Anna Pluck Counselling

Anna Pluck Counselling I help people recover from anxiety and move towards feeling calm and clarity.

‘What if?" - sounds like sensible planning. But sometimes it is anxiety quietly choosing for you.What if I embarrass mys...
26/08/2026

‘What if?" - sounds like sensible planning. But sometimes it is anxiety quietly choosing for you.

What if I embarrass myself?
What if I get it wrong?
What if I cannot cope?

The question keeps you preparing, checking, postponing or avoiding. It can stop you applying for the job, going to the event, having the conversation or making the decision.

Try changing the question:

“Could I cope if it did?”

You do not need certainty before you act. Each time you respond differently, you give your brain new evidence that uncertainty can be managed.

Pop over to my website if you would like support with anxiety or avoidance.

Are you organised… or does it feel unsafe not to?Being prepared is not the problem.The question is what happens when pre...
25/08/2026

Are you organised… or does it feel unsafe not to?

Being prepared is not the problem.

The question is what happens when preparation becomes something you have to do before you feel allowed to carry on.

• Checking the email again and again
• Arriving far earlier than necessary
• Rehearsing every conversation
• Researching every possible outcome
• Creating Plan B, C and D
• Feeling unsettled when plans change

These habits can look responsible from the outside. They may even make anxiety drop for a moment.

But if your brain learns, “I was only safe because I checked, planned and prepared,” it will keep asking for more of the same.

Try noticing one thing today:

Am I doing this because it is useful : or because not doing it feels unsafe?

You do not need to stop being organised. The aim is to have more choice about when you prepare, rather than letting anxiety make every decision for you.

With practice, the brain can learn that uncertainty is uncomfortable without being dangerous.

Pop over to my website to find out more about counselling for anxiety.

Anxiety doesn’t always look like panic.Sometimes it looks like:• Perfectionism• Procrastination• People pleasing• Irrita...
20/08/2026

Anxiety doesn’t always look like panic.

Sometimes it looks like:

• Perfectionism
• Procrastination
• People pleasing
• Irritability
• Overworking
• Indecision
• Needing control
• Staying constantly busy

You can look capable, organised and reliable while spending much of the day trying to prevent something going wrong.

That’s because the brain’s job is survival, not happiness. It looks for possible problems and tries to keep you safe : even when you are not in immediate danger.

The difficulty starts when managing anxiety begins to decide how you live.

Try asking yourself:

“Am I doing this because I want to : or because it feels safer?”

Or "If I wasn't feeling anxious right now - what would I be doing?"

You don’t need to force yourself to face every fear at once. Start by noticing where anxiety may be quietly narrowing your choices.

The aim isn’t to live without anxiety. It’s to stop anxiety taking the driving seat.

With practice, support and repeated experiences of coping, the brain can learn a different response.

If this feels familiar, pop over to my website to find out more about counselling.

A useful question for anxious moments:“Am I doing this because I want to : or because it makes me feel safer?”There’s no...
19/08/2026

A useful question for anxious moments:

“Am I doing this because I want to : or because it makes me feel safer?”

There’s nothing wrong with wanting to feel safe. The difficulty starts when avoiding anxiety quietly makes decisions for you.

For example:

• Cancelling because you genuinely don’t want to go : or because you fear how you’ll feel?
• Preparing because it helps : or preparing until no uncertainty remains?
• Choosing the quieter shop because you prefer it : or because the busier one feels too difficult?

This isn’t about forcing yourself to do everything that scares you. It’s about noticing what is driving the choice.

Before making a decision, ask yourself:

1. If anxiety wasn’t part of this, what might I choose?
2. What feeling am I trying to prevent?
3. Is there a small step towards what matters to me, even with anxiety present?

The aim isn’t to eliminate anxiety before you live your life. It’s to create more choice, so anxiety isn’t always in the driving seat.

With practice, your brain can learn that discomfort is not always danger : and that you can cope with more than anxiety tells you.

Sometimes “I just don’t fancy it” is true.But sometimes, it’s anxiety making a reasonable-sounding decision for you.Subt...
18/08/2026

Sometimes “I just don’t fancy it” is true.

But sometimes, it’s anxiety making a reasonable-sounding decision for you.

Subtle avoidance can look like:
• Taking the longer route to avoid a difficult junction
• Letting someone else make the phone call
• Shopping at quieter times
• Putting off a medical appointment
• Avoiding social events where you won’t know anyone

It rarely feels dramatic. It can feel sensible, efficient, or simply like a personal preference.

But if the main reason for a choice is to reduce anxiety, your life can gradually become organised around staying comfortable.

Try asking yourself:
“Am I choosing this because I genuinely want to : or because it feels safer?”

You don’t have to force yourself into every difficult situation. For example - I am terrified of bungee jumping. But, also I don't want to bungee jump (genuinely!) so there is no need to tackle that fear.

The aim is to notice the pattern and make more room for choices guided by what matters to you, not only by what reduces anxiety right now.

Anxiety can feel convincing. But with gradual, supported practice, the brain can learn new responses.

Many women going through perimenopause tell me they suddenly feel more anxious driving. This is really common. Why?Shi...
14/08/2026

Many women going through perimenopause tell me they suddenly feel more anxious driving. This is really common. Why?

Shifting hormone levels can make your brain more sensitive to anxiety and make anxiety feel stronger. In addition, driving can be a trigger for anxiety because

- Feeling trapped in traffic or between junctions.
- Hyperawareness of every movement.
- Misinterpreting a hot flush as a panic attack.

When the panic hits, the avoidance cycle often starts. We might avoid driving in the dark, or in rush hour which makes us feel better in the short term. But that leads to a loss of confidence over time as we avoid more and more situations on the road.

Try the ACE technique when you feel that sinking in your stomach:
1. Acknowledge the thought or feeling.
2. Come back into your body (push your feet into the floor).
3. Engage with the world (what can you see or hear?).

You aren’t losing it.

If you want to talk about regaining your confidence on the road, pop over to my website to book a free introductory call.

Meet my supervisor, Buddy.He’s one of my foster cats and he’s taken full control of the management side of things. His p...
24/07/2026

Meet my supervisor, Buddy.

He’s one of my foster cats and he’s taken full control of the management side of things. His primary role seems to be 'Screen Monitor', which involves sitting exactly where I need to look the moment I open a spreadsheet or start writing.

While he doesn’t have any formal qualifications, he does have a very firm policy on work-life balance, demanding a snack break every half hour.

Helping out with animal rescue is a big part of my life outside the therapy room, and fosters like Buddy are a constant reminder to stay grounded and present. Even if it means I have to wait five minutes to finish an email, he is an expert at forcing a 'pause' when the mental to-do list starts feeling a bit much.

Anxiety can feel like a storm pulling at you, but while you can't stop the waves, you can drop anchor.In ACT therapy, we...
20/07/2026

Anxiety can feel like a storm pulling at you, but while you can't stop the waves, you can drop anchor.

In ACT therapy, we use the ACE technique to stay steady:

• Acknowledge: Notice the feeling or thought. “I’m noticing a tight feeling in my chest.” Don’t fight it; just label it.
• Come back to your body: Push your feet into the floor and feel your back against the seat. This physical connection grounds your nervous system.
• Engage: Focus on your surroundings. Name three things you see right now.

The goal isn’t to 'fix' the anxiety immediately, but to help you stay present and grounded while the storm passes.

Pop over to my website for more tools.

This is one of the questions I'm asked surprisingly often. Confidentiality doesn't stop when therapy ends, and it doesn'...
17/07/2026

This is one of the questions I'm asked surprisingly often.

Confidentiality doesn't stop when therapy ends, and it doesn't disappear just because we're not in the therapy room.

What happens if I bump into a client in Tesco, or anywhere?

If we bump into each other in public, I'll usually leave it up to you whether you'd like to acknowledge me. That way, you stay in control of your privacy.

If you smile and say hello...
I'll happily say hello back!
(And probably ask how you're doing.)

If you walk straight past me...
I won't be offended.
I promise.

Why?

Because your confidentiality is vital. I never want to accidentally reveal that you're seeing: or have seen: a therapist.

Your privacy comes first.

So if you ever spot me...
👋 Wave.
😊 Ignore me.
🏃 Pretend you didn't see me.

All perfectly acceptable.

Either way, I'll probably be trying to remember what I came in to buy (likely coffee) and forgetting it anyway.

Pop over to my website to find out more about how I work.

Sometimes life is like doing a jigsaw without all the pieces - we have to fill in the gaps in the information we have. ...
16/07/2026

Sometimes life is like doing a jigsaw without all the pieces - we have to fill in the gaps in the information we have. So our brains "make up" stories to make sense of the missing info.

But your brain prioritises survival over 100% accuracy. It would rather you believe a “scary” story and stay safe than risk any potential discomfort. It’s trying to protect you, but it often gets the plot wrong, creating an overreaction to daily stress.

For example if you struggle with social anxiety, your brain might make up stories about you being unlikeable.

In Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), we learn to see these thoughts for what they are: just stories.

When we stop treating every anxious thought as fact, we gain space to breathe. We can acknowledge the narrative : “Thanks for the story, brain” : and choose to move forward based on values, not fears. You are the author of your actions, even if you aren't the author of every thought.

What’s a story your brain has been telling you lately?

Address

Maritime House Business Centre, 16 Balls Road
Birkenhead
CH435RE

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 6:30pm
Tuesday 10am - 4:30pm
Wednesday 12pm - 7pm
Thursday 10:30am - 8pm
Friday 10am - 3pm

Telephone

+447772874242

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