Re-empowerment after experiencing trauma… 1 in 3 adults in England have experienced some form of traumatic event. So how do we make sense of trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder? My approach considers an individual’s subjective experience alongside our mental health system that aims to recognise and treat these from an objective perspective. These two perspectives […]
Rewind Therapy
Rewind Technique for Trauma… One thing that makes life with trauma unbearable is its ability to forcibly shape your experiences of your self, relationships, and the wider world as you navigate everyday life. As you try to move forward, the events of the past keep pulling you back. People often think you have to talk […]
Is My Therapist The Right Fit For Me?
How do I know my therapist is the right fit for me? Looking for the right therapist for you can be stressful and daunting, even if you know what you need in someone to adequately support you. My professional experience has taught me that accessing therapy is rarely a linear process. Many people’s experiences include […]
Empowerment in Psychotherapy
The final theme in my book covers how to promote empowerment in psychotherapy with survivors of sexual violence. This is especially important given that sexual violence is inherently disempowering as automatic survival responses come to life as fight, fight, or freeze in the moment. Afterwards these responses may keep happening, alongside a wider society that […]
Psychotherapy as activism
As therapists it’s impossible to work with a human rights injustice, such as sexual violence, purely within the rooms in which we meet survivors. All of the forms this injustice can take are found in so many spaces, meaning that the world is re-traumatising for those already affected by trauma. In a new blog […]
Vicarious Trauma
From inconsistent sleep to physical pain, it is common for therapists to experience stress responses when working with survivors of sexual violence. Part of our roles include looking after ourselves in service of taking care of clients, as we manage the impact of trauma together. In a new blog on PESI (Psychotherapy Excellence) I […]
How do we talk about experiences of abuse?
Abuse is a cognitive, emotional, and somatic process. As such, talking about abuse is a cognitive, emotional, and somatic process. Sometimes it spills out in an urgent way. Sometimes it’s slow and takes time. There can be vivid memories, flashbacks, nightmares, and physical sensations. These are the mind and body re-telling the story in a […]
If You Need Therapeutic Support In 2021…
Don’t wait to ask for help. Asking for help is nothing to be ashamed of, especially during this pandemic where we have so little resources and normality to keep us going. If you’re nervous about contacting a service, organisation, or individual psychotherapist/counsellor, then make use of the communication method you feel most comfortable with when […]
Understanding & Managing Suicidal Feelings & Thoughts
We can’t talk about mental health without talking about suicidal feelings and thoughts. Considering these as ‘extreme’ reactions or the more ‘extreme’ end of the mental health spectrum is dismissive of one’s intense suffering or struggle. Many people experience suicidal feelings and thoughts, including those who can get daily life done consistently well. There are […]
I’m A Social Impact Star Award Nominee
Around a fortnight ago I received an e-mail from a network called Inspiring Women Changemakers to let me know I had been put forward by two of its members for an award. I spent a fair part of the following hour getting my head around the news, which was such a surprise. The timing marks […]