Cactus Counselling Articles
While you're deciding whether or not to work with me, here are some articles to help you understand what therapy is like, get some self-care tips, and anything else that I think will help you.
Family Privilege You've heard of white privilege, of male privilege, and heterosexual or cishet privilege. But what about family privilege? Read more... |
What's the Free Call in Therapy For? A short call gives you the chance to tell me what you're wanting to bring to therapy. That helps me make as sure as possible that we're a good match for each other. Read more... |
Why Don’t I "Offer A Safe Space"? Even though I don't claim that I offer a safe space, I still strive to provide one, but the truth is, there are too many random things that can unexpectedly evoke a sense of danger. Read more... |
Why Don’t I "Offer A Non-judgemental Space"? The term "non-judgemental" tends to evoke for me a certain sense of coldness or distance; a polite folding of a therapist's hands her lap with a subtext of, "I'll withold from judging you by not having an opinion in the first place. Read more... |
My Position on Childlessness vs. Childfreedom I introduce myself as a childfree woman, to help clarify that if you are involuntarily childless, I will provide the safest space that I can for you to explore your feelings, options, and goals. Read more... |
12 ADHD Hacks Living with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) can present challenges that non-ADHDers don't even have to think about, so here are a few ADHD hacks I hope you'll find useful! Read more... |
10 Self Care Ideas We all need to be kind to ourselves, regularly if we can. Are you looking for inspiration for how to look after yourself? Here are 10 suggestions. Read more... |
Journalling Suggestions Journalling helps you get better value for money out of your therapy. When you journal, you process your feelings yourself which can accelerate your progress in therapy. Here are some themes for you to journal about. Read more... |
How Therapy Works: What Happens In Therapy? Therapy isn’t like going to the doctor. We don’t prescribe a behaviour that will make you better, like a pharmacist dispensing a pill, or perform an action that you passively receive, like a surgeon. What we do is help you develop the skills to manage the issues you talk with us about. Both you and your therapist must be active participants for therapy to work. Read more... |
How Therapy Works: Ruptures in the Therapeutic Relationship Sometimes as a client you will feel angry with your counsellor. This is a normal part of therapy. It is your counsellor’s job to work with you to help you overcome whatever goal you agreed on together, such as working through bereavement, overcoming a trauma, or giving up an old habit. Chances are, if you have approached a counsellor it’s because you don’t have somebody already in your life who can support you through your desired goal. Read more... |