Should your therapist have an interest in politics?

Therapy is, by its nature, an intimate and private encounter. It is one of the last refuges from the noise of the world. People come to therapy not to hear their therapist’s worldview but to understand their own. The patient’s pain, conflict, or confusion must take center stage. Even the most well-meaning political commentary from a therapist risks turning therapy into something didactic or morale. It may subtly push a patient toward compliance with the therapist’s values, rather than helping them excavate and inhabit their own. For some practitioners, this traditional boundary is sacrosanct: it ensures that the work remains rooted in the patient’s inner life, not in the fleeting urgencies of external events.

To be or not to be…the rise of the AI therapist.

The rise of AI therapy marks a fascinating and bittersweet development in the way we approach mental health. These tools, often driven by algorithms, chat interfaces, and programmed empathy, offer something profoundly useful: accessibility. For many, the barriers to traditional therapy—cost, availability, or even the intimidating nature of opening up to another human—are significantly reduced. […]

The Allure of ADHD: Identity, Legitimacy, and the Search for Meaning

In the 21st century, we are living through an unprecedented explosion of labels. A seemingly boundless array of diagnostic identities now saturates the cultural landscape, from anxiety disorders to neurodivergence. Among these, ADHD—Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder—has emerged as a particularly seductive label, not merely as a medical diagnosis but as a lifestyle, a cultural movement, […]

The Pelicot Rape Trial: A Testament to Bravery in the Face of a Culture of Concealment

At the heart of the Pelicot rape trial is not just a story of injustice, but one of extraordinary courage. The woman at the center of this case—unshaken by the weight of public scrutiny—made a choice that few could endure: she allowed the hearing to be public. In doing so, she shattered the veil of silence that has long protected men accused of such crimes, refusing to let them operate in the shadows of a society that often shields them.

Exploring the Oedipal Shadows in Apple TV’s Drama ‘Disclaimer’: A Psychotherapeutic Perspective

Ive had a period of time off work and have been binge watching a lot of TV, hence another review from a therapy perspective. Apple TV’s drama Disclaimer, directed by Alfonso Cuarón and starring Cate Blanchett and Kevin Kline, dives into a labyrinthine psychological landscape that plays upon memory, guilt, and the stories we tell […]

Who alone suffers, suffers most in the mind.

Who alone suffers, suffers most in the mind. These are the words of King Lear, from Shakespeare and are deeply relevant to the show Mr Loverman on the BBC. Mr Loverman, adapted from Bernardine Evaristo’s 2013 novel, has quickly garnered attention for its nuanced exploration of race, sexuality, and intergenerational cultural identity. Set against the […]

When bullies hide in plain sight.

In our minds, the figure of a bully is often crude and obvious—someone who pushes their way through life with overt aggression, unmistakably hostile and unkind. But reality often paints a more complex, troubling picture. Many bullies don’t operate in this glaringly visible way. Instead, they slip into the background, camouflaging their manipulations and emotional […]

Empowering Women: Kamala Harris’ Inspiring Message Amidst Her Potential Run for the Democratic Party

In a landscape where women and minorities often find themselves marginalized, Kamala Harris stands as a beacon of hope and possibility. As the first female, Black, and South Asian Vice President of the United States, her journey is nothing short of historic. Her powerful declaration, “I may be the first, but I will not be […]

The Power of Ideas – an excerpt

Feeling provides the original supply of energy, but this supply of energy soon fails if the feelings are not rationalized. For the rationalization justifies the feelings and serves at the same time both as a substitute for feelings and as a stimulant for them when they are dormant. You cannot go on feeling violently all the time-the human organism does not allow of it. But an idea persists; once you have persuaded yourself of its truth, an idea justifies the continuance in cold blood of actions which emotion could only have dictated in the heat of the moment.

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