Latest Blog Posts

Complex PTSD
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

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

Transactional Analysis
Transactional Analysis was developed by Eric Berne who wrote the popular book ‘Games People Play‘. Ego States Berne posited that each individual possesses three basic ego states – the Parent, Adult, and the Child. These states represent a person’s internal model

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

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

The International Trauma Questionnaire
The International Trauma Questionnaire focuses on defining whether a person has Post Traumatic Stress Disorder which consists of: Re-experiencing in the here and now Avoidance Sense of current threat or Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder which also includes: Affective dysregulation Negative

The Fear of Abandonment
What is the Fear of Abandonment? A fear of abandonment is a deep-seated fear of being left by people that you are close to. This fear affects your thoughts and behaviours. It can be rooted in childhood from physical or emotional

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

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