Thought Pieces & Videos

The relationship between you and your therapist is one of the strongest factors on how impactful your therapy will be. But how do you who how to choose? Would you get on better with a male or female therapist? Does it matter which approach to therapy they take? What if you don’t feel like you like the first person you meet with?

All too often we hear that people feel that they are a lost cause; that no amount of intervention will change anything, and that they are beyond help. The moments of extreme darkness that can give rise to these thoughts are frightening, there’s no denying that - but here Dr Veronica Ranieri, clinical psychologist, gives her perspective on these feelings, and how perhaps the feelings of helplessness and hopelessness can instead be taken as a sign for action.

It is sometimes easy to forget mental wellness when we consider mental health, where mental illness might draw the focus. We also might often forget that if we’re feeling generally well, we should still consider how we can support our holistic wellbeing, and look after ourselves more now, so we can better weather any storms that lie ahead.

Have you ever found yourself amid conflict and wondered how it ever started? If so, you are not alone!   In 1968, Dr Steven Karpman proposed the Drama Triangle to describe three unhelpful roles people can unconsciously adopt in social interactions that often lead to conflict. The three roles are the Victim, the Rescuer, and the Persecutor.

Eating Disorders are often silent, private, closely guarded and - for some - a maladaptive but thought necessary part of making it through the day. But what should you do if you’re worried that a loved one has an eating disorder? How should you approach it? What should you say? Who should you call?

For those newer to the world of Mental Health, the terms ‘psychiatrist’ and ‘psychologist’ might sound interchangeable, but there are some very key differences in the professions, and how they work to support patients.

The impact of videogames on mental health, whether children or adults, has been a contentious topic for years. Do they encourage people to be more withdrawn? Is all that screentime bad for you? Do they mask something deeper that might be wrong? Or can they provide positive interactions, and a sense of community?

Perhaps your friend has said that therapy has changed their life. Maybe your sister, or brother, has suggested that therapy could help you. But who is therapy for? Why do people go to therapy?

We regularly hear things like “he’s a total narcissist,” or “that’s textbook avoidant attachment” in the media or in day-to-day conversations. Perhaps without realising it, psychological terms have made their way into casual language; this is beneficial for raising awareness of mental health conditions but can pose issues when they are misused.