Psychological Therapeutic Solutions Ltd

12/03/2026

As someone who is severely dyslexic I’m proud of my achievement and so should every other human being.

Did you catch the incredible Dame Dr Maggie Aderin on the Jonathan Ross show on ITV this week?
And on Sunday Brunch on Channel 4?

She beamed in, Star Trek style, to explain her views on whether there's life on another planet and to talk about her new autobiography, Starchild.

In her new book, she talks about her work with Made By Dyslexia, and how our work has helped her understand her Dyslexic Thinking skills as a storyteller, communicator, explorer, problem-solver and out of the box thinker!

✨ We're sure it will be an inspiration to dyslexics, young and old - everywhere!

It's available as an audiobook 🎧 and a paper copy 📖

👉 Grab your copy here: https://amzn.eu/d/00EFmIB3

12/03/2026

At the 2026 Northern Power Women Awards in Manchester celebrating my sister, Sharon Benson, being named on the 2026 Power List.

I could not feel prouder of her. Sharon is a board level people and organisation transformation leader who has dedicated her work to helping organisations build healthier, more psychologically informed cultures. She has supported leaders and organisations to think differently about people, wellbeing and how workplaces can better understand and respond to mental health.

It is also fantastic to be here with Es, Head of Compliance at NatWest. Being surrounded by such inspiring women tonight really highlights the impact strong, thoughtful leadership can have across organisations and communities.

A very proud moment and an inspiring evening celebrating women who are making a real difference.
✨

12/03/2026

Many women are surprised by the emotional changes that can happen during perimenopause. Hormones often do not decline smoothly during this stage of life. Instead they can fluctuate quite chaotically. Oestrogen may rise and fall unpredictably and progesterone often drops earlier. These changes can affect the brain systems involved in mood, motivation and stress regulation. As a result some women experience anxiety, low mood, loss of enjoyment, or a sense of feeling unlike themselves.

This is one reason why some women benefit from different combinations of hormones as part of HRT. Oestrogen can support mood, cognition and energy. Progesterone often has a calming effect on the nervous system and can help with sleep. Some women also benefit from testosterone which can influence motivation, confidence and overall sense of wellbeing.

For women who already carry significant stress or past trauma, these hormonal fluctuations can sometimes amplify the nervous system’s responses. The body tends to move between two main states when under pressure. One is hyperarousal, often experienced as anxiety, agitation, or feeling constantly on edge. The other is hypoarousal, which can feel like emotional flatness, shutdown, low motivation or disconnection.

Perimenopause can also bring physical changes such as sleep disturbance, joint pain, fatigue and shifts in metabolism. When these changes occur together it can feel confusing or overwhelming.

These experiences are common and understandable during a significant hormonal transition. Conversations about menopause and mental health are becoming more open, but many women still feel they are experiencing these changes alone. Greater awareness can help people understand what is happening in their bodies and seek the support that feels right for them.

How are you finding hormone related changes at this stage of life? Any words of wisdom or things that have helped you along the way?

09/03/2026

Love this clip. Thank you Ruby Psychological Services for sharing.

09/03/2026

I love this idea. Thanks for sharing Mindfulness Skills4Life

A small neuroscience trick for a racing mind at bedtime… or 2am
(and one I’ve started sharing with my children)
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You’re tired.
Your body is ready for sleep.

But your mind?

Still planning tomorrow’s meeting.
Replaying that conversation from earlier.
Or quietly worrying about things that definitely don’t need solving at 2am.

If this sounds familiar, there is an interesting little technique from cognitive science called Cognitive Shuffling, developed by sleep researcher Dr Luc Beaudoin.

The idea is surprisingly simple.

Instead of trying to stop your thoughts (which rarely works), you gently shuffle them.

Because as the brain naturally drifts toward sleep, our thinking becomes a little looser… more visual… and slightly random.

Those strange fragments of images that appear just before we drift off.

Cognitive shuffling simply mimics that natural process.

How to try it tonight

Choose a simple word.

For example: BEDTIME
(Yes… I know it has repeating letters – but it works nicely!)

Now slowly move through the letters and think of random things that begin with each one.

B – imagine a banana
Spend a moment picturing it.

Then maybe a bicycle
Picture the bike.

Then perhaps a bird.

When you run out of B words, move to the next letter.

E – elephant, egg, envelope
D – dog, door, diamond

Spend a few seconds picturing each one before moving on.

No story.
No connection.

Just simple, random images.

When you reach the end of the word, choose another and keep going.

Why this can help

A busy mind at night is often stuck in the brain’s planning and problem-solving mode.

Cognitive shuffling gently shifts the brain away from analysing… and into simple mental imagery, which is much closer to the state our minds enter just before sleep.

In other words, instead of forcing sleep…

you quietly invite the mind to drift in the direction sleep begins.

A small shift.

But sometimes a surprisingly helpful one.

I’ve recently started teaching this to my children as well… because busy minds aren’t just something adults have.

I’d love to know:

What helps your mind switch off at the end of the day?

Dr Sands
sandra@mindfulness-skills4life.co.uk

Mindfulness | Neuroscience | Wellbeing | Performance

07/03/2026

🌿 Only today and tomorrow left to join us for a day of New Growth.

The Lincoln Wellbeing Retreat – Sunday 22nd March
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In just a few weeks, 16 wonderful humans will be gathering with us at the beautiful Charlotte House for The Lincoln Wellbeing Retreat.

A room full of people who are curious about living life with a little more steadiness, kindness and warmth.

And right now… there are only 4 places left.

This really is the final opportunity to join us and be part of this gorgeous wellbeing community.

If you’re wondering whether you need to be an expert in mindfulness or meditation, the answer is absolutely not.

Every single one of us starts as a beginner.

But if you would love:

✨ A quieter, kinder inner voice
✨ More emotional steadiness when life feels busy or heavy
✨ A deeper connection to warmth, gratitude and appreciation
✨ A whole day to pause, reset and nourish your nervous system (and yes… switch your phone off!)

…then this retreat has been designed for you.

You can expect:

🌿 Beautiful surroundings
🍽 Truly delicious food that caters for all dietary needs (thanks to the exceptional chefs at Charlotte House)
🎵 Music, reflection, learning and gentle guidance
💛 And a warm community atmosphere that people often say is the most special part of the day

Will Crawford and I pour our hearts and souls into creating this experience.

All you need to do is arrive exactly as you are.

You’ll leave with practical tools, fresh perspective, and a little more kindness toward yourself.

⏳ Booking closes tomorrow
🌿 Last 4 places remaining

All the details are just below if you’d like to join us.

With care,
Dr Sands & Will.

https://www.mindfulness-skills4life.co.uk/the-lincoln-wellbeing-retreat

06/03/2026

Looking for a new challenge?

Flexible hours. Competitive commission.
Join the Lifestyle team.

Contact Rhona : 07900 954134
rhona@lifestylemoray.scot

06/03/2026

New Workshop Alert! EMDR for Moral Injury

Moral injury can involve deep feelings of shame, guilt, anger, and loss of meaning, and can require specific adaptations when using trauma-focused therapies.

Join Dr Deborah Kingston and Dr Jonathan Hutchins for a one-day online workshop exploring how to work with moral injury using EMDR therapy.

🗓 Friday 9th October 2026, 9am-4:45pm
💻 Live online via Zoom
👩‍⚕️ For clinicians who have completed basic EMDR training
📚 6 CPD credits applied for (EMDR UK Association)

The workshop will cover:
✔ Understanding moral injury and how it differs from PTSD.
✔ Conceptualising moral injury within the EMDR AIP model.
✔ Practical adaptations for EMDR therapy.
✔ Case examples and clinical insights.

To find out more and book your place:
https://ptsolutions-ltd.cademy.io/emdr-for-moral-injury-friday-9th-october-2026

Please feel free to share with colleagues who may be interested.

We look forward to welcoming you on the day!

Dr Deborah Kingston and Dr Jonathan Hutchins present the widely sought-after workshop on how to use EMDR for Moral Injury. The workshop is heavily skills based and experiential. This workshop will take place online via Zoom on Friday 9th October 2026, 9am-4:45pm. This includes two 15-minute comfort....

05/03/2026

I really enjoyed reading this article about incorporating EMDR into couples work.

Before training as a clinical psychologist and EMDR consultant, I originally trained as a couple counsellor. Because of that background, integrating EMDR into couple therapy has always felt like a natural fit for me.

So often the arguments couples bring into therapy are not only about what is happening in the present moment. They are frequently linked to earlier experiences that become activated in the relationship. Feelings of rejection, not being heard, abandonment, or not feeling good enough can quickly take over, leaving couples stuck in painful and repetitive patterns.

When EMDR is thoughtfully integrated into couple work, it can help address some of those underlying experiences that drive the emotional intensity between partners. As those experiences are processed, the nervous system settles and couples are often better able to understand each other and respond with greater empathy.

One thing I have noticed in my clinical work is that partners often have very different ways of finding calm and safety. Recognising and respecting those differences can be an important part of the therapeutic process. Difference does not mean incompatibility, but couples can sometimes interpret it that way when they are distressed.

It is encouraging to see more discussion about how EMDR can be used within relational work. Many of the wounds people carry show up most strongly in their closest relationships, so it makes sense that approaches which help process those experiences can also support couples to move forward differently.

Article:

EMDRIA member Monique Thompson discusses ways to understand and incorporate EMDR therapy into couples therapy.

04/03/2026

EMDRIA member Cassie Krajewski talks about EMDR therapy as a compassionate and comprehensive treatment approach for eating disorders.

04/03/2026

As a clinical psychologist, I read headlines like this with real concern.

The suggestion that doctors are “claiming ADHD to dodge night shifts” reflects a narrative that risks reinforcing stigma rather than improving understanding. ADHD is a neurodevelopmental condition that affects attention regulation, executive functioning, emotional regulation and energy management. It is not a convenient explanation people adopt to avoid responsibility.

In professions such as medicine, many individuals with ADHD work incredibly hard, often masking difficulties and pushing themselves to exhaustion in order to meet expectations. Narratives that imply manipulation or opportunism can discourage clinicians from seeking assessment, support or reasonable workplace adjustments.

Night shifts and rotating rotas disrupt sleep, cognitive functioning and emotional regulation for anyone. For some neurodivergent individuals, these demands can amplify the very regulatory challenges associated with ADHD. When clinicians request adjustments through occupational health processes, the aim is not to avoid work but to enable safe, sustainable practice.

We need a more thoughtful and informed conversation about neurodiversity in the workplace. Sensational headlines may attract attention, but they can also perpetuate misunderstanding and stigma for neurodivergent professionals who are already working in high-pressure environments.

Supporting neurodivergent clinicians ultimately supports patients and the healthcare system as a whole.

Junior doctors are claiming to have ADHD to get out of night shifts, NHS leaders have said.

Senior doctors have expressed concerns that some “appear determined to avoid night work permanently” and react “badly” if they are advised there is no reason for them to be exempt.

Some juniors, now known as resident doctors, are using social media forums to coach each other in how to avoid night shifts, it was claimed

🔗Tap the link in the comments to read more

01/03/2026

This maybe helpful for parents of autistic children and teenagers.

Photos rarely tell the truth.
Because even if the snapshot shows how we are really feeling it is unlikely we consistently feel that way.
Even through hard times we can have nice or good times.
Looking back at the photos on my phone when school had broken down there are pictures of me seeming to do regular life stuff.
But the truth was while all my friends children were in school I had stuffed a brand new school uniform, shoes, bag (hundreds of pounds of stuff) in a storage cupboard.
Same as my feelings at this time, in this photo, how I felt really had to put away.
I had a local authority to take on and a child so impacted by her experiences she was now at home full time.
I was needed and I couldn’t crumble.
So was this right way to manage? Cope?
Where do we put our feelings and emotions when our children need us and need us to be well?

Join me this week Finding Calm in the Journey of Parenting Your Autistic Child, a supportive webinar designed to help parents strengthen their own emotional regulation so they can care for themselves while supporting their child.

This session focuses on realistic, compassionate strategies that fit into real life, not perfection or constant calm.

Wednesday 4th March at 11am

Every ticket comes with the recording.

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/finding-calm-in-the-journey-of-parenting-your-autistic-child-tickets-1979707476354?aff=ebdsoporgprofile