You’re working hard, investing in yourself and striving for more, so why does it still feel like you’re not quite moving forward? You might have a handbrake on. Not fully on, but just enough to keep you from getting where you want to go. Here’s how to recognise it and what might be causing it.

Many introverted people spend years trying to fit into an extraverted world, feeling anxious, overlooked, and disconnected from their real strengths. In my counselling practice, I work with a lot of quieter, thoughtful people who are outwardly successful but inwardly exhausted. Here’s what I see, and why it makes sense.

Therapy doesn’t have to be serious all of the time. In this post I explore the value of humour in counselling, from its roots in Freud and CBT to how it shows up in my own practice and why a little lightness can go a long way.

Books are a big part of how I think and learn about counselling, wellbeing and the human experience. Here’s what’s on my spring reading list — four books by female authors on fawning, anxiety, bittersweetness and wellbeing. Plus a preview of my book review series starting in April.

No two therapy journeys are the same. Some are brief and powerful; others unfold over years in different chapters. In this post I explore why that’s exactly as it should be and what really makes the difference when it comes to finding your own way.

I worked in a clothing store for 15 months and learned an enormous amount about body image, self-esteem, and the impact clothes can have. When you’ve lost touch with yourself, your wardrobe becomes another source of stress. As spring arrives, here’s how to think about what you wear in a way that feels more like…

For many neurodivergent people, reaching a place of self-acceptance requires first working through the emotional weight that has built up along the way. Counsellor Karen Toms explores the patterns — masking, perfectionism and fawning — that so often sit beneath the surface.

Burnout is more subtle than most people realise. By the time you recognise it, you’ve often been there for a while. Here’s what to look out for, and why the people most at risk are often the last to see it.