Walking With Words

I love the word "rambling". It means walking without rushing, following a path just to see where it goes. It also means speaking, or writing, in a way that wanders, exploring ideas as they appear. Both meanings feel right for this space.

Within the Withy is Willow & Thyme Therapy's blog, a place for updates, event information, and practice notes. Its newest branch, Rambling Reads, is part book club, part reflection, part meandering conversation about stories, nature, and what it means to be human.

As a therapist, I spend much of my time listening: to people’s stories, to what’s said and unsaid, to the threads that connect us all. Reading, for me, has always been another form of listening. It’s a way of walking through words and landscapes, exploring how we relate to ourselves, to others, and to the natural world.

Here, I share what I’m reading: sometimes books we can explore together, sometimes just ones that have sparked a thought. 

This isn’t a review blog. You won’t find star ratings or literary critique here. Instead, Rambling Reads is a space to pause with a story, to notice what it stirs, the ideas it plants, and the parts of ourselves and the world it reflects back.

Gathering What We Learn

To provide the best possible care to my clients, I stay engaged in continuing professional development (CPD): reading, listening to podcasts, attending lectures, taking courses, and reflecting with peers. It’s part of staying connected to new ideas in therapy, psychology, and human experience.

But I’ve realised that this learning doesn’t have to stay inside the therapy room. Busy parents, professionals, and students have a genuine interest in understanding themselves and others, but little time to sift through books and research.

So, Rambling Reads is also a way to share what I learn in accessible, meaningful ways. It’s a quiet act of collective empowerment: a place where ideas can reach beyond professional circles and become part of everyday reflection and conversation.

If knowledge is easier to access, perhaps it’s easier to integrate. And the more we all know, the more we can help each other and create change, one page [ one step ] at a time.

Every few months, I’ll choose a book to wander through. I’ll share short reflections, a mix of summary, thought, and gentle wondering, about what the story invites us to consider. Along the way, there may be other small posts: musings between reads, lists of books I’ve loved, or simple notes about what it means to walk with words.

You’re welcome to join me by reading along, reflecting in your own way, or simply by stopping by to listen for a while.

Here, we’re not in a hurry. We’ll take one story at a time and see where the pages lead.

“The reading of all good books is like a conversation with the finest minds of past centuries.”
René Descartes

If you’d like to come along for the ramble, you can join the mailing list to be notified when new reflections appear.

See you on the next page,

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Note: Rambling Reads is a reflective reading series and is not a substitute for therapy or medical support. This is a space where my love of stories meets my work in understanding them.

Cultivating Community: Whenever possible, I encourage borrowing books from your local library or a friend. If you’d like to keep a copy on your shelf while supporting independent bookstores, you can use my affiliate links to Bookshop.org to help keep this ramble going.