The BLOG · writing on therapy & GROWTHReflections on therapy, relationships, and the slow work of recovery from abuse and harm.
Articles exploring schema therapy, mental health, trauma recovery, and emotional wellbeing — For people doing the slow work of understanding themselves, their relationships, and the harm they've lived through.
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The Emotional Inhibition Schema: When Feelings Feel Too Dangerous to Show
Do you find it difficult to show emotions, or feel more comfortable keeping feelings locked away? The Emotional Inhibition schema may explain that pattern — discover where it comes from and how schema therapy can help.
The Dependence/Incompetence Schema: When You Don't Trust Yourself to Cope
Do you struggle to trust your own judgment or feel like you can't cope without others to guide you? The Dependence/Incompetence schema may be at the root of it — discover where it comes from and how schema therapy can help.
The Punitiveness Schema: When Mistakes Deserve to Be Punished
Do you struggle to forgive yourself for mistakes, or find it hard to extend understanding to others when they fall short? The Punitiveness schema may be driving that harsh inner judge — discover where it comes from and how schema therapy can help.
The Defectiveness/Shame Schema: When You Believe Something Is Fundamentally Wrong With You
Do you carry a quiet sense that something is fundamentally wrong with you? The Defectiveness/Shame schema is one of the most painful early maladaptive schemas, discover where it comes from, how it shapes your life, and how schema therapy can help.
The Emotional Deprivation Schema: When You've Always Had to Go Without
Do you feel chronically lonely or like your emotional needs are never quite met? The Emotional Deprivation schema may explain why — discover where it comes from, how it shapes your relationships, and how schema therapy can help.
The Approval-Seeking/Recognition-Seeking Schema: When Your Sense of Worth Lives in Other People's Hands
Do you rely on others' approval to feel good about yourself, or find your sense of worth rising and falling with external feedback? The Approval-Seeking schema may be at the root of it — discover where it comes from and how schema therapy can help.
The Failure Schema: When You're Convinced You Will Never Measure Up
Do you dismiss your achievements, fear being found out, or feel like you'll never truly measure up? The Failure schema may be driving that persistent sense of inadequacy — discover where it comes from and how schema therapy can help.
When Trust Becomes Vulnerability: Victims of spiritual coercion, exploitation, or grooming
Many people who have been groomed or manipulated in a religious setting ask the same question: was there something about me that made this happen? Written by a psychologist with a special interest in spiritual abuse and adult grooming, this piece explains what grooming and manipulation look like in religious contexts — and why vulnerability is never a personal failing.
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