Special Occasions. Managing stress and anxiety.

There are expectations around special occasions which can become stressful and anxious. These in turn can reflect negatively on the couple’s interaction in all different life stages, cultures and religions. Shoulds and oughts which dominate on Special days in...

Siblings at War

The powerful spotlight currently hovering over sibling dramas in our royal family has illustrated publicly just how deep and painful the emotions of a fractured family can be. “All happy families are alike, but every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way”wrote...

Does Having Children Make Couples Happy?

Paul Bloom, a contributing writer for the Atlantic, asks the question in his article “What Becoming a Parent Really Does to Your Happiness”. He states that most research has found that having children is terrible for quality of life but adds that the truth about what...

Motherhood, Guilt and Self-care

Before women have babies, they are conditioned to believe that a good mother always puts themselves last; otherwise, they are overlooking their child and are being selfish. So, it’s not surprising that since the Pandemic began, being a mother has got even more...

Are your parents too intrusive in your relationship?

In my consulting room I am often not just sitting with a couple who are experiencing difficulties in their relationship but often with a couple who metaphorically bring their parents with them to every session and spend more time talking about their relationship with...

Mothers and Daughters

Following on from my previous blog about The Book of Gutsy Women co written by Hilary and Chelsea Clinton, I recently attended a packed Royal Festival Hall watching Mary Beard in conversation with Hilary and Chelsea Clinton about their book.  They were also...