Sometimes we can understand that something happened a long time ago, yet still find ourselves affected by it in ways that are difficult to explain. Perhaps you grew up feeling that you had to get everything right, keep other people happy or be careful about what you said. Maybe there were experiences that felt frightening or overwhelming, or perhaps there wasn't one particular event, but a sense that things were often difficult. You might not think of what happened as trauma.

Some people do not realise they are struggling with perfectionism because they are not trying to be “perfect” in the way people often imagine. More often, they are just quietly exhausted from feeling as though they cannot quite afford to get things wrong. They overthink texts because they are worried they sounded rude or too much. They replay conversations afterwards trying to work out whether they said the wrong thing or took up too much space. They feel guilty resting becau

One of the questions I get asked most often is whether online therapy can really feel as effective as meeting face-to-face. It’s such an understandable question, particularly if you’ve never had therapy before, or if part of you worries that talking through a screen might feel distant, awkward, or less personal somehow. Over recent years, more and more research has explored how effective online therapy can be, with studies consistently suggesting that for many people, online

There’s a point in many therapists’ work where something starts to feel… stuck. You might be doing thoughtful, evidence-based work, and your clients are engaging. You’re reflecting, showing up fully. And yet, some patterns don’t quite shift, despite everything you’re bringing to the work. Clients might understand things logically but still feel caught in cycles of shame, self-critical thinking or low self-worth. You might also notice something in yourself, a pressure to get i

Many people notice changes in mood, self criticism and emotional sensitivity in the days or weeks before their period. You might find that you feel more irritable, more overwhelmed, or more critical of yourself than usual. Thoughts that normally feel manageable can suddenly seem heavier or more convincing. For some people, this can feel confusing or discouraging. It can even lead to the sense that something has gone wrong, or that they are “back at square one”. For some peopl

When people think about therapy, they often imagine sitting in a room and talking about what's been happening in their lives. And talking is certainly part of it. Having space to share experiences, sometimes for the first time, can be incredibly important. But therapy can also involve understanding patterns, exploring the ways we've learned to protect ourselves and gradually developing different ways of responding to difficult thoughts, feelings and experiences. You don't nee

If you've experienced something frightening or overwhelming, you might find that reminders of it still affect you long after the experience itself has passed. A memory might come back unexpectedly, certain situations might feel difficult to approach, or you might notice that what happened has changed how you see yourself. Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a psychological therapy that can help people work with distressing memories and the ways those exper