13 Years of Providing Psychotherapy (Part 2 of 2) As we reach September 2023, I realise I’m coming up to my thirteenth year of seeing clients. Summarising the numbers wouldn’t capture the experience of doing this work with so many people in so many places. They would also overlook the reality of what it’s like […]
13 Years of Providing Psychotherapy (Part 1)
As we reached September 2023, I realised I was coming up to my thirteenth year of seeing clients. Summarising the numbers wouldn’t capture the experience of doing this work with so many people in so many places. They would also overlook the reality of what it’s like to deliver psychotherapeutic support in our societal context, […]
Starting Supervision Training
Ethically, all Counsellors and Psychotherapists are required to have regular clinical supervision alongside seeing clients, no matter where they work. Supervision is a confidential space where therapists can discuss and explore their work, with the focus being on the therapist’s responses, interventions, and internal process. I’ve found supervision can be invaluable as a safe […]
How to Respond When Someone Discloses Sexual Abuse
How to respond when someone tells you they’ve experienced sexual abuse… Thank them for telling you Disclosure is not an easy thing to do. Saying ‘thank you’ actively recognises the huge step someone has taken to ask for help, and acknowledges what they’ve been through. Listen with empathy & without critique We’ve all […]
Coming Out as LGBT+
‘Coming Out’ – What Does It Mean? Recently I was invited to speak about coming out in later life on Anna Richardson’s podcast ‘It Can’t Just Be Me’. Her guest was Dr. Ranj Singh, who was married to a woman for several years before coming out to her as gay. Anna is part of the […]
Hearing from Survivors of Sexual Violence
When writing my book it was important to make space for survivors’ experiences of accessing therapy and reporting to the police (in the UK). Early on I decided to include interviews as part of putting the manuscript together, which a colleague helped me with. Sharing Lived Experience There are quotes throughout from people who […]
Pre-Trial Therapy Training
I struggle with the idea of trauma therapy/therapy for survivors/pre-trial therapy as ‘specialist’. Therapists will meet survivors of many different kinds of trauma (abuse, domestic violence, racial harm, ableism, classism, etc.) wherever we work. It is not an uncommon clinical phenomenon, it is daily life for many. This equally applies to the topic of pre-trial […]
Managing your mental health as a queer person this Christmas
Managing your mental health as a queer person this Christmas… 1) Queering time with family over Christmas For some LGBTQ+ people, spending time with biological family members over Christmas is stressful because of their LGBTQ+ identity not being known, understood, or affirmed. Being ‘closeted’ because you’re forced to (whatever the reason), or choosing to be […]
Women and Depression
Due to hormones and the complex nature of women’s bodies, they face many issues from childhood to old age. Men don’t have to face even 10 percent of women’s problems. Women have been treated as a weak section of society and denied equal rights for ages. Women have complex bodies, and they experience frequent changes […]
The Best Way To Choose A Private Therapist
When you feel burdened by your issues and life, it can feel as if no one in the world understands what you’re going through. That’s why it can be so difficult to seek professional help. However, with the proper support, thousands of people have benefited from therapy. If you’re ready to start exploring the idea […]