Latest Blog Posts
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
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
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
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 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
Healthy and Unhealthy Boundaries
What are Boundaries? A boundary can be defined as a barrier which separates two things. Healthy psychological boundaries between people mean that there is respect for others and the self and the beliefs, ideas, opinions, likes, dislikes and wants and needs
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
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
