Latest Blog Posts
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
What are the Benefits of Counselling?
The Benefits of Counselling There are many benefits to counselling, it can lead to: Accepting yourself Feeling more compassion for yourself and others Feelings of calmness Feelings of being more in control of your self Being more resilient and able to
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
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
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
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
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 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
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
