“Stop.” “No.” “Don’t do that.” These are some of the most familiar phrases used in classrooms, homes, and therapeutic spaces. They are quick, instinctive, and often spoken with urgency. Yet, in my experience as a psychologist working with children and young people—particularly those who are neurodivergent or have experienced trauma—these responses rarely bring the outcomeContinue reading “Beyond “No”: Supporting Behaviour Through Safety, Connection, and Understanding”
Tag Archives: burnout
When Acute Stress Becomes Collapse: A Clinical Reflection on Cumulative Trauma, Maternal Guilt, and Misunderstood Breakdown
Dr M’s Thoughts When she eventually sought help, she did not describe herself as someone who had “walked out” on her family. She described a period in which everything converged. Within a very short space of time, she was carrying the emotional and practical weight of her family, managing significant work pressures, grieving the deathContinue reading “When Acute Stress Becomes Collapse: A Clinical Reflection on Cumulative Trauma, Maternal Guilt, and Misunderstood Breakdown”
Parents Matter Too
Psychological support for parents navigating neurodiversity Parents Matter Too — a weekly therapeutic reflection supporting parents of neurodiverse children. Week 4: Parental Burnout — When Exhaustion Becomes Emotional Numbness Beyond “Just Tired” There is a particular kind of exhaustion many parents struggle to describe. It is not simply physical tiredness. It is not solved byContinue reading “Parents Matter Too”
Parents Matter Too
Psychological support for parents navigating neurodiversity Parents Matter Too — a weekly therapeutic reflection supporting parents of neurodiverse children. Week 1: When Parents Are Expected to Cope There is a moment many parents describe, often quietly, sometimes with tears, sometimes with a deep sigh. It is the moment when their child’s neurodiversity comes into focusContinue reading “Parents Matter Too”
When Work Turns Toxic: Psychological Reflections on Burnout, Bullying and Gaslighting
Over the past few years, I have seen a marked increase in clients coming to therapy not because they “can’t cope with work,” but because work itself has become harmful. They describe workplaces that are chronically stressful, hostile, and dismissive of their wellbeing. What begins as a demanding job slowly shifts into something more insidious:Continue reading “When Work Turns Toxic: Psychological Reflections on Burnout, Bullying and Gaslighting”
Trauma-Informed Awareness in the Workplace: Language, Policy, and the Culture of Care
Introduction Workplaces, like people, hold stories. Within every organisation are individuals who carry experiences of stress, loss, and sometimes trauma — experiences that may be invisible but deeply shape how they perceive safety, trust, and belonging. Trauma-informed awareness in the workplace invites us to look beneath behaviour and performance, to recognise that what appears asContinue reading “Trauma-Informed Awareness in the Workplace: Language, Policy, and the Culture of Care”
Trauma, Triggers, and Moving Forward
Introduction I’ve spent years sitting with people in their most vulnerable moments. The therapy room is a place of truth, courage, silence, and sometimes, tears. It’s where pain meets compassion and where stories long buried find their voice. Over time, I’ve come to believe that while each client’s journey is unique, the emotional echoes theyContinue reading “Trauma, Triggers, and Moving Forward”
Dr M’s thoughts 