showed up. I had been feeling a pull all weekend, like my whole being knew just what I needed.

This is where I ended up, five minutes away from my home. I needed peace, and nature never fails to deliver.

Donna Ashworth Soul Message this week is to be with nature, and it’s spot on for me. 🌿

Affirmation of the day:
"The universe provides me with what I need at the right moment. All is well in my world."

I’ve been wondering…Why is it that I’ll happily set an alarm to watch the sunrise on holiday? But I’d never dream of doi...
08/08/2026

I’ve been wondering…

Why is it that I’ll happily set an alarm to watch the sunrise on holiday? But I’d never dream of doing it at home.

I don’t know whether it’s because life feels slower when I’m away or because I finally give myself permission to stop and notice what’s around me.

The funny thing is, the sunrise is there every morning. Yet the lure of hitting snooze for the third time before a busy day is always so appealing. Cue a sluggish start to the day.

Note to self: Put an end to revenge bedtime procrastination, go to bed earlier, and watch the next sunrise!

Affirmation of the day:
"I make time for the moments that help me feel calm, present and alive."

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Stirling

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