Masochism is perhaps one of the most misunderstood clinical structures in psychoanalytic psychotherapy. It has been removed from the DSM for largely political reasons and has thus disappeared from the psychological lexicon.It is a term that is conflated with victimhood, reactivity, or … [Read more...]
Dissociative identity disorder: A rare trauma response, not a social trend
In recent years, Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) has become a trending topic on social media, particularly on platforms like TikTok. Short-form videos often depict individuals rapidly switching between so-called “alters,” complete with visual and behavioural cues. The implication—sometimes … [Read more...]
Parental presence in a digital age: lessons from Netflix’s ‘Adolescence’ and the NVR approach
The new Netflix series Adolescence has sparked conversation for its raw portrayal of teenage life and family tension. As an NVR practitioner for the past nine years, I’ve come to realise that I view my world now through an NVR lens.As I was watching the show I was struck by its affirmation of a … [Read more...]
Holding the frame: the role of boundaries in psychotherapy
Why psychotherapists must remain vigilant about boundaries Despite training, supervision, and ethical guidelines, psychotherapists—like all human beings—remain vulnerable to lapses in judgment. At best, these take the form of clinical misattunements. At worst, they can result in serious boundary … [Read more...]
Flirting with the void: On nihilism and the will to meaning (part two)
“… the truth is that if division and violence define war, the world has always been at war and always will be; if man is waiting for universal peace in order to establish his existence validly, he will wait indefinitely: there will never be any other future”. (Beauvoir, 1948, p.128-9)It is hard … [Read more...]
Beyond the label: Rethinking assessment and diagnosis in psychotherapy
The rise in diagnosisTalking therapies are a well-established means by which we think about and work with mental health. They don’t sit in a traditional clinical framework where we think of consultation, diagnosis and treatment. They offer a much more nuanced approach which breaks down the … [Read more...]
The cost of hiding your vulnerability: why emotional strength begins with openness
We can get confusing mixed messages when it comes to understanding vulnerability. Some people tell us that it’s vital to show our vulnerable side in our relationships, though for reasons that often seem less than clear to us. Whereas our typical response to vulnerability might more realistically be … [Read more...]
Flirting with the void: on nihilism and the will to meaning (part one)
What emerges for us when we consider capability and capacity (i.e. passion, ethics, power, and potential) as a continuous living question and movement? One that never ceases to be reshaped, if we open into our experiences and recognise and intimately feel the sensorial and impermanent nature of … [Read more...]
Wearable tech: when is there too much data?
Data as part of our livesThere must be very few people who don’t own or use a device that is in some way taking note of their day-to-day lives. Steps taken, hours slept, calories burned. The list of data that our wearable devices can generate for us is sizeable. It might not be something that … [Read more...]
When life shifts without warning: finding your way through unwanted transitions
After many years of hard work, when life was finally falling into place, does it feel like everything is suddenly changing? That you’re blinking into a life transition you neither asked for nor saw coming?In this article we’ll be discussing life transitions: how they can challenge us at a deep … [Read more...]
Why do boundaries matter in psychotherapy groups?
The importance of boundaries in psychotherapyI think it’s probably fair to say that all models of psychotherapy view boundaries as important. Analytic therapies particularly emphasise the role of boundaries and see them as integral to the psychotherapeutic process.There are many ways of … [Read more...]
Can AI offer therapy?
There is currently a great deal of noise and speculation about whether artificial intelligence (AI) can provide therapy. There are strong advocates on both sides of the argument, and evidence would suggest that, at least to some degree, AI can provide what some describe as ‘therapy’.The NHS, in … [Read more...]
Interdependence: between independence and dependence
Why interdependence is a healthy middle ground for mental and emotional wellnessHow often do you hear people encouraging others to be ‘independent’ and ‘self-reliant’? Maybe you’ve even been that person trying to motivate someone to ‘stand on your own two feet’ and ‘try not to lean on … [Read more...]
A journey into understanding Non-Violent Resistance
Non-violent resistance (NVR) is a hugely effective, forward-looking and relational approach which helps parents to un pick what is happening in the family, to begin to recognise and disrupt entrenched patterns of interaction and to break down the barriers which stand in the way of change. In so … [Read more...]
How do I stop overthinking?
This is a question that I am often asked. Everyone overthinks sometimes however for some people this can feel like a constant. Some people worry a lot about what others think of them, they can rehash conversations they’ve had, worry about what they’ve said and if they should have said this or that … [Read more...]
