Me But Better Counseling

Me But Better Counseling https://www.amazon.com/author/aretha_kruger

💙 I’m Aretha Kruger, I offer online counseling worldwide (10 AM–2 PM SAST) to help you heal from emotional abuse and narcissistic relationships. 💻 Secure PayPal payments + trusted digital guides.

🌿 I Don't Need to Be Everyone's FavouriteI used to think being a good person meant keeping everyone happy.So I said yes....
19/09/2026

🌿 I Don't Need to Be Everyone's Favourite

I used to think being a good person meant keeping everyone happy.

So I said yes.

I kept quiet.

I avoided conflict.

I worried about what people thought.

And sometimes I put my own needs at the bottom of the list.

But I've learned something important:

I don't need everyone to like me.

I don't need everyone to understand me.

And I definitely don't need to abandon myself just to keep someone else comfortable.

Some people will be disappointed when you start setting boundaries.

Some people will prefer the old version of you.

That's okay.

You're allowed to grow.

You're allowed to change.

You're allowed to choose yourself.

**You don't need to be everyone's favourite.

You need to be someone you can live with.** 🌿

Whether your child needs help, or you need help — I'm here. 🌿Sometimes it's your child.They're struggling with school, f...
19/09/2026

Whether your child needs help, or you need help — I'm here. 🌿

Sometimes it's your child.

They're struggling with school, friendships, bullying, exams or something they just can't seem to talk about with you.

Talk It Through gives children and teens a safe, informal place to start talking.

Sometimes it's you.

You have something on your mind and need to talk it through.

That's Pulse Check.

Maybe you know something needs to change, but you don't know what your next step should be.

That's Strategy Week.

Or perhaps you're ready to rebuild — your confidence, your voice and your sense of yourself.

That's My Rebuild Journey.

And when you need ongoing support, online counselling is available too.

🌿 Talk It Through — R250 / $25
🌿 Pulse Check — R250 / $25
🌿 Strategy Week — R650 / $85
🌿 My Rebuild Journey — R1,200 / $125
🌿 Online counselling — R450 / $30

You don't need to arrive knowing exactly what you need.

You can simply start with a conversation.

📲 WhatsApp me: +27 68 926 5980

Aretha Kruger | Registered Trauma Counsellor
Me But Better Counseling

🌿 I Know What Matters to MeI spent a lot of years making sure everyone else was okay.I knew what they needed.What they w...
18/09/2026

🌿 I Know What Matters to Me

I spent a lot of years making sure everyone else was okay.

I knew what they needed.

What they wanted.

What would make them happy.

But I wasn't always so good at answering one very important question:

What matters to me?

These days, I think about it differently.

My peace matters.

My time matters.

My relationships matter.

My happiness matters.

My voice matters.

And I've learned that I don't have to feel guilty for protecting those things.

Because when you know what matters to you, your choices start to become clearer.

You don't have to live your life according to everyone else's priorities.

You're allowed to have some of your own. 🌿

You know something needs to change. But what do you do next?Sometimes you don't need someone to tell you what decision t...
18/09/2026

You know something needs to change. But what do you do next?

Sometimes you don't need someone to tell you what decision to make.

You need someone to sit with you while you work through the options.

Maybe it's a difficult relationship.

Maybe it's your workplace.

Maybe you need to set a boundary but don't know how.

Maybe you've been stuck in the same cycle for months — knowing you can't continue like this, but not knowing what your next move should be.

That's what Strategy Week is for. 🌿

Seven days of personalised WhatsApp support to help you unpack what's happening, explore your options and work out practical next steps.

You remain in charge of your decisions.

I'm there to help you think, plan and move forward with greater clarity.

Strategy Week | R650 / $85 | 7 days

If you're ready to stop going around in circles and start working out what comes next, send me a WhatsApp.

📲 +27 68 926 5980

Aretha Kruger | Registered Trauma Counsellor
Me But Better Counseling 🌿

🌿 I Know What I Will No Longer AcceptThere comes a point in healing when you realise:“I don't want to live like this any...
17/09/2026

🌿 I Know What I Will No Longer Accept

There comes a point in healing when you realise:

“I don't want to live like this anymore.”

Not because you're angry.

Not because you want revenge.

Because you've finally understood what it costs you to keep accepting the same things.

Disrespect.

Constant criticism.

Walking on eggshells.

Having your feelings dismissed.

Giving and giving while receiving the bare minimum.

Making yourself smaller to keep someone else comfortable.

No.

Some things simply don't belong in your next chapter.

And you are allowed to decide what those things are.

**Knowing your limits isn't selfish.

It's self-respect.** 🌿

Sometimes your child will tell everyone except you.And that can really hurt as a parent.But it doesn't necessarily mean ...
17/09/2026

Sometimes your child will tell everyone except you.

And that can really hurt as a parent.

But it doesn't necessarily mean they don't trust you.

Sometimes it's simply easier to talk to someone who isn't their parent.

Maybe they're struggling with:

🌿 School pressure
🌿 Exams
🌿 Friendship problems
🌿 Bullying
🌿 Feeling left out
🌿 Family changes
🌿 Something they don't know how to put into words

That's why I created Talk It Through.

A simple, informal 2-day WhatsApp support option for children and teens who need somewhere safe to talk.

It's not therapy or diagnosis.

It's a space to talk, be heard and start making sense of what's bothering them.

💬 R250 / $25 for 2 days

If your child is finding it difficult to talk to you, they may simply need a different starting point.

📲 WhatsApp: +27 68 926 5980

Aretha Kruger | Registered Trauma Counsellor
Me But Better Counseling 🌿

🌿 I Trust My Own VoiceHave you ever asked so many people for their opinions that you couldn't hear your own anymore?I ha...
16/09/2026

🌿 I Trust My Own Voice

Have you ever asked so many people for their opinions that you couldn't hear your own anymore?

I have.

For years, I second-guessed myself.

Maybe they're right.
Maybe I'm overreacting.
Maybe I should just keep the peace.

But healing changes things.

I'm learning that I can listen to advice without abandoning my own instincts.

I can change my mind.

I can make a decision others don't understand.

And I can trust myself enough to know that if I get it wrong, I'll figure it out.

**I don't need to be certain all the time.

I just need to trust myself enough to take the next step.** 🌿

🌿 Maybe you're not looking for another person to tell you what you should do.Maybe you're just ready to start figuring o...
16/09/2026

🌿 Maybe you're not looking for another person to tell you what you should do.

Maybe you're just ready to start figuring out what you want for yourself.

Rebuilding can be messy.

You might not know exactly where you're going.
You might still be healing from what happened.
You might still be finding your voice.

And that's okay.

You don't have to have the whole plan before you begin.

My Rebuild Journey is personalised WhatsApp support for women who are ready to start rebuilding — at their own pace, from wherever they are right now.

We look at where you are, what you're facing and what your next step could be.
Together.

🌿 You don't have to rebuild your whole life overnight. You just have to start.

If you're ready to begin, send me a WhatsApp.

📲 +27 68 926 5980

Aretha Kruger | Registered Trauma Counsellor
Me But Better Counseling

🌿 l Know Myself NowThere was a time when I cared more about whether everyone else was happy with me than whether I was h...
15/09/2026

🌿 l Know Myself Now

There was a time when I cared more about whether everyone else was happy with me than whether I was happy with myself.

I questioned my decisions.
I overthought everything.
I wanted approval.
I tried to keep the peace.

And somewhere along the way, I lost touch with myself.

Healing changed that.

I started asking different questions:

What do I want?
What do I need?
What feels right for me?
What am I no longer willing to accept?

I don't have everything figured out.

But I know myself now.

And honestly?

That's a pretty powerful place to be. ❤️

Her Next Chapter. 🌿

What happens when the person hurting you is the person everyone else thinks is wonderful?This is one of the things that ...
15/09/2026

What happens when the person hurting you is the person everyone else thinks is wonderful?

This is one of the things that can make narcissistic abuse so incredibly confusing.

Everyone else sees the charming, confident, generous version.

You experience the criticism.

The blame.
The walking on eggshells.
The manipulation.
The constant questioning of yourself.

And because nobody else seems to see it, you may start questioning yourself too.

“Maybe I'm imagining it.”
“Maybe I'm too sensitive.”
“Maybe it's actually my fault.”

Understanding the patterns can be an important first step.

That's why I wrote:

📖 Behind the Mask: Living with a Grandiose Narcissist

A guide to understanding, navigating and finding freedom from the patterns that can keep you trapped in confusion.

If you've ever found yourself reading something about narcissistic abuse and thinking:

“How did someone else know exactly what I've been experiencing?”

You are not alone.

🌿 You are not crazy. You are not alone.

Behind the Mask is available on Amazon.

Aretha Kruger | Registered Trauma Counsellor
Me But Better Counseling

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Johannesburg

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