In this interview, Sneha, asks me about the messy unique process that is grief, as well as complex grief. I also answer some listener questions about guilt and grief, coping with grief, as well as when to get help and suicidal thoughts. Be sure to check out all her amazing work at MindMatters....
Blog
Let’s talk grief – an interview
In this interview, Sandra asks me about the grieving process, how long it may last and the different stages, and how to support a friend through the process....
How I came to be a counsellor
The counselling relationship is a skewed dynamic in that I, as the counsellor, ask clients to open up to me, to be vulnerable with their fears and anxieties. In some cases, knowing nothing at all about me, might be beneficial and freeing. However, for those who liked to know a bit more about my...
On waiting for time to pass
Rather than grin and bear this groundhog day-to-day, what can we find enjoyment in? Recently Sundays have become my new try-new-recipes-day. I needed something that I could do inside that didn’t involve more screen time. I needed something that differentiated the day from other more work-oriented days. I needed something that reminded me to...
What if?
Whilst I’m not responsible for my clients, I feel that part of my role is to hold hope and possibility. When someone is suffering intensely, it can seem impossible to get out of it. When we’ve thought and believed certain things for decades, they feel permanent and alternatives are never considered. Here are some...
What does my BAME experience bring to the counselling space
Labels can be tricky tags to wrangle. Perhaps they fall into the 80:20 rule – 80% of my experience is explained by 20% of the stereotype. I identify as British Born Chinese – literally born in Britain, with genetics that say Chinese. But what else might I share with other people who identify as...
Creating Abundance by Noticing – a C.A.N. do attitude
When dealing with uncertainty, I tend to look at what’s in my control to get a hold on things. It helps to pay less attention to what’s out of my control as such things promote more of a habit of passivity and a feeling of powerlessness. However, focusing on what I control, means it’s...
To my clients – thank you for trusting me
Counselling can be quite a mysterious experience. It can be tricky to ask friends and family as there is still stigma about seeking help. If we’re suffering back problems, however, people will happily refer a physiotherapist or a massage therapist that they value. So it takes extra courage to go on this journey –...
Videos – How do we acknowledge those we’ve lost during Christmas?
We tip toe around not wanting to upset anyone, ourselves included. Loss is hard to articulate. Sometimes a small act can help us show explicitly that we remember. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Jen Mak MSc MBACP (she/her) (@aspacefor_counselling)...
Why am I depressed? It’s not always in our ‘mind’
In an alternate reality (where I have more money and time), I’d love to study more neuroscience. For sure, it hurts my brain learning about the brain, but it’s such an amazing piece of hardware. Fortunately, Edward Bullmore’s book – The Inflamed Mind (2018) – gives me just enough of a platform to understand...