Zoe Burnett Counselling

14/02/2026

It was an absolute privilege to speak at this conference yesterday!

I was presenting on eating disorders in the perinatal period and I’m still holding the weight and warmth of it!

Talking about pregnancy and early motherhood alongside eating disorders is extremely close to my heart. It is layered. It is tender. It is complicated. It holds shame, silence, body changes, identity shifts, grief, joy, and fear all tangled together. Basically...... ALL THE FEELINGS 😅

I spoke about how the ED can grow louder during times of change. About the collision between a body that is meant to expand and a mind that has been wired to shrink. About the things professionals say that land well...... and the ones that don’t. About why awareness matters even when you don’t feel equipped to “fix” it.

If you work in perinatal services, maternity, health visiting, primary care, mental health or third sector support, please know this: you do not have to be an eating disorder specialist to make a difference. Language matters. Curiosity matters. Compassion matters!!!!

feel free to get in touch 😉

Massive thank you to Kel O'Neill for hosting and creating space for these conversations!
Also a massive thanks to everyone who came and listened, and joined in the conversation so openly. I left feeling hopeful. ☺️💜

12/02/2026

🥰It was an absolute pleasure to present to the NHS Board of Directors today!

I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to contribute to a conversation about where services are now, where the gaps remain, and how we might begin to do things differently.

It was encouraging to see openness to discussions about lived experience, and to hear genuine interest in perspectives from those working within systems but perhaps from a slightly different angle. 😊

These conversations matter if we are serious about reducing barriers, improving access and creating services that people can actually use!!

We also reflected on how fixed, time limited session models do not always work, particularly for those who have experienced trauma or who are neurodivergent. Building rapport and psychological safety often takes several sessions before meaningful therapeutic work can begin. When we rush straight into structured interventions, it can lead to overwhelm and shutdown rather than engagement. While CBT has its place, a more integrative and flexible approach is often needed. Our role as therapists is to find what works for the client, not expect the client to mould themselves to a specific modality.

The current system is failing people.😔

I am very much looking forward to the follow up conversations that were suggested, and to continuing to advocate for approaches that are relational, integrative and grounded.

What a way to start a Thursday morning!🙌

30/01/2026

Stepping away today to do something just for me. A cuppa, some paint, no plan, no outcome. 🖌️

I’m reminding myself that rest doesn’t have to be earned, and creativity doesn’t have to be shared to be valid!

There is wisdom in the pause. 💜

How are you resting over the weekend?

26/01/2026

I can not stress this enough....... Language matters 🙏💜

Talking about su***de can be difficult.

However, learning how to talk about it in a safe and hopeful way has the power of potentially saving lives and avoiding reinforcing stigma that can prevent people from seeking the support they need.

Refrain from using the term ‘committed’. 'Commit' implies su***de is a sin or crime, reinforcing the stigma that it’s a selfish act and personal choice. Su***de has not been a crime in England since 1961.

Instead, let's use phrases such as 'died by su***de' or 'experienced suicidal thoughts'.
Let's keep talking about su***de safely and sensitively, and keep saving young lives. 💜

24/01/2026

I've been playing around with some art therapy ideas this afternoon. 💜
I've seen a few things but not had chance to try them out..... This one was a firm fave 🙂🫟

This one involved randomly drawing black squiggles on the page.

Then colouring in each section.

I went over the lines, in a thicker pen, then rounded off all the edges.

It's not perfect. That's the point. Just a burst of random colour. Allowing the lines to just flow. Colouring in. Then rounding off all the points.

I also have a pebble you could use for the random squiggle, if you did not want to go free flow!

It allowed my brain to pause.....
Allowed me to breathe.

This is a tool I will definitely be passing on to relevant clients 😆 a chance to let the inner child play!

REMEMBER!!!!! You do not have to be an artist to do this sort of thing. (Evidently lol) It's about pausing. Engaging in the task, and allowing the flow of the lines to guide you.

☺️🫟

12/01/2026

💜 I have just done this and feel reset!

Give it a go at some point today ☺️
Notice the warmth, the steam, and pause. Just pause. Breathe. Give yourself permission to reset.

That is right! I have a new series for you all ☺
Join me every Monday and engage in a small Mindful practice!

💫Mindfulness matters! it gently anchors us in the present, helping calm the mind, regulate the body, and create space to respond rather than react. 💙

This week: The Warm Drink Pause
Today, take a minute to make a warm drink with intention. 🙌

☕As you hold the cup, notice its weight in your hands.
Feel the warmth seeping into your palms.
Let the steam rise toward you like an invitation to slow down.

Before you take the first sip, pause.
Breathe in the scent.
Let your shoulders drop.
Let your jaw soften. 😌

And as you sip, imagine the warmth travelling with a quiet message:
You are allowed to take moments like this.
You are allowed to arrive gently.

A tiny ritual. A tiny reset. A very real shift. 🌱✨

🙌I look forward to you all joining me, in these moments! let me know if you do, how you found it and also if you have any ideas to include in this series. ☺

11/01/2026

Such a peaceful walk yesterday. Except for the laughter 😂

I feel so at peace and lucky 💜

A moment to engage in mindfulness, dip my toes in the sea (yes it was flipping freezing) notice the beauty of the sky, be with those I love, and allow my mind to breathe. Fully.

A steady start to the new year. No pressure. No resolutions. (Sod that)
Just a small intention. Choosing regulation over perfection. Paying closer attention to my nervous system. Letting feelings arrive without rushing to fix, judge, or tidy them away. Noticing what’s here. Allowing it to exist. Trusting that presence is enough. ⭐

Sometimes the work isn’t making things neat, it’s letting them be felt.

I talk about this a lot with my clients, and figured it was time I practiced what i preached a little more ☺️💜

A therapist’s work isn’t only progress notes or walking alongside clients on their journeys.
It’s the quiet, ongoing work of tending to ourselves too. So we can show up regulated, present, and human. For our clients, and for ourselves. ☺️

05/01/2026

Some ideas ☺️💜

31/12/2025

A message to all clients/followers.
Happy new year!

#2026

21/12/2025

🌑 Winter Solstice Ritual: Twelve intentions/Wishes ✨

On the longest night of the year, I like this simple ritual of intention and surrender.

Write down twelve wishes or intentions, one for each month ahead.

Fold them. Place them somewhere safe.

For the twelve nights after the solstice, choose one slip at random each night and burn it (safely).

As it burns, you release it. You’ve named it. You’ve put it out into the world.

The rest is not yours to control.

At the end, one wish/intention remains.

This is the one you focus on.

The one you tend to.

The one that asks for your energy, boundaries, and care.

It’s a reminder that some things are ours to work towards…..

and some things are allowed to unfold in their own time.

Long nights. Small flames. Quiet intentions. 🌒🔥

Please do join in. It is always interesting what we write and we can reflect on what comes up 😊 what would you like your intentions to be?

❄️

12/12/2025

🌞very pleased to have contributed to this!

Creative writing has been one of the safest places for me to put the things that feel too big to hold.

When words get tangled in the body, writing lets them breathe! It doesn’t need to be neat, clever, perfect or even finished. It just needs to be honest.

Poetry, journalling, scribbling half-sentences, mind dumping, whatever you want to call it, is a way of noticing, naming, and slowly making sense of what we’ve lived through.

So grateful to NCPS for sharing my words, and for recognising that creativity can be a powerful part of healing! ☺️💜

This is why I weave creative approaches into my practice. Because not everything heals through talking alone, and sometimes a pen, paint, any creative tool! knows where to go, before we do 🎨✒️

27/11/2025

spent the last few days in London! finally homeward bound
✨ Just completed training in Narrative Exposure Therapy (NET)

I’ve spent the last few days diving deep into Narrative Exposure Therapy, a trauma therapy model designed for people with complex, multiple, or prolonged traumatic experiences. And honestly… it’s powerful.

NET helps clients build a clear, compassionate timeline of their life story, honouring the moments of safety, connection, and strength as well as the traumatic ones.
Instead of holding fragmented memories that spike out of nowhere, NET supports people to piece their story together in a way that makes sense, reduces fear, and brings the nervous system some relief.

What I really love about NET is that it doesn’t rush!

It doesn’t erase or minimise what happened.
It creates space for clients to place each memory where it belongs, rather than it continuing to intrude on the present. combining both hot and cold parts of each event.

As someone who works with trauma, eating disorders, and long-term emotional wounds, this approach fits beautifully with the way I already hold clients’ stories: with curiosity, gentleness, and deep respect.

I’m looking forward to integrating this into my work! Helping people reclaim their timelines, understand their survival, and feel a little more at home in their own lives.

If anyone wants to chat about NET, training, or trauma-informed practice, my inbox is open. 🙂💜