Welcome to the blog section of my website. My aim here is to add entries that clarify commonly used psycho-speak, offer information around mental health and wellbeing, and provoke thinking and discussion around those topics. Some mental health related terminology has come to be used so liberally that its meaning is often diminished, devalued and […]

Attachment is an emotional bond that connects one individual to another. We form attachment relationships throughout our lives and according to John Bowlby’s theory of attachment, how we make those connections is profoundly affected by our earliest attachments with our primary caregivers. Relating with and bonding to others is essential for our survival in infancy […]

Since the early days of my teaching career, I have had concerns with the medicalisation of distress. I noticed that some children were defined as behaviour problems and others were diagnosed with ADHD (that was the predominant mental health diagnosis for children then). It was hard to differentiate between the exhibited behaviours. Some of the […]

Loss is an inevitable part of the human experience. Whether it's the death of a loved one, death of a pet,  the end of a relationship, the loss of a job, maybe some close family or friend has emigrated or a medical issue or accident has led to new limitations and  the loss of part […]

Here is a short video of tips for tools and strategies that can help to alleviate the anxiety created by chaos. I have noticed when working with young people that introducing some order and calm through the use of tools helps to reduce anxiety and create more brain space for exploring deeper or more complex […]