Before we utter our first word, form our first memory, or experience our first conscious thought, we are already being shaped. The nine months spent within the womb are far from a passive waiting period .......

Are you someone who swoops in like a superhero to save others? A knight in shining armour, always first on the scene when somebody is struggling? Do you feel a quiet glow of pride when .......

Think about the last time someone called you strong. Chances are, it wasn’t because you openly wept, asked for help, or admitted you were barely holding things together. It was probably because you kept going. Because you showed up anyway.......

There is a character we return to again and again in the stories we love — the wounded one, battered by circumstance, let down by the world, yet somehow still standing. We root for them ......

There is a comforting story we tell about masks: that beneath every persona sits a more authentic self, and that the path to wellbeing runs in one direction — strip away the performance, ......

There is a particular kind of disorientation that comes from loving someone through the worst period of their life, only to be met, once they come out the other side, with suspicion, coldness, or even threats. It doesn't fit the story we're told about ......

There is a particular kind of ache that comes from doing something hard, something that cost you real effort, and then watching the moment pass without anyone noticing. You finally went to bed on time for a week straight. You didn't respond ......

There is a peculiar kind of loyalty that forms between a person and their pain. It is rarely spoken of directly, because it sounds, on its surface, absurd — who would choose to keep suffering? Yet anyone ......

There is a version of healing that gets sold to us constantly, in language so smooth we rarely question its architecture. It goes something like: name the wound, feel it once, thank it for the lesson, and rise. The metaphor ......

There is a version of your life where you get the goal without giving anything up for it. It does not exist. Not because the universe is punitive, but because a goal is, by definition, a claim on a finite......

A line has been circulating for years, attached to Carl Jung's name, though its actual origin is harder to pin down than the internet would have you believe. Some trace a version of the sentiment to Joseph Campbell instead, in his writing on the ......

There is a particular kind of stillness that arrives just before a fall. Not the stillness of peace, but the stillness of a held breath — the moment between letting go of the branch and feeling the ground. I have stood in that moment .....

I heard a sentence recently that has been sitting in my chest ever since: there are graveyards full of people who thought they had more time. It is blunt. It is almost rude in its refusal to soften the point, and that is exactly why it .....

Addiction rarely exists in isolation. For the majority of people who find themselves caught in cycles of compulsive or self-destructive behaviour, there is a deeper story — one that usually includes some history of trauma.....

There is a moment that many people encounter somewhere along the path of self-exploration — a moment of quiet, unsettling realisation. They recognise that certain things they have been waiting for .....

Maybe being around your mother brings comfort — or maybe it brings anxiety.

Maybe she was there, but not really there.

Maybe you’ve spent your adult .....

Across the addiction treatment landscape, a long-standing tension persists between two clinical imperatives: the drive to address the underlying trauma that so often fuels addictive .....

So many times I’ve attended awards events, been featured in magazines or asked to speak at public conferences, and I should have felt triumphant at being recognised .....

Most people think they know what commitment means. It means showing up. It means not quitting. It means gritting your teeth through the parts you don’t like because you said you would. This is the folk theory of commitment, and it is .....

We tend to treat commitment as a decision made in the head: a weighing of pros and cons, a calculation of costs and benefits, a verdict reached through deliberation. But anyone who has ever said "yes" to something .....

Behind many seemingly perfect family portraits lies an invisible wound that doesn’t leave bruises but imprints itself deeply in a daughter’s sense of self. The relationship between a mother .....

The bond between a mother and her child is one of the most significant relationships in a person’s life. This relationship lays the groundwork for emotional and psychological development, shaping how individuals perceive themselves, others, and the world around them. When a mother is .....

There is a particular kind of exhaustion that comes not from overwork, but from perception. From walking into a meeting and knowing, before a word is spoken, that the agenda on the table is not the agenda in the room. From watching a colleague smile while their body .....

There is a particular kind of person who cannot watch the news without crying. Who sits with a grieving friend and feels, in their own chest, the specific shape of that grief. Who carries the anxieties of their loved ones like .....

Throughout our lives we outgrow friendships or different relationships, but when we choose to walk away from our parents this topic suddenly becomes somewhat stigmatised. This can, of course, apply to any family member. There is quite often.....

When someone trusts you with their trauma story, the words you choose in response carry immense weight. Language can either create a sanctuary for healing or inadvertently replicate the very feelings of powerlessness, shame, and isolation that trauma.....

There is a particular kind of silence that falls after an argument ends — not the silence of resolution, but the silence of someone swallowing words. You can feel it in a room. The tension of a sentence not yet spoken, held in by force of will or resignation.....

Since I qualified in massage in 1997, a lot has changed. The biggest change has been that massage has been transformed from a bit of pampering and relaxation, self-care, to about two-thirds of clients coming in for a massage, now coming for a medical.....

In the process of working on my own traumas, I examined certain factors around my conception and birth, which were thought to impose certain characteristics and limitations on my personality. At the time, I remember.....

The following was a literature review of care measures during labour to reduce the risk of perineal trauma, which was written in 2007 for my final piece as a student midwife. There were five research studies that were critiqued and these were....

Anyone who has problems maintaining relationships, or who finds themselves in toxic relationship patterns, generally has some ideas about what experiences have led to those patterns. However, I really did not realise just how much of my....

The sight of a woman breastfeeding her infant in public continues to provoke strong reactions across many societies, with responses ranging from acceptance to active disgust. Despite breastfeeding being a fundamental biological function essential for infant nutrition...

Alex Sterling, a spokesperson for the Global Recognition Awards, offered direct praise for what distinguished Mishra from her peers: "Sam Mishra exemplifies exactly what this award was created to honour, a practitioner who has achieved world-class standards ...

For survivors currently struggling, know that the difficulty you experience with mirrors, clothing, touch, or simply inhabiting your body is a understandable response to trauma, not a personal failing. Healing is possible, though it requires patience, support, ...

Death arrives for every living thing, yet among all creatures, humans alone seem to know it's coming. We are perhaps the only species that can contemplate our own non-existence, that can lie awake at night haunted by the knowledge that one day we will cease to be. This awareness of ...

The loss of a child represents one of the most profound traumas a human being can endure. Whether that loss comes through death or through parental alienation when a child is psychologically manipulated to reject a parent, the grief can feel insurmountable. The pain doesn't follow ...

Professional jealousy is one of those experiences we rarely admit to but almost universally feel. That sharp pang when a colleague receives recognition we coveted, the bitter taste when someone else's success seems to diminish our own, the compulsive comparison that leaves ....

I recently spent some time trying to support someone who, as the result of severe trauma, became addicted to alcohol. This period of time has been probably the second most difficult time in my life, next to losing my children. I didn't have much experience with addiction and I still ...

Misogyny, a pervasive disdain, mistrust, or devaluation of women, has shaped human societies for millennia. Its expressions range from institutional exclusion to subtle internalized beliefs about what it means to be a “good” woman. In common discourse, misogyny is often attributed exclusively to men, those.....

In a world that prizes efficiency, composure, and competence, “I’m fine” has become one of the most socially accepted masks of modern life. It’s a buffer between inner truth and external expectation—a polite nod to self-protection, a way to keep conversations light, polite,...

In a world that constantly celebrates happiness, strength, and success, admitting that we are not okay can feel like an act of rebellion. From social media feeds filled with smiling faces to motivational quotes urging us to “stay positive,” society often sends a silent but powerful message...

Memory is one of the most defining features of human experience. It allows people to connect their past to their present, to learn from experience, and to envision their future. Yet, for millions of individuals, memory can become unreliable, fragmented, ...

In Part 1 and Part 2, we explored the foundations of trauma-informed leadership and the journey from silence to strength. In Part 3, we continue the story with a deeper look into authentic leadership, healthy boundaries, and the transformative power of turning...

In Part 1, we explored how trauma-informed leadership begins with personal healing and nervous system regulation. In Part 2 of this powerful story, we dive deeper into therapeutic innovation, community-driven care, and the impact of specialised training.

Today, my work is....

The human spirit possesses an extraordinary capacity to transform pain into purpose, wounds into wisdom, and survival into service. My life story is proof that our deepest struggles can become the foundation for our greatest contributions to the world. My journey through domestic ....

In my last article, “Unlocking Pleasure by Exploring the Reasons Why Women Struggle to Achieve Orgasm,” I talked briefly about how, for many women, the social conditioning and perceptions within our external environment affect our view of ourselves and ...

The conversations I have with clients cover a wide range of topics, often including those that may be embarrassing or taboo. There is an assumption that every woman out there is achieving mind-blowing orgasms, and if you are, then congratulations, but I hear...

Everywhere you turn on social media, people are talking about cortisol, and it seems to have become the cause of all of our problems. But cortisol isn’t all bad, so how much do we actually understand about it? We have long recognised the connection between ...

During a counselling session, my therapist asked if I was neurodiverse. At the time, I was somewhat taken aback by the question. I had never even considered the possibility of neurodiversity, despite the fact that I have complex ...

Understanding the significant physical, hormonal, and emotional changes that occur during the transitional period following childbirth is crucial for women as they adjust to parenting. Postpartum ,...

Three generations ago, anxiety meant coping with the aftermath of a world war. Today, it's often about the number of likes on a social media post. The journey from post-war trauma to digital age stress reveals a fascinating ...