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”

Why FlourishEd Approaches Matter for Adults Returning to Learning—Especially After Negative School Experiences

When adults choose to return to education, it’s rarely a simple academic decision. For many, it’s deeply emotional. It’s about revisiting a place that didn’t feel safe, stepping back into environments that once damaged confidence, or confronting old stories of “not being good enough.” And these stories run deep. Adult learners often carry decades ofContinue reading “Why FlourishEd Approaches Matter for Adults Returning to Learning—Especially After Negative School Experiences”

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”

Creating Safe Spaces: Environment, Policy, and Practitioner Wellbeing in Trauma-Informed Practice

Creating safe spaces is at the heart of trauma-informed practice. This reflection explores how safety is built through the quiet art of noticing without judgement — in our environments, our policies, and our relationships. It reminds us that safety begins in the small moments, shaped by the calm, compassionate presence of practitioners who hold spaceContinue reading “Creating Safe Spaces: Environment, Policy, and Practitioner Wellbeing in Trauma-Informed Practice”

When Life Gets You Down: What it means to be Browned Off, Fed Up, and the Quiet Ripples Through the Family

There comes a point in many people’s lives when they feel emotionally wrung out. Not quite depressed, but certainly not content. A quiet kind of exhaustion seeps in—resentment at daily demands, emotional flatness, the sense of going through the motions. You might mutter, “I’m just browned off,” or “I’m so fed up.” And while theseContinue reading “When Life Gets You Down: What it means to be Browned Off, Fed Up, and the Quiet Ripples Through the Family”

Getting to the Root: Supporting Children and Clients with Anxiety through a Root Cause Approach

“Anxiety is not the enemy—it is the messenger.” Dr. M This phrase echoes deeply in therapeutic settings. Throughout my work, I’ve found that the children and clients I meet are not always struggling with anxiety in its purest sense. Instead, anxiety often shows up as a symptom—a signal—of something deeper. And when we fail toContinue reading “Getting to the Root: Supporting Children and Clients with Anxiety through a Root Cause Approach”

High-Functioning Depression: The Invisible Weight So Many Carry

In therapy rooms, classrooms, workplaces, and even among friends, there are countless individuals living with a quiet kind of suffering — high-functioning depression. They are the ones who keep going, who show up, who meet deadlines, care for others, and keep the house in order. On the surface, they seem fine — even successful. ButContinue reading “High-Functioning Depression: The Invisible Weight So Many Carry”