Read our posts about Family

24Jul

How to Cope When a Child Leaves Home

Nicole Addis

family, father, home, mother, parenting

Therapists

When a child leaves home, parents feel sad and even resentful. Nicole Addis shares her feelings after her daughter left the nest
» Read More

27Jun

The Toxic Legacy of Jimmy Savile

Anonymous Therapist

abuse, family, self, therapy

Therapists

The reports into Jimmy Savile’s predatory abuse make disturbing reading for us all, but especially those who have been abused as children. Here an anonymous adult, now a therapist, writes about its long term effect on her life.
» Read More

18Jun

5 Ways to Cope with Addiction in the Family

Rebecca Harris

addiction, counselling, family, therapy, tips

Therapists

There is no miracle cure for addiction, but there are steps you can take to help as a family member. Small changes to your own behaviour will make your own life easier.
» Read More

16Jun

Losing My Twins at 23 Weeks

Anonymous Therapist

bereavement, family, miscarriage

Therapists

Grief never really goes away completely. The best we can do is live at peace with the memories of our loss, or maybe even be lucky enough to derive nourishment and pleasure from them. But even if you reach such a hazy resolution in this way, it can re-emerge at full force when you least expect it to knock you down again. Or at least that's my experience of losing my two babies 12 years ago, born too early to survive in the world outside my womb. I'd had a time of it getting pregnant in the first place, with irregular menstrual cycles from polycystic ovary syndrome,...
» Read More

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...
» Read More

29May

Boarding School Survivors

Nick Duffell

boardingschool, education, empathy, family, society, therapy

Mind

Nearly two-thirds of the current British cabinet went to boarding school, but what psychological impact has this had, and does it make for good leaders?
» Read More

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,...
» Read More

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.
» Read More

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
» Read More

29Apr

Andrew Solomon's Ode to Identity

Louise Chunn

books, empathy, family, identity

Mind

Andrew Solomon's book about identity Far From the Tree won the 2014 Wellcome Book Prize
» Read More