Hello and Welcome Back to The Therapist Diaries, When I was around ten years old, my aunt bought me my very first Matryoshka doll after we went to see Beauty and the Beast at the theatre in Blackpool. I remember sitting on the floor when I got home, carefully opening each wooden doll to reveal another hidden inside. One by one they appeared, each a little smaller than the last, until I reached the tiniest doll nestled safely in the middle. At the time, I simply thought it was beautiful. Years later, I found myself returning to that same little doll in my work as a therapist. During my training, I spent much of my time working with children and adolescents. One of the biggest challenges in therapy with young people is finding ways to explain complicated emotions and experiences in a way that makes sense. Children don't learn through lectures. They learn through stories, play, curiosity, and objects they can touch and remember. If they leave the therapy room with an image or a meta...
Hello and welcome back to The Therapist Diaries, “Could you watch the kids for an hour so I can have a break?" "Would you mind reaching that for me?" "I need someone to listen." These are such simple sentences, yet for so many of us they feel incredibly difficult to say. As a therapist, I often sit with clients who struggle to ask for help. Some worry they'll be seen as needy. Some don't want to inconvenience anyone else. Others have learned over the years that their needs come second, so they keep going, carrying everything themselves until they reach breaking point. And sometimes, people have asked for help before and felt completely unheard. I recently had a client who was trying to make a decision, and it was weighing heavily on her emotionally. One option felt selfish to her, but deep down she knew it was the choice that would be best for her wellbeing. The other option suited her partner and his family better. Summoning all her courage, she trie...