“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”
Tag Archives: raising awareness
Behind Closed Doors: The Lingering Wounds of Coercive Control
“They never hit me. But they made me doubt my mind, my worth, my sanity. And that’s the scar I still carry.” Coercive control is an insidious, often invisible form of abuse. Unlike physical violence, it operates beneath the surface—through manipulation, isolation, control, and degradation. The amount of people who are met with statements suchContinue reading “Behind Closed Doors: The Lingering Wounds of Coercive Control”
The Different Pathways to a Life Well Lived
As exam season begins, there’s a particular kind of pressure that settles in the air — unspoken but heavy. The Leaving Cert, A-levels, finals… whatever the name, the message often feels the same: This is it. Your future starts (or ends) here. But I want to offer another truth, one that might sit more gentlyContinue reading “The Different Pathways to a Life Well Lived”
“The Quiet Echoes of Childhood: Understanding and Managing the Long Shadow of Trauma”
I often sit across from adults who are struggling—not just with present stress, but with the lingering echoes of pain that began decades ago. These are echoes from classrooms, hospital corridors, foster homes, playgrounds, and sometimes even battlefields. They come in many forms: the child who lost a parent too soon, the one who feltContinue reading ““The Quiet Echoes of Childhood: Understanding and Managing the Long Shadow of Trauma””
Should I Suffer On in Silence?
A Reflection from the Therapy Room She sits in the chair across from me, clutching a tissue, her eyes weary with the kind of tiredness that goes beyond sleep. Her voice is barely audible, but every word is soaked in pain. “I don’t know how much longer I can do this… I love my childrenContinue reading “Should I Suffer On in Silence?”
“Endless Possibilities: Reflecting on Support for Children with Down Syndrome and Their Families”
Every year, World Down Syndrome Day serves as a reminder of the beauty of diversity and the profound value of inclusion. As a psychologist, I find this day offers an important moment to pause and reflect on the incredible resilience of children with Down syndrome and their families — and the power of meaningful supportContinue reading ““Endless Possibilities: Reflecting on Support for Children with Down Syndrome and Their Families””
Dr M’s thoughts 