Cathy Wood Psychology

20/11/2025

I'm currently on holiday until December 1st, 2025. If you have any inquiries, feel free to leave a message, and I'll respond as soon as I'm back. Remember, if it's a mental health emergency, please reach out to 111 or visit A&E.

I will be away from the office from now until Monday December 1st 2025. Please leave a message on any of my platforms and I will get back to you as soon as I can when I return. If you are having a mental health emergency, please contact 111 or go to A&E.

03/11/2025

Curious about the difference between a clinical psychologist and a CBT therapist? 🤔 Dive into our new blog post where we break down their training, scope, and therapeutic capabilities. Understand which professional might be best for you! Read more here: https://wix.to/lHN7UVO

The main differences are in the breadth of training and scope of practice: a clinical psychologist is a doctoral-level mental health professional trained in a wide range of therapeutic models and clinical applications, while a CBT therapist has usually completed focused, specific training in Cogniti...

28/10/2025

RCS’s In-Work Support Service, where free psychological and physical therapy, supporting employees' well-being in SMEs across Wales. Learn more about how they can help you stay well in work or return to work: https://wix.to/Mz6iEy8

What is RCS/IWSS?In-Work Support Service I have been a therapist for RCS’s In-Work Support Service from the start of my career in private practice. The In-Work Support Service is a Welsh Government funded service that provides free psychological or physical therapies to people in Wales, helping th...

21/10/2025

New blog post https://wix.to/LzxWqwG

What is the difference between a clinical psychologist and a counsellor?drcathwood4 minutes ago2 min readFeature Clinical PsychologistCounsellorTraining and qualificationsHolds a doctoral degree (Ph.D. or Psy.D.) in clinical psychology.Training combines academic study with extensive supervised clini...

11/09/2025

A relaxing stream in the rain

21/08/2024

This is a really interesting listen for anyone on antidepressants, especially if you have had any trouble coming off them.

In this interview for MIA Radio, Brooke Siem speaks with David Taylor and Mark Horowitz about their publication of the Maudsley Deprescribing Guidelines, whi...

26/01/2023

Abuse

14/01/2023

Neurodivergence!

I really need to talk about neurodivergency language being used...

I keep hearing disorder over and over again as well as Aspergus. More so, I keep hearing spectrum and these words don't sit right with me.

Whenever I hear autism or ADHD described, somehow this means we have something 'wrong' with us... Social communication PROBLEMS, inabilities and lacking in all sorts of things.

'Someone with autism lacks in social communication skills' or 'someone with ADHD has problems with concentration and focus,' yes on things I don't care about...

I don't lack in social communication, I get drained from it and sometimes can come across as socially different - but I'm not lacking. Even autistic people (another phrase I hate which is severe autism or severe cases) who have more needs and take things very very literally, still very much have social skills.

I lack in concentration of things I don't fixate on or really care about! Other than that, let me tell you, when I'm doing my makeup - it is just me and that brush. Nothing else matters.

I hate using the word disorder for just differences. Some people get sarcasm more than others, some people get social cues more than other and some people get jokes quicker than others.

If we are describing autism by a spectrum, then neurotypicals need their own spectrum because EVERYONE is different in so many ways.

So using Aspergus, high functioning and these terms just don't make sense because two people with 'Aspergus' are also COMPLETELY different. One could be amazing at masking and could get along independently very easily. The other may be different with needing more assistance daily and doesn't mask very easily. Yet both will be seen as high functioning if they fit into a certain box.

Who you are is made up of what your personality is like, interests, processing and even intelligence. Genetics, childhood experiences and how you were raised!

There is no need for a spectrum and I have no idea where I would sit if there was one. Is the top end more 'normal like' and the other end is just the 'severe cases'?

Is it placed by intelligence or social ability?

Neurotypicals are all different and so are neurodivergents.

We aren't disordered and it's so damaging to describe autism and ADHD this way, especially to young children.

As a mentor, I hear way too many young neurodivergents embarrassed by their brains and not because there's actually anything to be embarrassed about. But just knowing there's something 'wrong' with them is enough to make you feel insecure in this world.

That they need treatment or to be fixed. That they are not good enough for this world to deem their brain as not disordered.

Yet, these neurodivergents I meet know everything about plants, baking or engineering.

Or they are incredibly funny with how blunt they are, or when they burst out with random amazing thoughts and things to say because their brain is going through so many different thoughts so fast.

Or when they have such deep empathy for things or deep emotional connections to others! It's all amazing, these brains shouldn't be seen as a problem.

Every person will have their own struggles and problems. Anxiety and trauma. Harmful meltdowns. Every person has to find ways and methods to work with those healthily.

Do not blame the autistic brain for being the cause of every issue.

03/01/2023

Mindfulness

13/12/2022

Long but comprehensive post debunking the myth of genetic causes of 'schizophrenia'

This is the schizophrenia game. It has been played for over a century, and it’s time to stop.

26/11/2022

Stress

Stress has psychological effects on our brain and stress also affects the body. This is a busy time of year. With more holidays coming up, pace yourself, be kind to yourself, and spend some alone time. Your mind and body will thank you!