I remember when I was younger being asked the question: “If you could have any superpower what would it be?” There were so many glorious options, it was so hard to decide! My mind wandered to the imaginative world of being able to fly, or being invisible, or having super strength. These were all very appealing options. However, there was something incredibly intriguing to me about the superpower of being able to read minds. To be able to know what other people are thinking? Wow. I really thought that would be the ultimate ability. I guess it’s no wonder I became a psychologist…

How many times have you woken up in the morning and wished you could have “just 5 more minutes” of sleep? If you’re anything like us, sleep is something you value, and at times wished you could have more of. Now imagine if you struggled to get to sleep or stay asleep once you were asleep?

Back in March we launched our very own podcast show. We have been busy recording episodes since November 2021 so that we can add value to our clinic and to you, our loyal clients and readers. Our show, “Breaking the Rules: A Clinician’s Guide to Treating OCD”, is not just for mental health professionals. It is for everyone.

Soothing is a natural instinct. When I think about the word soothing, what straight away comes to mind is making other people feel better when they are sad. Indeed, most of us are familiar with the concept of soothing other people. A really obvious example of soothing is our reaction to a baby crying. Naturally we tend to find it pretty uncomfortable to hear a baby crying for an extended period of time, and when faced with this situation we tend to do things to try to calm or comfort the baby, like pick him or her up, rock, cuddle, and so on. Additionally, if someone we care about is noticeably upset or afraid, we naturally try to do things to make them feel better. We all know the power of a good hug!

I see all too often people invalidating their own emotional experiences. How often have you told yourself you shouldn’t feel something because of one reason or another? Maybe it’s “I shouldn’t feel upset because there are starving kids in Africa” or “I shouldn’t feel disappointed with my friend for letting me down because that wasn’t their intention”. With these kinds of thinking patterns, we are left feeling guilty for experiencing our emotions. But why should we feel guilty for having an automatic emotional reaction to something? After all, it is no great sin to feel things!!