Do we need protecting from people? Sometimes, I think the answer is definitely yes, and sometimes not. Do I need to protect myself as a therapist? I like to think about this in terms of protective factors. I have been …
Tag: Wellness
What You Need to Know About Needs and Relationships
Attempting to get all our needs met through one person is often a subconscious pattern. We all have the need to be loved, accepted, for play, for trust and connection. Some of these needs can only be met interpersonally, in …
Signs Therapy Could be Useful
It is time to end the stigma of mental health and get support when you need it. You deserve to be supported wherever you are at. As humans we are social creatures. We were never meant to have it all …
How Therapy Can Change Your Life
Research shows that the benefits of therapy are more long lasting than medication alone. Therapy teaches people skills to manage symptoms and help them to address some of the causes of the symptoms. There is no doubt that therapy has …
Personality Disorders Don’t Emerge Out Of Thin Air – In More Cases Than Not, There Is A Complex Trauma History.
Borderline personality disorder (BPD) has “come to be understood as a posttraumatic adaptation to severe childhood abuse and attachment trauma” (Courtoise, 2004). As children in an unsafe environment, it is NORMAL to adapt to that environment to stay safe. That …
Affirmations to Help You Heal After a Breakup
Going through a breakup can be one of the most difficult and painful times. There can be such an overwhelming feeling of disappointment, going over moments and scenes in your head, wondering if you could / should have been different. …
Some Journal Prompts for Self-Awareness
Self-awareness is about getting to know yourself in an open, non-judgemental way. Most us fall down right here. We might be self-aware, but we are incredibly judgemental in the process. The trick with self-awareness is to enter any self-examination or …
Some Gentle Reminders
Let me say it again – you are not responsible for someone else’s mental health. To be clear, I am not talking about abuse. If you are verbally, physically, mentally or emotionally abusive, then you ARE responsible. If you are …
How to Cultivate Empathy
It seems many people either feel they have either too much empathy or too little. When we have ‘too much empathy’ it is usually a boundary issue, not an empathy issue. For those people who feel they lack empathy, research …
Developing Emotional Intelligence (EQ)
Emotional quotient (EQ) is the ability to understand and process your emotions in a positive way to release stress, empathise with others, communicate effectively and work through conflicts. People with a high EQ have a high level of self-awareness and …