Latest articles on counselling and therapy

Erik Hagerman, depressed at the state of the world, decided to stop reading the news after November 8th 2016. No TV, no internet, nothing. He even asked friends not to talk to him about what was going on in the world. He called it the blockade. It was a one man mission to remain ignorant. He realised he would listen to the news but never do anything with it. This way he was bored at times, but happier and more relaxed. Was he being selfish? Surely, if he didn’t like the news he...

It's well known that going through the menopause can be a debilitating experience, with hot flushes coming on at any time of day or night, plus sleep insomnia making this period of time a difficult transition in women's lives. What is not written about so much is the fact that the drop in hormones can also cause depression, anxiety and panic attacks. Coupled with lack of sleep and hot flushes, women can be left feeling unable to cope and with nowhere to turn to, feeling misunderstood in the...

People are always telling us what we should or shouldn’t do; eat healthy; dump him, be nice, exercise regularly… a litany of do and don’t, should and should not, bombarding our every waking moment from colleagues, friends, family, advertising, social media and then our own internal voice which may also be questioning or criticising; ‘I shouldn’t be listening to them... or should I?’. All this ‘telling’ and questioning can all too often push us...

I am doing my best and sometimes my best isn’t good enough – but I’m only human. The reflection in the mirror I normally hide from, however today I looked and saw, staring back at me, a human, just a human trying their best for today. Sometimes I don’t cope too well and hide from the day, and other times I hide behind false smiles and laughter, however I can see that yesterday I struggled; nevertheless the hope for today to be a better day is always there. I have over...

Are you just returning from holidays, packing away the t-shirts and kids' inflatables, ready to return to work and the hum-drum of everyday living? It's usually a quiet time for us therapists as our clients decide to take a few weeks break from therapy, but traditionally September is one of our busiest months. Why? Well, many people feel they can just put up for a few more weeks with that irritating co-worker or bad tempered partner because the annual summer holiday is not too far away. After...