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Whatever our circumstances , we all need to feel that we have some control over how we are treated by others. To do this we might need to tap into our own sense of feeling powerful enough to protect ourselves from harm whilst out in the world. Some of us, however, might be unintentionally handing our power away. How might therapy help? Power Over Versus Power Within Power can be defined in two quite different ways. 'Power over' refers to the power or control we have over othe

Difficulties between mothers and adult daughters can cause much distress to both parties. Mother daughter therapy provides a safe space in which to identify what is going wrong and explore ways to either repair the relationship or come to terms with a level of emotional distance that we may not have chosen - at least in the short term. Therapy Together Joint therapy for a mother and daughter can often be helpful if you are both able to talk about old hurts, power imbalances,

Long periods of frequent or severe anxiety can be both exhausting and debilitating. Excessive fear and worry uses up our precious - and finite - emotional resources, leaving us with less time and energy for other areas of our lives and for the people we love and care about. What can be done? Lessons From Therapy I have been working in Brighton as a psychotherapist with people suffering from problematic anxiety since 2011. Although every person's experience of tackling overwh

Compulsive behaviour is often a strategy we have found to manage anxiety

We all know that we are born, that we live - and then we die.  Mostly, we manage to deal with the fact that we are mortal and get on with...

No matter how hard we try to keep ourselves safe or  find out what is wrong, the distance between us and one or several family members remains.

I am often approached for help from parents experiencing conflict with their adult children. Difficulties between the generations can...

When something is going wrong in an important relationship (whether it be between a couple, parents and adult children, siblings or friends), is therapy together usually the best way to tackle the problem?  Or, would individual therapy be more beneficial?

Once a week we talk with a living breathing human being who is kind and curious.

ADHD can manifest in a number of ways and everybody affected by it will respond somewhat differently.

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 dynamic will need to shift. What could possibly go wrong?!   What Is Power? Power can be defined in many different ways. I tend to think of it as the ability to make decisions for oursel

Making major life changes without an outside impetus is much harder than when external circumstances leave us with no choice.

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.

Despite assurances from the medical profession that there is nothing seriously wrong, we find ourselves stuck in a loop of hyper-awareness and fear.

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? A Definition Of Empathy The Cambridge English dictionary defines empathy as follows: 'the ability to share someone else's feelings or experiences by imagining what it would be like to be in th

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 worst seriously affecting our mental and physical health. How might counselling and psychotherapy help? The Causes Of Work-related Stress Most of us have experienced times when our jobs have beco

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.

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 for those close to us) as we struggle to deal with the various losses involved as well as adapting to a new and unfamiliar rhythm of life. How might counselling or psychotherapy help? The Pros And Cons Of Ending Work Many people look forward to retirement

At various times in our lives we will be faced with deciding how best to support family, friends, colleagues - and sometimes strangers - who are in distress.

Could it be that our response to change itself is preventing us from experimenting with more fulfilling ways of being in our own skin and relating to others?