It’s common knowledge our society isn’t great with mental health. We don’t talk about it enough and invalidate those who are struggling. We often simplify mental health issues as personal weaknesses while ignoring complex factors which comprise mental well-being. By focusing mental health awareness on illness or “weakness,” we are not adhering to scientific research […]

View Full Article - The Surprising Downside to Mental Health Awareness

Being gay and being a geek are, you might think, quite different things. But sometimes these two aspects of identity collide, creating a wonderful spectrum of possibilities. London ComicCon 2018 raised the rainbow flag and became a sparkling example of one such space for the  LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender) community. Glittery linguistic stereotypes […]

View Full Article - Deadpool, Gaymers and Girlfriends at London ComicCon

Geek culture has a rocky history with women. But now, women are rocking geek culture. Historically, women have faced invisibility (not the superpowered kind), exclusion, active hostility, violence, and sexualisation. This is across video games (the communities surrounding video games), films, TV, and comic books – from sci-fi, superhero and fantasy genres. Geek culture does […]

View Full Article - Girls Who Run the World at London ComicCon 2018

Sometimes we need to be the change that we want to see in the world. Philip Patson – Creative and social entrepreneur, writer, comedian, human rights promoter, and award-winning diversity consultant – is the very definition of a changemaker. He is the Managing Director of Diversity New Zealand, an organisation which offers facilitated discussions, consultations, […]

View Full Article - My Friend is a Superhero – The Story of a Free Children’s Comic Book About Diversity and Disability

The world of mental health therapy can be overwhelming with its vast array of therapeutic approaches. From psychodynamic and cognitive behavior therapy to narrative and systemic therapy, the options seem endless. In this blog post, we will explore the different types of therapy, their commonalities, and their unique perspectives. By shedding light on the complexities […]

View Full Article - What is the Best Type of Therapy for Me?

The phrase evidence-based practice is now common parlance in mental health care. The call for using evidence-based practice can be heard across psychology, social work, psychiatry, occupational health, and a range of other professions. Often, such “evidence” consists of data from randomised controlled trials (RCTs), non-randomised trials, case studies, qualitative focus groups and interviews, and […]

View Full Article - How Do We Measure Therapeutic Outcomes?

“We’re all human” is, we hope, a common attitude. It stems from empathy and solidarity –  the idea that, despite our differences, we are all the same. However, whilst it seems like a positive attitude on the surface, the well-intentioned “We’re all human” is more complex than this. It has a darker underside of erasure. […]

View Full Article - Shared Humanity after the Orlando shootings

Recently, the mental health world of the UK has been struck by quite a debate about the nature of “mental health.” The debate concerns a BBC series called ‘In the Mind.’ An episode called The Not So Secret Life of a Manic Depressive: 10 Years On focused on Stephen Fry’s diagnosis of bipolar disorder and […]

View Full Article - Is Mental Health Really ‘All in the Mind’?

Identifying as non-straight, and identifying as a woman: they’re important political, personal, and professional issues to think about. And, of course, we need to fight for the rights of both women and LGB (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual) individuals. But are they different things? I’m going to argue that LGB issues and feminism are not only similar […]

View Full Article - Why LGB rights are a Crucial Part of Feminist Values

We all have our superheroes especially because superheroes have the ability to inspire, empower, support, and occasionally save us. Sometimes, superheroes help us to save ourselves. I have already penned some articles about the magical technique of Superhero Therapy, and how the concept of superheroes can be used in different psychotherapeutic approaches to support people […]

View Full Article - Using Superheroes in Play Therapy

The term gaslighting originates from a play/film called Gas Light, in which a man tries to convince his wife she is mad. He does this by changing her environment (e.g. dimming the gas lighting) and then telling her she’s imagining things. As a psychological term, it is essentially a technique that allows someone to bully […]

View Full Article - The Social Poison of Gaslighting, and How to Deal With It

Social Workers and superheroes – what do they have in common? According to a TED talk by Anna Scheyett, they have more in common than you’d expect. In this article, I will look at and builds upon some of the ideas that Anna talks about as it relates to Social Workers and superheroes. I’m going […]

View Full Article - What is Your Super Power?