Published in On The Couch·6 hours agoMember-onlyThe Best-Ever Strategy for Busting Through Writer’s ResistanceIf you can’t do this, give up the dream. — That blog post brewing in your head? That bestseller you have inside you? Or any book, actually. That short story/novella/poem that’s bursting to be let out in the world? Whatever your “thing” as a writer, resistance has got you in its grip. You’re burdened, you’re blocked, you’re full of fear…Writing4 min read
Published in On The Couch·1 day agoMember-onlyBeing a Rebel Can Take You Right to the Top. Here’s How.How the super-successful do it. — Do you think of yourself as a rebel? I don’t mean as defying authority without regard for the law or others. I mean as someone who habitually thinks — and acts — in different ways. If so, you’re in a pretty elite club. Many of the most successful people in…Inspiration4 min read
Published in On The Couch·4 days agoMember-onlyThe Most Outdated, Over-Rated Secret of SuccessHere’s an easier road to take. — You want success — at times, you’re almost desperate for it. Maybe you want to get a promotion or to start a business; blow up on TikTok kick an unhealthy habit, turn your art into a smash earner, write a novel, win a medal for your brains/art/music/sport? You know you…Psychology5 min read
Published in On The Couch·Aug 1Member-onlyTo Be Mentally Stronger and Fitter, Quit These Six HabitsHow to be more rock than paper. — “I’ve brought my mind to the gym,” my client said, taking a seat on the couch for his first session. “I want to be mentally fitter and stronger. I’d like to be better at dealing with stress. …Inspiration5 min read
Published in On The Couch·Jul 28Member-onlySorry, I Can’t Diagnose Your Partner as a Narcissist. But I Can Tell You This.When love is a project. — Is my partner a narcissist? my client blurted. She’d done exhaustive online research and made her own diagnosis. She wanted me to validate it. I understood. We’d been talking about her relationship struggles, she was desperate to know what was going on with her partner of a year. Like many…Relationships5 min read
Published in On The Couch·Jul 25Member-only10 Most Aspirational Human Traits in a World Gone Slightly MadHave you got what matters most? — Slightly mad? Okay, fully then. You be the judge. Whatever you think of the state of the world, whatever shape your own life’s in, whatever stress you are dealing with, the job of being human is still the same as it ever was. It’s to make sense of your story…Inspiration4 min read
Published in On The Couch·Jul 22Member-onlyThe Sad, Hidden Legacy of a Toxic RelationshipYou can leave it behind. — A woman freshly out of a toxic relationship wanted to unpack it. She’d come to therapy to make sense of years of emotional abuse, of her partner’s behaviour, of her own role in the relationship, of why it had all gone so horribly wrong. She described six years of trying…Relationships4 min read
Published in On The Couch·Jul 19Member-onlyHow to Be Sure You’re Making the Most of Your One, Precious Life“Doesn’t everything die at last, and too soon? Tell me, what is it you plan to do. With your one wild and precious life? — Mary Oliver I bet when Pulitzer prize winning poet Mary Oliver wrote those words she didn’t know they’d become etched into self-help folklore. Now they’re…Inspiration5 min read
Published in On The Couch·Jul 18Member-onlyI Can Tell If You’re Going to be a Successful Writer. Here’s How.7 signs you’ve got what it takes. — I want to write for your publication. I think my articles would be a perfect fit for you. I’ve just started writing and I’d love to be published by you. These are a few of the lines I’ve heard in recent weeks. They’re all from people wanting to be published…Writing5 min read
Published in On The Couch·Jul 15Member-onlyImposter Syndrome in Relationships: How to Feel ‘Good Enough’ for LoveCan you feel like an imposter in love? The answer is absolutely — Imposter Syndrome has the potential to derail your best efforts at building a loving, lasting relationship. Hold on a minute though. Isn’t Imposter Syndrome a work-related concept? When you doubt your skills, talents and accomplishments and feel…Love5 min read
