Silhouette of man looking up towards The Milky Way.

Where can dreams take us in therapy?

It might be a cliché: the psychotherapist who says ‘tell me about your dreams’. However, dreams are a useful tool many psychotherapists welcome into therapeutic work, inviting the unconscious mind of the client to step forward. Dreams can provide powerful and impactful material as part of the therapeutic process.  Dreams in psychoanalysis In the early…

Two Asian girls talking to each other.

Should I talk about my therapy? Understanding privacy and reflection in counselling

Having previously explored the compulsive use of pornography, I wanted to continue reflecting on what it’s like to work with clients who consider their use to be excessive. Should I talk about my therapy? A common question that arises is, ‘should I talk about my therapy’? Clients sometimes ask whether they should speak to their…

A woman holding her head in her hands.

The two faces of shame: how this powerful feeling shapes our lives

In the therapy room, shame – which we often hide, almost at any cost – frequently hinders progress. Clients sometimes conceal aspects of their behaviour they fear are shameful, such as viewing pornography, taking class A drugs, or losing their temper. This is because it is perhaps one of the most intense and complex feelings…