“Porn Addiction” and the Compulsive Process

“Every form of addiction is bad, no matter whether the narcotic be alcohol, morphine or idealism.” Carl Jung Within my private practice, I work with an increasing number of clients who are struggling with what they describe as ‘porn addiction’. Despite each person’s own struggles and difficulties being specific and unique to them, there are frequent […]

Attachment Theory and Relationships

“The human psyche , like human bones, is strongly inclined towards self-healing.” John Bowlby Because we are social animals our relationships represent an essential resource for our survival. However,  something important to remember, is that despite born needing to develop and maintain relationships in the interests of our survival, we are not born knowing how to do so. Relationships represent […]

Men and Mental Health

“A man who does not think for himself does not think at all.” Oscar Wild According to 2016 statistics, a staggering three quarters of UK recorded suicides are committed by males, with men aged 40 to 44 representing the highest age specific suicide rate (1). These figures are both astounding and frightening, and clearly illustrate […]

Avoidance and Emotional Numbing as Symptoms of Child Abuse & Neglect

“One can only remember what one has consciously experienced.” Alice Miller Research evidence continues to highlight the strong links between adverse childhood experiences, and increased physical and mental health problems throughout the life course (1). Such links go some way to identifying some of the potential devastating long-term impacts of childhood abuse and neglect, and the […]

Understanding Trauma

“Trauma is a fact of life. It does not however, have to be a life sentence.”  Peter Levine The deeply subjective and intimate nature of traumatic experience is such, that everyone will develop and hold their own personal meaning narratives regarding their traumatic encounters. Despite experiences of trauma being relatively common, there is an incredibly broad […]

Why I trained to Become a Therapist

“I am not what has happened to me, I am what I choose to become.” Carl Jung Reading and my passion for books have always played a significant role throughout my life. As a child I would literally read anything I could get my hands on, enjoying the temporary escapism into fantasy worlds that works […]