Many people come to therapy with the worry that they’re too sensitive, perhaps after years of feeling affected by things that other people seem to move past more easily. It might be something small on the surface, such as a friend replying with a shorter message than usual, a colleague using a sharper tone in […]
Sandy Clarke
The boring reality of self-criticism (and the importance of appreciation)
In a lecture titled Against Self-Criticism, the British psychoanalyst Adam Phillips suggests that, if our self-critical voice were a person who followed us around, we’d find them boring and wouldn’t want them around for long. We’d soon find out that our self-critic was “impoverished and cliché”. In other words, it says the same things over […]
How to navigate the spiral of silence
Have you ever found yourself in a spiral of silence? You might not recognise the term, and yet there’s a strong chance you’ve experienced it a few times. In many ways, silence is golden. When we’re sitting by the sea, quietly driving alongside someone we know well, or spending a few minutes in reflective stillness […]
Understanding self-harm and how to offer support
When you hear the words “self-harm”, what comes to mind? For many, there’s a feeling of discomfort and a preference not to think about it. There might also be some misunderstanding about why some people choose to physically harm themselves. March is Self-harm Awarness month, and like any awareness month, it invites us to learn […]
Time flies! Here’s how you can slow it down
Many of us reach a point in adulthood where time starts to feel like it’s moving faster than it once did. Weeks seem to disappear into months, months into years, and before we know it, we’re left with the sense that it all happened very quickly, even though plenty changed along the way. Psychologists often […]
Mental Wellness Month: make your wellbeing a priority – not a possibilty
At this time of year, many of us are in mindset of thinking about our plans, our hopes, and the kind of direction we want the next twelve months to take. January arrives with a sense of renewal, alongside the usual resolutions and how to be “better versions” of ourselves. It also marks Mental Wellness […]