All About Lucy’s Place

A Holistic Mental Fitness Community:

Lucy’s Place believe’s that your mental fitness should be given equal importance as our physical fitness. We only have one life and we believe that everyone should be equipped with the skills to live it well. Most of us at some point in our lives have embarked on a diet, joined a gym, given up smoking, stopped drinking or attended a physio for help with the pain they are suffering. When we share these physical health goals with friends and family we are encouraged and praised. Sadly, in terms of mental health goals some stigma and misplaced shame appears to continue. One in four of us will be diagnosed with a mental health problem at some point in our lives and many more of us will have times in our lives in which we feel depressed, anxious or hopeless. Emotional difficulties are common and we all experience them. Lucy’s Place is therefore a support community open to all! It offers techniques, support, psychological therapy and a sense of community that will help you build your resilience and fulfil your mental health goals.

Addressing Shattered Assumptions:

Social Psychology theory suggests that when people experience difficult life events or trauma, it shatters the positive beliefs we have about ourselves, others and the world. Following a traumatic or challenging event somebody may for example believe that they are unlovable or incapable, that others are untrustworthy and that that the world is unsafe. At Lucy’s Place we our aim to develop a place which gently challenges these shattered assumptions and gives people hope. This is achieved in the following ways:

Self: Individual psychology and counselling is offered by a skilled and experienced Consultant Clinical Psychologist to address people’s highly personal issues in a safe and confidential space. This can be offered online or at our clinic space within Fairbairn House, Haddington, East Lothian. Please let Lucy know in your free initial conversation what your preference may be. We combine this with the opportunity to join community activities that boost your sense of achievement, confidence and self esteem.

Others: individual psychology and counselling will give you the opportunity to be more compassionate and understanding of your self, but also importantly develop and nurture more positive relationships with others.

Lucy’s Place is a safe community of support with online blogs, resources and Community meets. These will hopefully allow opportunities to connect with some shared experiences and ideas of what may support you through difficult times. Throughout 2024 we are also fully funded to provide optional community wellbeing activities in the outdoors to compliment the therapeutic work in individual therapy. This are optional activities but highly recommended.

World: We are lucky to live in a beautiful country and therefore whenever possible Lucy will work with you to identify ways that you can explore your local environment in a way that feels rights for you. It may be either alone or as part of our community meets spending time in green spaces, walking, swimming and other activities in between your individual psychological therapy sessions. This aims to allow time to be mindful of the beauty of the world around us.

We have recently secured funding to commence ‘community meets’ in Spring 2024 bringing together communities with similar life experiences. Activities will include low level mindfulness walks, wild swims and hill walks. People say these sorts of activities provide a strong sense of achievement, mutual support and most importantly fun! This is why we are keen to develop this aspect of the service.