While I was weeding my driveway this morning, it struck me that it is not dissimilar to the process of working through a betrayal with couples in therapy. The driveway looked awful. It’s one of those criss-cross ones where there are lots of gaps where weeds can bed in. It felt overwhelming at first. I […]
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The latest figures from the Office for National Statistics show that in 2020 alone, 103,592 divorces were granted in England and Wales. That equates to around a third of marriages. Add to this the separations from other partnerships, it makes for a big number. I recently read a BBC article* about the negative impact on […]
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It is with thanks to the carpet inspector that visited today that I was inspired to write this piece on relationships! Ben (not his real name) was telling me about a time a few years back when he was busy making himself a cheese sandwich for his packed lunch the next day. All wrapped up, […]
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I was sitting vaguely listening to the news this morning when I had an urge to pick up my phone and look at it. It was quite immediate and compelling – a text, a WhatsApp message, a Messenger ping…. all at once? Really? I suddenly became aware that the noises I had heard in the […]
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The text book definition of anxiety is “a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease about something with an uncertain outcome”. The reality of it is terrifying, overwhelming and debilitating for sufferers. When people come to counselling with anxiety, one of the first things I try to do is to give the person a sense that […]
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I used to have a recurring dream for years which was always set in a house: a house with many rooms and corridors, curtained off areas and, in particular, many staircases. Some were winding, some just a couple of steps up or down. It always felt amazing to be in this space. A sense of […]
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When I first thought about telephone counselling, I was a bit concerned about how effective this way of working could be compared with sitting in a room with my client. After all, how can you “see” what is going on when you are not in the same space? So I took up some professional training […]
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