It may still be the start of December but oh my, things are in full festive swing it seems. (I have ‘Christmas’ in the title, but I am including all festive celebrations – I just liked the alliteration). But for many of us living with illness and pain, for those in hospital, or grieving loved ones, struggling with feeling lonely, or with money issues, the festive time can feel like a lot of pressure. Especially this year with the fuel and cost of living crisis, many people are struggling with survival. People are being forced to reconsider how they approach winter and while this level of permacrisis is unprecedented for many…

Dear Grace Q & A: How do I cope with difficult people in my life, during festive times?  Like relations at family events who ask invasive questions about my health/weight/relationships.  Or colleagues at the office party where there are social expectations to socialise in a certain, ablest, neurotypical way. Or when people start getting drunk and someone says something ablest and all the non-disabled people just look away from me (the only disabled person in the room).  I’m dreading it, help!  Dear Dreading-It,  Thank you for being brave enough to share your question in this column, I am sure you are not alone in dreading the holiday season when it…

As the pandemic continues, the climate crisis worsens and governments fail citizens, our relationship with the news changes. In this talk, I explore my research with Clwstwr Creu on news delivery and trauma. Thinking about searching behaviour, how we take in updates and what we are looking for, when we search for news. I’m a counsellor, writer and researcher. I’m also a Pervasive Media Studio resident researching trauma and data delivery. I received my MA in digitally delivered body psychotherapy from Bath Spa in 2021. My work has been published in The Guardian, The Metro and The New Statesman. I’m currently writing an essay collected titled Madwomen Are My Ancestors.…