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https://ramblingpsychotherapist.co.uk/, https://ramblingpsychotherapist.co.uk/index.php/courses/

The Rambling Psychotherapist, Leeds (2025)

07/12/2025

Who wants to step into the New Year feeling rested and refreshed?

Christmas is billed by many as one of the highlights of the year, offering the promise of time off, rest, restoration, and lovely, nurturing time spent with friends and loved ones. So, how come so many people emerge from the festive celebrations feeling exhausted and stressed?

There are many factors which contribute to this, but one of the biggest is the fact that we tend to neglect our self-care in favour of running around like headless chickens for a couple of weeks.

That's why this year, I invite you to do things a little differently and carve out time to ensure your batteries are topped up every day, rather than just getting drained.

I have created a mini-series, especially for you.

This prerecorded video series invites you, for twenty minutes a day, to drop into a slightly slower pace, pay attention to what is going on for you, engage in a wellbeing practice, and think about how you need to resource yourself for the day ahead to stay well throughout all the festivities.

It runs from 21st December to 1st January, with a new video themed around each day. I invite you to start every morning with a quick and simple wellbeing boost, to help you feel less frazzled by the time January rolls around.

All you have to do to get access is sign up using the link below, and you will automatically be notified as soon as the series becomes available.

https://4c8a5d06.sibforms.com/serve/MUIFAByBRlMz44iQPO1Mgk6i9Sc0aH4234ICvFeZqqqHrxarowzGRnUiPyNeOg4bzrbJEsOi5oBKDGcg7zz5MvIYHn3eC9o9GikyXEC2BhZuB_mEjblBBi2B_xPkfvxDSp-bUM0v53-hV1S7xv1thZhzwAbVl5P8ZhiIjzVe8ZHhA_uBvVUXwe4FG64cOiRayPr9TeIUR0RDQHqk

04/12/2025

The 4th December every year is World Wildlife Conservation Day.

When I mention the words wildlife conservation, the vast majority of people I know wander off to exotic climates and endangered species, that they have never encountered in person, and mutter a melancholic statement about how awful it is, but what can they do about it?

Many people think that wildlife conservation is not something that they, as an individual, can have an impact on, because it is beyond their influence, or something they know little about.

Let me do my little bit to help raise awareness.

According to the Wildlife Trusts:

🍄 Here in the UK, we are classified as one of the world’s most nature-depleted countries.
🍂 Nearly 1 in 6 of the more than ten thousand 10,000 species assessed in a massive study (16%) are at risk of being lost forever.
🍄 This is much higher for some groups such as birds (43%), amphibians and reptiles (31%), fungi and lichen (28%) and terrestrial mammals (26%)

The truth is, that wildlife is on the decline, right here, right now, and we can do our bit (no matter how small) to help slow that down, or even support it to regenerate. Group efforts really are impactful, even when each individual only contributes a small amount.

So what small things can you do?

One of the main things which contributes to nature loss is habitat decline, so small actions you can take include:

🍄 Making sure you take your litter home, and picking bits up to dispose of appropriately when you are out enjoying natural spaces.
🍂 Making parts of your garden more wildlife friendly, letting some parts stay wild instead of being manicured, thinking about what you plant and whether it will be supportive of species diversity etc.
🍄 Respecting natural habitats and not accessing them in ways which contribute to their decline (be respectful of the impact you might have when accessing natural spaces. Who lives there? What impact will you have on them? Can you access that space without leaving a trace?).

If you want to go one step further, check out what organisations are engaging in conservation efforts locally, and maybe consider volunteering.

01/12/2025

December can be one of the busiest months in the whole calendar for many people. Places to go, people to see, presents to buy, dinners and parties to organise.

And yet, it's also the time of year when our energy is likely to be at its lowest ebb, so it can take a monumental effort to pull of this off, and sometimes we can pay a price in terms of our health and wellbeing.

Self-care is critical if you want to get anywhere near close to pulling off the festive season with enough energy and momentum left over to roll into the new year too. But self-care is typically one of the first things to go by the wayside, because many people think of it as an extra which adds to the hassle.

If this is likely to be you, I invite you to start rethinking self-care - we are not talking big days out, or spa time, or extra-long bubble baths. Try a mindset shift that focuses back on the basics.

Some of the most underrated forms of self-care include:

🌲getting enough sleep
🌲drinking enough water
🌲getting enough natural light
🌲getting enough movement
🌲nourishing yourself with wholesome food

If you can make in-roads to getting some of these on track for yourself, you'll be acing the self-care business.

Want to give yourself a little bit of something extra too?

I'm offering my 12 Days of Christmas Wellbeing Series again this year.

Sign up using the link below to get a link to a 15-20 min self-care video every day between 21st December and 1st January.

https://4c8a5d06.sibforms.com/serve/MUIFAByBRlMz44iQPO1Mgk6i9Sc0aH4234ICvFeZqqqHrxarowzGRnUiPyNeOg4bzrbJEsOi5oBKDGcg7zz5MvIYHn3eC9o9GikyXEC2BhZuB_mEjblBBi2B_xPkfvxDSp-bUM0v53-hV1S7xv1thZhzwAbVl5P8ZhiIjzVe8ZHhA_uBvVUXwe4FG64cOiRayPr9TeIUR0RDQHqk

28/11/2025

Fungi - one of my greatest obsessions

I often find myself drawn to mushrooms and toadstools while out exploring, and I've found that this is similar for many of my clients.

But why?

Honestly, I don't truly know the answer to that, but what I do know is that we can learn a lot from them.

They are insanely clever recyclers. They take the broken, the forgotten, the cast-aside and turn it back into soil to nourish the future. They never ask 'Who is worthy?' of this nourishment, only ever 'What can be shared?'

Fungi are connectors. Under the forest floor, they weave a web of interconnectedness and interdependence which supports the whole forest to thrive. They weave the disparate into relationship, into belonging.

If we pay attention to what they show us, we too can seek out nourishment and resources and learn to draw on them, knowing that all are worthy of this. And we too, can learn to belong even when we don't feel like we necessarily fit.

The natural world can teach us so much about living in harmony with ourselves and others and how to thrive in this world. This is why I invite nature into therapy, whether that involves being literally outdoors or bringing these teachings into the online space.

If you are interested in learning more about what nature can teach you, get in touch. Email me at rachel@ramblingpsychotherapist.co.uk to schedule a time to chat, and let's see if we might be a good fit to work together.

24/11/2025

The world can be a challenging place to navigate at times.

When you want to create change in your life, it is usually made easier by having someone by your side, swimming the uncharted waters with you.

I currently have space for one online therapy client.

If you would like support to explore how you might create the change you want to see for yourself, please get in touch.

Email me at rachel@ramblingpsychotherapist.co.uk to schedule a time to chat, and let's see if we might be a good fit to work together.

20/11/2025

Have you ever had to make a high-stakes decision based on very little information?

Did you find yourself getting caught up in the process of trying to make the 'right' decision clearer by searching out ever more information?

Did you find that the 'correct' solution never presented itself, no matter how much you thought about it, sought more clarity, or weighed up the odds?

You might have been dealing with a vampire problem.

Imagine being offered eternal youth and immortality by a vampire. They promise it will involve just a quick bite, be reasonably painless, and leave hardly any mess. They'll even throw in a new outfit to compensate you for ruining your current ensemble with a few nasty blood stains.

You might be tempted, I mean, think of all the money you will save on products that are designed to keep you young and healthy.

The problem is, you don't know what the experience of being a vampire will be like, or what the impact of that experience will be on you.

There are also no questions you can ask which will make that any clearer. In the end, you would have to give an answer based on a leap of faith.

Philosopher Laurie Ann Paul suggests that instead of getting bogged down in the details in the hope that the answer will become clear, the solution is to follow your curiosity. Follow the path which leads you towards the experience that piques your interest most, the one you want to find out more about.

Life is a path made by walking, and sometimes philosophy has some great advice to help us keep moving.

Would this solution work for you? Let me know what you think in the comments ⬇

Happy World Philosophy Day!

And yes, that is doing his own research into the conundrum.

18/11/2025

If I told you this potion that I discovered would fix all of your problems, how much would you want it?

Be wary of anyone who insists they have THE solution to your problem. They are most definitely trying to sell you something.

I'm not saying don't trust them with a bargepole. Some of what they have to offer might genuinely be of value to you, and then again, it might not.

You see, the paths that we walk through life are all different, and no one person's experience has been precisely the same as another's. While we might both face a similar challenge, we may not have arrived at that challenge via the same route. Therefore, the method I use to solve my version of the problem might not be the exact solution you need too.

So sometimes it's wise to ask questions about how someone intends to assess and meet your needs, to exercise a little discernment.

Sitting here in the position of offering a service, which might be helpful for you, I believe that I might have learned a thing or two along the way, which could really support you. I also know however, that you may have some gems of wisdom about how to tackle things that you aren't necessarily consciously aware of, or might have awareness of alternative avenues of exploration that aren't on my radar.

And that is why therapy is different for every single person who seeks my support. We explore together, pulling in the resources available to both of us, and together we craft a bespoke solution that honours who you are.

Sometimes that means we step outside of therapeutic methods and theory and see what is available elsewhere.

Art, history, poetry, nutrition, movement, nature, science, spirituality—all of these and more can contribute to someone's journey toward a satisfying life.

The work isn't all done inside the therapy room, and the resources don't all come from 'experts'. What makes therapy such a powerful process is the act of journeying and exploring together; you don't have to do it alone.

Want to explore together? Email me at rachel@ramblingpsychotherapist.co.uk to book a discovery call, and let's see if what I have to offer might be a good fit for you.

17/11/2025

It's National Self-Care Week.

I think the fact that we have an awareness week dedicated to the idea that we need to take good care of ourselves says a lot about the social narratives which dominate our world.

The stories of carrying on regardless, pushing through, staying strong in the face of adversity, and not allowing your productivity to diminish despite what you may be experiencing have long been held up as admirable traits in a person. And these stories have had us driving ourselves into the ground, making ourselves sick, and burning out for about as long as they have been around.

However, the tide is slowly turning.

"Self-care is not selfish!" is a mantra which is growing in popularity. People are starting to recognise that to live effectively, self-care has to be a part of the picture. It can be challenging to go against historical stories when they have been ingrained in you over the years though.

It's made more complex by the fact that we are being given new stories, which keep the old stories alive. Self-care is being turned into products that you can buy, like a panacea for everything that challenges you in life, so you don't have to attend to the idea that too much is being asked of you. And self-care is becoming yet another 'job' we have to complete as part of our bid to be productive.

Seeing these narratives for what they are is just the starting point. They are stories; we don't have to believe them.

There is no doubt about it, learning to actually give a damn about yourself is something which many of us could do with learning. It is something which will enhance your life.

But, you can't buy that in a tin, and it isn't something which the world will value you for, no matter how 'hard' you work at it.

Everyone has their own unique version of what self-care looks like and what it requires of you. Will you embark on the journey of discovery needed to uncover yours?

16/11/2025

Today is International Day of Tolerance.

Our world is the most amazing place because of the level of diversity in it. In the same breath though, the level of diversity we experience in the world offers many of us a level of challenge which we find uncomfortable.

So what does it mean to be/become more tolerant?

Many people believe that being tolerant means simply accepting whatever comes their way without question. In reality, though, it means finding a space to position yourself which allows for other people's differences (without persecuting them for it), but doesn't require you to compromise your own healthy boundaries.

As a psychotherapist, I spend a lot of time not only working on my own ability to hold space for people's differences, but also helping my clients develop this capacity within themselves.

This process requires us to sit with our discomfort and be willing to explore it with curiosity, rather than automatically defending against it.

Equally, it requires us to have an understanding of our own boundaries and a willingness to state them, rather than finding ways to numb ourselves to the experiences we are being exposed to (accepting whatever comes our way and finding a way to be okay with it).

It's not a skill that comes naturally to most of us, but it is well worth honing.

Underneath any defence, you will always find fear (either conscious or unconscious). Fear causes us to be reactive rather than responsive (fight, flight, freeze, flop, fawn).

When we can explore and understand our discomfort and urge to defend, we are able to make clearer, more supportive choices about our behaviour and actions, which often leads to more understanding and tolerance in relation to others, but without leaving us vulnerable or compromised. It allows us to lead with hope (for positive relationships), rather than reacting to fear.

Ultimately, this results in a significantly more pleasant experience for all concerned.

Want some help exploring your discomfort in the world, so you can create a more satisfying life for yourself?

Email me at rachel@ramblingpsychotherapist.co.uk to book a discovery call, and let's have a chat about working together.

13/11/2025

It is World Kindness Day today.

When we think about kindness, most people jump to thoughts about random acts of generosity, helping people out and being generally nice to others, but this isn't always what *kind* looks like.

Here's a POV that many people struggle with -

Sometimes kindness can mean setting fair but clear boundaries with someone, or communicating something difficult or challenging to convey your care.

When fear leads you to avoid having honest conversations in relationship, it creates a distance between you and the other person. When you don't speak about what is happening between you, an obstacle to loving connection is created. This is not 'kind'.

Choosing to communicate something challenging to someone, which is of mutual benefit to your relationship, in a way which takes into consideration their feelings, is kind even if the other person doesn't respond positively.

Kindness isn't as black and white an issue as you might be led to believe.

What are your thoughts on this?

Let me know in the comments 🔽

10/11/2025

Anti-bullying week kicks off today with the annual event Odd Socks Day.

This easy-to-participate-in event is designed to raise awareness of the impacts of bullying and spark conversations, so together we can work towards reducing bullying in all areas of life.

Thousands of people in the UK are subjected to bullying every year. It has a huge impact! It can undermine your sense of safety, leave you feeling isolated and can totally wreck your self-esteem, both at the time that the bullying is taking place and often, way beyond when the bullying ends. It can totally destroy lives.

Undoing the impacts of bullying can be really intricate work because bullying is traumatic.

As with all trauma, it can take time and good support to rebuild trust in the world, learn to maintain a solid sense of self in relation to others, establish and maintain healthy boundaries, and regain positive feelings of self-worth.

People who have been bullied can hold lots of feelings of shame for not having handled the situation in a way they feel satisfied with, and shame can undermine a lot of recovery work. So, when working with people who have been bullied, we first look at coming to terms with the fact that they did what they had to do in that situation, in order to survive it. This first building block of self-acceptance sets a solid foundation on which to rebuild your life.

The Anti-Bullying Alliance has some amazing advice on their website for if you are being bullied, or you are supporting someone who is. Go check them out.

If you would like some support to recover from your experience of bullying, get in contact. Email me at rachel@ramblingpsychotherapist.co.uk to book a discovery call, and let's have a chat about working together.

06/11/2025

Being shouted at activates our threat system (for everyone). Depending on the context, our sensitivity level (the level of sensory stimulation we can process easily), and our historical experience, it can catapult us into a full-on fight, flight, freeze, fawn or flop response.

Now, I don't know about you, but if I am trying to convey a message about my hurt or distress to someone whose actions or words have impacted me, I am usually hoping that they will be able to step into their empathy and we might be able to work out how the situation might be made better, together. I do not want to be faced with someone who is having a fight response, storming off, shutting down, or just saying what they think I want to hear; that feels very counterintuitive.

Similarly, if I am feeling joyful or jubilant, I don't want someone to respond fearfully; I want them to share in my joy.

So why on earth would I shout my message?

Now, don't get me wrong, I am a human with a functioning nervous system; there are definitely occasions on which my temper has flared and I have shouted. So, I am not suggesting that I have my sh*t together all the time when it comes to this, but I do think working on healthy communication is always of benefit in our relationships.

Shouting is only ever useful if you actually want to raise an alarm! That is when you want someone's nervous system to kick in with a survival response.

World Let's Stop Shouting Day aims to raise awareness of the profound impact that shouting has on relationships, as well as on both our physical and mental health. The discomfort of being shouted at is something everyone recognises, and the distress it causes those who shout is equally overwhelming.

By choosing to communicate calmly, we create a more welcoming world for everyone.

The Rambling Psychotherapist

07/12/2025

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