Wishing You Well

03/12/2025

Reframing sensitivity as a strength: This thoughtful piece explores how being highly sensitive can be a powerful asset in both life and work — fostering empathy, creativity, and deeper connections.

Here are eight overlooked benefits to being a highly sensitive person.

02/12/2025

When The Season Isn't So Bright: Not everyone feels merry in December. For some, this season brings grief, overwhelm, or the quiet ache of loneliness. Even joyful moments can carry a bittersweet edge.

If this is you, you’re not alone - and you’re not doing it wrong:
- It’s okay to feel out of step with the season.
- It’s okay to set boundaries.
- It’s okay to rest instead of revel.
- It’s okay to honour what’s true for you.

You don’t need to be festive to be worthy of care. This month, I’ve written about the quieter side of Christmas - the tender, tangled emotions that often go unspoken. If you’re navigating a difficult December, I hope these words offer a little light.

Read the full article: https://wishing-you-well.co.uk/resources/f/when-the-season-isn%E2%80%99t-so-bright-navigating-difficult-feelings

A counsellor’s reflection on grief, expectation, and gentler ways to be

29/11/2025

In the theatre of life, scripts are written and roles are played. The playwright within us shapes the story - weaving themes, setting direction, imagining what could be. The actor within us steps onto the stage - embodying words, improvising in the moment, bringing the script to life. Yet sometimes, the lines we speak were written by others: family expectations, cultural norms or old wounds.

This metaphor reminds us that we are both author and performer of our lives. We can choose to edit the script, change the role, or step into a new act with courage.

Counselling offers a rehearsal space - a place to pause, notice the script, and decide whether to rewrite or improvise anew. It provides a safe, non-judgemental space where you can gently enquire: “Which parts of my story feel truly mine, and which scripts am I ready to rewrite?”

See www.wishing-you-well.co.uk or https://www.bacp.co.uk/therapists/406729/sabrina-evans/ for more information.

25/11/2025

Understanding Your Self-Esteem Landscape: Self-esteem isn’t fixed - it shifts depending on our experiences, relationships, and inner dialogue. Sometimes, self-doubt feels constant and heavy, colouring everything we do. Other times, it only whispers during challenges, and we can meet it with compassion and clarity.

This scale offers a gentle way to reflect:
- Where do you find yourself on this scale today?
- What situations tend to trigger your inner critic?
- What helps you reconnect with a kinder view of yourself?

In counselling, we explore these patterns together. We look at how self-esteem has been shaped, how it shows up in your life, and how to build a more spacious, affirming relationship with yourself - one that allows for imperfection, growth, and quiet confidence.

You don’t have to navigate this alone. Whether you’re feeling stuck in self-criticism or simply curious about your inner landscape, support is here.

See www.wishing-you-well.co.uk or https://www.bacp.co.uk/therapists/406729/sabrina-evans/ for more information.

24/11/2025

Being highly sensitive is a natural trait that shapes how you process emotions, relationships, and the world around you.

This insightful article explores the neuroscience behind sensitivity and why it can be both a challenge and a gift. If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by noise, emotions, or stress, you might discover that your sensitivity is a strength, not a flaw.

As a counsellor, I often remind clients that sensitivity is not weakness - it’s awareness.

Nearly 1 in 3 people have a brain primed to make better decisions and discover innovative solutions.

22/11/2025

In the bustling harbour, grand ships towered with pride - sleek, polished, admired for their size. The little tugboat often went unnoticed, its frame small. Yet when storms rolled in or vessels lost their way, it was the tugboat that pulled them safely to shore. Its strength was not in stature, but in its quiet persistence, its ability to guide others through waters they could not navigate alone.

This metaphor reminds us that what seems small or ordinary may carry immense power to guide and protect.

Counselling provides a safe, non-judgemental space where you can gently enquire: “Where have I underestimated my quiet strength, and how has it carried me or others through?”. It can help increase self-awareness and gain strength into internal resources and strengths.

See www.wishing-you-well.co.uk or https://www.bacp.co.uk/therapists/406729/sabrina-evans/ for more information.

18/11/2025

In the In-Between:
Life doesn’t always move in straight lines. Sometimes we find ourselves in the in-between - no longer where we were, not yet where we’re going. These transitional spaces can feel tender, disorienting, even quietly powerful.

Whether you’re starting something new, letting go of something old, or simply sensing a shift within… you’re not alone.

Transitions can stir grief, hope, uncertainty, and growth - all at once.

You don’t need to have it all figured out. The pause is not a failure - it’s a becoming.

I’ve written about navigating life’s transitions with gentleness and curiosity. If you’re in an in-between season, I hope it meets you where you are.

Read the full piece: https://wishing-you-well.co.uk/resources/f/in-between-things-navigating-life%E2%80%99s-transitions

A counsellor’s reflection on change, uncertainty, and growth

16/11/2025

When life feels heavy, you don’t have to carry it alone: Grief that lingers in quiet moments... an unease that follows you through the day...a knot that tightens when the world feels too much...or the ache of feeling stuck or unseen.

You might be moving through change, navigating a life transition, healing old wounds, or simply feeling overwhelmed by the pace of it all. Counselling offers a space to breathe, feel, and reconnect - with yourself, your needs, and what matters most.

I offer grounded, professional support in Exeter and online. Together, we’ll explore what clarity, connection, and emotional steadiness might look like for you.

In our sessions, you’ll find space to:
• Speak freely, without judgment
• Understand patterns and reconnect with your inner strength
• Feel truly heard, valued, and supported

You are not too much. You are not too little. You are worthy of care.

See: www.wishing-you-well.co.uk or https://www.bacp.co.uk/therapists/406729/sabrina-evans/ for more information

Sabrina Evans is a MBACP Counsellor offering counselling therapy, hypnotherapy, reiki & support for Highly Sensitive Persons (HSP) in Exeter or online.

15/11/2025

Life is full of thresholds. The moment before a change, the pause between chapters, the quiet space where the old no longer fits and the new hasn’t yet arrived.

Transitions can feel disorienting - even when they’re chosen. We may grieve what we’re leaving, fear what’s ahead, or feel suspended in the in‑between.

Counselling offers a place to sit at the threshold without rushing. A place to name the losses, honour the hopes, and gently explore the meaning of what’s shifting. It is not about pushing you through the doorway, but about walking beside you as you discover your own pace, your own direction, your own courage.

If you are standing at a threshold - whether it’s a career change, a relationship shift, or an inner transformation - know that you don’t have to cross it alone.

See www.wishing-you-well.co.uk or https://www.bacp.co.uk/therapists/406729/sabrina-evans/ for more information.

11/11/2025

We all wear masks.

Some are stitched from politeness, professionalism, or survival. Others are woven from old stories - who we were told to be, who we thought we had to become. They help us navigate the world, they protect us and they soften the edges of vulnerability.

But over time, they can feel heavy, tight and misaligned. We might forget where the mask ends and we begin.

Counselling isn’t about tearing off the mask but about a safe place to gently hold up the mirror. A mirror that reflects not just the mask - but the face beneath. The longing, the truth, the quiet strength. In the safety of a therapeutic space, you can begin to notice which parts of you feel authentic… and which were borrowed out of necessity.

You can explore the stories behind the mask, the fears it hides and the hopes it protects. And tenderly, you can choose what to keep, what to soften, what to reclaim. It is not about becoming someone new, but about remembering who you are.

If you’re ready to meet yourself with compassion - instead of judgment - I offer a space where masks can loosen and mirrors can speak.

See www.wishing-you-well.co.uk or https://www.bacp.co.uk/therapists/406729/sabrina-evans/ for more information.

08/11/2025

Cognitive distortions are biased ways of thinking about ourselves and the world around us. These irrational thoughts and beliefs become reinforced over time without us realizing it.

Catastrophising is a cognitive distortion where the mind leaps to the worst possible outcome - often without solid evidence. It’s like emotional forecasting gone awry: a single worry spirals into imagined disaster. Instead of thinking, “I made a mistake” the catastrophising mind might say, “I’ll be fired, lose my home, and never recover.”

It’s imagining worst-case scenarios with little evidence, feeling overwhelmed by “what ifs”, difficulty staying grounded in the present and avoiding situations due to imagined outcomes. It’s not just overthinking - it’s emotional amplification, where discomfort becomes danger, and uncertainty becomes doom. It’s often a learned coping style, shaped by past experiences or anxious environments. It’s linked to anxiety, depression, and chronic stress - but anyone can experience it.

Catastrophising is a protective instinct that’s overactive. It’s your mind trying to prepare you for pain, even when the storm hasn’t arrived.

Counselling can help you to improve your ability to recognize and respond to these distortions and unhelpful thinking patterns. It helps you fold the umbrella, check the sky, and meet the moment with clarity.

See www.wishing-you-well.co.uk or https://www.bacp.co.uk/therapists/406729/sabrina-evans/ for more information.

04/11/2025

Life doesn’t always unfold the way we expect. Sometimes we find ourselves at a crossroads - feeling stuck or quietly lost and starting over isn’t always easy. It can feel uncertain, overwhelming, or even lonely. But every new beginning holds the possibility of healing, growth, and rediscovery - and you don’t have to face it alone.

Counselling offers a safe, non-judgmental space to explore your thoughts, feelings, and experiences and re-connect with yourself. It’s not about fixing or rushing - it’s about being met where you are, with compassion and curiosity.

Whether you're navigating a life transition, processing grief, managing anxiety, burnout, relationship shifts, or simply sensing that something needs to change, counselling can help you:
- Understand patterns that no longer serve you
- Explore what’s beneath the surface
- Gain clarity and perspective
- Build tools for resilience, self-trust, and emotional regulation
- Reconnect with your values and goals
- Reclaim your sense of possibility - at your own pace.

You don’t need to wait for a crisis to seek support. Sometimes, the most powerful changes begin with a quiet decision to tend to yourself. You don’t need to have all the answers - you just need to be willing to begin.

See www.wishing-you-well.co.uk or https://www.bacp.co.uk/therapists/406729/sabrina-evans/ for more information.