Welcome to Space to Talk
Counselling and Mental Health Services in Morpeth
Hi there and thank you for visiting Space to Talk Counselling based in sunny Northumberland. I am Michelle Robinson, and I am passionate about helping people overcome life's challenges, assisting them in recognizing their innate strengths, and collaboratively working towards achieving mental well-being.
Individual Counselling
Whether you're feeling anxious, going through a stressful situation or finding it hard to manage your mental health. You may be overwhelmed with life changes or troubled by past trauma. You are the expert on your life. I can help you work through the impact of these difficulties.
Bereavement Support
Grief can be overwhelming, however you are not alone. Death is a natural part of life, although nothing can prepare us for it. I can support you through your grief and help you begin to process your loss.
Counselling For Children & Young People
Children have feelings too! Although sometimes they do not know how to express them effectively. Counselling can help them begin to identify and work through difficult emotions. We might use play and art to facilitate their process.
Grief....That's Normal
Adapted from a poem by Edith Fraser
If you think you are going insane - that's normal
If all you can do is cry - that's normal
If you have trouble with the most minor decisions - that's normal
If you can't taste your food or have any semblence of an appetite - that's normal
If you have feeling of rage, denial, and depression - that's normal
If you find yourself enjoying a funny moment and immediately feeling guilty - that's normal
If your friends dwindle away and you feel like you have the plague - that's normal
If your blood boils and the hair in your nose curls when someone tells you " It was God's will" - that's normal
If you can't think about it, but you can smash dishes, shred old phone books or kick the dustbin ( preferably empty) down the lane - that's normal
If you can share your story, your feelings with an understanding listener, another bereaved person - that's a begining
If you can get a glimmer of your loved one's life, rather than his/her death - that's wonderful
If you can remember your loved one with a smile - that's healing
If you find that mirrors have become windows and you are able to reach out to other bereaved people - that's growing.
"Grief is the price we pay for love."
Colin Murray Parkes
I have supported hundreds of people through their grief process in the last 18 years which includes 2 years as a volunteer with Macmillan Cancer, and 3 years as an employed bereavement counsellor. Three years working with children and families at St. Benedict's Hospice in Sunderland as well as working with children and parents through the charity Grief Encounter.
During these last few years I have also experienced my own personal losses that have left a lasting impact and a deeper understanding of the real life challenges we can face as a bereaved individuals.
Grief can be a lonely road, even when we're in a family and have all lost the same person. Our lived relationship with that person is as unique as the palm of our hand.
There is no hierarchy of grief, each loss experience is particular to the way in which we connected with the deceased in life.
And who wants to sit and talk about it anyway? It can be so painful, really physically, bone achingly painful. Fear arises, and overwhelm engulfs us, like the wave of an oncoming tsunami. Is it better to just swallow it all down and carry on 'as normal'?
Nothing will ever feel 'normal' again. Authors write about finding the 'new normal', and while I understand this sentiment, in the throes of early grief it is unhelpful.
This is where speaking to a trained and experienced grief counsellor can make all the difference.
A professional counsellor may have their own losses, but will not compare their experience to yours. A professional will hold space for you to work through your grief process.
It is said that grief has no time limit, this is true in the most part. As bereaved individuals we move through our grief at our own pace. While much has been written and often quoted about stages of grief, this gives the impression that it is linear.
Grief is a process of learning to live with loss and we learn to live with it; eventually.
"When you miss someone, they leave a person-shaped hole..."
Martha Brockenbrough
Compassionate and Professional Counselling Services
At Space to Talk, we offer compassionate and professional counselling services. Our goal is to provide a supportive and non-judgmental space where individuals can explore their thoughts, feelings, and experiences. With a focus on mental well-being and personal growth, our highly trained counsellors are dedicated to helping you navigate life's challenges and achieve your goals.