We all need sleep, and it is a natural part of our life. On average, most adults need around 8 hours of sleep per night although this can vary from person to person. While no one is entirely sure why we need to sleep, we do know that it is significant for brain development, and…
Of all the problems presented by clients when they first attend therapy as a couple, communication difficulties are often to be found as the most pressing. However, our difficulties with communication is not just an issue within a relationship: it touches every aspect of our lives – which makes the effort of finding out how…
Freud stated that his aim in psychoanalysis was to help patients transform ‘hysterical misery into common unhappiness’. Similarly in Buddhism, the concept ‘Dukkha’ is commonly translated to suffering, unhappiness, pain or stress and refers to the habitual experience of mundane life. Why Do We Get Addicted to Things? Addiction has been around for thousands of…
One of my favourite papers is by Dr Sebastian Kraemer, called ‘Something Happens: Elements of Therapeutic Change’. This blog helps break down what therapists and clients set out to do, as they sit together in a therapy room both hoping that change can be immobilised from a stuck situation. This is first of eight short blogs…
Early in lockdown I turned to my garden for the first time in a long time and my thoughts took an interesting turn which I wanted to share with you. I spotted the jasmine shrub which had overgrown and was ‘invading’ my garden! It had put deep star shaped roots all over the garden which…
Boundaries are critical not only to a psychotherapeutic relationship, but, as many clients learn through therapy, are essential to healthy adult-to-adult relationships. In a good psychotherapeutic relationship, there is a solid contract between client and therapist such that clients know what to expect and when. And part of this knowing by the client is knowing…
Achieving a work – life balance is an important aspect of mental wellbeing and can easily become out of sync without us even realising it, particularly when we are feeling under significant pressure from one of these two areas – in other words, stressed. This imbalance can lead to feelings of depression and anxiety ….
During the recent challenges brought about by Covid-19, we all had to make significant changes to our lives and adapt quickly to a new reality. This is also true for therapists and clients who shifted quickly from the safety and familiarity of their consulting rooms to video or telephone meetings. I would like to acknowledge…
Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), also know as Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder, is a thought to affect between 0.7 and 2% of the general population. While estimates vary, it is considered that the disorder is predominantly diagnosed in women (75%). So what is BPD? On a generic level, BPD is characterised by having difficulties in how…
When we think about psychological difficulties, we often think of these as being purely in the mind. In some of my other blogs I’ve spoken about the link between mind and body, and this is something I work with a lot in my therapy sessions with clients. This is particularly relevant with issues of anxiety;…
When we are feeling depressed it is common to withdraw from those that we are close to, to shut ourselves away, turn down social invitations and generally pull away from friends and family. By doing this we are refusing the help and support of others, possibly because we feel bad about ourselves or that we…
Earlier this month (October 2019) the government announced a new service for gaming addicts aged 13-25 at the Centre for Internet and Gaming Disorders. According to the World Health Authority Gaming Disorder is a pattern of persistent or recurrent gaming behaviour so severe that it “takes precedence over other life interests”. This description could equally…