Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD, is a hot topic right now. If we have a diagnosis (or have read a description of ADHD that resonates) it can be a relief to finally get some sort of acknowledgement of the behavioural traits that might have been puzzling us for years.…
In my last post about conflict between parents and adult children I introduced the concept of identifying and changing the power dynamic within the relationship. When children are young, parents tend to have all or most of the power – they are in charge. As children become adults, this power…
I am often approached for help from parents experiencing conflict with their adult children. Difficulties between the generations can arise at any time. However, one of the most significant pinch points seems to be when young people are – or could be – breaking away from their first family and…
We have all had to deal with a lot of change this year. Since March 2020, measures to contain the spread of Covid-19 have forced most of us to radically adapt our daily routines and reevaluate the way we live our lives. These changes have mostly been imposed on us…
Relationships are difficult. How we balance two or more people’s needs so that everyone gets enough of what they want most of the time is invariably a tricky business. Sometimes this game of compromise will break down completely and we are left with conflict, hurt feelings or – ultimately –…
Repeating bouts of anxiety about the state of our physical or mental health is a common reason for seeking counselling. Despite assurances from the medical profession that there is nothing seriously wrong, we find ourselves stuck in a loop of hyper-awareness and fear. How might counselling and psychotherapy help?
What does it mean to be empathic? How can we use this way of being with others to resolve conflict and promote understanding whilst at the same time keeping ourselves emotionally safe? If too much or not enough empathy is a problem for us, how might counselling and psychotherapy help?
Work can be rewarding in many ways. It can give us a sense of purpose and achievement, structure to our lives, respect from others, companionship and, of course, money. But sometimes we can find ourselves stuck in a toxic working environment that is at best holding us back, and at…
Most of us have experienced intrusive thoughts at some point in our lives. They often arrive at times of high stress and can fill our heads with unhelpful ‘what if’ scenarios and irrational fears that leave us preoccupied or distressed. Trying to make ourselves stop thinking in this way doesn’t…
Retirement, although possibly longed for, involves huge change. Some of us navigate the transition from working to not working without any major difficulties. For others, the change can bring tension (for ourselves and those close to us) as we struggle to deal with the various losses involved as well as…
