Like many of us, I have been emotionally moved and disturbed by recent political events. Concerns over the choice of US president, the rise of the far right in Europe and Brexit have been driving many of us towards social and political initiatives. I always believed that our work as therapists could make a real difference…
Recent geopolitical events, notably the new American administration and the Brexit vote, have for many of us brought on feelings of uncertainty about the future. Facing this type of uncertainty can lead to feelings of anxiety driven by a loss of what we thought we could rely on or expect from life. Alternatively, we can experience…
Alice Ayres Sitting on the Tube with a relatively new friend, I suddenly found myself feeling awkward in the middle of an anecdote. “And on a Thursday evening, I…I…” I cast a sideways glance at him. How would he react? Could I trust him not to judge me negatively? In the heat of the moment,…
On Friday, everybody in the UK awoke to a new world. The dust has yet to settle and the repercussions of the vote to be enacted; we live in interesting times. Whilst I have a view on whether we should or should not leave the EU, this blog is not about that. It is about…
Like many of us, at the end of each year I like to take some time to reflect on the past year and also look to the year ahead for changes and improvements I’d like to make in the personal and professional areas of my life. The beginning of a new calendar year can be…
Counsellors and psychotherapists can be very good at suggesting to clients to start to develop compassion for themselves, stop destructive behaviours and to learn to self-care. This is, after all, part of their job. However, how high a priority is their own self-care? How can clients assess whether their therapist is able to appropriately self-care…
I came across a fascinating article in The Guardian this morning entitled ‘Why the Modern World is Bad for your Brain’, by Daniel J Levitan, discussing the effects on our brain (and therefore on us) of juggling many tasks, activities and external inputs all at the same time. The modern world, often referred to as…
External and internal displacement Identity and belonging is something many of us struggle with, through displacement, relocation, extended periods living abroad but also through social oppression and a sense of being different and not fitting in. I used to think that the therapeutic journey was partially about finding ways of nourishing and loving oneself and…