Sarah Pearce Counselling

05/11/2025

While fireworks can be a source of joy for many, for others the sudden bangs and bright flashes can feel overwhelming. If you live with anxiety, PTSD, sensory sensitivities, or care for someone, a child or a pet, who struggles with loud noise, this time of year can be especially hard.

It can help to make your surroundings feel as calm as possible by closing curtains, dimming the lights, and playing music or soothing background sounds to soften the noise. Breathing slowly and deeply can also steady your nervous system and remind your mind that you’re safe in this moment.

Counselling can help you understand these reactions and find ways to feel more grounded, not just on nights like this, but whenever life feels unpredictable.

04/11/2025

When clients bring anger into the counselling room, I often describe it as an umbrella for other emotions like pain, sadness, or fear. Many of us have learned that showing vulnerability isn’t safe, so we bury those feelings and they can later emerge as anger. That anger can feel protective, saying, “I won’t let anyone hurt me again,” but it can also keep us distant from our true selves and others.

In counselling, we gently explore what sits beneath the anger to create space for healing, connection, and emotional growth.

03/11/2025

Do you often feel on edge, constantly scanning for what might go wrong, or replaying interactions in your mind? That heightened alertness, called hypervigilance, can make everyday life feel exhausting and overwhelming. You might find yourself second guessing people’s reactions, feeling jumpy around noises, or struggling to relax even in familiar settings.

Counselling can help you understand why your mind stays in overdrive and explore ways to feel more grounded and in control.

02/11/2025

Do you ever find yourself overexplaining everything you do? Sometimes this isn’t just a habit, it can be a trauma response. When you’ve been blamed, misunderstood, or felt unsafe in the past, your mind learns that explaining yourself in detail might prevent conflict or rejection. Over time, this can leave you feeling exhausted, anxious, and unsure of your own worth.

Counselling can help you understand these patterns, make sense of where they come from, and support you in building confidence, clearer boundaries, and a stronger connection with yourself.

01/11/2025

I have this picture hanging in my counselling room. Clients often find themselves drawn to it, noticing the paths that wind through the trees and the sunlight breaking through in the distance. They sometimes wonder where those paths might lead or what it might feel like to step into the open field beyond.

It often becomes a quiet point of focus in our sessions, a way of thinking about movement, change, and possibility. Just as in counselling, the scene suggests that even when the way ahead isn’t fully visible, there is space to pause, reflect, and gradually find a direction that feels right.

31/10/2025

30/10/2025

Have you ever worked hard on something and then immediately brushed it off, thinking “anyone could have done that” or “it’s not a big deal”? You’re not alone. Many of us minimise our successes, often because of self-doubt, fear of standing out, or comparing ourselves to others. Over time, this habit can make it harder to recognise your own growth, feel proud, or build confidence.

In counselling, we can explore why you downplay your achievements, gently challenge these patterns, and start learning how to celebrate your accomplishments, big and small, without guilt. Every step forward matters, and it’s worth acknowledging.

29/10/2025

It’s easy to lose sight of who you are when you’re always trying to keep everyone else happy. But when you pause, step back, and stop performing for others, you start to notice the quiet sparks that truly belong to you — the thoughts, feelings, and little joys that make life feel alive. It might feel strange or even uncomfortable at first, but that’s where your real self waits, ready to be known and welcomed.

28/10/2025

Do you ever catch yourself saying “yes” when every part of you wants to say “no”?

Maybe you offer to help, agree to plans, or stay silent to keep the peace, only to feel drained or quietly frustrated afterwards.
People-pleasing often stems from a genuine wish to be kind or accepted, yet it can come at the cost of your own wellbeing.

Counselling provides a supportive space to explore why these patterns developed and to learn how to set boundaries with confidence and care - so your “yes” truly means yes, and your “no” can be said with clarity and self-respect.

27/10/2025

The Teacup Theory offers a mindful perspective on nurturing emotional wellbeing. It encourages us to slow down, acknowledge the present, and find meaning in small, grounding moments.

In counselling, this approach reminds us that healing and joy don’t have to come from grand changes, they can emerge through awareness, stillness, and simple acts of self-care. By allowing yourself to hold space for one positive experience at a time, you create room for calm, balance, and genuine connection with yourself.

I love this beautiful illustration by Autumnrosewood.com

26/10/2025

There are seasons when emotion falls like rain, steady, cyclical, and full of weight. Here comes the rain again☔, and with it, the familiar ache of feeling too much, too deeply. Yet even in that downpour, there’s a quiet kind of grace, a reminder that reaching out can soften the edges of solitude. A hand, a voice, a moment of being seen can be shelters we build for one another. Let the rain fall as it teaches us how to grow, how to connect, and how to begin again beneath clearing skies.

25/10/2025

Have you ever reacted more strongly than expected to a small comment or situation? These moments can be gentle signals from your inner child, the part of you that still carries early emotions and unmet needs.

It might be the child who once felt unheard and longs to be understood, or the playful, creative part that learned to stay quiet to avoid disapproval. Sometimes, it’s the cautious child who still tries to keep the peace, or the hopeful one who simply wants to feel safe and connected.

Through counselling, you can reconnect with these parts of yourself by exploring where your feelings come from and offering your inner child the compassion they once needed. Counselling can help you to heal old wounds, understand yourself more deeply, and move forward with greater confidence and calm.