Latest articles on counselling and therapy
Sexual abuse, self-harm and self-care
Many of the clients I have worked with have experienced sexual abuse as children. One of the common themes that arise during counselling is the feeling of being disconnected from...
Secrets: I've never told anyone this before....
Among the great privileges of being a psychotherapist are the moments when a client tells you a secret they have never told anyone else. A secret they have carried with them for...
Leaving Neverland
This week saw the airing of the much talked about 'Leaving Neverland' documentary, a hugely powerful and insightful look into the experience of two young men who were groomed and...
Identifying attachment and trauma with children at risk of sexual exploitation
As professionals, we all remember the Bowlby Attachment Theory (The British Journal of Psychiatry, 1977 - cambridge.org) talks about the importance of positive attachment in...
Opening up about sexual abuse: the challenges, fears, and how to heal
The #Metoo movement, and the courage of survivors speaking out about their abuse around the world, show signs of a growing awareness and acknowledgment of the scale of sexual...
Men too
A couple of weeks ago I read a review about the forthcoming television drama, 'Patrick Melrose'. It was a well written and sensitive review by a national newspaper paper that...
Living with violence in the home
What is violence in the home?The UK government’s definition of domestic violence is any incident or pattern of incidents of controlling, assaultive and coercive behaviour,...
Historical sexual trauma: some effects on pregnancy and labour
Pregnancy and birth can be a particularly tricky time for sexual assault and abuse survivors. At a time when women are usually expected to be full of joy and anticipation,...
Understanding domestic violence
Domestic violence is such an epidemic that at one point or another it is inevitable that as counsellors we will come into contact with a survivor. Therefore we need to be prepared...
Hidden sexual pain - sexual trauma
When sexual abuse/violence is experienced at any point in a survivors life, not many people are aware of how this may impact on the survivors sexuality, their sexual concept,...
