Latest Blog Posts
Healing from a Difficult Childhood
It can be hard to heal from a difficult childhood but it can be done. Healing is possible and takes place through: 1. Knowledge – read everything you can about psychological subjects which are relevant to you. Learning leads to: 2. Understanding – you
Person Centred Therapy
It has been proven through studies that clients get the best results from therapy when certain conditions are met in the relationship between the counsellor and the client. The counsellor needs to be warm, genuine, non-judgmental and empathic and the client
How Does Counselling Work?
Often in life, we may feel that we talk but others do not really listen, or that we are not worth listening to and then we may keep our thoughts and feelings to ourselves. If we have come from a dysfunctional
Defence Mechanisms
There are many types of defence mechanisms which we utilise when feeling the need to protect ourselves. There are primitive and sophisticated methods of defence for the psyche. Some are so well hidden from our conscious mind we may have no
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
Internal Family Systems Theory
How the Mind Works as an Internal Family Internal Family Systems Theory, developed by Richard C. Shwartz in the 1980s, has grown out of family systems theory (e.g. if a child is acting out, the whole family dynamic is responsible for
Structural Dissociation
The Structural Dissociation Model Dissociation is on a spectrum ranging from daydreaming to DID – Dissociative Identity Disorder (formerly Multiple Personality Disorder). Normal dissociation means to go onto automatic pilot when doing an activity (for example, when driving a car and
Triggers and Triggering
A child who has lived in a situation of stress and abuse for a prolonged time will usually develop Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. This is an elaborate system of defence mechanisms which are triggered by events in the environment which
Panic Disorders
A person with a panic disorder will often have overwhelming feelings of stress and anxiety which will at times become full blown panic attacks. This is when a person hyperventilates, can feel as though they are out of body and looking
