Emotional Wellbeing

In this post, Penni Osborn shares with us her take on what self-care really is and what areas we can explore and/or improve, to achieve more of it.

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Childhood plays a crucial role in shaping our emotional, cognitive, and social development. However, when individuals experience arrested development during this period, their growth and maturation may be hindered, potentially leading to lasting effects on their relationships and self-esteem in later life. [Read more…]

Introduction: Who goes to counselling and why?

Counselling plays a pivotal role in the mental health and well-being of individuals, offering support and guidance to those facing various challenges. In the United Kingdom, counselling services have become increasingly popular over the years as mental health awareness grows. This article explores the demographics of people who attend counselling in the UK and sheds light on the reasons why they seek such support. [Read more…]

In this post, Penni gives us some examples of Cognitive Distortions – unhelpful thinking styles that can cause us emotional distress and get in the way of taking positive action towards a happier and more balanced way of being.

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In this post, Penni takes a look at how healing from Childhood Emotional Neglect (CEN) can begin by reconnecting to emotions with compassionate curiosity, uncovering the cause of those feelings and deciding thoughtfully how to act upon them.

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Unlike fear, anxiety is all about perceived future based threats – the ‘what-ifs’ that we all experience from time to time. Anxiety tells us to fight or run (which, if we are under threat, would be the right thing to do!) however, paradoxically, if the anxiety alarm rings when it doesn’t need to and we respond, we actually reinforce it. [Read more…]

Suppressed emotions can have a significant impact on both the mind and the body. When we suppress our emotions, we are effectively bottling them up inside us, preventing them from being expressed in a healthy and natural way. This can lead to a range of negative consequences such as: [Read more…]

At this time of year, when we are perhaps feeling under pressure to please others, we look at how we can notice and reduce ‘people pleasing’ behaviours, refuel our ‘emotional tanks’ and be more present for others by being kinder and more compassionate to our ‘selves’.

Putting other people’s needs first can seem like a noble thing to do, but when it becomes all we do, this can be problematic, not least because eventually we can run out of ‘fuel’ – physically and emotionally, leaving us unable to do much for anybody, including ourselves. [Read more…]

Here we explore the effects of times of change and how the difficult emotions experienced during the gap between the old and the new can be tolerated whilst waiting for the wheel of life to turn.

Wired to Want Certainty…

Life is a continuous journey of change. From birth onwards, we repeatedly face new challenges that contribute to our overall growth. We continue through our whole lives transitioning from one phase to another. However, it’s not always a case of going from ‘A’ to ‘B’, with immediacy and certainty. Some phases can be more challenging than others and can bring with them great discomfort. We are wired to want what’s familiar, because that’s where safety is. Take away that of which we feel certain and, all of a sudden, we find ourselves in an emotional ‘no man’s land’. We are no longer ‘there’ and ‘here’ is unknown and out of sight. [Read more…]

Childhood Emotional Neglect (CEN) is evident in most clients we, at Anglia Counselling Ltd, work with who present themselves for counselling and therapy.

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