Julian-Pascal Saadi

Reflections on loss, grief and relief in the parent-child relationship. “You promised me,” pleads Debbie in Shameless (US, S2E11), begging her mother, Monica to get out of bed during the Thanksgiving episode. Monica, who lives with bipolar disorder and substance misuse, is sunk in depression and unable to move. Her youngest daughter is left to grapple with a new and painful question: what does it mean when a parent can’t, or won’t, be a Parent with a capital P? This scene dramatises a...

One of the challenges of starting therapy (if the anxieties about beginning weren’t already enough), is choosing the right therapy and a therapist .   In this post, I’ll outline some of the main therapy types available and key things to consider when choosing a therapist.   Choosing a therapy Broadly-speaking, there are three dominant types of therapy to choose from: Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT), psychodynamic/psychoanalytic therapy, and trauma-focused therapy (e.g. EMDR). These all...

The decision to start therapy is a big step.   It is common for people to feel anxious about what it means or how it might go. Some worry about whether it will help, some about the level of commitment or financial investment, and others about whether they will be judged. This is perfectly normal. Like entering any kind of unknown space, a degree of anxiety about what will happen is normal. It is not a sign that something is wrong, but a sign that something matters enough to make you feel...