Notebook Archives - Karen Toms Counselling

World Mental Health Day 2025

Notebook5 hours ago11Views 0Likes 0Comments

Today is World Mental Health Day (WMHD) 2025. I believe that it would be great if everyone was more aware of mental health every day. There is so much scope for it to be discussed more openly. Some of the stigma needs to be reduced and for those with issues to feel more comfortable seeking…

A close-up illustration of hands gently pulling apart a tangled bundle of string, symbolising how therapy helps untangle the emotional impact of trauma.

What Is Trauma?

Notebook, Trauma3 days ago18Views 0Likes 0Comments

What does the word ‘trauma’ mean to you? You may think of the impact that extreme events like war, accidents, or natural disasters can have. Or perhaps you know personally that it’s not just about ‘big’ events — it can also come from experiences such as bullying, medical treatment, relationship difficulties, chronic stress, or sudden loss. It’s helpful to…

Muted pale pink and beige dried leaves creating a calm, natural background

The Anxiety Series 04: Anxiety in the Body: Symptoms, Triggers & Coping Tips

Anxiety, NotebookOctober 2, 202529Views 0Likes 0Comments

Sometimes anxiety can show up in your body long before your mind catches on. May be your chest tightens before a meeting, or your stomach knots before you send a difficult email. Perhaps your shoulders are tense all day, but you only notice when a headache appears. These physical sensations can feel confusing, frustrating, or…

Pink jade stone with two visible fault lines, symbolising the difference between disordered eating and eating disorders.

What is the Difference Between Disordered Eating and an Eating Disorder?

Eating Disorders, NotebookSeptember 25, 202548Views 0Likes 0Comments

A lot of people struggle with food, body image, and eating habits during their lives. Sometimes this happens for a short period, while for others it continues for many years. In 2019, around 16% of adults in England were estimated to have an eating disorder1 , and these numbers are likely even higher today. It's common for people…

Close-up shot of woman's hand touching dry grass in autumn meadow at sunset.

Changing Your Story Through Counselling: Inside / Outside Stories

NotebookSeptember 18, 202540Views 0Likes 0Comments

Introduction We all carry stories about ourselves—some we keep inside, and some we share with the world. These stories can shape how we think, feel, and navigate our lives, but not all of them serve us well. Sometimes our inside stories are critical, harsh, or outdated, whilst our outside stories may present a very different…

A boat named 'Happy' seen from the rear which represents the pursuit of a happy state.

Pursuing happy vs focusing on your mood baseline

NotebookSeptember 11, 202548Views 0Likes 0Comments

Introduction Pursuing a state of happy is one of the most dominant purposes of our time. It can be hard to not be bombarded in daily life with messages demanding happy needs to be your goal. I took the photo below in a café a few days ago. If I spent a week monitoring, I…

The Anxiety Series 03 – The Different Forms of Anxiety: Types, Symptoms & Causes

Anxiety, NotebookNovember 1, 20242KViews 0Likes 0Comments

As outlined in the first and second posts in this series, anxiety is a common experience that affects millions of people globally. While it’s normal to feel anxious occasionally, chronic anxiety can have a significant impact on a person's quality of life. The different forms of anxiety can manifest in different anxiety disorders, each with…

The Anxiety Series 02 – The Science Behind Anxiety: How the Brain Responds to Stress

Anxiety, NotebookOctober 23, 2024357Views 0Likes 0Comments

Anxiety is a common yet complex emotion that has evolved as part of our brain's mechanism for survival. As outlined in the first post in the Anxiety Series, it is a normal reaction to stress and uncertainty but when it becomes chronic, anxiety can have significant impacts on an individual's mental and physical health. In…

The Anxiety Series 01 – What Is Anxiety? Understanding the Body’s Survival Mechanism

Anxiety, NotebookOctober 10, 2024135Views 0Likes 0Comments

This post explains what anxiety is, how everyday anxiety differs to anxiety disorders, introduces different types of anxiety disorder & outlines how anxiety manifests in the body.

Mental Health Awareness Week 2024

NotebookMay 16, 2024345Views 0Likes 0Comments

The focus of this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week is movement for mental health but should we just be talking about mental and physical health as simply health?

Karen Toms working with a client in a face-to-face, in-person counselling session.

An Introduction to Different Types of Counselling: Finding the Right Approach for You

NotebookApril 29, 2024374Views 0Likes 0Comments

What Are the Different Types of Counselling? There are a myriad of different types of counselling available. Even trained counsellors can struggle to understand all of them! So I have put together an introduction to the most common types of counselling. For the purposes of this article, I will call them all counselling but you…

Person communicating with a counsellor via text message on their mobile phone, representing online counselling and mental health support.

Thinking About Counselling? 6 Things to Know Before You Start

NotebookApril 29, 20242KViews 5Likes 0Comments

Thinking about starting counselling can feel daunting — you may wonder where to begin, what to expect, or how to choose the right counsellor. To help, I’ve put together six things worth considering before you start your journey. Counselling is not a one-size-fits-all process, and it’s normal to feel unsure at the beginning. These points…

World Mental Health Day 2025

What Is Trauma?

The Anxiety Series 04: Anxiety in the Body: Symptoms, Triggers & Coping Tips

What is the Difference Between Disordered Eating and an Eating Disorder?

Changing Your Story Through Counselling: Inside / Outside Stories

Pursuing happy vs focusing on your mood baseline

The Anxiety Series 03 – The Different Forms of Anxiety: Types, Symptoms & Causes

The Anxiety Series 02 – The Science Behind Anxiety: How the Brain Responds to Stress

The Anxiety Series 01 – What Is Anxiety? Understanding the Body’s Survival Mechanism

Mental Health Awareness Week 2024

An Introduction to Different Types of Counselling: Finding the Right Approach for You

Thinking About Counselling? 6 Things to Know Before You Start

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