Exploring Emotional Regulation Support in Nottingham, I spent a day last week at David Lloyd's West Bridgford talking to their staff and members about The Ivy Retreat, emotional regulation, neurodiversity and the different ways we cope when life becomes overwhelming. The problem, in my opinion, is...
If you've been tasked with finding employee wellbeing workshop ideas, you may already have discovered a familiar selection: yoga sessions, mindfulness, motivational speakers, team-building games and the occasional wellbeing day. All of these can have value. However, what happens when your employees return to the same...
My Child Says They Want to Die – What Should I Do? Hearing your child say “I want to die”, “I wish I wasn’t here” or “everyone would be better off without me” is terrifying. As a parent, when your child says they want to die, you...
The Ivy Solo Retreat is a private solo wellbeing retreat in Carlton, Nottingham, created for women, teens, neuro-diverse and LGBTQ friendly, who need space to rest, reset, reconnect and just be. The retreat is bookable for 2 hours, half a day (3 hours), full day...
Why Won’t my teenager Go to School? If you’re here, you’re probably exhausted. You’ve tried reasoning, negotiating, comforting, threatening, removing privileges… and still your teenager won’t go to school. They’re anxious. Avoidant. Explosive. Shut down. Maybe diagnosed with ASD, ADHD or PDA… or you strongly suspect it. And...
How to Help My Teenager With Anxiety Practical life skills that build confidence, calm and emotional resilience If you’re here, you’re probably watching your teenager struggle and wondering how to help without pushing, labelling, or making things worse. Anxiety in teenagers doesn’t always look like panic attacks. Often...
Mental Health in January. January, and Blue Monday aren’t the problem - exhaustion is January often gets labelled as a motivation problem. In reality, for many high-functioning adults, it’s a nervous system problem. If you’re someone who: stays busy to feel okay struggles to sit still equates stopping...
How to Change Your Relationship With Alcohol, Without Giving up or Doing Dry January Dry January is widely promoted as a reset, but for many people it doesn’t address the real issue - your relationship with alcohol, not the alcohol itself. If you’re a successful, self-aware...
Low Energy and Withdrawal in Winter: Why January Makes You Want to Disappear If January arrives and suddenly you want to cancel plans, retreat from people, and disappear into quiet, you’re not lazy, broken, or failing. For many high-achieving professionals, low energy and withdrawal in winter isn’t...
If you’ve ever sat on the edge of your child’s bed wondering, “Why won’t my autistic child sleep?” you’re not alone. Sleep challenges are one of the most common concerns I hear from parents of neurodivergent children, and they affect the entire family’s emotional well-being....