Sonja Marga Integrative Counsellor

Sonja Marga Integrative Counsellor I am an Integrative Counsellor and a registered member of the BACP (MBACP 396398), working in Cheshire Countryside.

I am within easy access of Middlewich, Sandbach and Winsford.

The brain has always fascinated me. Especially how trauma shapes it - and how love can help to heal it. When I first l...
08/12/2025

The brain has always fascinated me. Especially how trauma shapes it - and how love can help to heal it.

When I first learnt about the Romanian orphanages during my counselling training, I was struck by how severe neglect affected those children's developing brains. But what stayed with me even more was this : some of that damage was repaired through consistent care, safety and love.

It reminded me that although we often normalise abuse to survive it - we can also heal.

The brain can change. Love can change it. And that's the closest thing to magic that I know.

At a meal with friends last night, I received some praise which I immediately tried to deflect.And it got me thinking ab...
05/12/2025

At a meal with friends last night, I received some praise which I immediately tried to deflect.
And it got me thinking about how powerful our inner narrative can be.
For some if us, those voices sound like our childhood. "Never good enough.....don't look for praise cause you don't deserve it.....stay small....remember your place."
But those messages are not the truth - they're echoes. And they can be changed.
If you struggle to accept kindness or feel undeserving, you are not alone - this is something we can explore together.



Sonjamargacounsellor.com

When we grow up with secure attachments, disagreements tend to blow over quickly. But for those who dont have that safe...
28/11/2025

When we grow up with secure attachments, disagreements tend to blow over quickly. But for those who dont have that safety, conflict can last for days or weeks.

And as adults, we bring our childhood "normal" into every argument. What our partner or child might say can trigger something in us from our past and suddenly the disagreement spirals into something much bigger than it should be.

Do your arguments feel like this? If conflict feels confusing or overwhelming, talking might help you make sense of the patterns you find yourself stuck in.



Sonjamargacounsellor.com

The budget has brought up memories of my childhood. We were poor. We went with-out. We made do with second hand cloth...
26/11/2025

The budget has brought up memories of my childhood. We were poor. We went with-out. We made do with second hand clothes and ate less. Memories that stay with you can get stirred up again as an adult, especially in times like these.
If today's news has brought back old fears of scarcity or neglect, you are not alone. I can listen - whether you want a quick chat online or a safe space to explore those harsher winter memories.
So has todays budget stirred up memories for you too?



Sonjamargacounsellor.com

As I get older, I've been thinking about how age reshapes families. Watching how a friend relies more and more on her c...
24/11/2025

As I get older, I've been thinking about how age reshapes families. Watching how a friend relies more and more on her children made me realise how many of us fear becoming a "burden" one day. Especially with illnesses like dementia where we may not even realise whats happening.
Role reversals are painful. Parents lose independence and children become the carer.
Is this something you are facing - or fearing? You don't have to wrestle with it alone. I'm here to talk.
What part of aging do you fear?

Animals can be a lifeline for people with trauma. They offer what people sometimes can't. Unconditional love, no judg...
22/11/2025

Animals can be a lifeline for people with trauma. They offer what people sometimes can't. Unconditional love, no judgement and a steady presence. Many of us learned early on that it was safest to cry into our pets fur that ask for help. Pets can teach children empathy, safety and connection in ways that words can't. If you have ever wondered why you feel more at ease with animals know that there is nothing wrong with you. It's your nervous system recognising safety.
When has your pet helped you calm down or feel safe?



Sonjamargacounsellor.com

Winter can affect so much more than just our bodies. It can change the atmosphere at home. Cold weather can mean less ...
20/11/2025

Winter can affect so much more than just our bodies. It can change the atmosphere at home. Cold weather can mean less social contact, shorter tempers, and tired people trying to stay warm. For some just heating the home is something they just can't afford.
Sometimes what looks like anger is really stress, fear or exhaustion. If Winter has made your home heavier, you don't have to carry that alone. Maybe talking about it can bring back some if the warmth.



Sonjamargacounsellor.com

So much of the hardest work in this world is the work no one sees.The carer who gives more than they are paid for.The pa...
17/11/2025

So much of the hardest work in this world is the work no one sees.

The carer who gives more than they are paid for.
The parents who never clock off.
The nurses whose hearts carry far more than their shift notes show.

And the everyday helpers who quietly chooses compassion- even when someone assumes its because you get paid.

In counselling, I meet so many people who feel unseen.
So here's a reminder.
Your efforts count.
Your care matters.
You are allowed to feel proud of what no one else notices.

What silent work do you do?



Sonjamargacounsellor.com

The other day I saw a little child - maybe four or five years telling little fibs to its parents. The type of fibs that...
14/11/2025

The other day I saw a little child - maybe four or five years telling little fibs to its parents. The type of fibs that are so obvious they usually make me smile.

But this time instead if smiling I felt myself tense.

It made me wonder. Were they really being "naughty" or had I just been taught to see noise and backchat as "trouble"?

Sometimes what looks like defiance is just a child being a child. And sometimes our reactions come from old wounds.

If you need a safe place to talk things though, please know I am here.



www.sonjamargacounsellor.com

A few weeks ago, I woke up coughing and short of breath. For a moment the fear of Covid came rushing back - the isolati...
11/11/2025

A few weeks ago, I woke up coughing and short of breath.
For a moment the fear of Covid came rushing back - the isolation, and the grief we all lived through.
Thankfully I was fine. But fear can surface so easily as the body remembers what our minds try to forget.
If moments like this unsettle you too, please know you are not alone.


Sonjamargacounsellor.com

I live and work in the beautiful Cheshire Countryside. I am so lucky. What makes you feel lucky?
08/11/2025

I live and work in the beautiful Cheshire Countryside. I am so lucky. What makes you feel lucky?

Sometimes the people we love the most are also the ones that push our buttons the hardest. They are the ones that make ...
07/11/2025

Sometimes the people we love the most are also the ones that push our buttons the hardest. They are the ones that make us question ourselves, and who can bring us to tears. In a healthy relationship that can be okay because in the end we can repair and reconnect.
But it isn't always so simple. In abusive relationships for instance, our emotional vulnerability can be used against us. And then there are times when the "hurt" isn't abuse at all - like when someone we love begins to lose themselves to dementia, or when a child lashes out because they simply don't have the words yet to explain what they are feeling.
It reminds me how vital it is for us all to be gentle. Because for so many of us gentleness isn't something we were shown when we were small.
How do you show gentleness even when you feel hurt?

CompassionateCommunication

Find me at https://www.sonjamargacounsellor.com/

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Cottage Cattery
Middlewich
CW100LY

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 6pm
Tuesday 9am - 6pm
Wednesday 9am - 6pm
Thursday 9am - 6pm
Friday 9am - 6pm
Saturday 9am - 2pm

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