Welcome to the Westmeria Counselling blog, where our counsellors and expert contributors share valuable insights about the challenges that matter most, from managing anxiety to coping with loss.
Each month, we publish thoughtful articles designed to offer guidance and practical tools for emotional well-being. Whether you’re currently in counselling or looking for ways to support your mental health, we hope you find these blogs helpful and reassuring.
Why so SAD?
SAD (seasonal affective disorder) The Winter months and lower levels of sunlight can affect many people’s mood. For lots of us the miserable grey rainy days don’t exactly add to the joy of being outside. However for some, the reduced exposure to sunlight can be more...
5 Steps to Everyday Happiness
[vc_row][vc_column width="2/3"][vc_column_text] This blog is aimed at sharing ‘5 steps to everyday happiness’ that I gained from a recent well-being publication. It left me reflecting on ‘the magic of the morning’ and how important this energy can be utilised...
It’s time to start your career in counselling
[vc_row][vc_column width="2/3"][vc_column_text] Why study with us? [/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height="16px"][vc_column_text] When you make the decision to take a counselling course it can feel like a big step. An exciting and potentially life changing step. So...
Why am I so convinced that helpful talking really works?
[vc_row][vc_column width="2/3"][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text]If I may say so, talking is the food of life. Helpful talking goes on all the time between parents and children, friends, relatives, teachers and pupils, work colleagues and peers. However, the same also...
My journey with grief
[vc_row][vc_column width="2/3"][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text]Someone I loved, someone who had been a part of my life since the day I was born, died suddenly, and quickly, one weekend many years ago. I spent many hours in a state of shock, wondering how it happened,...
Baby blues- the bit that nobody talks about
[vc_row][vc_column width="2/3"][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text]Baby blues - the name doesn't do it any justice. To want for children so badly and then to feel no immediate bond, as they tell you you will, is crushing. Having always loved children as soon as I was...
Positively Positive
[vc_row][vc_column width="2/3"][mk_blockquote font_family="Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif" font_type="safefont" text_size="18" align="center"]When you stop at a red light, look at the red light and smile. - Thich Nhat Hanh[/mk_blockquote][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text]It...
We can’t all take time out to train for a marathon but we can take 2 minutes in our day
[vc_row][vc_column width="2/3"][vc_column_text] April 23rd I had the privilege of watching my daughter run the London Marathon. She was not on her own. There were 39,000 people running on the day. After months of hard training and fundraising for their charities...
“There’s nothing rare, strange or shameful about our mental health”
[vc_row][vc_column width="2/3"][vc_column_text] I've been so eager to write a blog for mental health awareness week because this subject is so close to my heart, yet I must admit I wondered where on earth to start. Like so many people, I have experienced times when...
Loneliness: is social media to blame?
[vc_row][vc_column width="2/3"][vc_column_text] I’m not sure how many of you were watching Sky News last week but there were a number of segments on children and teenagers and the impact of social media. They headed the story with the fact that last year over 4,000...
Counsellors Blog: How you can support somebody in managing and recovering from depression
[vc_row][vc_column width="2/3"][vc_column_text]With statistics highlighting One in Four people in the UK each year will experience a mental health problem, there is a possibility that person may be someone close to you. With that thought in mind how can we give...
Your stories: Why I’m running the Brighton Marathon for Westmeria
[vc_row][vc_column][mk_divider][vc_column_text] "I am 44, married and have 3 fabulous teenage boys. I have lived in the local area for nearly 20 years after moving from Bexleyheath in the late nineties. [/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]I took up running in parallel...
Brew Monday, Blooming Monday… it’s not all Blue Monday
[vc_row][vc_column width="2/3"][vc_column_text]‘Blue Monday’, the 3rd Monday of January, the day that’s statistically supposed to be the most depressing day of the year. It’s all based on the idea that today is the day where we experience a combination of terrible...
Emotions Quote
[vc_row][vc_column width="2/3"][vc_custom_heading text="``We have to start letting go of seeing our emotions as our weakness``" font_container="tag:h2|font_size:28|text_align:center"...
Wellness Tip: Veggie Filo Pie
[vc_row][vc_column width="2/3"][vc_column_text]We all know that healthy eating is good for us, but looking after ourselves and staying healthy can be a challenge to say the least. The truth is though, food doesn't just effect us physically, it also has an effect on...
Connect with your creativity – distract a busy/anxious mind
[vc_row][vc_column width="2/3"][vc_column_text]Sometimes doing something that makes yourself feel good is the best way to distract painful thoughts and emotions. You don’t have to wait until you feel overwhelmed by painful emotions to do something creative. It’s...
5 Super Ways To Boost Your Mood
[vc_row][vc_column width="2/3"][vc_column_text] Some days, no matter how hard you try, you may feel in a bad mood, or just low about your life. It happens to all of us. Get to know what your body is telling you, accept it – its ok to feel down and its ok to feel...
Sometimes just getting out of bed is a huge achievement
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text="*photography of Allison Schmitt from articles.baltimoresun.com" font_container="tag:h2|font_size:11|text_align:left"...
What will you learn about yourself on our counselling intro course?
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Westmeria Counselling is not just a counselling service, it's also a counselling college. But if the word ‘college’ conjures up images of stuffy lecture halls and bad canteen food, then you might have a pleasant surprise. Qualifying...
Omega-3 intake – Its Role in Improving Mental Health
Omega-3s play an important role in the brain, providing:- DHA, which helps us to think better, and EPA which decreases inflammation and anxiety, helping us to feel better. Research shows that improving levels of Omega-3 oils in the diet can play a part in the...