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

Two Types of Emotional Avoidance in Relationships and Why It Hurts
emotion Rick emotion Rick

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.

Read More
Your Defence Mechanisms: A Self Discovery Quiz
quizzes Rick quizzes Rick

Your Defence Mechanisms: A Self Discovery Quiz

When we think about defence mechanisms, we may often imagine walls or barriers, but they’re actually more like an emotional immune system. This quiz explores how everyday habits like humour, busyness, or people-pleasing are clever ways the mind protects us from difficult feelings, and why understanding them with curiosity (rather than judgement) can be the start of real change.

Read More