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…
Shame and the Risk of Being Seen
Shame is more than embarrassment, and it often gets confused with guilt. Shame is a bodily contraction linked to withdrawal and fear of rejection. This article explains how shame differs from guilt, how it shows up in the body, and how therapy helps reduce its power through connection.
Core Emotions and the Body
Emotions start as activation in the body. This article explores how anger, grief, guilt, shame and love first show up physiologically, and why tracking posture, breathing, and muscle tension matters in therapy.
When Pain Has Never Been Fully Seen: A Note for Anyone Considering Therapy
Many people understand their past yet still feel stuck in familiar reactions. This short reflection explains how therapy slows emotional patterns down, helping you notice what happens in real time so change becomes possible without forcing intensity.
What Happens When You Finally Feel a Feeling You’ve Avoided?
Avoided emotions often feel intense when they first appear. This article explains why anxiety rises as feelings come closer to awareness, how emotional capacity develops in therapy, and why learning to stay present with emotion gradually reduces the need for avoidance.
The Hidden Map of Suffering: The Three Core Fears in Therapy
Anxiety, self-criticism, and relationship struggles often follow recognisable emotional themes. This article introduces three common fears: fear of self, fear of feelings, and fear of closeness, and explains how therapy helps people understand and work with these patterns over time.
Two Types of Emotional Avoidance in Relationships and Why It Hurts
Emotional avoidance often shows up as distance, shutdown, or control inside relationships. This article explains two common patterns of avoidance and how they develop as ways of managing anxiety. It also explores how therapy helps people notice these responses in real time and build emotional capacity for safer, more stable connections.