Dr. Esslin Terrighena 
Trauma is our reaction to deeply distressing incidents that overwhelm our coping capabilities. Trauma impacts us at four levels: emotional, cognitive, physical, and behavioural. More specifically if we are violently attacked by someone in the street, we may feel frightened thinking the world is unsafe, get a rush of adrenaline, and have the desire to … Read more
ESSLIN TERRIGHENA shares what research has taught us on self-harm. What is self-harm? Non-suicidal self-injury, more colloquially referred to as self-harm, can be defined as intentional direct damage, destruction, or alteration of own body tissue without suicidal intent. Such self-harm can occur in various contexts, including cultural rituals (e.g. transition to manhood), body modifications (e.g. … Read more
When the safety and well-being of ourselves or our loved ones are threatened, we go into survival mode. This may involve overwhelming feelings, dulled thoughts, adrenaline rushes, and rapid fight-flight reactions. Even when we have made it to safety, the sheer intensity of the traumatic situation may leave us struggling with the aftermath, triggering persistent … Read more
Online therapy can feel unfamiliar and challenging to navigate. However, research shows that online consultations can be as effective, or even in some cases more effective, than in-person sessions. For more information on effectiveness, check out our blogpost by clicking here. Below are a few ways to get the most out of your e-therapy experience. … Read more
Throughout the challenging two years of the Covid-19 pandemic, online therapy has been lifesaving for many. Despite physical isolation, people have been able to receive the mental health support they need from the safety of their own homes. In many cases, this has been a buffer to protect us from some of the negative effects … Read more
Dr. Esslin Terrighena explores why we may get stuck in repetitive arguments with our partners, despite our best intentions to break these patterns: Where does relationship conflict come from? We tend to see the same conflicts in relationships repeat over time. In other words, our partner’s behaviour may trigger us again and again. This … Read more
Trauma is our response to deeply distressing events that overwhelm our coping abilities. The global Covid-19 pandemic has brought about world-wide trauma, through the continuous emotional and physical toll that it takes on us. This applies, whether we have suffered from contracting the illness directly or through indirect effects, such as frontline work, family separation, … Read more
Repeated exposure to violent news reports, videos, and images on media platforms can trigger both direct and vicarious trauma responses. Direct trauma describes our experience of witnessing death, sexual assault, or violent threats to the survival of ourselves and others. Vicarious trauma describes our experience of empathic engagement with the victims of direct trauma, which … Read more
Trauma is an experience we go through when we are faced with an event that is deeply distressing and overwhelms our coping abilities. This experience occurs at four levels: cognitive, emotional, physiological, and behavioural. More specifically, if we are dealing with a sudden threat to our wellbeing, we may think we are going to die … Read more