Mental health refers to a person’s emotional, psychological, and social well-being, encompassing the ability to handle stress, relate to others, make decisions, and navigate the challenges of life. It influences how individuals think, feel, and act, contributing to the overall balance and quality of their lives. Mental health is essential at every stage of life, from childhood and adolescence through adulthood.
One of the most uncomfortable truths about parenting is that children learn far more from what they observe than from what they are told. Parents may spend years teaching values, giving advice, and explaining what is important in life. Yet children are often paying closer attention to behaviour than words. They watch how we treat… Read More Children Often Learn What We Live, Not What We Say
One of the most painful situations an ageing parent can face is when their adult children make it clear they don’t want to be involved in their care, wellbeing, or future. The reality is that some people are happy for someone else to carry the responsibility. They may not want to help, visit, support, or… Read More When the Children Don’t Want to Know
One of the most painful realities some parents face is the growing realisation that their adult children have no intention of helping, supporting, or caring for them as they grow older. This is not about expecting children to sacrifice their own lives or become full-time carers. Most loving parents want their children to be independent,… Read More When Adult Children Make It Clear They Won’t Be There
Moral disengagement, developed by Albert Bandura. They describe how people can commit, justify, or tolerate harmful behavior while preserving a positive view of themselves. Here’s a fuller explanation: 1. Moral Justification Harmful actions are reframed as serving a noble, moral, or necessary purpose. Examples: Psychological effect: The person sees themselves as righteous rather than harmful. 2.… Read More Moral Justification
Three doctors (one in France and two in Spain), three psychologists (one in France and two in Spain), a forensic psychologist in the UK, friends in three countries, and family members all reached the same conclusion. They could not all be wrong. It took many years and many attempts before I finally made the decision… Read More Abuse Assessment Checklist
One of the hardest lessons many people learn in an abusive relationship is that no amount of love, patience, sacrifice, pleading, reasoning, or counselling can force another person to change. You cannot control someone else’s behaviour. You cannot make them stop lying. You cannot make them stop manipulating. You cannot make them stop being verbally,… Read More The One Person You Can Change Is You
One of the most common mistakes people make when trying to understand abusive behaviour is focusing on what the abuser says rather than what they consistently do. When someone has experienced emotional, psychological, financial, or physical abuse, they are often encouraged to focus on the latest apology, excuse, promise, or explanation. However, the real answers… Read More Look at the Patterns, Not the Promises
One of the biggest mistakes people make in abusive relationships is believing they can change, heal, rescue, or fix the person who is abusing them. It is an understandable belief, especially when you care deeply for someone and can see the pain, trauma, or difficulties that may lie beneath their behaviour. However, experience and research… Read More You Cannot Fix an Abuser
For much of my life, I believed that having an affair under any circumstances was completely wrong. It seemed like a clear-cut issue with no exceptions. However, after healing from abuse and working closely with psychologists and trauma specialists, my understanding of human behaviour has become far more nuanced. To be clear, this is not… Read More Understanding Why Some Women Seek Comfort Elsewhere During an Abusive Relationship
From a psychology and neuroscience perspective, it’s important not to assume that everyone who lives from inherited wealth has the same motives or character. Some inherited wealth and continue working, contributing to society, volunteering, running businesses, or pursuing meaningful goals. However, when someone becomes excessively focused on inheritance, constantly discussing who will inherit, what assets are… Read More Reward and Motivation Systems
