What was it like growing up for you? Is a question I often find myself asking my clients. It feels so cliché to be asking this question as a clinical psychologist, but it holds relevance. Not because our parents are to blame for everything, which is what most people assume to be the reason why we ask this question, but because our life experiences shape who we become as adults, right from the moment we are born. As Oprah and Dr Bruce Perry, Child Psychiatrist, put it in their new book, asking this question of: “what happened to you?” is a powerful way to begin to understand the impact of life on people and helps us understand what trauma is.

Difficulties with self-esteem is a challenge for many if not most girls and young women in this world. We live in a culture obsessed with diet and wellness culture and our mainstream media is super saturated with images of idealised beauty standards and messages about the importance of appearance. We encourage our girls to be ‘anything they want’ but we also tell them to avoid being ‘bossy’. Gender stereotypes are rife, perfectionism is celebrated and risk taking is discouraged. Research tells us that from the very young age of 8 years, a girl’s self-esteem starts to deteriorate. So, in the face of all this complexity, how do we help our girls to build and maintain their self-esteem?

Feeling angry is a normal part of the human experience, and a particularly normal part of being a parent. All parents get angry now and again and there are a multitude of reasons why.

Starting therapy, whether it is the first time or with someone new, can be a daunting process. It is really normal to find it difficult to open up to someone and to start building trust. It is also really normal to have doubts and worries about whether therapy will actually help.

Holidays are amazing for so many reasons.

The opportunity to explore somewhere new, the opportunity to escape the winter and chase some warmer weather, the opportunity to relax and switch off, the opportunity to immerse yourself in a different culture, the opportunity to meet new people, learn, enjoy. The list could go on. Going on a holiday is really exciting, and is a privilege.

Something people don’t really discuss though, is going on a holiday can also be anxiety provoking.

They say that we are creatures of habit, but why can we be so terrible at establishing habits that can be helpful for us? How many times have you said to yourself that you’re going to start to do something only to have it fail?