Cathy Waterhouse - Psychotherapist & Coach

24/11/2025

You rest… but still feel anxious?

That’s your nervous system saying, “I don’t believe we’re safe yet.”

Real recovery isn’t just taking time off
it’s about rebuilding trust between your body and your pace.

This week, try slowing down on purpose.

Not to “be productive at resting,”
but to remind your system that nothing is chasing you.

Your calm isn’t a reward — it’s your right.

19/11/2025

Today is my birthday 🎂...

My 61st birthday to be precise.

And I've been reflecting on the last 12 months, prompted by a Facebook post from my husband.

Since my birthday last year, I've...

Lost my best friend of over 30 years (irreconcilable differences).

Sent my gorgeous first dog Mollie for her forever sleep at age 6.

Trained for and walked a 26 mile charity walk in aid of Alzheimer’s.

Started renovating our forever home with a new kitchen and bathroom (very stressful).

Completely pivoted my small business after some hard conversations with myself!!

Got my clinical supervision qualification.

And achieved my accreditation as a psychotherapist with the BACP.

Its been a lot...... A LOT!

A recipe for burnout.

Years ago I would have kept going, pushed through... until I couldn't.

Now I've learned that sometimes we all need to pause.

To process...

Grief
Stress
Celebration
or physical exertion.

I know how difficult it is to stop, to pause, to process.

But because I have done exactly that throughout the year, I'm finishing the year in a much better place than when I started.

Here's to the next 12 months!!

14/11/2025

11/11/2025

Psychotherapy helps you look inward.
Coaching helps you look forward.

Both hold space for growth, just in different ways.

In therapy, we explore the 'why' behind your patterns; the nervous-system responses, beliefs, and emotional wounds that keep you stuck.

In coaching, we use that awareness to create new boundaries, habits, and ways of being that feel aligned and sustainable.

You don’t have to pick one over the other ... my approach blends both, so healing and progress can happen at the same pace.

💚

08/11/2025

You don’t need a full plan to begin again.

Sometimes the reset is as simple as stepping outside, unclenching your jaw, and remembering that you’re still here.

This weekend isn’t a performance.

It’s a pause.

🌿 breathe. walk. let it be enough.

Please share this with someone who needs it 🧡

06/11/2025

Meet the Therapist......

Hi I'm Cathy and if you’d told me 10 years ago that I’d be a psychotherapist helping professionals recover from burnout and trauma, I probably would’ve laughed. Back then, I was deep in the corporate world; long hours, high pressure, constant performance. I looked successful on paper… but inside I was exhausted, anxious, and completely disconnected from myself.

Like so many people, I thought if I just worked harder, I’d eventually feel “enough.”

Spoiler: I didn’t.

It took burnout (and a lot of therapy of my own) to realise that my worth was never meant to be measured by productivity, perfection ot other people.

Now, as a psychotherapist and coach, I work with people who are where I once was, holding it all together on the outside while quietly falling apart on the inside.

Together, we unpack the patterns that keep you stuck, find compassion for the parts of you that are tired, and rebuild a life that feels calm, balanced, and real.

These days, at nearly 61, life looks very different and I wouldn’t change a thing. I’m married, live in beautiful Yorkshire, and share my days (and many walks) with Oscar, our very mischievous but very lovable Shih Tzu.🐾 (I'm

My days are slightly slower now... more walks, more connection, more meaning. I still love my work, but I make space for joy and rest too, things I used to believe I had to earn!

If any of this resonates, you’re not alone and change is absolutely possible. 💛

31/10/2025

This Halloween look was fun to create 🎃 …but it also got me thinking about the other kind of masks we wear.

Not the painted ones.
The invisible ones.

💬 The “I’m fine” mask.
💬 The “I’ve got this” mask.
💬 The “I’m coping” mask — even when you’re running on empty inside.

So many professionals wear these masks every day.

They help us perform, lead, and keep it all together.

But they also keep us disconnected — from how we really feel.

When we never let the mask slip, we lose touch with what’s going on underneath.

The stress. The fatigue. The quiet ache for things to just feel easier.

True strength isn’t about keeping the mask on.

It’s about finding safe spaces to take it off.

That’s the heart of my work — helping people reconnect with the self that’s hidden beneath the performance.

The real, human version of you that doesn’t need to hold it all together all the time.

So yes, I loved wearing this one for a night…

But I’m even more grateful for the days I don’t have to. 💛

🖤 Tell me — what’s one “mask” you’re ready to take off?

10/10/2025

💥 Big News..... and a moment I've waited over a year for!!

I have achieved accredited status with the BACP!!

This has been a long time coming, after an essay, a case presentation, reflection, lots of client hours and supervision.... but even though it's been hard... it's been a growth opportunity and I'm so proud to finally have this.

What a way to end the week... time to celebrate 🥳 🎉

25/09/2025

Childhood Emotional Neglect... The Wounds We Don’t See!

Childhood Emotional Neglect (CEN) isn’t about what happened in your childhood—it’s about what didn’t.

Psychologist Jonice Webb, in her book Running on Empty, explains it as the love, attention, or emotional support you didn’t receive. Because nothing “bad” seemed to happen, it’s easy to dismiss. But the effects can follow you into adulthood in ways you might not realise.

You might notice yourself…
💔 Feeling empty or disconnected, even when life looks good on the outside
💔 Struggling to know what you’re really feeling, or finding the words to express it
💔 Always putting other people’s needs first, while neglecting your own
💔 Carrying guilt or shame for having needs at all
💔 Trying to prove your worth through perfection, busyness, or achievements

If you’ve ever thought, “Why do I feel this way when nothing really happened to me?”—that’s the hidden pain of CEN.

The good news is, these patterns can be healed. By reconnecting with your feelings, learning to value your needs, and offering yourself compassion, change is absolutely possible.

If this resonates with you, know you’re not alone, and healing starts with awareness. ❤️

Feel free to drop me a DM if you'd like to chat.

22/09/2025

I’m really pleased to share some news… after studying from April I am now a qualified clinical supervisor, trained in the Hawkins & Shohet 7-Eyed Model of Supervision!!!

Alongside my work as a therapist and coach, I’ll be offering both 1:1 and group supervision to trainees and qualified counsellors. My aim is to create a reflective, supportive space where supervisees can explore their casework, grow in confidence, and strengthen their practice.

If you’re a therapist looking for supervision, or you know someone who might be, I’m offering 30 minute free discovery calls so you can find out how I can support you!!

19/08/2025

I nearly said no to this… because scared me!....

Last night I did something that pushed me way out of my comfort zone.

I was invited as a guest on The School Run Podcast with Jane & Liv 🎙️ with Jane James and her daughter Liv Maudsley and together we talked about my journey - from my school days, through adulthood, and the impact of trauma along the way.

For me, the most powerful part of the conversation was sharing why, after 25 years in a successful sales career, I chose to retrain as a psychotherapist. It wasn’t an easy path, but it was the right one and it came from a deep belief that we can always choose to heal, grow, and change direction.

Speaking honestly about my story felt vulnerable, but also freeing. I’ve realised that when we tell our truth, it not only helps us connect with others, it might just give someone else the courage to take their own next step.

Growth rarely happens in our comfort zone. Sometimes the most uncomfortable spaces hold the biggest opportunities for transformation.

I’ll share the episode when it’s live - I’d love for you to hear it.

👉 What’s one thing you’ve done recently that took you out of your comfort zone?

16/08/2025

If I could say one thing to my 19-year-old self about healing trauma…

When I was 19, I was already carrying a heavy load of trauma alongside me every single day. And because I didnt recognise it for what it was, I repeatedly found myself in situations which added layers of trauma, resulting in a diagnosis of complex PTSD.

I felt worthless, unloveable, and had zero confidence in myself, but I had an incredible knack of masking my pain; resulting in an amazing career in sales and team management for global companies; and very little success in my personal life. (No surprise!!)

I was a people pleaser in my personal life and felt like a complete imposter in my career; and frankly I'm flabbergasted that it took as long as it did before it all came crashing down in complete and utter burnout.

But healing wasn’t neat or fast. It was messy, slow, and sometimes it felt like I was taking two steps forward and one step back.

If I could go back to that 19 year old I'd tell myself that I don't need to have to have it all figured out. The pain you carry is real, but it’s not who you are.

I’d remind myself to be gentle, to allow myself to feel all the feelings, even the hard ones, without judging myself.

And I’d also tell myself that the bravest thing I could do is to ask for help. Because healing isn’t a solo journey.

Reflecting back, I can see how every struggle was part of becoming who I am today; someone who helps others navigate their own healing with kindness and courage.

If you’re carrying wounds from your past, please know that it does NOT have to be a life sentence, you are worthy of healing and it’s ok to move at your own pace.

💬 What’s one thing you’d say to your younger self about healing?