The self-sacrifice schema can lead people to consistently put others’ needs before their own. Learn how childhood experiences, attachment and low self-worth can contribute to self-sacrifice, burnout, resentment and difficulties with boundaries.
Understanding the Self-Sacrifice Schema and Its Impact on Mental Health Read More »
Depression does not always look like sadness. Adults often imagine depression as visible sadness or tearfulness. In adolescents, it may instead appear as:
• Irritability, anger or frequent conflict
• School refusal or declining attendance
• Withdrawal from family, friends or activities
• Alcohol or other drug use
• Fighting, impulsivity or risk-taking
• Sleep disruption and difficulty getting up
• Falling grades or reduced motivation
• Hopelessness, self-harm or suicidal thinking
When Anger Hides Sadness: Adolescence, Depression and School Refusal Read More »
Explore personality structure, psychological crisis and integration through Otto Kernberg’s psychodynamic framework, and discover how self-awareness can support greater emotional stability and meaningful change.
Personality structure and Crisis: How integration can build a pathway to stability Read More »
Avoidance can provide short-term relief from anxiety, fear and discomfort, but over time it may reinforce the patterns that keep us feeling stuck. Explore the psychology behind avoidance and approach goals, why avoidance develops, and how taking small, meaningful steps toward discomfort can support confidence, connection, personal growth and lasting change.
Walking the Tightrope: Autonomy vs. Enabling in Psychosocial Mental Health Work Read More »
Avoidance can provide short-term relief from anxiety, fear and discomfort, but over time it may reinforce the patterns that keep us feeling stuck. Explore the psychology behind avoidance and approach goals, why avoidance develops, and how taking small, meaningful steps toward discomfort can support confidence, connection, personal growth and lasting change.
Avoidance vs Approach Goals: Why Facing What We Fear Matters Read More »
Aggression is often more than challenging behaviour—it can be an expression of overwhelming emotions and difficulties with emotional regulation. Discover how a psychodynamic perspective helps psychosocial support workers understand the meaning behind aggression and support lasting emotional growth.
Aggression and Emotional Regulation in Psychosocial Support Read More »
Romantic relationships rely on trust, empathy, and emotional safety—but when narcissistic dynamics are present, these foundations can become destabilised. Beneath the surface of confidence and charm often lies a fragile sense of self, shaped by early attachment wounds and defended through unconscious psychological mechanisms. This blog explores how narcissistic traits develop, how they play out in relationships through cycles of idealisation and devaluation, and why these patterns can leave partners feeling confused, depleted, and disconnected. Through a psychoanalytic lens, we uncover not just the behaviours, but the deeper emotional struggles driving them—and what this means for healing, boundaries, and the possibility of change.
Narcissist Personality Disorder: How it Affects Romantic Relationships Read More »
