Blog

“Losing your way is oftentimes the only way to find something you did not know you were looking for.” I found this quote saved on my phone, unfortunately I cannot recall where I read it. Reading it again it spoke to me and I thought I’d blog about the chord it struck. When we know our way, we have a tendency to be on auto-pilot, navigating confidently along well trodden paths to destinations we perceive we know. It’s easy not to notice what is there along the way, and many pa

Here's a poem I wrote last year, reflecting on connectivity and resonance. I am sparkling sunlight And the still of the night I am cleansing fire And the fertility of the earth I am the howling wind And calm summer days I am the potential of an acorn And the wide arms of the oak I am the grace of the gazelle And the roar of the lion I am the rootedness of mountains And the transience of the clouds I am the softness of the beach And the power of the waves I am the laughter of

“The quieter you become, the more you are able to hear.” Rumi Oftentimes, clients come into #psychotherapy with a lot to say. Stories, feelings, thoughts and beliefs have been pent up, and the different context gives an outlet for them to flow like a river, as the client freely associates across time and space to tell their story as they perceive it. When this occurs, it’s always a judgement call to work out when to listen, and when to intervene. Bessel can set Kolk wisely c

Here's a reflection on the importance of being honest with yourself about relationships and their dynamics.

I felt moved to write a little about resilience today. Watching a child learn to walk is really interesting. They simply fall down, and then get up, and repeat, and repeat, and repeat. Sometimes a cuddle and some #encouragement is needed, but most often not. They get better and better at walking as their balance improves with each fall and recovery. Seeing all this happen with a wide smile on the young face, the sense of pride and achievement clearly visible, is uplifting.

People come to psychotherapy because there is some sort of gap for them, a difference between how they are / things are, and how they want them to be. Sometimes this is because of a life event or circumstance, sometimes its a relationship that troubles them, and sometimes it's just that life does not feel as vibrant or enjoyable as they want it to be. In today's blog I want to reflect a little on the last of these, that sense of #ennui where there is perhaps listlessness or

You do not need a reason to be as you are. You are you. You are enough. I have been reflecting on the perils of believing that everything must be rationalised, and that reason is all. I often find that people can become trapped in a cycle of thinking, that they must find a reason for whatever is happening. Sometimes, if they can not, they can become stuck and defenceless, unable to act because they can not justify whatever it is that seems good to do. Recognising that r

I recently found myself discussing McClelland's theory of needs, a nd it prompted me to blog about it today. McClelland’s theory suggests...

Experience is about patterns. There is structure and form to how we are, to what we perceive and to how we behave. The work of...

Boundaries. A word that is used a lot, to mean many things, like any words its meaning depends on the user and the context. The Cambridge...

I’m in the process of deepening my skills in a trauma technique based on neuro-linguistic programming, a protocol called FIRST (Fast...

“I am not what happened to me I am who I choose to become” Carl Jung I love this powerful quote from one of the giants of the therapeutic...

It seems a good time to write a little about the effects of pregnancy and the relationship to mental health

Spirituality is about connection When I meet new clients, as part of our introductory exploration I always ask about spiritual and...

Your heart’s desire lights you up in your body. It comes from inside. It connects you to your purpose in the world. Powerful words,...

Space matters, and how we treat it matters too. The care we show for the things around us reflects the care we have for ourselves. Our...

Do you feel you are good enough? Adequate? Sufficient? Acceptable and loveable as you are? If you are not feeling enough, you are not...

Extending trust can be a risky business, and it’s often worth it. We have a choice with trust, we can grant it, or we can wait until...

Uncomfortable conversations are OK. Emotions are OK. Real matters. I wrote these three notes to myself a few days ago to remind me that I...

I’ve been exploring recently the reality that the meaning we make of things always depends on the context. We can be quite certain of...