2022 is now coming to an end and we’re going into a brand new year. It seems to have gone by in the blink of an eye.

What was 2022 like for you? Do you have anything exciting happening in 2023?

It’s been an exciting year for me. After completing the Pet Bereavement Counselling course I am privileged to be able help people learn to live their lives after losing a beloved pet. I got a lovely message on Christmas Day from a former client to tell me her other beautiful dog Grace, had completed chemo, the cancer has gone, the outlook is great and they are looking forward to many more years together. I love getting good news like this, especially on Christmas Day – I feel honoured that she got in touch with me to tell me. I do love it when my clients keep in touch and tell me how they are doing.

I got news yesterday that my friend had to let her beautiful old lady dog go and the news broke my heart. This lovely old Westie was a frequent visitor to my NHS office and we called her our unofficial therapy dog. I loved her pottering around the office and enjoyed getting out of the office to take her around the block for a walk. She will be missed so much by everyone and especially by my friend who adopted her a few years ago. RIP beautiful Hollie, you will be missed so much.

A really great thing that happened this year was my son proposed to his lovely girlfriend while we were all away on holiday in Turkey. She said yes! So we have a wedding to look forward to in the future. I helped my son prepare the surprise and I am so glad he did it on the first day of the holiday because I really hated keeping that secret.

I have been able to help my hypnotherapy clients through some rough periods in their lives and help them move forward again when they have been stuck. I am so excited to meet new clients in the coming year and equally excited to see my current clients in the New Year.

I am so lucky to enjoy my work helping people with problems they are having in their lives. I’ve said before about why I got involved in the Pet Bereavement Counselling and with each new client my heart breaks with them when they tell me their story. I remember the pain of losing my beautiful boys, Nemo, Sharpie and Stan, so I fully understand the pain that losing a beloved pet, no matter what kind of pet, causes. I have 4 pets currently so I know that the pain will come again but the love my pets give me makes it worth the pain.

There’s a truth in the verse:

My mind still talks to you

My heart still looks for you

But my Soul knows you’re at peace.

I have this in a frame on my office wall. It makes me smile because I know it’s true.

Self-care

Taking care of ourselves is really important to our mental health (and in my case those around me).

What do you do, just for you, to make you feel good?

For me I often get lost in crafting. Although currently I’m in the middle of sorting out my craft supplies so it’s not very soothing. I’m sure the end result will be worth it!

I also love spending time with my family and my pets, even if we are just sat on the sofa watching TV or listening to music and my pets are with me.

Lastly my other passion is learning and studying. I am continuously learning and studying for my hypnotherapy and pet bereavement counselling, this is Continuing Professional Development or CPD and it’s a requirement to keep my qualifications up to date. I also love learning about other things too. I’ve currently got a list of things I want to learn about, one of which is Past Life Regression. I have done it as part of my hypnotherapy training but I want to know more.

So in 2023 find something that makes you feel good and make time for yourself. Remember time taken for yourself is never wasted.

That is all from me for 2022 and I look forward to catching up with you again. I made a promise to myself that I will do a monthly blog so the next one will be at the end of January 2023.

Until then take care of yourself. My door is always open, so please, if you need me, then contact me to book an appointment.