Hi everyone I have been a little quiet lately. Rex’s dad passed away last week, two days before we flew out to Croatia. We were told to be on standby four weeks prior to this, so as you can imagine mentally draining for us both. As it was, we still managed to get away and we come home on Saturday. Fortunately Rex’s sisters have started funeral arrangements so not too much to organise when we’re home. When I was in the Strong Humans Project run by Keris and Matt they taught us Plan A, B and C. Plan A is where you manage to achieve everything during your day that you planned to do. Plan B was to perhaps achieve half of what you did, Plan C was to tick off at least one thing. No matter what plan you managed you still call it a successful day. I’ve been at Plan C for at least 4 weeks now. So although it’s lovely sitting in the sun and enjoying this beautiful place, I’m looking forward to some me time again when I’m home and to catch up properly on here once the funeral is over. Lots of love Xxx

Hope you've all had a great summer. I've just been confirming the events schedule for Autumn, dates will be with you soon but just wanted to confirm who's joining us: 🎨 Art Therapy and Emotions Workshop With Lynne Grahame I've also got Lynne Grahame, an amazing art therapist who is also trained in psychodynamic work. Lynn is a BAAT and HCPC registered art therapist with a Postgraduate Diploma in Art Therapy, working since 1999 across the NHS, mental health and community settings. She'll be using simple techniques with colour and art, not about beauty, talent or skill, to help you access emotions as part of your inner work. 💖Conscious Menopause With Cathy Skipper Cathy Skipper, a Jungian therapist, has agreed to do some talks on midlife and menopause, understanding emotions, and the role that dream journaling can play. Cathy is a Jungian-informed guide and "menopause midwife," drawing on alchemy, shadow work and the sacred feminine to help women move through menopause consciously, she's been guiding women through this journey since 2017. 💟 Live Guided Allowing With Sam Miller Sam Miller from The Great Allowing is coming back to run some live guided emotional allowing sessions. Sam's approach is trauma-informed, somatic and depth-psychological, drawing on her own recovery from chronic illness as well as trauma therapy, somatic experiencing and nervous system science. 📒Group Emotional Coaching and Journaling Pippa Braund will be back with her group emotional coaching and journaling support sessions. Pippa holds an MSc in Audiology, works part-time for the NHS, and is a certified Holistic Life Coach trained in Pain Reprocessing Therapy, Emotional Awareness and Expression Therapy, and Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy. 🗓️Dates and times will be with you soon

Sometimes we can feel like we're not making progress because a large part of our journey is developing awareness. We need to become the observer of self first. Unblend from certain parts of ourselves and maybe even dialogue with it. Step out of the trance for a moment (thinking, doing, mind chattering, eating...) and question it. Something that has helped me immensely is identifying my kryptonite. Those things that knock you right back, away from allowing, accepting, receptive awareness and coherent responses. Instead you fall into old patterns, licking old wounds or futureproofing and chasing control. Grabbing coping mechanisms .... looping (ranting) thoughts, guilt, worrying, eating, nagging, etc. So my question to you is what's your kryptonite? 👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇 MIL is half through a 3 week stay here and she's deffo one of mine 🤣

Menopause fears have resurfaced for me recently so thought I'd share a little. My mum and her mother had a rough ride through the process and on reflection lost their life force and independence amongst other things. I really came to see this at my Gran's funeral. Many of the women in my family have a powerful attachment to co-dependency and perfectionism - that is believing they are mainly here to make others happy and care for others needs and expectations, often at the expense of their own happiness, joy, freedom and creativity. This also manifests in their appearance, everything is neat and tidy. Small waists, everything ironed, perfectly presented. And I feel like they shrank back further in menopause with the added pressure of symptoms. As my hormone levels have changed recently, my joints and energy levels have changed. I've discussed HRT with a mind body informed medical consultant here and not written off the idea but I'm also hyper aware of the commentary that exists about reversing and stalling the process of change. The narrative around us is always pathologizing menopause, both medical and alternative health, highlighting dementia risk, weight around the middle, cardiovascular health, sleepless nights, bones crumbling, sagging skin and more. I've always advocated we take responsibility and follow healthy lifestyle habits through peri and menopause and adopt an integrated (holistic) approach to interventions as needed. But recently I found myself more curious about the emotional and spiritual aspects of menopause and to truly experience this, change is necessary. As a starter for ten, our relationship with our body is held up again right in front of us, for review. It's almost suggested the loss of youth is a loss of beauty, tone, energy and drive. This will bring a decline of status and relevance in society which will gradually make us invisible. Yet as long as we believe our external appearance and achievement is what defines us, we keep hiding.

... is sometimes looking back at where the lack of (or 'leaky') boundaries began. For most clients (and myself) early life experiences, often in relation to our caregivers or adverse events, caused a lack of safety. This kickstarted a need to feel safe by caring and fixing others. Or being perfect academically, physically and in comparison to others. If you were already a sensitive person you become a nervous system reader and check in on everyone else first. You often can't rest as your nervous system struggles to regulate if loved ones are in some sort of distress. As you over identify with their feelings, you forget your own needs and don't allow your own emotions. Inner child work can be hugely helpful addition to emotional allowing to begin to change this. For me personally more time with guilt free joy that isn't driven by dopamine gets me closer to meeting my needs in other ways and protecting my time and space. Think of all the things you loved when you were young. I've been drawn back to dancing, connecting with childhood friends, nature, hiking, dog cuddles. Also certain jewellery, colours, music and scents. I use incense and oils (especially rose, rosemary, pine) as a sensory support. The document attached explains some exercises you can also do to explore inner child work. Would love to hear your thoughts and shares. Try not to nod in agreement but continue with what you've always done (I know this well myself) Actually consider how you could care for your inner child each day, with different choices. Taking small moments for yourself, consistently 💖