Connect, Reflect, Grow

29/10/2026

Yesterday, I was at a very autumnal looking Cosby Village Hall to visit the Create and Grow club, run by the wonderful Cosby Yarn Bomb. This month, we explored some ways to cope with anxiety.

This included:

Thinking styles
Somatic (“ in the body”) approaches
The Worry Tree &
The 3-3-3 rule

Group members opened up about their experiences of anxiety, including the challenges & some of the things that help. This included attending the group, where the connections they have made & the activities they take part in are enormously beneficial!

We also spoke about the role of movement in processing thoughts & enabling problem solving.

I’m back again in November 🍂

27/10/2026

☕ Ceramics and Occupational Therapy are both part of everyday life!

☕ Occupational Therapy supports people to do the things they want, need & like to do ("occupations")

☕ Food preparation and eating are examples of occupations - ceramics support us to do both!

☕Ceramics need to be practical to ensure they are easy to use

☕ Occupational Therapy can involve making changes to our physical environment to make it easier to use

☕ Many of us have a favourite mug we like to use, because it is meaningful in some way

☕ Occupational Therapy focusses on what is meaningful to us & gives our life purpose

These are just some of the things Ceramics and Occupational Therapy have in common! Happy World Occupational Therapy Day.

16/10/2026

FEEDBACK FRIDAY!

I recently received some lovely feedback from an Access to Work client!

It is privilege to support people in this way. The feedback mentions documents - I will always work with you to create & share documents that are as accessible as possible and in a format that works for you.

14/10/2026

I’m sharing this free event that is due to take place tomorrow!

​🗓️ Date & Time: 15th at 19:00 -20:00 (BST)

📍 Where: Online via Zoom

🎟️ Tickets: Free for all!

As someone who lives with Hypermobility, it has taken me years to unpick the various ways it impacts me. Furthermore, understanding amongst healthcare professionals is still growing. This event is much needed!

Upcoming Event: Ask the Experts – All About Hypermobility & Neurodivergence! 🧠🧬✨

​Did you know there is a strong overlap between symptomatic hypermobility and neurodivergent traits like Autism and ADHD?

From sensory processing differences and autonomic dysregulation to proprioception and fatigue, the connection between connective tissue and the nervous system is fascinating and complex.

Whether you are neurodivergent yourself, supporting a loved one, undiagnosed and suspecting neurodivergence, this webinar is designed to offer clear, validating, and actionable insights.

For this session Jo will be joined by Alexandra Lawrence - she is an occupational therapist specialising in neurodivergence. [But all questions across a range of topics are welcome :)]

Jo and Alex will be online sharing their both professional and lived experience-informed expertise.

​🗓️ Date & Time: 15th at 19:00 -20:00 (BST)

📍 Where: Online via Zoom

🎟️ Tickets: Free for all!

​💬 What question do you have about hypermobility and neurodivergence? Drop it in the comments below! 👇

​🔗 Reserve your spot here: hypermobility.org/event-details/ask-the-experts-all-about-hypermobility-and-neurodivergence (or tap the link in our bio on insta!)

​- TeamHMSA [A LOT of us are neurodivergent too ;) ]

02/09/2026

September always feels like a new point in the year, so I thought it would be a good time to reintroduce myself.

Thank you for visiting & it's lovely to meet you!

07/07/2026

If you are looking to do Mental Health First Aid training, do consider booking with Kate Jackson of Wellbeing Therapy Solutions.

Kate has a wealth of experience gained within mental health settings & will immediately put you at ease.

The next training dates are 14th & 21st of September in Leicester.

Please see further details below:

👉 Would you be able to recognise when someone is experiencing poor mental health?

🤝 And, more importantly, would be confident enough and know how to start a supportive conversation with them?

💚 I'm delighted to be running my next Mental Health First Aid England Mental Health First Aider® open course in Leicester on 14th & 21st September 2026.

💚This two-day course is designed for anyone who wants to feel more confident supporting mental health in the workplace or their wider community.

During the course, you'll learn how to:

✅ Recognise the signs and symptoms of poor mental health
✅ Start supportive conversations with confidence
✅ Respond appropriately if someone is experiencing a mental health crisis
✅ Signpost people towards appropriate support
✅ Help reduce stigma and contribute to a mentally healthier workplace
✅ Look after your own wellbeing while supporting others

👉 Here's what some of my recent learners said:

"Excellent course and Kate led the course really well. The course has given me the tools that I need to support people and hopefully the confidence to approach people that might be struggling."

"Kate was brilliant at making the content appropriate for the group and helped to form a psychologically safe environment. I would highly recommend both Kate and the training course to any individual in the workplace, regardless of their role."

"This has been the best training course I have been on so far. Being in person meant we got to hear people's stories and life experiences, and the course was really interactive."

Venue: Bodie's House, LE3 3AS, Leicester
Instructor: Kate Jackson
Date: 14th & 21st September 2026
Time: 9am-5pm both days
Cost: £275/person

💚 Places are intentionally limited to keep the course interactive and so that I can support everyone well.

💚 Feel free to send me a message if you'd like more information or you can book a place via this link: https://mhfaengland.org/book-a-course/course-details/?id=52bdd56b-9673-f111-ab0e-0022489a4701

28/06/2026

My GCSE Textiles skills were called upon this week! Beyond thrilled to play a tiny part in the preparation for this year’s Cosby Yarn Bomb! 🧵 🪡

25/06/2026

Yesterday, on behalf of Wellbeing Therapy Solutions, I attended the Create and Grow Club facilitated by the lovely Nat and Mel from Cosby Yarn Bomb.

Given the extremely hot temperatures this week, our session was a little shorter than usual, & we explored sensory strategies for keeping your cool!

As always, group members were keen to join in & shared some of the ways they have been trying to keep cool this week.

We explored ideas involving sight, sound, touch, taste & hearing.

One thing I have done this week is to keep a damp flannel in the fridge… applying this to the back of my neck & wrists has proved to be extremely cooling!

Other ideas included keeping a hot water bottle (partially filled) in the freezer & taking this to bed, and adding frozen fruit to fruit drinks.

Have you any cooling strategies to share?

Take care in the heat, everyone.

08/06/2026

A big shout out to All on the Board for their recognition of carers.

June 8th - 14th 2026 is Carer’s Week here in the UK.

As a carer myself, I am hugely thankful to the professional carers who make it possible for me to continue working.

As an Occupational Therapist, I know only too well the value of meaningful activity & how this supports wellbeing, so also want to thank the local organisations whose classes I attend.

In a society in which carers are often invisible, here at Connect, Reflect, Grow, please know that you are seen & valued, both for your caring responsibilities but also for who you are outside of these.

Take good care 🧡

This week is Carers Week. Thank you to all of the paid and non-paid carers in the UK and all over the world. If you’re caring for others please remember to take care of yourself too.

01/06/2026

Happy Pride Month 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️
What a powerful video 🌈