Bernadette Wilkie

You don't have to face it alone

I help people who are struggling with trauma, loss, addiction and the lasting effects of difficult life experiences, so they can break free from what has held them back, rebuild their self-worth, rediscover their strength, and create a safer, healthier and more empowered future.

Perhaps this feels like you...

You might find yourself second-guessing everything you do, even when you know deep down that you're right.

Perhaps you've spent so long being criticised, controlled, dismissed or made to feel that your feelings don't matter that you've started to question your own judgement.

You may feel exhausted from constantly trying to keep everything together. On the outside, you might appear strong to everyone around you, while inside you're struggling to make sense of what you've been through.

Perhaps you're grieving someone you love.

You wake up and, for a brief moment, forget they're gone - and then the reality hits you all over again. You may feel lost, angry, numb or overwhelmed, wondering how you're supposed to carry on when the person you shared your life with is no longer there.

Perhaps you've found yourself using something to escape the pain.

You promise yourself that today will be different, but somehow you find yourself repeating the same behaviour again. Afterwards, you may feel guilt, shame or disappointment in yourself, wondering why you can't seem to break the cycle.

Perhaps you've experienced domestic abuse, and although you may no longer be in that situation, part of you is still living as though you are.

You became so used to walking on eggshells that you still worry about upsetting people, saying the wrong thing or making the wrong decision - even when you're perfectly safe.

You may feel like you've lost yourself somewhere along the way.

You may struggle to trust yourself or other people. You may find it difficult to set boundaries, speak up for yourself or believe that you deserve better.

And perhaps you quietly wonder:

• What's wrong with me?
• Why can't I just move on?
• Why do I keep going back to the same patterns?
• Who am I now?”
• Will I ever feel like myself again?”

There is nothing wrong with you for struggling

After experiencing trauma, abuse, bereavement, addiction or other painful life experiences, it can be difficult to understand why you feel the way you do.

You may be carrying shame, guilt, anger, fear, loneliness or a sense that you've somehow lost yourself.

But your struggles don't define you.

You are more than what happened to you.

You are more than your loss.

You are more than your addiction.

You are not defined by your past.

What you really want

Perhaps you simply want to feel like yourself again.

You want to trust your own decisions.

You want to feel confident in your voice and comfortable in your own skin.

You want to be able to remember the person you've lost without feeling completely overwhelmed by grief.

You want freedom from the patterns and behaviours that have kept you stuck.

Most of all, you want to believe that your past doesn't have to determine your future.

My approach - person-centred and tailored to you

I believe that no two people experience trauma, loss, abuse or addiction in exactly the same way.

Your experiences are personal to you, and so is your journey.

My work is grounded in a person-centred approach, which means I offer you a safe, compassionate and non-judgemental space where you can be heard, understood and accepted for who you are.

• You don't have to pretend you're okay.
• You don't have to have all the answers.
• And you don't have to explain away how you feel.

Alongside my BA (Hons) in Counselling, I draw on my training in Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) and Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) to support you in understanding your thoughts, emotions and behaviours and exploring new ways of responding to life's challenges.

Together, we can explore the experiences that may have shaped how you see yourself, your relationships and the world around you. We can identify patterns that may be keeping you stuck and develop greater awareness, emotional regulation, self-compassion and confidence.

Whether you're dealing with the effects of domestic abuse, bereavement, addiction, trauma or difficult life experiences, my aim is not to tell you who you should be or how you should live your life.

You remain the expert in your own life.

My role is to walk alongside you.

To listen without judgement.

To help you make sense of what you're experiencing.

To support you in discovering your strengths and choices.

And to help you find your own way forward.