English speaking therapy for expats around the world, with face-to-face or outdoor options if you're based in Stockholm, Sweden

I love this explanation of transference - what do you think?

#transference #therapy #therapist #counsellor #therapeuticprocess

[Image wording: “During transference, people turn into a biological time machine. A nerve is struck when someone says or does something that reminds you of your past. This creates the emotional time warp that transfers your emotional past and your psychological need into the present.”] ...

“Today, I am choosing happiness.”

After my Uncle’s deeply moving funeral yesterday, including some of the challenges he suffered with illness, and the ways in which he found joy in life, I was left in a state of reflection.

Despite getting far too little sleep last night and feeling overwhelmed with homework deadlines, I woke up this morning and made a conscious decision: today, I would choose happiness. To my surprise – or maybe not – it turned out to be a truly fulfilling and beautiful day.

Later, while working on that same homework, I came across a profound teaching by Buddha:

🔅 Physical suffering is inevitable, but mental suffering is optional.

Buddha taught that while the body may endure physical pain – the first arrow – an untrained mind often clings to that pain, creating secondary pain, a mental anguish – the second arrow. In doing so, we end up, unnecessarily, suffering twice.

This idea resonated deeply with me today. I was reminded that while we may not always have control over our circumstances, we can train our minds to respond to even difficult situations with compassion, awareness, and yes, even joy.

So for today, and hopefully for many days to come: I am choosing happiness.

#ChooseHappiness #MentalHealthAwareness #MindfulnessMatters #EmotionalWellbeing #HealingJourney #GriefAndGrowth #BuddhistWisdom #TheTwoArrows #InnerPeace #SpiritualReflection #ConsciousLiving

* (A line from a TV show I am currently enjoying - Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist, on Netflix) ...

If anyone is trying to get hold of me through LinkedIn, unfortunately my account is currently unavailable. Hopefully I`ll regain access within a week. 😊 #linkedin #accountrestoration #linkedinprison ...

Here I sit in my cabin, surrounded by paintings created by my dad, my grandad, my granny – memories of them present in the brushstrokes made by their hands many decades ago. I feel the heat of the electric fire on my skin, reminding me of visits to my granny and grandad, at the end of our garden, sitting by their fire and melting the chocolate off biscuits.

The tears flowed first when their son – my dad’s big brother was mentioned by name – then when his sister was called by name, now left without either of her brothers on this Earth – then his parents and his brother – my dad, Colin – who had gone before him. His nieces and nephews around the world and his daughter, my dear cousin, watching on the livestream – we were all acknowledged. I felt so included in the circle of love present at my uncle’s funeral.

The description of my uncle could’ve been of my dad, but of a dad that managed to find his joy before he went, rather than one that didn’t seem to fully find himself, and continued to fracture. I realised how much overlap there had been in their interests and joys. It was like rewatching my dad’s funeral all over again – but the one I wished he’d had, instead of the one he did have. The memories of the last online funeral I attended rushed into my heart, my dad and uncle’s cousin, a glorious Yorkshire man with healing hands – and the one before that too, my childhood friend, the triplet to our twinship. The loss of my uncle has joined the river of grief and losses from my life, that continues to flow in the landscape of my heart.

It has been so lovely to hear about my uncle’s life, about the paths he chose, his joys, his comforts. Among many others too numerous to list, he was a scientist, engineer, cabinet maker, astronomer, painter, chorist, musician, potter, geologist, and 3D printer. He built two houses, a boat, and a business. He built his own dining table, chairs, and a clock. He had seven children, and a number of grandchildren and great grandchildren. He lived a rich and full life.

I loved one of the lessons spoken to us all at the end: to know one life has breathed easier because you have lived – that is success.

Goodnight Uncle Alec. ❤️ ...

I just came across the word `hen` in my intensive Swedish course, and it reminded me of something my daughter told me when she was about six.

In her Swedish primary school, she learned that Swedish has three pronoun sets:

✨ hon/henne (she/her)
✨ han/honom (he/him)
✨ hen/henom (they/them - singular, gender-neutral)

That last one - hen - really stuck with me.

Originally, Swedish used de/dem (they/them) as a gender-neutral option, just like in English. But over time, it became clear that this didn’t reflect everyone’s identity - especially for those who don’t identify with any gender at all.

The word `hen` was actually proposed way back in the 1960s by linguist Rolf Dunås, but it wasn’t taken seriously until the 2000s, when it was embraced by feminist, queer, and academic communities.

It was used to:

🌎 Avoid unnecessary gendering
🌎 Acknowledge non-binary and trans identities
🌎 Challenge binary norms in language

Hen sparked national debate in 2012 after appearing in a children’s book, Kivi och Monsterhund. Some criticised it as `political correctness`, while others saw it as a natural and needed evolution in how we use language to include everyone.

In 2015, hen was officially added to the Swedish language.

Today in Sweden, non-binary people can choose the pronouns that best reflect their identity:

☯️ de/dem - plural form (inclusive of all genders)
☯️ hen/henom - singular form (for those who identify with none)

I find this both thoughtful and progressive, a powerful example of how language can evolve to reflect identity. 🌱

💡 What are your thoughts on gender-neutral language, especially in your own culture or language?

I’d love to hear.

#GenderNeutralLanguage #InclusiveLanguage #LanguageEvolution #NonBinaryVisibility #LinguisticDiversity #LGBTQInclusion #CulturalAwareness #SwedishLanguage #ProgressiveEducation #DEI ...

What do you make of this?

📚 [Image: A row of books titled Ferns. Text reads: “Everyone in the past was neurotypical, which is how we got things like this single-author, eight-volume encyclopaedia of ferns.”]

It’s interesting how certain deep interests, once seen as signs of intellect or endearing eccentricity, now often face more scrutiny or judgment.

A bit of humour here, but also a gentle prompt to reflect on how we view neurodivergence, productivity, and passion in today’s world.

#Neurodiversity #NeurodivergentThinking #DifferentBrainsDifferentStrengths #InclusionMatters #PDA #NeurodivergentVoices #WorkplaceInclusion #neurodivergence ...

Does anyone else find the music in TV shows and movies more overwhelming than the actual visuals? 😵‍💫🔊

I’ve realised that the added sounds - dramatic music, jumpy suspense beats, sudden loud cues - can often feel like too much for me. Even now, as an adult, I still cover my ears (and eyes) during the most intense scenes.

My kids are the same. When we watch something like Wednesday on Netflix, we sometimes have to mute the sound and just read the subtitles. It’s the only way they can actually enjoy the shows they love, because the additional tension sounds aren`t just scary, they`re overstimulating. We all want to hear the dialogue, just not the extra stuff… but right now there’s no way to separate the two.

And it’s not just horror or thrillers, even the news and kids` shows have become more intense and overproduced. For those of us who experience sensory overload, this kind of constant tension in audio isn’t just annoying, it can be physically stressful and emotionally exhausting. Not quite the experience we`re seeking on a Friday night chilling together!

💡 I’ve so often wished there was a way to turn off the intense background music and suspenseful sound effects, but keep things like dialogue and natural sounds (like doors opening, birds chirping, etc.).

Just like subtitles make content more accessible for some, I really believe adjustable audio could help so many people, especially neurodivergent kids and adults.

✨ Curious - does anyone else feel like this?
✨ Would a low-sensory audio option help you or someone in your family?

Let’s talk about it 👇

#Neurodiversity #SensoryOverload #AutisticVoices #AccessibleMedia #InclusiveDesign #Netflix #Wednesday #MediaMatters #NeurodivergentCommunity #adhd #audhd ...