Oceanside Counselling

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Oceanside Counselling

Professional Counselling service in the heart of Sidmouth.

08/04/2026

Today, I am grateful for:
🌸 Feeling better than last week (I’m getting over a nasty virus)
🌸 Booking a trip with a friend, our sons, and their pals (chaos, but fun)
🌸 Feeling the warmth of the sun today, & listening to the little blue tit who keeps singing hello! 🐦

What are yours? Keep it going. 🌸

03/03/2026

When the news seems big and frightening, it can feel urgent and overwhelming, with constant updates quickly creating a background hum of worry, and a sense that the world is tilting out of our control.

A few gentle anchors:

✨You don’t have to absorb everything to care.

Try: checking the news at set times (eg. once in the morning, once in the evening)
Turning off push notifications.
Using just one or two trusted sources, and avoiding doom scrolling before bedtime.

✨You don’t have to carry it all to be compassionate.

If you want to help, think of one practical thing you can do (perhaps donating to a relevant charity, or emailing your MP) then come back to what IS within your immediate control - your life, your family, your local community.
Make a difference here.

✨You’re allowed to step back and breathe.
Look around you and notice:

The light in the room, the sound of the kettle… the steadiness of the floor beneath your feet.

Step outside, even for 5 minutes, and connect with nature - listen to the birdsong, observe the sea, take in the scent of spring flowers. Move.

Practise gratitude. 🙏🏼

✨Bring your focus to the here and now. Ask yourself: what is true in YOUR immediate world, right now?

🌊Sidmouth sea front 03.03.26 🌊

23/02/2026

After weeks of rain, the sun finally came out on Peak Hill yesterday. Through all the grey skies, the daffodils have been slowly preparing to brighten our days with their sunny yellowness.

Like the spring flowers, we don’t always notice our own resilience. Sometimes we’re just getting through the days, one at a time.

The sea doesn’t rush, the seasons gently change. Growth happens for us too, a bit by bit.

If this winter has felt heavy or uncertain for you, you’re not behind the seasons.

Maybe you’re carrying more than people can see.

Perhaps a quiet space to talk will be helpful as we move towards Spring. Reaching out can be a quiet beginning. 🌼

🌊

l

27/01/2026

The Two Wolves

An old Cherokee was teaching his grandchildren about life. He said, “A battle is raging inside me…it is a terrible fight between two wolves. One wolf represents fear, anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority and ego. The other stands for joy, peace, love, hope, sharing, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, friendship, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith.”

The old man looked at the children with a firm stare. “This same fight is going on inside you, and inside every other person, too.”

They thought about it for a minute, and then one child asked his grandfather, “Which wolf will win?”

The old Cherokee replied: “The one you feed.”

22/12/2025

✨The light returns 22/12/25 ✨

Nature’s solstice reminder
✨ to pause & reflect
✨ to rest and connect with nature
✨ to hold hope, even in the darkest times
✨ to trust the light always returns

03/12/2025

An inspiring week so far, co-teaching the new 3 day immersive Bibliotherapy Skills introduction . A beautiful countryside location provided the perfect retreat for our students to share, learn, and reflect on how they can implement their passion for ‘reading for wellbeing’ in their communities. 📚

29/10/2025

A surprisingly relaxing and uplifting experience at the Van Gogh Immersive Exhibition. Have you been? It’s on locally until Friday. ✨

22/10/2025

Gratitude has been a recurring theme of late, with a recent study demonstrating improved wellbeing and mental health after following an intentional Gratitude Practice.

In one particular study involving nearly 300 adults seeking counselling services at University, a randomised group wrote a gratitude letter each week for three weeks. The gratitude group reported significantly better mental health (compared to the control group) at follow-up, 12 weeks after the last writing exercise.

Another type of written gratitude practice is counting blessings, or “Three Good Things.”
A study of this practice found that people who wrote down three things that had gone well in their day and identified the causes of those good things were significantly happier and less depressed, even six months after the study ended. 🙏🏼

How It Works: Strengthening Positive Recall. 👌🏼

In general, people are more cognitively aware of their “headwinds” (or barriers they face) than “tailwinds” (benefits they receive). By paying more attention to our tailwinds, studies have shown that we can accentuate feelings of happiness, optimism, and positive emotion. 🌊

Taken from the article ‘The Science behind Gratitude’ by Mindful. 🧘

🙏🏻

14/10/2025

What would you like to let go of? 🍁

🍁

29/09/2025

Today’s public enquiry into the impact of the COVID Pandemic on children and young people is welcome. As a practising Counsellor, I speak with many individuals, of different ages, who are impacted by, or at least make reference to, the pandemic in some way.

It is vital we talk about this shared experience and acknowledge that we are still living in the early post pandemic years, and adjusting, as best we can.

Perhaps you, too, are struggling to accept a loss or life change experienced during the pandemic, or maybe you are feeling anxious about your health, socialising, or ‘getting back to normal’ (whatever normal is). Firstly, please know you’re not alone, this is a human response to an unusual and traumatic experience. Please talk about your feelings, with friends, family, or a professional. It is healthy to share and recognise that we are still adjusting.

I hope this enquiry brings additional and much needed support for children, adolescents, and young adults. For although we were all impacted, I feel the youngest generation felt the impact most acutely, particularly with developing social skills, even if it is all too often overlooked these days.

21/09/2025

It was a pleasure to talk at The Women’s Mindset Retreat in Sidmouth yesterday. An inspiring group of women coming together. The theme of my talk was Empowering Communication. Thank you to for the invitation, and for a really enjoyable afternoon. It was lovely to meet you all. 🍂 🌳

20/09/2025

Some cracking waves on the seafront this evening, you can taste the salt in the air! 🌊 Easy to engage all the senses, enjoying a mindful walk after a busy day. Happy Weekend all x

Address

33 High Street
Sidmouth
EX108DZ

Telephone

+447595479463

Website

http://www.oceanside.org.uk/

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