Christmas special: Taking a break
17 December 2024
At Christmas, therapists and clients both tend to find themselves taking a break, whether planned time-off or enforced time-off due to a cold. Breaks are an important part of therapy, and this article examines them from a few angles.
How childhood can affect our future relationships
1 October 2024
Attachment theory states that the quality of the child's relationship with their caregivers will affect how they relate to others in adulthood. We can grow up with a relational style that is secure or insecure, and this will affect our friendships and romantic attachments.
Three uses of therapy
24 July 2024
This blog looks at three uses of therapy. Therapy is a place where we can feel supported, heard and taken seriously. It is a place for gaining insight into the source of our concerns. And it is a place where we can experiment with changing who we are and how we want to live our lives.
It's normal not to be happy all the time
26 June 2024
Despite more awareness of mental health, people can still imagine there's something wrong with them if they're not happy. In fact, it's quite normal not to be 'happy' due to the nature of happiness and the complexity of being human.
The contract between therapist and client
25 May 2024
At the start of therapy, the client and therapist do something called ‘contracting', which is about the ‘terms and conditions' of therapy. The contract creates a structure for the therapy. Three key aspects of the contract are confidentiality, timing and payments.
Why trainee therapists have therapy
29 April 2024
Trainee therapists can benefit greatly from being in long-term therapy. It a chance to experience what your clients will experience. And, by exploring your issues, feelings and biases, you will be better equipped to deal with this same material in your clients.
We have one self, but many parts
28 March 2024
It's normal in life to feel in ‘two minds' about something. One way of making sense of this is the idea that the self is made up of different parts, rather than being one single and consistent thing. In a way, we have different personalities for different occasions.
Our childhood affects who we are as adults
6 February 2024
As children, we come to realise what is acceptable and unacceptable to our parents. So, in order to win their approval, we start to edit ourselves. This shapes our personality and underpins who we become as adults.
Getting to know ourselves
24 January 2024
Counselling can help release repressed feelings and beliefs. When these parts are uncovered, we can start to accept them and make sense of them. We become more self-aware and freer to make choices.
Therapy is a space for deep exploration
1 December 2023
In one sense, there are no rules in therapy: the client can talk about whatever they want. But from another perspective, there are a few specific rules that are designed to create framework for deep exploration.
Counselling is an unusual type of conversation
1 November 2023
For many people, having someone really try to understand you is a new experience. When we feel heard and understood, life starts to feel different.
Listening and being listened to
1 October 2023
There are many types of counselling, but one thing is central to them all: the act of attentive listening. Some people have such little experience of being listened to that when it happens it can feel strange, even uncomfortable.
Christmas special: Taking a break
17 December 2024
At Christmas, therapists and clients both tend to find themselves taking a break, whether planned time-off or enforced time-off due to a cold. Breaks are an important part of therapy, and this article examines them from a few angles.
How childhood can affect our future relationships
1 October 2024
Attachment theory states that the quality of the child's relationship with their caregivers will affect how they relate to others in adulthood. We can grow up with a relational style that is secure or insecure, and this will affect our friendships and romantic attachments.
Three uses of therapy
24 July 2024
This blog looks at three uses of therapy. Therapy is a place where we can feel supported, heard and taken seriously. It is a place for gaining insight into the source of our concerns. And it is a place where we can experiment with changing who we are and how we want to live our lives.
It's normal not to be happy all the time
26 June 2024
Despite more awareness of mental health, people can still imagine there's something wrong with them if they're not happy. In fact, it's quite normal not to be 'happy' due to the nature of happiness and the complexity of being human.
The contract between therapist and client
25 May 2024
At the start of therapy, the client and therapist do something called ‘contracting', which is about the ‘terms and conditions' of therapy. The contract creates a structure for the therapy. Three key aspects of the contract are confidentiality, timing and payments.
Why trainee therapists have therapy
29 April 2024
Trainee therapists can benefit greatly from being in long-term therapy. It a chance to experience what your clients will experience. And, by exploring your issues, feelings and biases, you will be better equipped to deal with this same material in your clients.
We have one self, but many parts
28 March 2024
It's normal in life to feel in ‘two minds' about something. One way of making sense of this is the idea that the self is made up of different parts, rather than being one single and consistent thing. In a way, we have different personalities for different occasions.
Our childhood affects who we are as adults
6 February 2024
As children, we come to realise what is acceptable and unacceptable to our parents. So, in order to win their approval, we start to edit ourselves. This shapes our personality and underpins who we become as adults.
Getting to know ourselves
24 January 2024
Counselling can help release repressed feelings and beliefs. When these parts are uncovered, we can start to accept them and make sense of them. We become more self-aware and freer to make choices.
Therapy is a space for deep exploration
1 December 2023
In one sense, there are no rules in therapy: the client can talk about whatever they want. But from another perspective, there are a few specific rules that are designed to create framework for deep exploration.
Counselling is an unusual type of conversation
1 November 2023
For many people, having someone really try to understand you is a new experience. When we feel heard and understood, life starts to feel different.
Listening and being listened to
1 October 2023
There are many types of counselling, but one thing is central to them all: the act of attentive listening. Some people have such little experience of being listened to that when it happens it can feel strange, even uncomfortable.
