In psychotherapy and personal development, accountability is typically framed as an ethical or behavioural stance — owning our actions, facing our mistakes, and honouring commitments. But within the humanistic-experiential tradition, accountability goes deeper. It is a process of relating to the self honestly, without distortion or denial. It becomes a pathway to authenticity and emotional well-being.

It’s entirely natural that clients come to therapy hoping to feel better—often seeking relief from painful, confusing, or overwhelming emotions. After all, distress is uncomfortable, and the human instinct is typically to move away from pain rather than towards it. Whether it’s anxiety, shame, grief, anger, or despair, the desire to suppress or escape difficult emotion is deeply human.

Self-neglect often goes unnoticed in therapeutic conversations—not because it isn’t present, but because it is difficult to articulate. Clients might describe feeling “stuck,” “numb,” or “uncertain about what they need.” The words aren’t absent due to a lack of significance, but because the very act of recognising one’s own needs may have been absent due to childhood conditioning or, over time, become unfamiliar. As a psychotherapist, I’ve come to view self-neglect not merely as a set of behaviours, but as a profoundly complex and psychologically rooted experience of self-abandonment.

Depression is often conceptualised through its symptoms—low mood, loss of interest, fatigue, disturbed sleep, and negative thinking patterns. Yet, beneath these manifestations lies a deeper and often more insidious struggle: a fractured relationship with the self. This internal dynamic, marked by harsh self-criticism, shame, and unmet emotional needs, lies at the heart of many depressive experiences. Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT) and humanistic approaches to psychotherapy offer valuable lenses through which we can understand and heal this wounded self-relationship.

Social anxiety (SA), often referred to as social phobia, is characterised by an intense fear of being judged or scrutinised by others. This fear frequently leads to the avoidance of social situations, driven by overwhelming self-consciousness and anxiety, which can significantly impair an individual's quality of life.

Our relationship with ourselves shapes every aspect of our lives—our confidence, emotional resilience, decision-making, and even our connections with others. Yet, many people unknowingly engage in Negative Treatment of Self (NTS; Capaldi & Elliott, 2023), reinforcing patterns of self-criticism, neglect, and emotional suppression.

In the journey toward improved mental health and personal growth, psychological assessment is a powerful tool in counselling and psychotherapy. It provides a structured, comprehensive evaluation of an individual's mental and emotional well-being, exploring critical aspects like self-relationship, emotional functioning, and overall psychological health. This assessment is far more than just a preliminary step in therapy—it forms the cornerstone of a meaningful, targeted therapeutic experience, offering insights that enable a personalised, responsive approach to treatment.

In a world where quick fixes and efficiency often take precedence, Person-Centred Therapy (PCT) stands out as a refreshing approach to healing and self-discovery. Developed by Carl Rogers in the 1940s, Person-Centred Therapy is rooted in the belief that people possess an inherent ability to grow, heal, and reach their full potential. Central to this approach is the therapeutic relationship itself—a relationship built on empathy, trust, and genuine human connection. In this blog post, we'll explore the benefits of Person-Centred Therapy and discuss why a strong therapeutic relationship is essential for meaningful change.

In an increasingly interconnected world, social anxiety can feel especially isolating. Social anxiety, characterised by an intense fear of being judged, humiliated, or rejected in social settings, affects millions of people globally. Everyday activities, like attending a work meeting or even casually chatting with a friend, can become sources of overwhelming stress. Thankfully, there are effective treatments for social anxiety that don’t just aim to reduce symptoms but seek to transform the underlying emotional patterns. One such treatment is Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT), a psychotherapeutic approach that empowers individuals to understand, process, and ultimately heal from deep-seated emotional pain.

In today’s fast-paced world, it’s easy to get caught up in relationships with others, but often, we overlook the most fundamental relationship of all—the one we have with ourselves. Cultivating a positive self-relationship is not about selfishness or self-obsession; it’s about fostering a healthy inner life that supports your growth, resilience, and happiness.