Latest articles on counselling and therapy

While we all experience periods of intense stress during the course of our lives, it’s when things begin getting on top of us – when that stress starts seeping into all aspects of our lives and relationships – that it can be a sign our stress levels are too high, and we may be heading towards burnout.

Caused by excessive, prolonged periods of stress, burnout is a combination of physical, emotional and mental exhaustion. It can affect not only your energy levels but your productivity,...

One of the biggest betrayers since time began has to be ‘the cheater’. In fact, infidelity is the only sin the bible forbids twice in the ten commandments; once for doing it and the other for thinking it. In the contemporary era, monogamy seems to have shifted its meaning from one person of life to one person at a time, but the effect of having been betrayed in such a way for both sides remains eternally devastating. What is interesting is observing what is cheating and how it is...

Why is it so difficult to sit with how I feel? When did this happen? Why haven't I noticed this before? What am I afraid of? These are some of the questions you may begin to ask yourself after another emotionless connection. However, how did you get here in the first place? It can be difficult to hear people describe you as cold, aloof and emotionless. Often hearing yourself being described in such a way can evoke feelings of anger, resentment, shame and even guilt. You may even begin to...

We often, albeit unconsciously, look to our current relationships to fulfil our deepest unfulfilled needs and longings, to plug the gaps in our psyches, and to heal where we have been wounded. In psychoanalysis, this is called ‘transference’. We unconsciously want from our intimate others what we were deprived in the past, often by our family of origin. We repeat the story but are secretly hoping for a different outcome. This sets an impossible task for our partners. After...

When there are unspoken, unresolved issues in our relationship, we can start to feel resentment. It’s destructive and it starts cracks that then drive a wedge into our relationship. If we don’t address the causes of resentment, the drip, drip effect of misunderstanding causes catastrophic damage. Yet, what do you do when you feel that your partner is treating you unfairly and you feel that sense of indignation rising? Here are some simple steps that everyone can take: Break old...