Recent changes to accreditation standards in some parts of the world now include the need for trainee therapists to understand the neurobiological basis of behaviour. This will be challenging for some who might have leaned towards a learning bias centred on right mode processing in their teaching environment. For example, the institution where I initially trained in London […]
I was recently interviewed by Lucy Donoughue from Happiful Magazine as part of the I am I have podcast series. We started our chat with an explanation about what a gambling addiction might look like and how it could impact the person living through it, or those closest to them. We also talked about the scenario about someone who
Having low self-esteem can be a common presenting issue that motivates people to seek therapy. Self-esteem is how we value and perceive ourselves. However, in popular self-help literature self-esteem is often viewed as synonymous with self-confidence. I like to think of the distinction between self-esteem and self-confidence as this: you may have the confidence to
Do you struggle with sibling rivalry and wonder whether your early life holds pointers to understanding your current relationship dynamics? Children often feel that they are in receipt of unequal amounts of parental attention, discipline, and responsiveness. Some studies have shown that sibling abuse is more common that parental-child abuse. Adult siblings more commonly re-enact
Passive-aggression is a type of behaviour or personality characterised by indirect resistance to the demands of others and an avoidance of direct confrontation. Underneath there may be manipulation at play which leads to the term “passive aggressive”. It does not mean swinging between passivity and aggression but someone who expresses their aggression passively. Passive-aggressive behaviour
There are many types of people but for relational purposes there are two main types which might be termed as either ‘energy zappers’ or ‘energy enhancers’. Energy zappers are people who don’t listen when in conversation. The exchange is usually one way. They will drone on about their own viewpoint, their own opinions or their own
So much of counselling and psychotherapy deals with thoughts, feelings and reasons for states of being from an internal perspective. However, the physical health of our brain is so important too. We know from neurogenesis (the process by which new neurons are formed in the brain) that a holy trinity of a balanced diet, physical exercise
The October edition of #Happiful magazine is in shops now. Pick up your copy in Waitrose, Tesco, Morrisons or Asda priced at £4. Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is a common mental health condition and can involve an individual engaging in obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviours. Knowledge of what is happening in the brain can help sufferers to better
I have been reading the excellent new book from Stacey Millichamp entitled Transpersonal Dynamics; the Relational Field, Depth Work and the Unconscious and I have resonated with a lot of the material presented. A sign of a good therapy book, for me, is the rate and quality of these resonances to my own journey both at a personal