Know Your Own Mind

03/06/2026

"Am I losing my mind... or is it just that time of the month?"
​As a counsellor, I hear this exact question more often than you might think.
​When Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) hits during the luteal phase, it can feel like someone walked into your mind and flipped a chaotic emotional switch.
​The Reality of PMDD:
​⚡ The Sudden Switch: One day you are completely fine, and the next, an overwhelming wave of anger or anxiety takes over.
​🧠 The Brain Fog: Feeling completely disconnected from yourself, your focus, and your usual clarity.
​😔 The Guilt Cycle: Spending the two weeks after your period repairing relationships and feeling intense shame for a biological reaction you couldn't control.
​A gentle reminder from a therapy room today: You are not a bad person. You are experiencing a severe, biological sensitivity to hormonal shifts. Your pain is real, it is valid, and you do not have to carry it in isolation.
​If you are in the thick of the rollercoaster right now, give yourself permission to drop the expectations and just breathe. What is one small way you can show yourself kindness today? 🤍
​

29/05/2026

Stress isn’t just “being busy” or “not coping well.” It’s your mind and body trying to protect you — sometimes a little too hard.

For many people, stress shows up long before they realise it’s happening. It can look like:

feeling overwhelmed by small things

snapping at people you care about

struggling to switch off

headaches, tension, or poor sleep

feeling constantly “on alert”

shutting down or avoiding things

Stress isn’t a personal failure. It’s a human response to too much pressure, too many demands, or carrying more than your nervous system can manage.

At Know Your Own Mind, I help people understand what their stress is trying to tell them — because it always has a message.
Sometimes it’s saying “I’m tired.”
Sometimes it’s “I don’t feel safe.”
Sometimes it’s “I need support, not more pressure.”

Counselling can help you:

make sense of your stress

understand your triggers

learn how your nervous system works

find calmer ways to cope

feel more grounded and in control again

If you’re feeling stretched thin, overwhelmed, or like you’re running on empty, you’re not alone — and you don’t have to keep pushing through it.

If this resonates, you’re welcome to reach out or ask any questions.
You deserve support, not more pressure.

14/05/2026

https://wix.to/zdb6UwB
Counselling for Trauma, ADHD, Neurological Conditions, Loss & More
Life doesn’t give us one problem at a time.
Most people carry layers — trauma, ADHD, chronic stress, neurological symptoms, grief, burnout, or just feeling overwhelmed by everything at once.

And when you’re juggling so much, it’s easy to feel like you’re supposed to “just get on with it.”
But you don’t have to.

At Know Your Own Mind in Higham Ferrers (NN10), I offer a calm, compassionate space where you can talk openly and feel understood — without judgement, pressure, or shame.

Whether you’re living with:
• trauma that still affects your day‑to‑day
• ADHD, ASD and emotional overwhelm
• neurological conditions like FND,
• grief or loss in any form
• or a mix of everything at once

You deserve support that sees the whole picture — not just one part of you.

Counselling can help you make sense of what you’re feeling, understand your nervous system, reduce overwhelm, and reconnect with yourself at your own pace.

If you’re struggling, you’re not alone.
Support is here when you’re ready, contact me for more information

14/05/2026

I tailor counselling to your needs, whether you’re autistic, have ADHD, or both. Sessions can include sensory-friendly spaces, predictable pacing, and clear, direct communication. We’ll agree signals for breaks, use written summaries, and focus on practical, step-by-step strategies. I adapt CBT and solution-focused techniques—like breaking tasks into tiny steps or using visual planning—so therapy feels useful and manageable. I work at your pace, without judgment, and keep things personal and practical. contact me fora free 20 minute call

14/05/2026

I’m sharing two techniques you can use right now to help calm anxiety.

1) Grounding: Name five things you can see, four you can touch, three you can hear, two you can smell, one you can taste. Move at your own pace — I adapt this for neurodivergent clients by offering options (quiet focus, using objects, or doing it aloud).

2) Controlled breathing: Breathe in for 4, hold 1, out for 6. Repeat slowly. If counting feels hard, try breathing with a hand on your belly or a slow gaze shift instead.

These are brief, evidence‑based steps I use in person and online, always tailored to your needs and comfort. If you’d like professional support in Rushden or Higham Ferrers (Vine Hill Close, NN10 8EH), I’m here to help message to find out more or book.

You’re not alone — take one small step today. ✨

12/05/2026

Depression (Relatable, Supportive, Hopeful)
Depression isn’t just sadness.
It’s the heaviness that makes getting out of bed feel impossible.
It’s the fog that dulls everything you used to enjoy.
It’s the quiet voice that says, “What’s the point?” — even when you’re surrounded by people who care.

Depression can make you feel disconnected from yourself, from others, and from hope. But it doesn’t mean you’re broken. It means your mind and body are overwhelmed and need care, not criticism.

You don’t have to face it alone.
Talking helps. Understanding helps.
Gentle, compassionate counselling can help you find small moments of light again — one step, one breath, one day at a time.

If you’re struggling, please know:
You’re not weak. You’re human.
And support is here when you’re ready.

01/05/2026

Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) is real, valid, and far more common than people realise.

FND happens when the brain struggles to send and receive signals properly — causing symptoms like weakness, tremors, seizures (PNES), pain, fatigue, dissociation, and sensory overwhelm. These symptoms are not imagined and they are not your fault.

Many people with FND also live with trauma, chronic stress, or neurodivergence, which can make the nervous system feel constantly overloaded.

If you’re living with FND, you deserve support that understands the mind‑body connection, honours your lived experience, and works gently at your pace.
You are not “making it up.” Your body is trying to cope.

If you’d like a calm, compassionate space to explore your symptoms and feel understood, I’m here.

28/04/2026

Accessible counselling matters — more people need it than we realise. In my new blog, Nikki explores what truly accessible therapy looks like for disabled and neurodivergent (“neurospicy”) clients: step-free access, sensory-friendly rooms, understanding of chronic pain and fluctuating needs, permission to take breaks or stim, and more. Read practical tips and why these adjustments change outcomes for clients. https://wix.to/z0LDPwK

For many clients, the process looks like this: • Searching for a counsellor who offers step‑free access • Checking if the room is sensory‑friendly (lighting, noise, smells, seating) • Wondering if the therapist understands chronic pain, fatigue, mobility needs, or fluctuating health • Ho...

21/04/2026

When overwhelmed becomes to much.

Do you ever get those days where everything feels like too much? When life and work pile up at the same time, and you’re trying to hold it all together while your brain is quietly whispering, “I can’t keep doing this”?

The to‑do list keeps growing, the pressure keeps building, and even the small things start to feel heavy. You’re still moving, still showing up, still doing your best — but inside, it’s overwhelming.

If you’re reading this and thinking, “Yep… that’s me,” please know you’re not the only one feeling this way. So many of us are carrying more than we admit.

And if you’re tired of feeling like you’re constantly catching up, I’m here to help you slow everything down, make sense of what’s going on, and find ways to feel more in control again. You don’t have to untangle it all on your own.

13/04/2026

Your Past Does Not Have to Be Your Future.
​Healing isn't about "getting over it"—it’s about reclaiming the parts of yourself that were lost to pain.
Whether your wounds come from a difficult family dynamic, childhood instability, or the persistent shadow of bullying, those experiences leave a mark on how you see yourself and the world today.

​Why the Past Still Feels Present
​Our brains are wired for survival. When we experience trauma, our nervous system can get stuck on "high alert." You might find yourself:
​Always waiting for the "other shoe to drop" (Hyper-vigilance).
​Struggling to trust, even when people show you kindness.
​Feeling "small" or powerless during conflict, just like you did years ago.
​It Wasn’t Your Fault
​If you’ve spent years feeling like you’re "too much" or "not enough," please hear this: The resilience you used to survive back then is incredible, but you don't have to live in "survival mode" anymore. You are allowed to set boundaries, you are allowed to feel safe, and you are allowed to heal.
​Let’s Rebuild Together
​At know your Own Mind Counseling, I'm here to help you unpack these heavy chapters.
I work with the brain and the body to help you move from simply surviving to truly thriving. Trauma is part of your history, but it doesn’t have to be your identity.
​🌿 You deserve a safe space to heal. Your journey matters.
Get in contact with me and let's see how your next chapter in your life will start.