How to build a better life
A therapist's tips for dealing with messy emotions
Face your anger and let it out. It’s the only way to stay healthy
More than sadness, hatred or grief, rage is something that we shut away or flee. That endangers our relationships, our happiness – and our safety
If you care about someone, show them – and put away your phone
It takes time and attention to look after other people – and ourselves. And there are so many distractions to overcome
Angry? Disappointed? Heartbroken? Think twice before you call the feelings police
Faced with ‘bad’ emotions, it’s natural to want to lock them up. As a therapist and a patient, I’ve learned to let them run
I’m a recovering perfectionist. Here’s how I embraced the joy of ‘good enough’
The pursuit of perfection is a kind of prison. As a psychotherapist, I know how it can drain a person’s world of colour, light and spontaneity
Grief is horrible – but it’s supposed to be. We have to feel a loss before we can grow through it
I’ve been a bereavement counsellor and a bereaved daughter. Both taught me that we need to face our emotions
We all want to cut out the bad parts of ourselves. It won’t work, and it won’t make us happier
Trauma, vulnerability, dependency … like it or not, we can’t just wish them away
Do you want to receive more love? First get to know your superego
It’s the internal voice whose strict, unbending standards can make us miserable. But tuning in to it can change everything
The secret to good relationships? Accept family and friends for who they really are
It can be painful to discover people are not who we want them to be. But once this is grasped, we can form much more meaningful bonds
The one question we all need to ask ourselves – and how to tune in to the answer
Your inner voice can open up huge possibilities for change and growth, but it can be strangely hard to hear it. In the first of a new series, we look at how to really listen
