Dr Vicky Lewis Clinical Psychology and Counselling Services

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Dr Vicky Lewis Clinical Psychology and Counselling Services

Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from Dr Vicky Lewis Clinical Psychology and Counselling Services, Psychologist, Solihull.

Clinical Psychologist, Counsellor and Systemic Practitioner in Solihull
20 years' of experience
Works with children, adults and families
Passionate about working in a neuro affirming way
www.drvickylewis.co.uk
Registered and Chartered

27/11/2025

Did You Know....

A 20 second hug:

- Releases oxytocin
- Lowers Cortisol
- Slows your heart rate
- Calms your nervous system

25/11/2025

Are you finding parenting hard? That's because parenting is hard.

Connecting with your child is an essential ingredient of your relationship with them and disconnection can happen at all different times.

For example:

When you're running late for school

When you find yourself repeating the same request over again

When you feel you are not being listened to

When your child is dysregulated and there is an explosion of emotions

When things have happened which are hard not to take personally

Connecting with your child isn’t just something you do once. It needs to be done constantly. Over and over again.

Connecting, empathising and being present: these are what allow you to have a connected positive relationship with your child every day.

Of course, not every moment of every day is going to be plain sailing.

But each moment of the day is an opportunity to make a connection.

Sending warm wishes to all parents who are finding things hard right now.

20/11/2025

Being regulated doesn't mean you always need to be calm and zen.

According to polyvagal theory, a regulated nervous system is one that is flexible so that it:

Activates when you need energy or to focus (sympathetic).
Settles when it is time to rest (parasympathetic).
Connects when you feel safe (ventral vagal).
Protects you when there is a threat (fight, flight, freeze).

Nervous system regulation is really important for maintaining emotional balance & responding effectively to stress.

When someone is dysregulated this means getting stuck in a state and unable to come back down.

In a dysregulated state, our sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems are imbalanced. We feel we are at our limit, and it affects our ability to problem-solve, make rational decisions, and engage positively with others.

Knowing how to recognise dysregulation in our system and respond in an adaptive and protective way is a powerful wellness tool available to everyone.

We feel nervous system regulation when there is a balance between activation of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems.

We feel dysregulation when these systems are not working efficiently in response to our experiences.

This dance between the two systems occurs all day, every day, over the course of our lives.

Although the physiological responses of the parasympathetic nervous system are involuntary, we can bring them under conscious awareness and use them to return to a calmer state.

You can reset your nervous system naturally with regular exercise, listening to calming music, positive social connections, physical touch, spending time in nature etc.

Rather than aiming to remain calm all of the time, which is an unrealistic expectation, celebrate when you notice that you've been able to activate and settle back down, respond and recover.

You can practise this skill by using deep breathing techniques, engaging in physical movement like walking or yoga and trying mindfulness techniques such as meditation or a body scan.

18/11/2025

This is your reminder that spending time in nature can improve your mental health by:

Resetting your mood
Decreasing anxiety
Reducing stress
Lessening feelings of anger

14/11/2025

Every year, bullying impacts the lives of countless young people and silence can keep it hidden.

That’s why, this Anti-Bullying Week, the aim is to empower young people to use their Power for Good to safely speak up and raise awareness when they see bullying, face to face or online.

Concerningly, 30% of children and young people have been bullied in the last year.

17% have been bullied online.

It is estimated that at least one child in every classroom will experience bullying each day.

It's important to provide the right conditions to empower children and young people to be able to speak up.

For more information about Anti Bullying Week see https://youtu.be/lO6599wP390

13/11/2025

Kindness is something we can cultivate, makes the world a better place and is scientifically proven to improve our own mental health as well as others.

What can you do to be kind to yourself and others today and in the coming days and weeks ahead.

-care

11/11/2025

Dyslexia affects how the brain handles information which it sees and hears.

Dyslexia primarily affects reading and writing skills which can affect learning and the acquisition of literacy skills.

Dyslexia does not impact intelligence but can cause difficulties with: the order of letters in words, information that is written down, spellings, carrying out a sequence of directions, planning and organisation.

A neuro-affirming approach to dyslexia views it as a natural variation of the human brain rather than a deficit to be "fixed".

This perspective focuses on identifying and addressing environmental and social barriers, while also recognising and building on the unique strengths of dyslexic individuals, such as visual-spatial reasoning and creativity.

Support is provided to help individuals thrive and develop skills to achieve their own goals, and to foster a positive self-identity and self-advocacy.

Have a look at this video: https://www.bdadyslexia.org.uk/dyslexia/about-dyslexia/what-is-dyslexia

06/11/2025

It's International Stress Awareness Week

This is an opportunity to think about the effects of stress, physically and mentally, as well as how we can manage feelings of stress.

There are many reasons we can feel stressed, whether it’s deadlines for work, change in our relationships, parenting or pressures we may be putting on ourselves. Sometimes stress can be useful. It can motivate us to sort things out or get something done.

However, there are times when stress can pile up, or when a prolonged period of stress can really impact us, leaving us feeling unable to cope.

Stress can affect our mental health. It can leave us with racing or foggy thoughts. We might feel overwhelmed, anxious, irritable or confused.

Some people struggle with health conditions that are exacerbated as a result of stress.

Looking after yourself is therefore essential, non-negotiable and indispensable.

It’s also important to make time for yourself to feel less stressed and more relaxed. In order to feel better, ask yourself – what do you like to do? And if you’ve been feeling stressed for a long time and forgotten about relaxing – what did you used to enjoy before (even as a child)?

Rest and recuperation is essential for body and mind.

04/11/2025

When anxiety builds up to the point that a young person cannot go to school, this is often called ‘school refusal’ – and you might hear the school or other professionals using this term. However, this term implies that ‘refusing’ school is a choice when often it is not. We prefer to use the term 'school-related distress'.

For more information see:
https://www.drvickylewis.co.uk/children-families/ -About-School

30/10/2025

As ADHD awareness month comes to an end lets keep the conversation going and focus on the strengths rather than a deficit model 😀

Creative
Quick at generating ideas
Enthusiastic & Energetic
Curious & Spontaneous
Great ability to hyper-focus on areas of interest
Optimistic & Courageous
Great at being adaptable
Good problem solvers
Resilient

28/10/2025

Gentle Reminders...

Your emotions are REAL
But they don't always reflect reality

Asking for help is a STRENGTH
You weren't meant to do this alone

Healing is not LINEAR
Some days you'll feel unstoppable, other days, fragile. THIS IS OK.

You are okay :-)

23/10/2025

ADHDers often experience alexithymia and dyslexithymia, conditions that make it difficult to identify and express emotions. Alexithymia refers to the inability to recognise and describe one’s emotions, while dyslexithymia specifically involves not having the right words for feelings. As a result, ADHDers may struggle with emotional regulation, interpersonal relationships, and overall emotional wellbeing.

Address

Solihull
B939

Telephone

+447796801642

Website

http://www.drvickylewis.co.uk/

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