Invalidation can be exquisitely painful to experience, especially when it’s ongoing or occurring in close relationships. Regardless of the other person’s intentions, invalidation can lead to people not feeling worthy of support, to doubt their own experiences, to feel alone, and to judge their own emotions and thoughts.

One way to improve repair in relationships when you’ve done something that hurts someone else is to use correction-overcorrection. This can also be helpful if you are struggling with feelings of shame, guilt, and regret for having done something that negatively impacted someone else.

Urge surfing is a technique that can help you manage unwanted behaviour by learning to ride it out, like a surfer riding a big wave safely to shore.

I recently attended a workshop on the topic of Matrescence held by Cayley Benjamin, a Motherhood Coach. She explains Matrescence as “the profound transformation – physical, psychological, social, economic and existential – that a mother experiences as they become a mom and journey through motherhood”

Silence in therapy can be just as rewarding for both the therapist and client. At first, silence in the therapy session seems unnatural, whether the conversation takes place virtually or in person. We are not accustomed to silence when speaking with people.