The Therapy Journal
This is where psychotherapy steps out of the session and into conversation. From our defences that shape our daily lives to the emotions that drive our choices, these pieces explore the human mind through a psychodynamic lens.
Whether clinical or cultural, every post asks the same question: what happens when we stop avoiding our feelings?
Where therapy meets everyday life…
media depth emotion anxiety betterhelp reflections quizzes
What Changes When You Stop Avoiding Feelings
Stopping avoidance does not usually make anxiety disappear straight away. What often changes first is the relationship to feeling, anxiety, and internal pressure. Over time, this can create more clarity, more space, and less need to move away from what is being felt.
Why Anxiety Feels Random (But Isn’t)
Anxiety can feel as though it comes out of nowhere, especially when the trigger is not fully in awareness. Often, what feels random has a sequence behind it that has not yet become clear. Understanding hidden triggers can make anxiety feel less mysterious over time.
How Anxiety and Avoidance Work Together
Anxiety and avoidance often do not happen separately. A feeling begins to surface, anxiety rises, and avoidance brings relief by moving attention away from what is being felt. Seeing this loop more clearly can help explain why anxiety keeps returning over time.
Why You Avoid What You Feel (Without Realising It)
Avoiding feelings is often less deliberate than people think. Emotional avoidance can happen automatically, as the mind and body move away from what feels too much to hold. Understanding this process can make familiar patterns feel clearer, and more possible to change over time.
Why Anxiety Rises When You Try to Feel
Anxiety can feel like it appears out of nowhere. But often it begins at the moment a feeling starts to come into awareness. Understanding this process can change how anxiety is experienced, and how it begins to shift over time.