Moving through change
Whether you’re thinking about moving or adapting your home, or making other life changes, this is a chance to think things through with someone impartial, particularly if you’ve been feeling a bit overwhelmed, stuck or held back and aren’t sure of the right next steps.
I’m particularly keen to support people aged 50 and over, including people living on their own or caring for someone at home. This can be a time when circumstances change, priorities shift and questions about home, independence, health and what comes next become more important. It can also be a good time to think ahead about how and where you want to live, and any changes you might want to make.
The work combines reflection, practical planning and action. It can involve working out what needs to change externally, while also making sense of how you’re feeling, what’s important to you and what might be holding you back.
Sometimes people already have a sense of what they want or need to change, but finding the time, headspace or confidence to act on it can be harder.
Community sessions
From 5 November, I’ll be offering 30-minute, one-to-one Reflection & Planning Clinic sessions at Claygate Community Centre on Thursdays, providing space to talk, reflect and plan practical next steps.
I’ll also be running Yoga for Health sessions with chair and mat options. Both will initially run as ten-week community trials until 21 January, allowing for the Christmas break.
There’s no particular point you need to have reached before getting in touch. You might have a specific decision in mind, or have an inkling that something needs to shift but not know what yet.
You can request a slot by giving me a call or message 07445 287 307 or online here.
You can enquire about this course by giving me a call or message 07445 287 307 or online here.
How it works
The support is flexible and can focus on whatever would be most useful at that point.
A single session can be useful if you have a particular question or decision you want to talk through. Two or three sessions may give more time to reflect, research and take action between meetings. Weekly, fortnightly or monthly sessions may also be helpful during a home move or other period of change.
People remain responsible for their own decisions. My role is to listen, ask questions, offer perspective and, where useful, carry out some focused research or practical work to help you move things forward.*
Sessions can take place by phone or video call, at home or through a local community organisation. You can read more about what to expect in a first session here.
Sessions might include:
- Thinking through whether a move or other life change is right for you
- Considering how your current home could work better, or what you might need from a home or place in the future
- Researching areas, housing options and other practical considerations
- Making sense of information and weighing up different options
- Talking through uncertainty, difficult feelings or what might be holding you back
- Turning ideas into a plan, taking practical next steps and maintaining momentum.
If this is of interest, please get in touch with me at: 07445 287 307 or tessaspringhome@gmail.com.
*Please note this is a reflective planning support service with wellbeing, decision-making and moving forward in mind, particularly in relation to your home. I don’t help with physical packing or DIY, and I don’t carry out regulated property buyer activities, negotiate or make decisions on your behalf or handle client funds.
Experience and approach
I draw on experience across housing, planning, writing, research, community work and wellbeing:
- Strategic planning and consultancy work focused on place, housing and community health and prevention, including understanding how homes, neighbourhoods and local services relate to people’s lives and wellbeing.
- Co-founding a socially-aware estate agency, with experience of the residential property market and the practicalities of renting, buying, selling and moving home.
- Working as a yoga teacher and supporting people’s health and wellbeing.
I’m also trained in Cognitive Behavioural Coaching, Health and Wellbeing Coaching and Performance Coaching, with those courses recognised by the Association for Coaching and the British Psychological Society.
My approach is thoughtful, calm and collaborative. I draw on reflective listening, questions, practical thinking and research where appropriate. I’m interested in both the practical things that may need to change and the personal process of adjusting to change.
I’d love to see this kind of support available through local community organisations, so that people have somewhere accessible to talk things through.
If you work with a local community organisation, or would like to talk things through yourself, please get in touch with me at: 07445 287 307 or tessaspringhome@gmail.com.
Storytelling
Reflecting on changes in our lives and homes often involves acknowledging our values, challenges and experiences, and considering how these can inform the changes we make, both now and in the future.
Sharing and capturing our stories can sometimes come up as part of this process. This could be about making sense of something that has happened, putting difficult experiences into words, capturing an important part of someone’s life, honouring someone who has died, or creating something for family and future generations.
This is not necessarily about producing a finished piece of writing. Sometimes the process of telling and recording a story is what’s useful, and the result could even be in a different form such as photos, drawings or audio or video recordings.
I’m keen for services like this to be more widely understood and available. I’ve shared some reflections and ideas on why it’s important and how this might be possible on my blog.
