When we hear the term 'red flag' we almost always think about other people. We look for the signs that someone might not be good for us – the controlling partner, the emotionally unavailable friend, the person who never takes responsibility. While those things matter, the more important red flags are the ones we don't recognise in ourselves. Many of us move through life believing we're making conscious choices about who we love, trust and feel comfortable around. Yet our ner

Some children are expected to take on responsibilities far beyond what is appropriate for their age. If you were described as "mature for your age", the responsible one, or the child everyone could rely on, you may have experienced parentification. Parentification occurs when a child takes on responsibilities that are developmentally meant for an adult. Sometimes those responsibilities are practical, such as caring for younger siblings, cooking meals or helping to run the hou

When we think about mental health, we often start by asking what's happening in our minds. "Why am I anxious? Why can't I concentrate? Why do I suddenly feel overwhelmed by things I would normally cope with?" They're important questions. But sometimes there's another one worth asking first. "Have I given my brain what it needs to function today?" Mental health is never just psychological. Our thoughts, emotions and experiences matter, but so does biology. The brain and bod

For decades, much of the conversation around depression has been built on a relatively simple idea: a chemical imbalance in the brain. The assumption has often been straightforward. If someone is struggling emotionally, something biological is not functioning correctly, and treatment should focus on correcting that imbalance. But emerging research suggests the story may be far more complex. New research from Monash University adds to a growing body of evidence questioning whe

We often think of grief as an emotional experience. Sadness, longing, confusion, despair. Something we feel as we try to come to terms with losing someone important to us. But emerging neuroscience suggests grief may be far more complex than emotion alone. Researchers are beginning to understand that grief can activate parts of the brain involved not only in emotion, but also pain, attachment and conflict detection. This helps explain why grief can feel so overwhelming physic

When people think about therapy, they often imagine the work beginning with difficult conversations about painful memories, past experiences or events they have tried hard to leave behind. It is a common assumption that healing starts by confronting trauma directly. In reality, this is rarely where the work begins. Trauma does not simply leave us with memories of what happened. It changes the way our nervous system learns to respond to the world around us. For many people, e

When most people hear the word trauma, they think of catastrophic events. A serious car accident, physical assault, a natural disaster, combat or sexual violence. These experiences are what’s known as “Big T Trauma” and are events most people would recognise as overwhelming, frightening or life-threatening. It's what we most readily think of when someone talks about trauma. But trauma is not defined by the event alone. Two people can experience the same situation and be affe

ADHD is often misunderstood. Many people grow up believing they are disorganised, unmotivated or “just not trying hard enough.” But ADHD is not about effort or intelligence. It is about how the brain regulates attention, motivation and emotion. At a neurological level, ADHD involves differences in how the brain uses dopamine. Dopamine is the chemical that helps us feel motivated and rewarded when we complete tasks. For people with ADHD, this system can be less efficient. This

In many families, one person ends up being seen as “the problem”. The anxious one, the difficult one, the one who can’t seem to get it together. Family Systems Theory offers a different perspective. It suggests that what we see in one person is often a reflection of something happening across the whole family. Rather than a collection of individuals, the family operates as a single emotional system. When stress builds, everyone adjusts, often without realising it. This is whe

Many people come to counselling feeling overwhelmed, stretched too thin, or quietly resentful in their relationships. Often, this sits underneath one core issue: difficulty with boundaries. Boundaries are not about pushing people away. They are about understanding where you end and someone else begins. They allow you to recognise your own needs, limits, and capacity, and to respond in a way that feels respectful to yourself and others. For some, boundaries were never modelled

Psychodynamic therapy looks at the deeper patterns shaping your thoughts, feelings and relationships. Often, we develop ways of coping early in life that made sense at the time. These patterns can stay with us into adulthood, even when they no longer serve us. You might notice repeating relationship struggles, strong emotional reactions, or feeling stuck in the same cycles. In this approach, we gently explore: Where certain patterns may have started How past relationships sha