Category Archives: Therapy Notes

Throughout human history and across cultures artists and philosophers have expressed the idea that it is our struggles that have the potential to make us better human beings. For example, the Roman poet Ovid wrote: “Welcome this pain for you … Continue reading →

This is what I know about depression: it is a recurrent illness. I see it clinically all the time and this is backed up by research. If you’ve had a depressive episode you’re likely to have another one later in … Continue reading →

It’s astonishing how often people that I’ve just met will say something like “I can’t imagine how hard that would be” or “how can you sit with people’s pain day in and day out” when they hear what I do … Continue reading →

A basic truth in Buddhist psychology is that life is suffering. This has often been interpreted to mean that Buddhist psychology has a very negative or even nihilistic view of human existence. This is a misunderstanding. It doesn’t mean that … Continue reading →

“Depression is the flaw in love. To be creatures who love, we must be creatures who can despair at what we lose, and depression is the mechanism of that despair. When it comes, it degrades one’s self and ultimately eclipses … Continue reading →

So, it’s that time of year again where retailers seem to think that what girls really want (apart from chocolates, flowers, perfume and a trip to Hawaii but I assume that goes without saying) are teddy bears holding big red … Continue reading →

This topic comes up at regular intervals in therapy so I thought I would write about it so that those of you who do it will have some assistance in stopping it (you know who you are) and those of … Continue reading →

I came across the term “terminally unique” and it struck me as a really good description of what a lot of people feel like when they first come to see me. The term refers to the idea that you’re the … Continue reading →

Some of you already know that my favourite word is neuroplasticity. Neuro-plasticity refers to the ability of the brain to change in response to experiences. The brain is made up of neurons (or nerve cells) and changes in the brain … Continue reading →

In psychology we used to think that we can un-learn things. In a classic learning paradigm an animal (often a rat) is exposed to a light and a foot shock. The rat quickly learns that the light signals the shock … Continue reading →