Latest Blog Posts
Adverse Childhood Experiences
Adverse Childhood Experiences A study was published in 1998 as a collaboration between the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Kaiser Permanente (a health care service provider) and was one of the first studies to look at the relationship
The Mental Structure of a Person with Narcissistic Personality Disorder
This is a simplified diagram of the mental structure of the mind of a narcissist. It is a complex system of defences which protect the conscious mind from the buried feelings of shame and rejection. The real wants and needs of
Healthy and Unhealthy Boundaries
What are Boundaries? A boundary can be defined as a barrier which separates two things. Healthy psychological boundaries between people mean that there is respect for others and the self and the beliefs, ideas, opinions, likes, dislikes and wants and needs
Narcissism and Archetypes
One of the interesting things about those with narcissistic personality disorder is that many of their behaviours are so similar and universal. This could be explained by the concept of archetypes. An archetype can be defined as “forms or images of
Treating Complex Trauma
Complex PTSD develops in response to chronic traumatisation over the course of months or years. The trauma can include emotional, physical or sexual abuse. There are exceptional circumstances in which adults can develop Complex PTSD, but it is mostly seen in
Chronic Shame
Children from difficult backgrounds will often have lots of feelings of guilt and shame. Sources of shame can be parents, siblings, school or wider society and this will be carried into adulthood and will often manifest as feelings of the self
What is Narcissistic Abuse?
Narcissistic abuse describes the way narcissists behave toward intimate others and the effects it has on them. NPD is a set of defence mechanisms that shape the way people with NPD look at, and relate to, the world. This leads to
The Anger Iceberg
The Anger Iceberg reminds us that when we are feeling angry we are often protecting ourselves from other emotions. Anger is a useful tool as it is full of energy which helps us to act and it keeps others away from
Depression
Depression can occur for a variety of reasons and can range from mild to severe. It may be caused by a specific event such as a bereavement, a loss of a relationship, a divorce, illness, career worries or a redundancy. Some
