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…
What Happens When You Finally Feel the Feeling You’ve Avoided?
Emotional avoidance is a primal strategy used to survive feelings that once felt dangerous. Although insight is the first step towards integration, sensation has to follow: The felt emotional experience, and the courage to turn toward the anxiety that rises when old feelings surface. This process actively builds your emotional capacity, allowing emotion to process fully and permanently shrinking the power of old defences and the punishing inner critic. The result is a profound return to the most authentic version of yourself.
The Hidden Map of Suffering: How the Three Core Fears Dictate Your Life: And How to Find Freedom…
The anxiety, relationship patterns, and self-sabotage in your life are not random. They are rooted in three specific, core psychological fears: Fear of Self, Fear of Feelings, and Fear of Closeness. We explore how these fears turn history into destiny, and how using the Therapy FAD Framework (Feelings–Anxiety–Defence) can restore your capacity for emotional freedom.
Two Types of Emotional Avoidance in Relationships and Why It Hurts So Much
Psychodynamic therapist Rick Cox details the two types of emotional avoidance: 1) Passive avoidance rooted in childhood trauma and 2) Active avoidance via toxic positivity or control. Learn how therapy heals these relationship struggles by restoring your emotional capacity.