Grief and loss
Grief does not follow a timeline
Grief can affect your emotions, body, relationships and sense of identity. This article explores why everyone grieves differently and why there is no correct timetable for loss.
6 minutes
ReadLibrary
Resources
A place to learn, understand and take the next step at your own pace.
Whether you are considering counselling or simply trying to understand what you are experiencing, these articles are written in plain English, without jargon, judgement or pressure. They are written by Alan Malt, a BACP-registered counsellor.
Articles
Counselling articles and guidance
Longer reads about the things people often bring to counselling, anxiety, grief, burnout, identity, and more. Written in plain English, without jargon.
Jump to section ↓Open lettersA quieter space
Written directly to the person carrying something specific. Not structured like articles, just one voice speaking honestly to another. Read slowly, or not at all.
Jump to section ↓Help sheetsPractical help sheets
One-page sheets you can download and keep. Simple practices and ideas to reach for between sessions or before you have started. Free, no email required.
Jump to section ↓Browse by theme
Articles
Counselling articles and guidance
Longer reads about the things people often bring to counselling. Written in plain English, without jargon or pressure. Take what is useful and leave what is not.
Anxiety
When your mind will not switch off
An honest introduction to anxiety, including the physical symptoms, racing thoughts and cycles that can make everyday life feel overwhelming.
6 minutes
Read
Starting counselling
What happens in your first counselling session?
A straightforward guide to what you can expect from your first session, including confidentiality, what you may talk about and what happens if you do not know what to say.
5 minutes
Read
Caring responsibilities
When you are the one everyone leans on
Caring for someone can be loving and exhausting at the same time. This article is for anyone quietly holding things together for someone else.
6 minutes
Read
Emotional wellbeing
When everything feels flat
Feeling low is not always sadness. Sometimes it is flatness, heaviness or a quiet loss of interest in things that used to matter. This article explores what that can feel like.
6 minutes
Read
Considering counselling
Is counselling right for me?
You do not need to be in crisis to consider counselling. An honest look at what counselling can and cannot do, and how to tell whether it might help you.
5 minutes
Read
Loneliness
Lonely in a room full of people
Loneliness is not only about being alone. You can feel it in a busy house, a long marriage or a full office. This article looks at what loneliness really is.
5 minutes
Read
Self-criticism
The voice that says you are not good enough
Many of us live with a running commentary that judges everything we do. This article explores where that voice comes from and how it might soften.
6 minutes
Read
Life transitions
When life changes and you are not sure who you are now
Retirement, separation, children leaving home, illness, a move. Even changes we choose can leave us feeling unmoored. This article is about finding your feet again.
6 minutes
Read
About counselling
Why talking really can help
When you have already thought about it endlessly, what is the point of talking to a stranger? A look at why saying things out loud actually changes them.
8 minutes
Read
Emotional wellbeing
Living with uncertainty
When the future becomes a question mark, the mind often goes into overdrive trying to anticipate every outcome. How to cope when you cannot know what happens next.
7 minutes
Read
Emotional wellbeing
The weight of always coping
For the capable ones, the organisers, and the people who never seem to need help. A look at the quiet exhaustion of holding everything together.
6 minutes
Read
Burnout
Understanding burnout
Burnout is not just working too hard, and it cannot be cured by a weekend away. It is a profound emptiness. Here is how to recognise it and begin to recover.
6 minutes
Read
Anxiety
When anxiety starts making your world smaller
Anxiety does not always announce itself with panic. Often, it quietly convinces you to avoid more and more things until your world feels impossibly small.
6 minutes
ReadOpen letters
A quieter space to read
These are not articles. They are letters, written directly to the person carrying something specific. No structure, no bullet points, just one voice speaking honestly to another. Read slowly, or not at all. They will be here when you need them.
LetterLetterLetterLetterLetter
To the person who's always the strong one
An open letter to the person who holds everything together, exploring the quiet exhaustion of constant capability and offering a place to put the weight down.
8 minutes
ReadTo the person who keeps saying 'I'm fine'
An open letter to anyone hiding how much they are struggling behind a brave face. You do not have to prove you are coping or carry it alone.
8 minutes
ReadTo the person carrying grief
An open letter to anyone living after a loss, acknowledging the non-linear, unpredictable nature of grief and offering gentle companionship for the days ahead.
8 minutes
ReadTo the person whose mind won't switch off
An open letter for anyone living with constant anxiety, a racing mind and the exhaustion of feeling permanently on guard, without knowing how to switch off.
8 minutes
ReadTo the person who feels they've lost themselves
An open letter about the disorientation of major life changes, and the quiet, gradual process of finding your feet and sense of self again.
8 minutes
ReadHelp sheets
Practical help sheets
Simple, one-page sheets you can download and keep. Each one covers a single practice or idea, something to reach for between sessions, or before you have started. Completely free, no email address required.
These are not homework. There is nothing here you are expected to do, and nothing that needs reporting back. Take what feels useful, leave what does not, and come back to any of it in your own time, if and when it feels right.
Starting counselling
Preparing for your first session
What to expect, what to bring, and how to arrive with a little less anxiety. Most people feel nervous before a first session, this may help.
Download PDF
Anxiety5, 4, 3, 2, 1 grounding
A sensory exercise to bring you back to the present moment when anxiety or overwhelm takes hold. Works anywhere, any time.
Download PDF
AnxietyBreathing and slowing down
A simple breathing practice that signals to the body it is safe to settle. Slowing the out-breath is one of the quickest ways to calm the nervous system.
Download PDF
Nervous systemVagus nerve calming
Gentle techniques, humming, cool water, soft gaze, that activate the vagal brake and help move the body out of a stress response.
Download PDF
AwarenessEmotional check-in
A structured pause to notice what is happening in your body, your emotions and your mind, and what you might need. Little and often is the aim.
Download PDF
ReflectionJournalling prompts
Reflective questions to help you explore what you are thinking and feeling in your own time. No need to write well, write much, or share what you write.
Download PDF
Counselling services
Ready to go deeper?
These pages go into more detail about how I work with specific experiences. If you recognise yourself in any of the articles or letters above, one of these might be the next step.
Anxiety counselling
Support for worry, panic, and the constant hum of anxious thought.
Read more →Depression counselling
A space to be heard when everything feels heavy, flat, or out of reach.
Read more →Bereavement & grief
Grief in all its forms, loss of a person, a relationship, a future.
Read more →Stress & burnout
When keeping everything going starts to cost more than you can afford.
Read more →Men's mental health
A space where men can talk honestly, without pressure to perform.
Read more →Ready to take the next step?
You can book a session directly online. There is no obligation after an initial conversation.
New articles will be added gradually, focusing on anxiety, emotional wellbeing, identity, caring responsibilities, grief and what counselling can offer.