I am excited to have registered  'The Medical Trauma Collaborative as a new partnership of professionals working with medical trauma. The intention is to provide a valuable resource for Clients, Counsellors and Psychotherapists, promoting various skills, whether within research, helpful tools, recommended Clinicians, Medical information and updates, education and so fourth. Coming soon!

If you are struggling to put yourself first and be self compassionate, I'm a huge fan of US Psychotherapist Kristin Neff and her ways of using self compassion as a really valuable tool. Take a look at her website  https://self-compassion.org/

As the months progress I'll be sharing more helpful tools and information so please watch this space!

And what an amazing 2026 I anticipate it will be!

The work I've invested in on medical trauma awareness is growing at a faster pace and collaborations are forming in the UK and US to generate greater awareness. In the Spring of this year I will be finalising the introduction of  a UK version of Professor Flaum's trauma informed training programme from the US in addition to shorter versions of this programme tailored to the needs of all those working within a Health Care environment. This approach is unique in it's inclusivity and pays attention to the systems currently in place within our Health Sector.  How can we expect our Health Care Professional Colleagues to treat their patients as human beings when their needs are not included within the process? Preventing burn out and exhaustion by providing compassion, empathy and a listening ear to those who we expect to keep us safe is an integral part of my vision for a healthier, inclusive Health Service. Ideally, one where medicine treats the person as a whole, with common humanity and kindness,  not as a body part on a production line. And equally importantly, one where the culture within medical environments recognises and engages  once again with the meaning of the word 'care'

Watch this space for updates.....

to accommodate the above, there is also sadness in saying goodbye to my active work with the 'In this 2gether' metastatic breast cancer groups. A hard decision to make, but they are in safe hands going forward and I will be proud to remain a Consultant and peer Supervisor for this incredible service.

The relationship across the pond is expanding with introductions to other clinicians who are working with medical trauma. Here in the UK we are also forming new relationships and the intention is to produce a central 'hub' of expertise, comprising of health care professionals with different skill sets, collaborating to educate, generate awareness and communicate ways of supporting patients and clinicians alike. 

'In this 2gether' metastatic breast cancer groups are expanding, and I'm temporarily supervising the establishment of a new group  later in the Autumn in Cwm Taff, with an additional group in Aneiron Bevan planned for 2026 as well as a new location for the SE Wales group.

My private practice is now solely supporting medical trauma patients which is a privilege. As need is further afield all of my work is now done remotely and my wish is to expand this into  group work at some stage going forwards! 

It's been a challenging 2024 for me on a personal level and I haven't been as active as I would like to be on my blog. Still recovering and recharging my batteries after the loss of my father under very difficult circumatances late last year; the first time on a personal level I've experienced vicarious medical trauma...... I am looking forward to FINALLY going on my trip to Borneo at the end of March, to volunteer in an orangutan conservation project.  I think this will be excellent personal therapy!

On a p[ositive note I managed to attain my Medical Trauma Accreditation and am now the only Certified Medical Trauma Psychotherapist in Wales, and  the UK.  I'm hoping to expand this knowledge working with my clinical supervisor Professor Michelle Flaum in the US, creating educational workshops/courses and podcasts for patients and clinicians alike in the UK......watch this space!

As we continue to emerge from lockdown and are facing new experiences, the psychological impact can be quite frightening for some. Many of us are faced with an increase in our emotional base rate, where our bodies have become  accustomed to a slight raise in anxiety levels, meaning we may be more hyper vigilant or reactive to certain situations. My Clinical Supervisor who I'm collaborating with on my research and knowledge of medical trauma has published an interesting piece on the possibility of medical PTSD or PTS symptoms that could arise in some from their covid hospitalisation. This of course doesn't imply everyone who has been hospitalised through covid would share this experience. But it's worth paying attention to in the context that knowledge is power. Having an understanding of why we may feel a certain way can have a normalising effect, as well as being a helpful coping mechanism.

https://theconversation.com/a-perfect-storm-for-medical-ptsd-isolation-intensive-care-and-the-coronavirus-pandemic-137981

A collaboration with my lovely colleague Dr Pippa Mundy for BBC Wales on line: anxiety v covid.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-52680174

The word ‘normal’ for many of us signifies ‘usual’, ‘natural’, ‘routine.’ Yet the world we are  currently living in feels anything but normal to many of us. In struggling to retain any semblance of normality we have been forced to enter into this new existence of COVID-19, home-schooling and working, self-isolation, social distancing  on the one hand and compulsory interaction with family on the other,  exercising in front of screens whilst  communicating through them. Is it any wonder with little control over our lives many of us report feeling overwhelmed by a sense of heightened anxiety, hyper vigilance, fear and loss of meaning?

In the world of trauma, an emotional response to a distressing event in our lives that causes us to no longer feel safe in our environment, covid-19 ticks all the boxes. We know it’s a virus that currently has no vaccine, is highly contagious and can lead to death. These facts alone may invoke  fear, uncertainty and anxiety. So  surely, it’s completely ‘normal’ to feel disconnected from reality?

Research tells us that psychological overwhelm and anxiety towards a real or perceived danger causes our threat system (or as I call it, tricky brain), to automatically respond as it was ecologically primed to do. Individual responses are  subjective  and   how we respond is dependent  on our personal resources, resilience and historical stressors.

If we logically look at what’s happening it can be reassuring to understand that this temporary new ‘normal’ isn’t based on the memory of an event that happened in the past, triggered by  something in the present. Instead it’s a natural response to life’s events.

• Our patterns of behaviour, social connections and freedom of choice have been changed.
• In many cases sources of income have been withdrawn.
• We’re exposed to actual danger - especially our frontline workers.
• Those with additional medical needs may feel ignored/isolated
• Our basic physiological needs may not be met; food, shelter, sleep etc.

Taking all this into account it’s understandable our tricky brain will respond, alerting our threat system, causing anxiety and stressful symptoms to take over.

So how can we help ourselves stay well to help prevent future mental health issues developing?  

• Creating balance is very important to our physiology. Positive distraction is beneficial and the opposite of avoidance. Avoidance maintains our anxiety, but creating a distraction – however briefly - allows our tricky brain to recognise a lowering of anxiety meaning we can function more logically and rationally.
• Grounding (describing our environment/an object, counting etc) will bring us back to the present day if one feels disconnected from others or reality.
• Exercise, pet interaction, baking, journalising, art, puzzles, games, connecting through social media links, phone conversations, visualisation, imagery, sensory perception & re-living nostalgic memories.
• Understanding what’s happening to us physiologically and psychologically from a reputable source that isn’t based on speculation or catastrophising. Limiting our amount of news coverage to bite sized chunks and interspersing it with positive distraction.
• Communication; maintaining contact as much as possible with loved ones, friends, neighbours, colleagues and sharing our fears, can help dilute our anxieties.

• Acknowledging the thoughts and feelings we have with curiosity, no matter how challenging can help to lessen their intensity. Paying attention to them and understanding their origin can be helpful in creating a balanced state of mind.

• Being compassionate and kind to ourselves as well as others gives us a sense of purpose and makes us feel good.

There’s no doubt that going forward another ‘normal’ will take the place of this one and some of us may seek professional help to try and make sense of our world and re-set our buttons.  And some may not. It’s important to understand we can’t control what happens with the corona virus or  the economy, but we can control how we respond to it. As Plato said…..“There are two things a person should never be angry at: What they can help, and what they cannot”

Research from:

The Body Remembers & The Body Remembers Volume 2; Babette Rothschild

Maslow’s theory of self actualisation