How counselling helps to improve your life and wellbeing.
A series of blogs about therapy and strategies for positive growth and change.
Avalon CBT Counselling Blog 27/10/2025
‘I Swear’ A poignant film about difference isolation Hope and the power of community to heal’.
The film depicts the true story of John Davidson from a working-class family in Galashiels as he struggles to overcome Tourette’s Syndrome. John is leading a normal life until he develops Tourette’s leading to him becoming isolated, getting into fights and being punished at school for his involuntary outbursts and tics.
John's family are confused and distressed at John’s volatile behavior and how to respond to his disturbing tendency to spit, swear, and lash out at people. John misses out on sitting exams, finding work, and close relationships.
For Neurodivergent people like John, the challenges they face are compounded by society's reaction to them, and the misunderstanding caused by behavior that is considered unacceptable.
We are all expected to adhere to the customs and rules of society. but for people with Tourette’s, it is not always possible.
Rather than expecting those with Tourette’s to adapt and change, we are challenged to support people no matter how their behavior appears to winder society.
The film depicts the need to educate families, local communities, the police, teachers and other agencies regarding the nature of Tourette’s and other neurodivergent conditions. This is key to helping people to reach their potential. As shown with kind-hearted humor in the film, we see John overcoming his own and others' isolation by building a supportive community.
John’s story is sad and funny, but also full of hope once he gets support from people who are equipped and willing to support him through his difficulties.
I recommend this film for anyone working the counselling field and the wider community as it is informative and positive about supporting acceptance and understanding of neurodiversity.
Avalon Blog 26/08/2025
'The importance of understanding and preventing suicide'.
This past week I had the privilege of participating in the ASIST Suicide prevention training as part of my role as a young person’s counsellor. The training was very helpful and provided participants with a sound and practical set of approaches to help prevent suicide.
The statistics regarding suicide in Scotland are concerning and have increased in recent years. We heard that statistically Men are more likely to take their own life’s than Woman, and that suicide has a profound impact on loved ones and others left behind after suicide. Where we've come from – suicide trends and prevention in Scotland - Creating Hope Together: suicide prevention strategy 2022 to 2032 - gov.scot
People of all ages and backgrounds are vulnerable and at risk of death by suicide at certain times in their lives. It is important for those at risk to know that they are not alone and that talking is the first step in getting the help right now and keep safe going forward.
The risk of suicide is not always apparent and the training highlighted the importance of asking the right question at the right time. Asking someone (a family member, colleague friend or stranger) If they thinking about suicide is difficult and the training helped in breaking down our natural reticence about asking Are you considering suicide?
I would say that the ASIST training is essential for those working in a caring capacity as well as for others as it prepares people for the difficult task of assisting life and giving hope to those struggling with life’s challenges.
Support to prevent suicide is available through these helplines and websites
Papyrus UK Suicide Prevention | Prevention of Young Suicide
Avalon Blog 11/08/2025
'Learning to understand and manage anxiety though counselling'
One of the most common problems people come to counselling with is anxiety. When we use the word anxiety to describe how we feel about ourselves and situations we are faced with most of us understand that anxiety means a state of distress usually accompanied with worry and broken sleeping patterns. We can all relate in some way to difficult situations, events and relationships that cause us to feel anxious or nervous. However difficult, feelings of anxiety, may be for us to manage, anxiety is in essence a normal human emotion that we all feel from time to time. Like other emotions like anger, sadness, joy and fear, emotions come and then go.
Where anxiety becomes problematic it seems to be prolonged over a longer period and we can have great difficulty in shaking it off. One of the key aims of therapy is to help clients to understand that anxiety is also a physical feeling, and connected to our thought processes and over thinking. When we feel anxious we notice it in our body, this is known as the fight or flight response, characterized by an increased heart rate, racing thought shallow breathing. This happens as a reaction to a real or in some cases perceived threat.
Our nervous system has evolved to quickly act in times of danger, so quick that the reaction is instant and automatic. The fight or flight reaction is vital to our survival system as our brain and body are attuned to act immediately to a life threatening situation. Usually after the threat has gone or been dealt with our body returns to a state of rest and digest which is a calm (all is well) emotional and physical state. This state of calm takes longer that fight or flight to be activated and if we are in a constant state of hypervigilance (on high alert to danger) we can become confused exhausted and despairing.
Therapy can you learn strategies for coping with stress and anxiety. Talking about your thoughts and feelings in counselling is the first step. Learning about ways to change and replace negative self-critical thoughts is the second step. The third entails developing a plan to help you tap into your inner resources and strengths and reconnect with activities that you may have given up. Physical exercise and mindfulness, self-compassion are important too in helping you to feel calm and grounded.
In our sessions we also look at creativity and ways to improve connections with others that are essential in developing motivation and goals. Managing difficult emotions is challenging but can be made easier with the help and support of a qualified experienced counsellor.