How to reap the emotional benefits of cold water
There’s growing evidence that cold-water immersion can support mental health. Follow these steps to take the plunge
by Jenny Favell
Heal
Dealing with psychological challenges and sustaining body and mind in the face of adversity
Guides
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How to enjoy food without feeling guilty about it
Through mindful eating and a shift in mindset, you can alleviate unwarranted negative feelings and embrace the joy of food
by Vivienne Lewis
How to take control of your tics – or eliminate them altogether
Whether or not you have a diagnosis of Tourette Syndrome, a powerful self-help approach can make a difference within a week
by Paul DePompo
Popular
Fears about being a dangerous or immoral person can fuel OCD
Intrusive thoughts about doing bad things are common, but for people with OCD they provoke deep fears about the self
by Richard Moulding & Kelvin (Shiu Fung) Wong
Why it matters that trauma affects women and men differently
They are too often ignored, yet sex differences affect the kind of trauma people experience and the effect it has on them
by Klára Hanáková
How to tell if someone is hoarding – and provide effective help
For many, letting go of possessions is intensely stressful, even when the clutter puts them at risk. Here’s what you can do
by Michael A Tompkins
The critic inside your head has something important to tell you. Here’s how to listen
Video by Esther Perel
How to take control of your tics – or eliminate them altogether
Whether or not you have a diagnosis of Tourette Syndrome, a powerful self-help approach can make a difference within a week
by Paul DePompo
The last blackout
Getting sober meant facing myself without the fog, and finding new ways to be gentle inside
by Michael Thomas Kincella
Popular
View allFears about being a dangerous or immoral person can fuel OCD
Intrusive thoughts about doing bad things are common, but for people with OCD they provoke deep fears about the self
by Richard Moulding & Kelvin (Shiu Fung) Wong
Why it matters that trauma affects women and men differently
They are too often ignored, yet sex differences affect the kind of trauma people experience and the effect it has on them
by Klára Hanáková
How to tell if someone is hoarding – and provide effective help
For many, letting go of possessions is intensely stressful, even when the clutter puts them at risk. Here’s what you can do
by Michael A Tompkins
The critic inside your head has something important to tell you. Here’s how to listen
Video by Esther Perel
Videos
View allThe critic inside your head has something important to tell you. Here’s how to listen
Video by Esther Perel
A mysterious black orb trails Mo, growing ever harder to ignore
Lonely in London, a filmmaker sets out to make a new friend
Sent to boarding school, a boy conjures up a friend to soothe his distress
How small creatures helped James connect with the human-scale world
Why Darius is testing mind and body to run 100 miles in the cold
Fixating on her body, a woman grapples with strange distortions of the self
Fears about being a dangerous or immoral person can fuel OCD
Intrusive thoughts about doing bad things are common, but for people with OCD they provoke deep fears about the self
by Richard Moulding & Kelvin (Shiu Fung) Wong
How I became a psychoanalyst by losing my keys
What are we really doing when we sit in a room with our patients and exchange some words?
by Jordan Osserman
Fieldnotes from my father’s funeral
I’d reported on earthquakes, murders and suicide attacks. I was still unprepared to watch my dad die
by Salman Masood
Exposure
Wracked with unknown fear, I’d never been able to sleep through the night. Then I went scuba diving
by Lindsay Lee Wallace
How to tell if someone is hoarding – and provide effective help
For many, letting go of possessions is intensely stressful, even when the clutter puts them at risk. Here’s what you can do
by Michael A Tompkins
Why it matters that trauma affects women and men differently
They are too often ignored, yet sex differences affect the kind of trauma people experience and the effect it has on them
by Klára Hanáková
My great-grandfather poisoned drinkers during Prohibition
In a grim irony, his descendants – my grandmother and mother – struggled with drink. Here’s what I’d tell him about addiction
by Rebecca Lester
How to understand and cope with mood swings
Sudden mood changes can be unsettling, but getting to know them will help you regain balance and, if needed, find support
by Zindel Segal & Norman Farb
The shame felt in addiction often isn’t toxic – it’s healing
The push to take shame out of recovery is well-meaning. But it overlooks the power this emotion has to motivate change
by Owen Flanagan
What if your worry problem is really a planning problem?
Clinicians have long recognised the link between worry and planning. New research asks what this means for managing anxiety
by Paul B Sharp
In therapy or meditation, is it normal to feel worse at first?
A ‘no pain, no gain’ mentality might make sense when striving for change – but don’t confuse discomfort and distress
by Nicholas Van Dam
Instead of wrestling with self-defeating thoughts, try this
When your own thoughts discourage and undermine you, it’s easy to get tangled. A change of strategy could get you past it
by Joe Oliver & Kristy Potter
The loss remains, so why does intense grief usually fade?
Grief’s ‘double vision’ beholds both the bereaved and dead. Recognising this duality helps explain our ability to move on
by Berislav Marušić
Think someone should see a therapist? Here’s how to bring it up
Your suggestion could be invaluable, and it doesn’t need to be perfect. These steps will help you get a caring message across
by Kathryn Gordon
Men’s anxiety about hair loss can have a deeper meaning
As a psychoanalyst, I’ve seen how reflecting on the emotional symbolism of hair loss can be therapeutic for many men
by Tom Wooldridge
How to support someone with depression
Being there for someone can be challenging. A clinical psychologist shares what to say and do to help them feel less alone
by Emma Cotterill