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Therapy Insights
This space is for reflections, resources, and gentle support - a place to explore themes that often arise in therapy, and to feel a little less alone in whatever you're navigating. I offer counselling in Grimsby and online across the UK, and these reflections are here to support you wherever you are on your journey.
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When a Thought Feels Like a Fact: What a Grapefruit Can Teach Us
What if the words in your head aren't quite as powerful as they seem? I want to introduce you to a grapefruit. Yes, really. 🍊 Recently, I recorded a little exercise using one, inspired by an idea from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). It involves repeating the word grapefruit out loud, as quickly as you can, for 30 seconds. It sounds a little odd. If feels a little odd. And, as I discovered while recording it, it can be surprisingly difficult to say grapefruit repeate
lisa57142
2 days ago7 min read
Therapy Through a Screen: Why Online Counselling Doesn't Have to Be Less Experiential
What if online therapy didn't have to mean sitting in front of a screen and talking for an hour? When people think about online counselling, I suspect this is what many of us picture. Two faces on a screen. A conversation. Perhaps a cup of tea somewhere nearby. And that can absolutely be part of online therapy. But I've never really liked the idea that the screen has to become the boundary of what we can do together. Because one of the things I love about the way I work is th
lisa57142
Oct 66 min read
Passengers in the Car: What if Difficult Thoughts and Feelings Didn't Have to Stop You?
What if you didn't have to get rid of difficult thoughts and feelings before you could get on with your life? It's something I come back to a lot in my work with clients. Because when anxiety, self-doubt, shame or overthinking show up, our instinct can be to try to make them go away. We try to reassure ourselves. We analyse. We avoid. We check. We procrastinate. We stay busy. We seek certainty. We try to convince ourselves that everything will be okay. And sometimes we stop a
lisa57142
Sep 267 min read
I Don't Want You to Need Me Forever
What I hope happens when therapy ends. There's something slightly strange about saying this as a counsellor: I don't want you to need me forever. In fact, I don't even want therapy with me to become something you feel you can't manage without. That might sound like an odd thing for a therapist to say. But for me, it gets to the heart of what I'm actually trying to do with people in counselling. I don't want the therapy room to become the only place where you can make sense of
lisa57142
Sep 207 min read
The Hungry Tiger: What Happens When We Keep Trying to Get Rid of Difficult Feelings?
Most of us probably know the story of The Tiger Who Came to Tea by Judith Kerr. A tiger turns up unexpectedly at Sophie's house, eats absolutely everything in sight... and then leaves. Lovely story. Slightly less lovely if the tiger actually turned up at your front door. 😂 But the story reminded me of another tiger - one that is used as a metaphor in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). Imagine there's a tiger outside your door Imagine you find a tiny tiger outside your
lisa57142
Sep 135 min read
The ACT Idea Behind My Ridiculous Happy Birthday Video
There are some things I do as a therapist that probably look a little odd from the outside. Singing a negative thought to Happy Birthday is one of them. 😄 I recently made a video where I took a thought my mind gives me and sang it to the tune of Happy Birthday. It felt slightly ridiculous. That was rather the point. The exercise comes from the work of ACT practitioners, including Steven C. Hayes and Russ Harris, and it's one way of experimenting with cognitive defusion - cha
lisa57142
Sep 26 min read
THE ACT Matrix: A Different Way of Understanding What Keeps Us Stuck
Sometimes we don't need to understand ourselves better. We need to notice what's happening. That might sound like a strange thing for a counsellor to say. After all, much of therapy involves making sense of thoughts, feelings, experiences and patterns. But sometimes, when we're caught up in something difficult, we can become so focused on trying to understand, fix or get rid of what we're experiencing that we lose sight of something else: Where are our actions actually taking
lisa57142
Aug 227 min read
What if We Replaced "But" With "And"?
There's a little word I've become increasingly aware of in my own conversations. But. It's such an ordinary word. We barely notice ourselves using it. Yet sometimes, without realising it, but can quietly change the relationship we have with our own experiences. I'm anxious, but I need to do it. I'm grieving, but I should be getting on with things. I want to make a change, but I'm too scared. I know what matters to me, but I can't seem to make myself do it. And sometimes I hea
lisa57142
Aug 145 min read
What's It Really Like to Have Counselling With Me?
People sometimes ask me what counselling with me is actually like. I always smile a little when they do. Because it's probably not quite what they imagine. Yes, sometimes we're sitting in the chairs talking. But sometimes we're sitting on the floor. Sometimes we're holding a tiny cardboard suitcase. Sometimes we're untangling a finger trap. Sometimes we're rolling up a piece of paper or holding a rope. If you've watched any of my videos, you'll probably recognise some of thos
lisa57142
Aug 54 min read
When Life Changes but You Haven't Caught Up Yet
Life has a way of changing without asking our permission. Sometimes the change is one we chose. A new job. A move. Becoming a parent. Retirement. Sometimes it isn't. The end of a relationship. Losing someone you love. A health diagnosis. Redundancy. Children leaving home. And sometimes nothing obvious has happened at all. You simply wake up one day with the unsettling feeling that the life you've been living no longer feels quite right. Whatever the reason, transitions have a
lisa57142
Jul 264 min read
Why We Don't Have to Put the Suitcase Down
What if healing isn't about putting the suitcase down? In this ACT-informed reflection, I explore a metaphor I often use in counselling to help people think differently about grief, bereavement and learning to carry loss with greater compassion.
lisa57142
Jul 223 min read
When "I'm Not Enough" Becomes the Story You Live By.
Many people carry the quiet belief that they’re “not enough.” Over time, that thought can become so familiar that it starts to feel like a fact. This blog explores why the “not enough” story shows up, how our minds create painful narratives, and how Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps us hold these thoughts with more compassion and less power over our lives.
lisa57142
Jul 173 min read
Why Fighting Shame Often Makes it Stronger: A Simple ACT Metaphor.
Most of us know what shame feels like. It can sound like... "I'm not good enough." "There's something wrong with me." "If people really knew me, they wouldn't accept me." Shame is one of the most painful emotions we experience. Naturally, we often try to push it away, ignore it or get rid of it altogether. After all, who would choose to carry something that feels so uncomfortable? But what if our struggle with shame is actually keeping us stuck? Watch: An ACT Metaphor for Sha
lisa57142
Jul 153 min read
🌿 Being Human Is Messy: A Gentle Guide to Acceptance
Being human is messy — full of emotions that don’t always make sense and moments that feel hard to hold. Acceptance isn’t about giving up; it’s about meeting yourself gently, without the pressure to fix or tidy your inner world. In this blog, I explore how acceptance, person‑centred counselling and ACT principles can help you soften the struggle and make space for what you’re feeling.
lisa57142
Feb 123 min read
🎄 Setting Boundaries This Christmas: A Gentle Guide to Honouring Your Limits
The holiday season can be meaningful, but it can also stretch us beyond our limits. When expectations rise and routines shift, our boundaries often become blurred. This gentle reflection explores why boundaries matter at Christmas, what happens when we lose sight of them, and how compassionate, person‑centred support — strengthened with ACT principles — can help you honour your needs with clarity and care.
lisa57142
Dec 19, 20253 min read
Beyond the Festive Mask: Christmas Overwhelm Counselling with Lisa Wastney
The festive season can feel overwhelming behind the glitter and cheer. Therapy with Lisa Wastney offers compassionate, person‑centred counselling strengthened with ACT principles — a gentle space to explore Christmas overwhelm, loneliness, or stress. Together, we’ll validate your emotions and find practical ways to work with them, so you can step out from behind the festive mask and honour your authentic self.
lisa57142
Dec 11, 20252 min read
Growing with Grief: How Person-Centred Therapy with Lisa Wastney Can Help
During National Grief Awareness Week, Therapy with Lisa Wastney explores how person‑centred counselling — enriched with ACT principles — can support healing after loss. Grief is not something to “get over,” but something we grow alongside. Discover how therapy offers compassion, acceptance, and values‑based resilience to help you carry love and meaning forward.
lisa57142
Dec 4, 20252 min read
🌿 Online Counselling for Anxiety: A Person-Centred Approach with Lisa Wastney
Anxiety can feel like a tightening — in the chest, in the breath, in the space around you. It can be isolating, exhausting, and hard to explain. When worries spiral and everyday moments feel heavy, therapy can offer a quiet place to pause, reflect, and begin again. I’m Lisa Wastney, a person-centred counsellor offering online therapy across the UK. I work gently with anxiety, low mood, shame, guilt, grief, and relational difficulties — always with emotional safety at the core
lisa57142
Nov 12, 20253 min read
🌿 Improve Your Mental Health with Lisa Wastney
Taking care of our mental health is a journey that requires kindness, patience, and the right support. Sometimes, the path to feeling better can feel unclear or overwhelming. That’s where gentle guidance and professional help can make a real difference. I want to share how therapy can be a comforting and empowering experience, especially when you find the right person to walk alongside you. Lisa offers a warm, person-centred approach that helps adults across the UK heal and g
lisa57142
Sep 19, 20254 min read
🌿Online Counselling: A Gentle Path to Healing
Sometimes, the first step toward healing isn’t walking into a therapy room — it’s opening your laptop, exhaling, and allowing yourself to be seen from the quiet of your own space. What Is Online Counselling? Online counselling is a therapeutic relationship held through secure digital platforms — most often by video, but sometimes by phone or messaging. It offers a way to connect that honours your pace, your privacy, and the place you feel most at ease. Whether you’re curled u
lisa57142
Sep 9, 20253 min read
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