• Warning signs of Burnout

    “Burnout” refers to a state of physical, mental and emotional exhaustion. It happens when you’ve been under chronic stress or high demand for a long period of time, and haven’t been able to recharge your batteries and get any respite. Essentially, burnout occurs when the demands upon you outweigh your resources to cope with those…

  • Why Going to Counselling is Self Care

    The term “Self-care” is bandied about pretty freely these days. Everything from taking a bubble bath, to going for a walk, to treating yourself to an iced coffee is labelled “Self-care”. And it’s true that for some folks, these things are genuinely nurturing and restorative. And for others, not so much. But one thing that…

  • Most Self Care is Really Boring

    The term “Self care” has become synonymous with bubble baths, iced coffees and buying “a little treat”. While all of these things are beautiful and loving things to do for yourself, they don’t really constitute real, nurturing self care. In reality, most self care is pretty boring and dull. When you’re feeling burned out or…

  • Journalling Prompts for Emotional Exploration

    Journalling is one of my favourite tools for exploring thoughts and emotions. A journal can provide a private space for you to express yourself. It’s a container for your feelings, a way to get your thoughts out of your head and onto paper so that you can see them more clearly. It can be quite…

  • Self care when you’re grieving

    When you’re deep in the throes of grief, taking care of yourself can seem impossible. Even the simplest of things: taking a shower, eating a meal, getting up off the couch, can seem like a monumental effort. Even though it’s challenging, there are some small things that you can do to look after yourself as…

  • How to Help a Friend Who is Grieving

    If a friend or loved one has experienced a significant loss, it can be hard to know the right thing to do. You want to be there for them, to offer comfort and support but you’re not quite sure how. It can be tempting to rush in with lots of advice, to try to cheer…

  • “Is it strange that my grief comes and goes?”

    There are so many emotions that arise in periods of grief, but guilt is one of the most prominent. Sometimes that’s guilt over the things that were left unsaid, or feeling like you should have done more. Often, guilt pertains to the emotions that come up when we’re grieving, or sometimes the lack of emotion…

  • Group sessions for Grief and loss

    Grief can be a deeply isolating experience. We often feel alone in our sadness because it can be challenging to find ways to share our emotions. To combat that feeling of “I’m all alone in this”, I run group sessions for people who are experiencing grief and loss. These sessions act as an opportunity for…

  • The One Thing You need To Get the Most Out of Counselling

    There are so many things to consider when you’re choosing a counsellor. Some people look for particular therapeutic styles and approaches. Some are very focused on credentials and qualifications. Others will look closely at a counsellor’s fee structure or office set-up. While all of these things are important, there’s one vital thing that you need…

  • Counselling and accessibility

    Accessibility is one of the key elements of a quality counselling service. I could be the best counsellor in the world, but it wouldn’t matter if a big chunk of the population were unable to access my sessions. I’ve spent a lot of time thinking carefully about how I can make Fairy Wren Counselling a…