Quiet Kin Counselling & Animal Assisted Therapy

22/04/2026

08/04/2026

University Students- Exam season can stir up more than just revision notes — it can activate that inner voice that says “I’m not good enough” or “I’m going to fail.”

In Transactional Analysis (TA), we might recognise this as the Critical Parent ego state — a learned voice that can ramp up anxiety and self-doubt.

Alongside this, your Child ego state may be holding fear — the part of you that feels overwhelmed, worried about getting it wrong, or scared of disappointing others. That fear is real, and it makes sense it shows up under pressure.

At the same time, your Adult ego state is still there — the part of you that can think clearly, stay grounded, and respond to what’s actually happening (not just what you fear might happen).

When exam anxiety rises, it can help to gently pause and ask:
• Whose voice is this?
• What is my Child part feeling right now?
• What does my Adult know to be true in this moment?

Sometimes it’s not about getting rid of anxiety, but changing your relationship with the thoughts and feelings that come with it.

You are more than your inner critic — and you have the capacity to support yourself through this.

06/04/2026

Everyone who has eve been told they are “too sensitive” could benefit from reading this

03/04/2026

Wise words from Headstrong

02/04/2026

“Paws” for a moment and take it all in nature

02/04/2026

I find these words from Terry Real very powerful. Is all that weight you carry really yours?
You don’t have to carry it, and you don’t have to pass it on to the next generation 💗

01/04/2026

A little reminder about perspective… 👀

From this photo, what do you see?

A sad dog?
Alone?
Shut away… maybe even “caged in”?

It’s so easy to take a single snapshot and create a whole story around it.

The reality?
Finn had been popped into the hay store with the other dogs for all of 3 minutes while I brought Harley in safely from the field. It was simply to stop him getting under pony feet and risking a kick.

This isn’t a sad story…
It’s actually a Finn FOMO moment 🥰🐾

And it got me thinking…

We all do this, don’t we?
We see a snippet of someone’s life, a moment, a behaviour… and our mind fills in the gaps based on our own experiences, beliefs, and feelings.

In TA terms, we’re looking through our own frame of reference.

Same moment.
Different meanings.

A gentle reminder to stay curious rather than certain — about others, and even about ourselves.

Because there’s always more to the story than what we can see.

29/03/2026

I’ve been noticing something lately…
Counsellors quietly stepping back from social media. Taking a breather. Going a little unseen again.

And it’s got me wondering.

As counsellors, do we sometimes push ourselves to be seen in spaces that don’t come naturally to us?
To show up, post, share, promote…
When our default way of being is often quieter, more reflective, more behind the scenes?

What does it really mean to be seen?

For some of us, being visible can brush up against old edges — parts of us that learned, at some point, that it was safer to stay small, to stay private, to stay protected. Those strategies made sense. They kept us safe.

So what happens when we ask ourselves to step forward anyway?

Is it growth?
Is it pressure?
Is it a gentle stretching of our edges… or a crossing of our own boundaries?

I don’t think there’s a single right answer.

I notice it in myself too.
I feel far more comfortable sharing the horses — their presence, their honesty, the quiet connection they offer. And they are part of my work.
But they’re not all of it. And they’re not all of me.

There’s a hesitancy in letting myself be seen alongside them.

Maybe this is the work too.
Finding a way to be visible that still feels safe.
Authentic.
Boundaried.

Not forcing ourselves into the light…
But allowing ourselves to step into it, at our own pace.

I’m curious how others experience this.
Does being “seen” feel nourishing, exposing, or something in between?

25/03/2026

How might we work with horses in a therapy session.

By observing this little moment here that might look simple… but rarely is.

Is Ted, curious and a little cheeky, reaches for Khal — mouthing, nibbling, testing.
Is Khal who’s older, steady and tolerant… until he isn’t, setting a clear boundary, at the same time, he quietly leans over the door, helping themselves to the hay — bold in a different way.

As you watch, you might notice something stirring in you.

Is it playful… or rude?
Curious… or intrusive?
Is one pushing boundaries?
Is one okay and the other not?
A couple bickering?

Do you find yourself siding with one over the other?

These small, ordinary interactions can bring up a lot.
Our own stories about boundaries, permission, anxiety, being “too much” or “not enough.”

About what feels safe, what feels uncomfortable… and what feels familiar.

In therapy, we often slow these moments down — gently noticing what comes up, without judgement.

Because sometimes, it’s not just about what’s happening in front of us…
but what it touches within us.

✨ If this resonates, or you’re curious about your own patterns in relationships, you’re very welcome to get in touch.

22/03/2026

Bed head Ted