EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a structured psychotherapy method designed to help people heal from distressing memories and trauma-related symptoms. Developed by Dr. Francine Shapiro in the late 1980s, EMDR is widely recognized as an effective treatment for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and other mental health conditions. How EMDR Works The core idea of EMDR is that unprocessed traumatic memories are stored in a way that causes emotional distress when triggered. EMDR helps “reprocess” these memories so they […]
EMDR and Hypnotherapy
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) and hypnotherapy are both therapeutic techniques used to address emotional distress, but they differ significantly in approach, underlying theory, and application. EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) What it is EMDR is a structured, evidence-based psychotherapy developed by Dr. Francine Shapiro in the late 1980s. It is primarily used to treat trauma, PTSD, anxiety, and other distressing memories. How it works The theory behind EMDR is that traumatic experiences overwhelm the brain’s ability to […]
Twins – what is their experience of parental separation?

Having worked with a few twins who have experienced their parents divorce, I’ve noticed they can sometimes be labelled as the ‘good’ and the ‘bad’ twin. But just because they were once ‘wombmates’ doesn’t mean they’re identical. If anything they represent the ‘yin’ and ‘yang’ and are bound to display their unique characters and have different reactions – but perhaps not quite as polarised as on first impression. Twins have their own distinctive personalities. Although they have the same genetic […]
Brexit Stress: A Divorce No Less!
Today we are in the middle of an almighty mess. Where one party does not want to separate and another is ready to leave. Does this sound familiar? Oh yes – Brexit is the very disorder of divorce! As with most divorces, the majority are not as well equipped for the long and winding road both parties face during a divorce/separation. Divorce is full of surprises! As with the UK and Europe, there have been ups and downs, with the […]
A* Standards and exams: Could this explain increased Anxiety and Depression in the young?

The standard of exams seems to have gone sky high! I remember when an A was a great grade and was a real achievement. But now young people have to get an A* and lots of them. Getting a mere A is just not good enough! Young people and children are under ridiculous amounts of pressure these days. The number of cases where young people are suffering from acute anxiety has risen dramatically in my practice. More and more frequently, […]
Anxious/depressed children & teenagers: riding the cortisol roller coaster and then running out of steam?
Concerned about your child who seems fatigued, frazzled and lacking in motivation? This could be linked to their cortisol levels and over exposure to stress when they were younger. Research has discovered a link between child behavioural issues, high cortisol levels and poor performance at school. Cortisol is the steroid hormone produced by the cortex of the adrenal gland that helps in responding to and coping with stress, trauma and environmental extremes. It regulates our blood glucose, the immune system […]
Suffering from Anxiety and Stress? We need more Cheerleaders!
Modern living and separation feels incredibly stressful and one issue I have noticed is how we can all give ourselves a hard time and worry too much. We are the descendants of finely tuned anxious people and needed to be so in order to survive. In order for the modern form of humans to have survived 200,000 years we have needed to be ready for action depending on what we were faced with. Our amygdala (the alarm system that warns […]
Why babies love looking into eyes and why movement and smiling is so important to them
The most important and yet simple interaction between a parent and child is in the visual communication. Babies respond to the loving gaze of their mother and father. A parent falling in love with their baby feeds into the baby falling in love with the world and this is the basic structural paving stone for curiosity particularly later at 10 to 18 months. So seeking or appreciating eyes and facial features are encoded within babies preferences, they prefer to see […]
Babies and Relationships
In Utero Relationships are essential to us and are the cornerstones of our civilisation. As humans we are highly social beings and as a result we have thrived as a species. Our incredible brains are designed to be social, helping us to relate and seek relationships. In just the same way, the brains of all babies are primed to relate. Their brains are social instruments, ready to tune into strong relational chords from the moment they are born. The sensitive […]
How to calm oneself and dissolve conflict?
Have you been in a situation where you felt you weren’t in control or wish you had kept calm? Or wished you had been able to defuse an argument? Or aghast at getting into a RED fog and can’t remember what came over you? Well, this can be explained by the power of our brains. Once familiar with the wonders of our brain then we can master more easily those impulsive urges and flashes of anger. The beauty of our […]
Why your teenager may seek firmer roots and prefer to veer towards one home situation
Teenagers can feel very up and down and emotionally out of balance, as they are traversing a great deal of mileage in just one day! They have a lot going on physically, as this their biggest growth spurt ever, and may come across as lazy when actually they simply need more rest. They are more likely to be tired after school and not wanting to go out or do anything with you. Psychologically, emotionally and hormonally they will feel all […]