Painting by Theodora Goss There are moments in life when we quietly stop and wonder: Who am I now? Not because anything has gone wrong. But because life has changed us. For many women, identity is not something we lose overnight. It shifts so gradually that we barely notice. We become someone's partner, mother, daughter, manager, therapist, carer. We become indispensable to everyone else. And somewhere along the way, our names become replaced by our roles. The strange thing i

Many women know the feeling of holding something back. The thought we do not say. The boundary we soften. The opinion we reshape in order to keep the peace. Over time, this can become so familiar that we barely notice it happening. But our voices matter—not only when they are calm and accommodating, but also when they are firm, uncertain, emotional, or challenging. What happens when we begin to speak a little more honestly? I have been thinking recently about all the ways wom

I do love a good podcast and one of my favourites is Magick & Alchemy with Kate Belew and Kristen Lisenby. Kate Belew also goes by the handle of The Word Witch and recently published an inspiring book which invites you to bring ritual in to your daily writing practice. In a recent news letter, there was a writing prompt. I have never actually completed one of the prompts before but, as it was very early in the morning and the summer solstice energy seems to take my sleep, I

Time can feel like one of the scarcest resources in women’s lives. Between work, caregiving, relationships, and the invisible labour that fills the gaps, there is often very little left that feels like it truly belongs to us. And when we do have time, it can feel difficult to enjoy it without guilt. What does it mean to reclaim time—not just practically, but emotionally? I have just returned from holiday and I have that familiar post-holiday energy—you know the feeling—where

Many women live with a constant stream of thoughts—planning, anticipating, worrying, remembering. It can feel as though our minds are always switched on, always scanning ahead, always trying to keep everything and everyone on track. Did I reply to that email? Have I forgotten the PE kit? Should I have said that differently? What’s for dinner? Did I upset someone? What happens if this goes wrong? For many women, this constant thinking becomes so normal that we barely notice it

Before I begin, I want to acknowledge that some of what I’m writing about today is upsetting and very present in the media. I am having some huge feelings about it all—and I am going to invite you to feel something too. So if you want to feel the rage… come with me. ……. I went to get another tattoo the other day. I am not a painted lady or anything particularly wild—I tend to get small, meaningful tattoos when the time feels right. This one sits on my shoulder: olive leaves a

Good, bad, or a bit of everything? In therapy, we have a term called splitting . It originates from the work of Melanie Klein, a psychoanalyst working in Germany and later the UK in the 1930s. Although much psychoanalytic language has fallen out of favour, this concept remains incredibly relevant in how we understand emotions, relationships, and human behaviour. Splitting describes what happens when a feeling becomes too overwhelming or unthinkable to hold. Instead of tolerat

Sometimes neurodiversity is not missed because it isn’t there.Sometimes it is missed because someone has become very good at hiding it. In my clinical work, I have been undertaking neurodiversity and attachment assessments for many years. During that time, one pattern has become increasingly clear: many girls and women are not identified early because they become highly skilled at adapting to the world around them. In conversations about ADHD and autism, many people still pic

Somewhere in the past six months, I realised I had lost something important. Not my work ethic. Not my responsibilities. But my playfulness. Hello again… I have been wanting to start blogging again for a while, but my writing energy has been taken up with some serious academic word counts… and also some serious life challenges. Alongside finishing my PhD (did I tell you I finished my PhD? Do you even know if I haven’t mentioned this a million times?), I have written an articl

These past few weeks have been a poignant reminder of the complexities that come with age and gender, particularly as I find myself...

Photograph by R Swanick Well, it has been a while. There has been a lot of change in my world (and the rest of the world, jeez, but we...

The rhythmic thud of the football on his foot The swish of grass around her sandals Their heavy breathing and crunching of crisps,...

We all know someone who we can describe as a people pleaser. You know, they are always there to lend a hand, always say yes - you may...

There are moments in our lives when we are greeted by a fork in the road. In these moments, we make a tiny decision to simply go one way...

Photo: Copyright R Swanick. Taken on Libby's birthday, 21.10.23, Croyde Beach. I dream of her. Of Libby. Of dark hair swishing, And green...

After another gruelling two-day migraine, I resolved, again, to look after myself better. Next time, I would make sure I exercised every...

I have been mulling over my last blog on Imposter Syndrome and in particular the idea of who can change the world for women and those...

I haven’t been here for a while because…. Well… life took over. When life gets busy or overwhelming, the first thing I lose is my...

I love people’s names and how they sound when they are said out loud. I love it when people say “oh, she doesn’t look like a so and so…...

In the past two weeks, my children and myself have all taken separate mental days from school and work. Between us (and including my...