Latest Blog Posts
Why Some People Do Not Know They Have Trauma
We learn to defend ourselves from the world at a very young age. These defences become ingrained and we think they are parts of our personalities. We may often dismiss our defences as ‘that’s just me.’ Defences are ingenious as they
The Effects of a Difficult Childhood
A difficult childhood can be defined as one where one or both parents may have been in addiction, have had a difficult childhood themselves that they never dealt with, they may have had anger issues and therefore were frightening, or they
Body Image and Binge Eating
What is Binge Eating? Binge eating can be defined as episodes of overly excessive and rapid eating in a short period of time which are accompanied by a sense of a lack of control. This results in distress. There can be
Healthy Narcissism Vs. Unhealthy Narcissism
Narcissism originally begins as a response in childhood to developmental issues. Both nature and nurture are influential in the early years in setting up the personality. Elements of narcissism are needed in the development of a healthy personality. Narcissism forms the
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
Neuroplasticity
Neuroplasticity is the ability of the brain to adapt physically to new information and grow new neural pathways. It is how we learn. The brain can form new neurons (any of the impulse-conducting cells that constitute the brain, spinal column, and
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
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
The Brain and Trauma
Swollen Amygdala A child living under traumatic conditions will develop a brain that is very biased to danger. This will last into adulthood. This is done through the amygdala which is the ‘smoke alarm’ and emotional centre of the brain. Brain
