Avoidance can feel like self-protection, but over time it often reinforces anxiety and keeps us stuck in unspoken tension. Understanding this defence mechanism means recognising when we withdraw not because we’re calm, but because we’re afraid of conflict or disconnection. Therapy helps us learn to tolerate discomfort, express needs safely, and rebuild a sense of agency in relationships.

I am grateful to have graduated from the Somatic Experiencing (SE) course on November 4. It has been a meaningful journey, personally and professionally.    When I graduated in 2010, I learned to help my clients uncover and bring to the surface their traumatic experiences. But I found it caused them more pain and difficulty in their daily functioning, while they go through the healing process.   Then I discovered EMDR , which taught me the importance of working with individua

Defence mechanisms are unconscious strategies that protect us from distress. Learn how they form, why psychodynamic theory still matters, and when they hold us back.