Therapy With Leah

01/01/2026

31/12/2025

Beautiful words from Donna Ashworth for the year ahead…

On the stroke of midnight tonight, you can resolve to be better, if you like…
to be fitter,
to eat cleaner,
to work harder.

On the stroke of midnight tonight,
you can resolve to become a whole new you,
if you so choose.

Or, you can take a moment to acknowledge what you already are.
Because it’s a lot.
You are a lot.

And you deserve to be truly seen.

On the stroke of midnight tonight, perhaps you could congratulate yourself, for coping.
For breaking, again,
for rebuilding, again.

For catching the stones life has thrown at you,
and using them to build your castle that little bit more beautifully.

And if you have used those stones to block yourself in for the ‘heal’, perhaps you can realign them this year. Make a grander gate, not a higher wall.

You have endured, my friend.
Through times you thought unendurable. You did.

And I don’t see the need to resolve to become a whole new you,
when you are already so very much indeed.

Happy new year.

You made it.

Now let us face another 365 day-turn, arms wide…
accepting, embracing and ‘seeing’ one other,
for all we truly are…

breaks and all.

Donna Ashworth

18/12/2025

We need to be validating trauma responses rather than pathologising them.

30/11/2025

Amazing night singing with Sam Ryder, the words of his song Mountain are so powerful……..

Rough seas might pull me under, and
Dark clouds might dim my days
But there’s always bright tomorrows when
I close my eyes and say

“Remember how you’ve made it through the fire?
Remember how you’ve come so far?
An unstoppable force of nature
Yeah, that’s what you are”

I know all that I have lost
Has given me the purpose of
Conquering my pain through love
I sing this hymn to rise above

I am a mountain, and down in the valley below
Is all that I’ve overcome, all that I’ve overcome, whoa
I am a mountain, and down in the valley below
Is all that I’ve overcome, all that I’ve oh-oh-overcome, oh

Oh-oh-overcome, oh
I’m a fighter, it’s like I was born to be one

Whatever life may throw, I’ll pass the test
Whatever fate might dream upon me next
I’ll stand with my head to the sky
Unshaken by thunder and winds and the tide

08/11/2025

In order to fit in, the first person you betray is yourself

10/10/2025

Love this poem by Donna Ashworth

05/10/2025

Choose wisely

27/09/2025

Lovely idea 💕

Jumping on the AI band wagon with this one but it brought up a lot.

I have done a lot of therapy over the years looking at how I can help heal younger parts of myself. I have imagined hugging a younger me often. I have welcomed her into my arms and asked her to help me take life less seriously, to look around in awe again, to dream big, to care less what others think in the most childlike way. I've also needed to soothe past versions of myself. The bits that got broken along the way. The parts that are still wounded and go on the defence.

It can feel awkward, self indulgent, maybe even cheesy to suggest looking after your inner child, but its also essential. We all need to go back and metaphorically give that part of ourselves a hug. We need to tell her/him its all going to be alright, and even in moments when its not, that you'll get through it.

I wouldn't warn her of what's to come. Some of it is too horrid, but some of it is utterly, mind blowing in the best possible way and I would want that to be a surprise for her.

Never abandon that part of yourself. She/he always needs you ❤️

15/08/2025

If you’d like to know more about dissociative disorders, how they are a natural response to trauma, and how therapy can help please read my latest blog post.

https://www.therapywithleah.co.uk/what-is-dissociation-and-how-can-therapy-help/

09/08/2025

On days when grief feels heavy, some people find comfort in books.

Today is 📚 When you're grieving, books can help us process, express or escape.

Which books helped you during grief?

https://www.cruse.org.uk/

30/06/2025

Check out my new blog on maladaptive daydreaming, how it differs to normal daydreaming and what to do if you think you might be experiencing this. Link in the comments.