EMDR, Counselling & Psychotherapy in Exeter

23/03/2026

22/03/2026

Self-Validation is about accepting yourself. It means you acknowledge your own feelings, thoughts, and worth without needing someone else to confirm them.

Seeking Approval is about proving yourself. It treats other people's opinions as the currency of your self-esteem.

20/03/2026

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16/03/2026

Have you ever had a thought that felt so disturbing you wondered, “Why would I think that?”

In psychology, some intrusive thoughts are called ego-dystonic, meaning they go completely against your values, beliefs, or sense of who you are.

In fact, the very reason these thoughts feel so upsetting is often because they don’t reflect what you want, believe, or intend.

Ego-dystonic thoughts are especially common in OCD, where intrusive thoughts may focus on themes such as harm, morality, relationships, or responsibility. The distress often comes from the fear that having the thought means something about you.

CBT can help people understand how intrusive thoughts become stuck in cycles of fear, analysis, and reassurance, while developing healthier ways to respond to them. If intrusive thoughts are affecting your wellbeing, Think CBT is here to help.

15/03/2026

Not everything we carry is visible.

From the outside, it can seem like we are fine, even thriving at times. We hold it all together, we smile, show up and just get on with things. Yet beneath the surface, we may be carrying far more than others can see.

But, just because they can't be seen, doesn’t mean they are any less heavy, or that they don’t still impact and eventually take their toll on us.

For many, therapy can become a place, sometimes the only place, where some of that weight can be put down, acknowledged and unpacked.

Just because you are carrying it, doesnt mean it has to be carried alone. And just because you are carrying it now, doesnt mean you have to forever.

05/03/2026

Trust isn't built through grand declarations. It's built through four things repeated consistently over time.

Consistency means their words match their actions and their effort doesn't spike and crash. Transparency means they share openly, you can ask questions without them getting defensive, and you feel like you know who they actually are. Accountability means they own mistakes without deflecting and they actually change behavior instead of just apologizing repeatedly. And reliability means they show up when they say they will, especially during hard times, not just easy ones.

Trust isn't a feeling. It's a pattern. And you can evaluate it by paying attention to these four things.