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Eco-Anxiety and Climate Grief – How Psychotherapy Can Help in a Changing World

Eco-Anxiety and Climate Grief – How Psychotherapy Can Help in a Changing World

by John Dray | 31st Jan 2026 | Mental Health and Wellbeing Articles

As the realities of climate change become increasingly difficult to ignore–increasing average global temperatures, increasing sea-level, more extreme weather–many people are experiencing profound emotional responses to environmental degradation, biodiversity loss, and...
A Relational, Humanistic Critique of the “Dopamine Hole”

A Relational, Humanistic Critique of the “Dopamine Hole”

by John Dray | 24th Jan 2026 | Mental Health and Wellbeing Articles

A Relational, Humanistic Critique of the “Dopamine Hole” SEO meta description A concise relational, humanistic critique of the popular “dopamine hole” self-help video from Newel of Knowledge, exploring what it gets right, what it oversimplifies, and how people in...
Autonomy, Alignment, and the Psychotherapy of Systems

Autonomy, Alignment, and the Psychotherapy of Systems

by John Dray | 17th Jan 2026 | Mental Health and Wellbeing Articles, Psychotherapist Resources

The emergence of artificial intelligence that can update itself, modify internal models, and act with partial autonomy raises a set of questions that sound surprisingly familiar to psychotherapists. Concerns about misalignment, harmful optimisation, or systems losing...
Reviewing Therapy for Perverts, Weirdos and Crazy Cat People

Reviewing Therapy for Perverts, Weirdos and Crazy Cat People

by John Dray | 12th Jan 2026 | Mental Health and Wellbeing Articles, Psychotherapist Resources

This article offers a reflective review of Therapy for Perverts, Weirdos and Crazy Cat People: A Lived Experience Introduction to Gestalt Therapy by John Gillespie, an independently published introduction to Gestalt therapy rooted firmly in lived experience. I was...
Understanding and Treating Chronic Shame – Reflections from a Relational Therapist

Understanding and Treating Chronic Shame – Reflections from a Relational Therapist

by John Dray | 4th Jan 2026 | Psychotherapist Resources

Introduction Working with clients who carry a persistent sense of shame often reveals how deeply these experiences are rooted in early relational patterns. Patricia DeYoung’s Understanding and Treating Chronic Shame (2015) offers a thoughtful and clinically grounded...
Being in the “I’m OK, You’re OK” Life Position When In-Laws Sabotage Gifts

Being in the “I’m OK, You’re OK” Life Position When In-Laws Sabotage Gifts

by John Dray | 28th Dec 2025 | Mental Health and Wellbeing Articles

Introduction This Christmas, a friend made a lovely gift for her son-in-law. When he showed it to his parents they deliberately broke it. Now, Christmas gatherings can often amplify long-standing relational patterns. When in-laws deliberately damage or sabotage a gift...
Why Questions Feel Like Criticism in the Schizoid Process

Why Questions Feel Like Criticism in the Schizoid Process

by John Dray | 17th Dec 2025 | Mental Health and Wellbeing Articles, Mental Health Tips

People whose internal world is organised around a schizoid process [this is jargon for people who need a lot of safety in their life] often experience ordinary questions as criticism. This reaction is not about being ‘overly sensitive’, nor is it a sign of...
Understanding Ware’s Sequence in Transactional Analysis

Understanding Ware’s Sequence in Transactional Analysis

by John Dray | 10th Dec 2025 | Psychotherapist Resources

Ware’s Sequence is a well-established concept within Transactional Analysis (TA) that explains how individuals move through ego states in predictable ways when stress, conflict, or relational pressure builds. Originally described by Paul Ware in the early 1980s, it...
A Neurodiversity-Affirming Reading List for Therapists and Clients

A Neurodiversity-Affirming Reading List for Therapists and Clients

by John Dray | 2nd Dec 2025 | Mental Health and Wellbeing Articles

I was chatting with some other therapists about good books for neurodivergent folk. They came up with a list. This aims to be a curated, community-informed reading list for therapists and clients exploring neurodivergence. All books listed: support the neurodiversity...
How Online Booking Systems Can Improve Accessibility for Neurodivergent Clients

How Online Booking Systems Can Improve Accessibility for Neurodivergent Clients

by John Dray | 23rd Nov 2025 | Mental Health and Wellbeing Articles, Psychotherapist Resources

For many neurodivergent people—particularly those with ADHD, autism, or social anxiety—the process of arranging therapy can be daunting. Traditional booking methods often involve making a phone call, navigating conversation scripts, and responding spontaneously under...
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A calm watercolour illustration of a person holding a shield that has now become heavy, with warm muted tones suggesting protection and cost.

What If My Coping Strategy Used to Be Brilliant?

Aug 15, 2026

People often come to therapy describing their own behaviour as a problem to be fixed. “I’m too avoidant.” “I...

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What If I Cannot Explain What I Feel?

Jul 17, 2026

A common worry about starting therapy is that you will be expected to sit down and say exactly what is wrong in...

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What If Eye Contact Feels Too Intense?

Jul 10, 2026

Often eye contact is treated as a sign of attention, respect and honesty. Therapists are often trained to use it as a...

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