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…
The Unseen Battle: What Netflix’s Stranger Things 5 Teaches Us About Trauma, Shame, and the Inner Critic
Psychodynamic therapist Rick Cox (MBACP) links Stranger Things 5 to depth therapy. Vecna embodies the inner critic and shame; the Upside Down mirrors unconscious conflict. Healing requires the courage to face emotional avoidance and build the capacity for emotional freedom.
Netflix’s Monster: The Ed Gein Story: When the “Monster” Speaks
Psychodynamic psychotherapist Rick Cox analyses Netflix’s Monster to explore how trauma leads to emotional fragmentation. Learn how containment fails and why facing internal shame and emotional avoidance is the core of therapeutic change.
The Man in Black: How Johnny Cash (and My Therapy Uniform) Teach Us About Containment
Psychodynamic therapist Rick Cox explores containment in therapy, linking his trademark professional attire to the clinical lessons of therapy. Discover how a therapist's steady presence creates the safety needed to face anxiety and overcome emotional avoidance.
The Song That Saves You: What Johnny Cash Can Teach Us About Authenticity in Therapy
Psychodynamic therapist Rick Cox uses the when Johnny Cash met Sam Phillips Walk the Line scene to illustrate why authentic expression cures. Learn how ISTDP-informed challenges encourage clients past emotional avoidance to discover the emotional truth needed for long-term change.
From Pain to Possibility: What Nine Inch Nails: The Downward Spiral Teaches Us About Being Human
Psychodynamic therapist Rick Cox analyses the album The Downward Spiral to explore shame, trauma, and emotional avoidance. Learn how facing these core psychological fears is the only path to emotional integration and freedom