Latest Blog Posts

Understanding Anger
“The average adult experiences anger about once a day and becomes annoyed or peeved about three times a day.” What is Anger? Anger is one of our natural inbuilt ‘mammalian’ defences which is designed to keep us safe from danger. Anger

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

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

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

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

CBT
CBT is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. CBT theory suggests that our thoughts, emotions, body sensations, and behaviour are all connected, and that what we think and do affects the way we feel. It deals with identifying a client’s negative belief systems 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

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

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