Recent content by Countryside Counselling News

Grief and Loss Many people associate the term grieving with a person (or pet) having passed away, but we experience the same type of grief process every time we encounter a significant sense of loss, regardless or the circumstances. Taking into consideration that losses represent endings, and...

Building Self-esteem Try these practical ways that help to build your self-esteem: Spend more time thinking about your own needs and wishes Stretch your horizons - do something new or different Give yourself 'treats' during difficult and stressful times Do somthing personally challenging...

Suicide - Start a conversation 'Stay Alive' is an amazing app with support for anybody experiencing thoughts of suicide, and offers guidance to anybody finding themselves in a position to help someone they have concerns about. Much of what I write here is taken from the pages of the app. If...

Rest - 7 types of rest needed to restore us We go through life thinking we’ve rested because we have gotten enough sleep - but in reality, we are missing out on the other types of rest we desperately need. There are 7 types of rest needed to restore us: Physical rest Physical rest can be...

Countryside Counselling Counselling for Farmers Farming is a unique way of life which presents its’ own specific challenges. For this reason, I believe it is important to farmers that their counsellor can understand the context in which they live their lives. One farmer per week takes their...

Horses for Courses It was great to spend time at Stablemates on Friday and see Animal Assisted Therapy in action. Thank you to Kate Kee and the incredibly inspiring young lady that she was supporting on the day for telling me about her achievements made possible through their therapeutic...

Communicating with loved-ones about depression The response of your loved-ones to your depression may sometimes reflect a seeming lack of understanding to the nature of this mental health condition, and as such cause further emotional pain and anguish to your suffering. It is important to...

Empower yourself through counselling As a counsellor, I believe it very important to support individuals by raising their awareness to the benefit a variety of coping skills can bring. The most obvious of these is talking about your thoughts and feelings with people that care about you. In...

The Power of Positivity When is it positive to be positive? Believe it or not, positivity 'can' be used as a defense mechanism, to mask the denial of one's situation and feelings. In the same way that negative thoughts can be 'filtered' to be the main focus - causing low mood and hopelessness...

Thoughts are not Facts Unhelpful thinking patterns are all too common. This article will help you recognise the traps and challenge you to make positive changes. Remember, don't believe everything you think - thoughts are not facts, they are most often just assumptions or beliefs that you...

Empower yourself through counselling As a counsellor, I believe it very important to support individuals by raising their awareness to the benefit a variety of coping skills can bring. The most obvious of these is talking about your thoughts and feelings with people that care about you. In...

The Power of Positivity When is it positive to be positive? Believe it or not, positivity 'can' be used as a defense mechanism, to mask the denial of one's situation and feelings. In the same way that negative thoughts can be 'filtered' to be the main focus - causing low mood and hopelessness...

Thoughts are not Facts Unhelpful thinking patterns are all too common. This article will help you recognise the traps and challenge you to make positive changes. Remember, don't believe everything you think - thoughts are not facts, they are most often just assumptions or beliefs that you...

Grief and Loss Many people associate the term grieving with a person (or pet) having passed away, but we experience the same type of grief process every time we encounter a significant sense of loss, regardless or the circumstances. Taking into consideration that losses represent endings, and...

Building Self-esteem Try these practical ways that help to build your self-esteem: Spend more time thinking about your own needs and wishes Stretch your horizons - do something new or different Give yourself 'treats' during difficult and stressful times Do somthing personally challenging...