Read our posts about Relationships

01Aug

Don't Rush Forgiveness

Tina Gilbertson

emotions

Relationships

In my psychotherapy practice I often sit with people who are struggling with forgiveness.  Many of us, whether in therapy or not, have a hard time forgiving both ourselves and others. Someone close to us betrays our trust. Someone takes something from us, be it a purse, a car, or our very sense of safety in the world. We’re told when this happens that we must not act like victims. We’re “survivors” of every awful thing that befalls us. We seek the experience of forgiveness in order to free ourselves from hatred, anger, grief and again, victimhood. But forgiveness is...
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31Jul

Why We Shouldn't Fear Touch

Gill Tree

abuse, care, family, massage

Relationships

The media impress upon us the often horrifying results of inappropriate touch. As increasing numbers of celebrities have come under investigatation, media coverage has been innundated with examples of inappropriate touch.  The fact that Rolf Harris is now serving five years for using his celebrity status to control young women is a case in point.  Are we  fearful of touch?  We now struggle to decipher what is appropriate and what isn't.  At this years sports day, I was surprised to discover that primary school teachers are no longer allowed to put suntan lotion onto...
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30Jul

Parenting and Gender: What's the Difference?

Wendy Varley

family

Relationships

When my triplet daughters went to university in 2005 my household switched overnight from one in which I, as a female, was in a 4:2 majority, to one in which I was outnumbered. Suddenly it was just me, my then three-year old son, and his dad. The shift in dynamic is one I'm still getting used to as my son grows up. I confess I miss my daughters, and I miss female company. People assume I'm an old hand at this parenting lark, but the truth is that raising one boy is very different to raising a trio of girls, and is providing just as much of a learning curve. Parenting...
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13Jun

The Psychology of a One-Night Stand

Terri Apter

LGBT, sex, single

Relationships

The stereotype of a one-night stand is a brutally selfish, egoistically satisfied male, and a woman shamed by regret and disappointment. Yet a memorable counter offensive was launched more than 40 years ago when Erica Jong, in her novel Fear of Flying, celebrated a female fantasy where “zippers fell away like rose petals, underwear blew off in one breath like dandelion fluff”. And, with the subsiding ecstasy, your partner melted away, freeing you both from embarrassment and commitment. For many men and women, this is the promise of a one-night stand.  The “zipless...
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08Jun

Why We Shouldn't Try to be Perfect Mothers

Rachel Kelly

family, mother, motherhood, parenting, women

Relationships

‘Dear Sebastian,’ the letter began in a childish script. ‘Thank you very much for my Birthday Present. I love ‘Angelina Ballerina’ books. Love Yore God Daughter Eleanor’. I laughed. As any mother reading this will know, the likelihood that my husband Sebastian would have a) known it was his god-daughter’s birthday b) sent her a present and c) known that she liked Angelina Ballerina would have been as likely as me going six rounds at the pub. For the truth is, while women have made huge strides in the workplace, many men have not made commensurate progress at...
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07Jun

Couples Therapy: Taking Sides

Susanna Abse

couples, divorce, love, marriage, therapy

Relationships

Are people more embarrassed to say they’ve been to see a couple’s counsellor than an individual one? At least 110,000 people had couples therapy last year reports head of the Tavistock Centre for Couple Relationships
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23May

What is Love?

Philippa Perry

attachment, love, relationships

Relationships

What is love? Philippa Perry explains that allowing ourselves to be dependent and vulnerable is the basis for secure relationships.
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21May

Old Faces, Younger Lives: How to See Beyond Dementia

Giovanna Forte

care, dementia, elderly, family

Relationships

Imagine yourself in hospital, aged and unable to articulate what you need and when. Think of the dejection, loneliness, and knowledge that your wellbeing lies in the hands of someone who sees you only as a blank and wrinkled canvas, who sees you only in the context of your dementia. I have, and I find it frightening. Dementia visits the elderly with a cloak of confusion and uncertainty, its prey usually unaware of its early presence, manifested by occasional illogical behaviour. A friend witnessed her 75 year-old mother trying to pay for groceries with cigarettes,...
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19May

Birth Order: Does Your Position in Family Really Make a Difference?

Linda Blair

childhood, family, identity, self, siblings

Relationships

Birth order might affect your personality. Whether you’re the eldest, a middle, the youngest or a single child can have a powerful impact on your character, says psychologist Linda Blair.
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30Apr

Dealing with Difficult Family Members

Jane McGregor

communication, family, psychology, stress

Relationships

Learn to communicate with difficult family members by understanding what makes them tick
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