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If you are a therapist or coach of any persuasion; counsellor, psychotherapist, hypnotherapist, life coach, bodyworker, in fact anyone who works in the helping professions, you will glean valuable, actionable ideas, tips and techniques from Clear Thinking, my free therapy techniques newsletter.

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  • depressed-child

    Philosophy Piece: Why Are Our Children So Depressed?

    It’s so poignant when we hear of children who feel life isn’t worth living, who feel doomed to lives of misery or even feel like killing themselves. And if childhood suicide rates and admissions to hospital for self-harm are anything to go by, childhood depression is trending upwards. So why might childhood depression be on […]

  • family-therapy

    One Guiding Principle for Family Therapy

    Family therapy is an effective treatment for a wide range of mental health and relationship problems. It can help families improve their communication skills, manage conflict, and cope with life transitions. And because families are systems, small changes can create large effects. Here I want to explore the one principle that governs so much of […]

  • inner-child

    What is the Inner Child?

    Building a whole ideology around one metaphor can make therapists less flexible and fluid than they otherwise could be. But that’s not to say that some metaphors aren’t widespread in their appeal, even universal. So when might the inner child metaphor be useful, and how can it be used?

  • help-your-clients-name-their-feelings

    Why it’s important to help your clients name their feelings

    “How does that make you feel?” is a clichéd therapy question that sort of sticks in my throat. It makes me feel… yucky. And yet it’s something I need to get over. Because when we face what is inside, recognize and name it, we become stronger and less afraid. By helping our clients recognize and […]

  • reasons-to-stay-abusive-relationships

    3 Reasons Clients Stay in Abusive Relationships

    It can seem baffling, infuriating even, when an abused partner stays with an abuser, even more so when they go back to them after having left. But often it is every bit as baffling and infuriating for the person being abused. So why do people stay in these relationships, and how can we help the […]

  • control-catastrophic-impulsivity

    Philosophy Piece: 5 Psychological Strategies to Control Catastrophic Impulsivity

    With the demise of religion and an increasing sense that “now is all there is”, some people have bought into the idea that personal pleasure and shortcuts to fragile and fleeting happiness are really all that matter. But we all become more efficient, effective, and happy when we master or at least gain more control […]

  • despairing-client

    7 Steps to Lead Your Client Out of Despair

    Despairing clients often despair of everything, even of what they love. But with time, patience, and support, clients can overcome even the most difficult challenges and live fulfilling, meaningful lives. Here are some strategies I have used to help clients find the light again. I hope they prove useful to you when faced with a […]

  • aid-client-self-compassion

    How to Aid Client Self-Compassion

    Our relationship with ourselves is a lifelong relationship, and it needs to be committed and steady. When we value, respect, and are patiently well disposed to ourselves, we avoid the dizzy heights of self-adulation but also the lacerating self-despisement of the low self-esteemer. Here I suggest five ways to enhance your clients’ self-compassion and self-acceptance.

  • help-clients-stop-comparing-themselves-to-others

    How to Help Clients Stop Comparing Themselves to Others

    It can be useful to inwardly compare yourself to others sometimes. But when social comparison becomes a dominant mode of functioning, you are more likely to harm yourself with it than help yourself. So how can we help our clients cease lacerating themselves on the bitingly sharp self-criticisms of comparanoia? Here are a few approaches […]

  • psychiatric-drugs-for-therapists

    A Quick Guide to Psychiatric Drugs for Therapists

    Unless you’re medically trained in drug usage, you won’t be expected to be an authority on psychotropic drugs, their potential benefits and side effects, or even withdrawal protocols. But here I want to give you just a rough and ready guide so that you don’t draw a complete blank when your client discusses medication.