It’s been a while since I last posted here — and if you’re still with me, thank you. Life has been full behind the scenes, and over the past year I’ve been in the midst of my own quiet transition. I thought it might be a good place to begin again — because so many of us are navigating change, and it’s not always easy to talk about.
If you’ve ever visited me at Sunshine Barn, you’ll know that as well as being home for my therapy practice, it was also once home to the social enterprise I co-founded, Nature and Nurture CIC. We created the barn from a group of disused farm buildings, and over the years it became a place of healing, support, and connection for so many adults, young people and families.
Last year, after a decade of running Nature and Nurture, I made the decision to close the organisation and downsize the space I was working from. The main part of the barn has now become a private residential space for a family member — and my work continues in a separate, quieter, more intimate part of the building, with a new private entrance, a peaceful waiting room, and the same warm counselling room many of you will remember. Bertha – our therapy dog – is, of course, still very much on the team! Thoughtful design and layout changes mean that confidentiality has not been compromised in any way, and the therapeutic space is peaceful and undisturbed.
Even though the change was right, it wasn’t without emotion. Letting go of something that’s been meaningful — even when it’s the right time — often brings a complex mix of feelings. A touch of sadness. Some uncertainty. And also relief, space, a chance to take stock and begin again.
What surprised me most was what emerged from the letting go. More lightness. More creativity. More time for deep work. There’s a new energy here now — and even a new, private garden growing just outside the counselling room door, too.
And so this post is partly to say hello again — but also to ask:
What might you need to let go of, to make space for something new?
It might not be something as obvious as a job, a relationship or a location. It could be a pattern. A role you’ve outgrown. A belief you’ve quietly carried for years.
Letting go doesn’t always look like a dramatic leap. Often, it’s quiet and slow and more like a gradual unhooking: a soft admission that what once worked… just doesn’t any more.
If you’re in a season of change — or standing at the edge of one — here are a few gentle questions you might like to reflect on:
- What am I holding onto that’s no longer serving me?
- What part of me is ready to emerge, if I could make space for it?
- What do I need to grieve, before I can move forward?
- Where might a little courage go a long way?
It’s okay to feel unsure, to feel two conflicting things at once, and to take your time. Change isn’t easy, but the rewards can be so worth it.
If there’s one thing I’ve also learned again this year, it’s that change doesn’t necessarily mean something has gone wrong — it often means something new is trying to grow.
I’ll be posting here monthly from now on, sharing thoughts, reflections and ideas around growth, healing and living with more intention.
If there’s a topic you’d love me to explore, or if you are navigating a change at the moment and would like some support from me as you work through it, do get in touch.
Warmest wishes,
Frances x
N.B. If you have a child who is facing change in their life, do have a look at my separate Brighter Futures for Kids blog where I have several posts on the subject that may help