Hope Therapy and Counselling Services
Online and in-person counselling across the UK for individuals and couples, including workplace counselling
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Mental health affects how we think, feel, and respond to the challenges of everyday life. Everyone experiences changes in their mental wellbeing at different times, and understanding what’s happening can be an important first step towards feeling better. In this section you’ll find a collection of articles exploring common mental health conditions, emotional wellbeing, self-care, coping strategies, relationships, and practical advice to help you better understand and support your mental health. If you’re looking for professional support, use the links below to learn more about our mental health counselling services or book a free consultation.
If your child’s results were not what they hoped for, the most useful thing you can do in the first hour is considerably less than you probably want to do. The instinct is to move straight to solutions — clearing, … Read more
If your exam results brought disappointment rather than the news you needed, the first thing worth saying is that nothing has to be decided today. Clearing will still be open this afternoon. Appeals and resits will still exist next week. … Read more
When people discuss toxic jealousy, the focus is most often on what it does to relationships — the mistrust, the controlling behaviour, the damage to the other person. These relational consequences are real and significant. But toxic jealousy also does … Read more
Most students are told, before exams, not to panic. The advice is well-intentioned but rarely useful, because panic is not a choice. When the body perceives a threat — and an exam, for a stressed student, can register as exactly … Read more
Most families have periods of difficulty. Conflict, stress, miscommunication, and the occasional failure of care are normal features of family life, not evidence of dysfunction. What distinguishes a dysfunctional family from one that is simply going through a hard time … Read more
The discussion of mythomania tends to focus on what it does to the people who are lied to: the damage to trust, the relational harm, the confusion and hurt experienced by partners, friends, and family. These consequences are real and … Read more
Stress is not a single thing. It is produced by many different kinds of pressures, and those pressures work differently, require different responses, and have different implications for mental health. The distinction between internal stressors — those that originate within … Read more
Understanding the Link Between Movement, Anxiety and Emotional Exhaustion By Ian Stockbridge — Hope Therapy & Counselling ServicesReviewed June 2026 · Supporting clients online across the UK and through in-person counselling clinics in Oxford, Watford, Hertfordshire and surrounding areas. When … Read more
What Happens During a Counselling Consultation at Hope Therapy & Counselling Services? By Ian Stockbridge — Director & Safeguarding Lead, Hope Therapy & Counselling Services There are times in life when everything can begin to feel heavier than it should. … Read more
By Ian Stockbridge — Director & Safeguarding Lead, Hope Therapy & Counselling Services There is a phrase that has started showing up everywhere this year: emotional fitness. It appears in workplace wellbeing programmes, in podcasts about resilience, and in conversations … Read more