The Therapist Diaries

Hello there, and welcome back to The Therapist Diaries . It’s been a hot minute since I last wrote something. Partly because it’s summer, and even I like to enjoy the sunshine when I can. But it’s also because there’s been a lot happening behind the scenes at my private practice. I've been busy finding a new office space, organising some exciting new events, and starting to get the wheels turning for our 2027 services. There’s plenty more to share about all of that, but for today, I thought I’d introduce you to an intervention that, quite by chance, I’ve found myself using quite a lot with clients over the past couple of weeks: The Empty Chair Intervention. If you’ve ever watched a therapy scene on TV where someone sits opposite an empty chair and starts talking to someone who isn’t actually there, you may already have a vague idea of what I’m talking about. But there’s much more to the Empty Chair than simply “talking to an empty chair”. The Empty Chair Intervention is a therapeut...

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 to The Therapist Diaries,  Spoilers for House of the Dragon!! Are you watching House of the Dragon? Have you seen previous episodes? There was one moment in this season that has stayed with me long after the credits rolled. It wasn't Rhaenyra finally sitting on the Iron Throne. It was everything that happened before she got there. By this point, Rhaenyra has already endured more grief than most people could imagine. She's lost her father, the one person who truly believed she should inherit the throne. She's watched her birthright stolen from her. She's buried her heir. She's carried the weight of war, betrayal, and impossible decisions, all while trying to hold herself together.  And then she's faced with Otto Hightower. To everyone else in that throne room, Otto is the man responsible for usurping the crown. The mastermind behind years of political manipulation. The enemy. But to Rhaenyra... He was also her father's closest friend. The H...

 Hello and Welcome Back to The Therapist Diaries,  When I started this blog, I wanted to find a way to share therapeutic tips for clients while also providing insight to other providers and future providers and this week I think I have the perfect topic to do just that.  Last week I was fortunate enough to attend the annual International Society of Accelerated Resolution Therapy (IS-ART) Conference. The conference is an annual professional event designed for mental health clinicians who use or are interested in Accelerated Resolution Therapy. It brings together therapists, researchers, and trainers to share knowledge, explore clinical techniques, and stay up to date with developments in trauma treatment. The conference included live presentations and case studies and the best part for me is that it was held virtually so despite the 5 hour time difference, I was able to attend from England!  The 2026 conference was centered on enhancing clinical effectiveness whe...

Hello and welcome back to The Therapist Diaries,  As many of you know, my boyfriend and I went to school together. From age 11-16 we saw each other most days, shared a bus ride, and had similar friendships circles which overlapped quite a bit. As we reminisce over "the good old days", sometimes our memories don't match up. He has a brilliant memory about our time together and remembers things in much more detail than I do... and sometimes he remembers big events that I swear blind never happened.  Why is this? Part of this comes from the fact that he just has a better memory than me. I definitely need to do a few more brain training activities in the morning before work. But another big part of it is that, quite simply, my boyfriend and I had different high school experiences, as we all did. The fact of the matter is that our teenage years are incredibly important for memory formation and anything that knocks us slightly off balance, has the potential to impact our memori...

 Hello and Welcome to the Therapist Diaries,  If you’ve ever watched  Wicked , you probably went in expecting a story about good versus evil. What you may not have expected is a deeply human portrait of trauma, identity, and survival disguised as a musical. When Elphaba and Glinda sing  For Good , it isn’t just about friendship, it’s about how trauma reshapes us, redirects our pathways, and ultimately, transforms who we become. Trauma does not look the same on everyone. In fact, one of the most misunderstood things about trauma is the assumption that there is a “correct” way to respond to it. Some people cry. Some become quiet. Some become angry. Some become driven. Some dissociate. Some rebuild. And some like Elphaba, become the very thing the world once accused them of being. Elphaba’s trauma begins early. She grows up as an outsider, judged for a physical difference she did not choose. She is rejected by her father and mistreated by her peers. Her experience...