Author: Jon Finch

Trigger Warnings and Trauma

OMG don’t look at this!

And you did, didn’t you…Trigger warnings aren’t really that helpful. What are trigger warnings? Trigger warnings, also known as content warnings, or content notes are alerts about upcoming content that may contain themes related to negative experiences or negative emotions. But are they really helpful? What happens when someone is

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FGM/C  and PTSD

FGM and PTSD

FGM/C a taboo subject, one for psychologists to be aware of. If you are a psychologist working with migrant and refugee populations FGM can be an issue. What is FGM FGM also called (FGM/C) the acronym stands for female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) is a procedure that harms or alters the

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Therapist Drift – Does it Really Matter?

What is Therapist Drift? Therapeutic drift is defined in many ways. Generally, it is when the therapist stops using therapeutic methods. However, it also includes the concept of fidelity. Therapist drift is discussed in this blog article too. In considering drift and fidelity the Cambridge dictionary definition of drift and

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Does dissociation mean I cannot do trauma focussed therapy?

What is dissociation? Dissociation is a detachment from reality, it is a mental process where a person disconnects from their thoughts, feelings, memories or sense of identity. This is different to psychosis, which is a loss of reality or an experience of a delusional reality. You can find more in

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Trauma and Concept Creep

Words matter because clarity in words is a part of clarity in thinking, and because some words carry great emotional and symbolic weight, and thus should be not used lightly.” —Jeffrie G. Murphy When is Trauma? Traumatic events are distressing, but not all distressing events should be thought of as

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Treating PTSD with CPT in Clients with Heavy Drinking

Can you still treat someone with PTSD while they are drinking heavily? A common question from clinicians. Stefanie Lo Sovo and colleagues (2022) examined treating PTSD with CPT in heavy drinking military personnel. They examined the drinking and PTSD treatment outcomes for 127 service members participating in a clinical trial

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Arousal Non-concordance and Involuntary Sexual Response

Sex and Trauma Some trauma sufferers experience sexual arousal during a trauma. This can include: Many trauma survivors question these responses, sometimes concluding that it meant something about them, such as “I must have wanted it.” However physiological sexual response and desire for sex is not always connected. The technical

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