A Warm Welcome
Updated: Mar 19, 2025
“One can begin so many things with a new person! - even begin to be a better man.”
― George Eliot, Middlemarch.
Our very first blog - counselling and a bit about me
Welcome to the Polaris Therapeutic Services blog! I'm excited to share my thoughts on mental health, counselling, and the journey we all take toward growth and self understanding.
It's Laura here, and I'll be trying to send out regular blog updates. I thought it'd be great to discuss a variety of topics. I'd like to tell you more about counselling as a profession, the ways that I like to work, and mental health in general. But for today, it seems sensible to offer an introduction to myself, and to Polaris Therapeutic Services.
Me
Hello. My name's Laura (she/her), and I created Polaris Therapeutic Services.
I founded Polaris as a welcoming space to share my knowledge, connect with clients, and support you on your journey. With years of study and hands-on experience, my goal is to provide guidance and a space for meaningful growth. As a queer, neurodivergent woman, I bring a unique perspective to my work—one shaped by both professional training and my own lived experiences navigating this big blue marble.
I take an integrative approach to my counselling work, which means that I can work flexibly, and tailor my approach with each client I meet, in the way that best suits them. I'm excited to explore and share this with you more in a future blog, because I could talk about counselling theory for hours. Alongside my work as a counsellor, I work for a mental health crisis service as a peer to peer support worker, and I like to incorporate some of what I have learned there in my therapeutic practice too.
Polaris
When I first came to counselling myself, it was because I had suffered a loss that affected my sense of identity. I was at university, anxious, and I felt isolated from myself and all the things that had once made sense to me, and there came a point where this became unbearable, and something had to change. I went to counselling.
Now, as a professional, I recall this feeling of lost-ness, and my initial experiences of counselling. In my teen years, my neurodivergent brain chose the hyperfixation of boat building. I had decided I was going to build a ship and circumnavigate the world, and as part of my research, I learned that, in the old days, sailors would navigate using the North Star, which is the brightest star in the sky. I chose to name my practice after this idea, because, like the ancient sailors, sometimes all we need is some light in the darkness to guide us through stormy weather.
Thank you!
I think, for today, that is probably just enough to say hello and welcome to our site. My plan is to release blogs weekly, covering a variety of subjects, and I'm looking forward to the mental exercise. If there's anything you would like to read about, or if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out through the website, or social media! Wishing everyone all the best for the next week and beyond :)
Laura :)
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Reading your warm welcome reminded me of the first time I moved into a tiny apartment in the city after college. I was lugging boxes up three flights of stairs, feeling both excited and terrified, when the landlord knocked on my door with a tray of homemade soup and a handwritten note that said, “Welcome home—feel free to ask for anything.” That simple act of kindness turned a stressful transition into something cozy and reassuring https://www.financialcounsellingaustralia.org.au/ I still remember the scent of the broth mingling with the smell of fresh paint, and how quickly I began to feel rooted in a place that had seemed so foreign just hours before. It’s amazing how a small gesture can set the tone…
Reading your “A Warm Welcome” brought me back to the first summer I spent at my aunt’s farm, when I arrived after a long train ride feeling exhausted and a little out of place. She greeted me with fresh lemonade, a porch swing, and a simple “Come in, you’re home now,” and suddenly the unfamiliar countryside felt like a cozy living room. I remember how the scent of blooming lilacs drifted in as I stepped onto the porch, and the way the kids ran up to show me their secret hideout behind the old barn https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roulette That instant feeling of being embraced without any fanfare is exactly what your post captures so well. It’s funny how a few kind words…
This title really struck a chord with me. It brought back memories of when I first moved to a new city a few years ago, feeling completely out of my element and a bit lost. I remember walking into this small, independent bookstore, not really expecting much, just hoping to find a quiet corner to read. But the owner, an older gentleman with the kindest eyes, greeted me not just with a nod, but with a genuine smile and a quick, friendly chat about my interests https://www.anu.edu.au/ He recommended a few local spots I might like and even pointed out a community notice board with events. It was such a small gesture, but it made me feel so much more…
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