Learning to live gently
My Journey Managing Anxiety and Depression
From my story to yours
A Gentle Approach to Wellbeing: My Journey with Anxiety and Depression
I often felt on edge, as though my body never fully relaxed. Sleep was difficult, my energy was low, and there was a constant undercurrent of overwhelm. It gradually began to affect everything, my relationships, my work, and how I felt about myself.
Reaching out for help was not easy, but it was a turning point. With the support of my GP and a period on antidepressants, something began to shift. I felt calmer, more grounded. I could rest again. It gave me the space I needed to begin finding my way back to myself.
I stayed with that support for some time, gently rebuilding. Then, gradually, I felt ready to explore a different way forward. With care and guidance, I came off medication and began a quieter, more personal journey of understanding.
What changed most was not the presence of anxiety, but my relationship with it.
For a long time, I had experienced it as something to fight or push away and often feeling a great sense of shame around it. Over time, I began to see it differently, as my nervous system tried, in its own way, to protect me. That shift, from resistance to curiosity, was transformative.
I started to listen more closely to myself. To notice what I was feeling, rather than override it. To ask what I might need, rather than push through.
It wasn’t an instant change. It was gradual, and at times uncomfortable. But it allowed me to meet myself with more compassion than I ever had before.
Over the years, I’ve shaped a way of living that supports me more fully. I’ve learned to slow down, to spend time in nature, to prioritise meaningful connection, and to create space for reflection. These are not rigid rules, but gentle anchors that help me stay connected to myself.
I still experience anxiety at times. But now, I recognise it. I understand it. And I know how to respond with care, rather than fear.
This journey is something I carry into my work as a therapist. Not as something that defines me, but as something that deepens my understanding.
I know how it feels to be overwhelmed, to feel disconnected, or unsure of how to move forward. And I also know that there isn’t one single path to healing.
What I offer is a space where your experience can be explored at your own pace. A space where you don’t have to have everything figured out. A space where understanding can begin.
Because in my experience, healing doesn’t come from “fixing” ourselves, it comes from learning how to relate to ourselves differently. And that often begins with simply being heard.
Humanistic, relational, and pluralistic.
My work draws on approaches including Person-Centred Counselling, Transactional Analysis, Psychodynamic, Gestalt, and CBT. This allows me to tailor our work together to best support your unique needs. Contact me to schedule a consultation and explore more.
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