ACT‑informed Counselling

Sometimes the hardest part isn’t knowing that something needs to change. It’s understanding why you keep finding yourself in the same patterns — overthinking, putting everyone else first, struggling with your worth, holding yourself to impossible standards, or feeling overwhelmed by thoughts and emotions that seem to take over.

My approach is rooted in person-centred counselling, with Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) increasingly informing my work. I’m interested not just in what is happening in your life, but in how you’ve learned to relate to yourself, your thoughts, your emotions and the experiences you’ve been through.

You don’t have to get rid of difficult thoughts or feelings before you can move forward. Sometimes the work is learning that you can make room for them without letting them dictate your life.

That might mean noticing the stories your mind keeps telling you — I’m not good enough. I should be coping better. I have to keep everyone happy. I can’t trust people. I need to be stronger. Together, we can begin to look at those stories with curiosity rather than automatically treating them as facts.

I won’t tell you how you should live your life or hand you a set of solutions. Instead, I’ll work alongside you to help you understand yourself more deeply, recognise patterns that may no longer be serving you, and reconnect with what matters to you.

• Anxiety, overthinking and overwhelm

• Low mood and feeling stuck

• Self-esteem, self-criticism and shame

• People-pleasing, boundaries and difficulty putting yourself first

• Relationship difficulties and recurring patterns

• Grief and loss

• Life changes, uncertainty and questions about who you are

• The lasting impact of difficult or traumatic experiences

My work is particularly informed by an understanding of how earlier experiences can shape the way we see ourselves, relate to others and respond to the world around us. You don’t have to have everything figured out before you begin.

Sessions are available online across the UK, including evenings and weekends, making counselling easier to fit around work, family and caring responsibilities. In-person sessions are also available from my private practice in central Grimsby (DN32).

To book a free, 20-minute, no-obligation introductory session or find out more, visit:

www.therapywithlisawastney.com

You can also contact me via WhatsApp on 07895 093293 for enquiries and booking or follow Therapy with Lisa Wastney on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.