Blog
From the River Room to the World: Teaching Emotional Regulation Through Song
Teaching emotional regulation to adults is not always easy. In my work with A Positive Start CIC, I’ve often met adults who instinctively dismiss grounding techniques, breathwork, or vagus nerve activation as “woo woo” or “silly.” They weren’t taught about the nervous system, emotional regulation,…
De humanising Modernism and Zombie Architecture
A sense of place refers to the emotional and psychological connection you feel towards a specific location (Bo and Rani, 2025). It is the feeling and comfort of going home, a sense of belonging, an identity from experiencing a space that resonates with your values and memories and culture (Bo and…
We’re All on the Sliding Scale: People-Pleasing, Narcissistic Traits, and the Path to Congruence
It’s easy to label others as narcissistic or manipulative. But what if I told you we’re all on a sliding scale—between people-pleasing on one end and narcissistic traits on the other—and that both ends of this scale reflect incongruence? They may look different, but they are often fuelled by the…
Silence
Over the years, I’ve heard many people say something like this after trying therapy: “They just sat there and stared at me. I didn’t know what to say. I felt exposed and uncomfortable.” Often these are people who came for support but left feeling even more alone. And when that happens, something…
Seeing the Same Screen, Reading Different Code
Sometimes the hardest part of communication is not the words themselves, but the way we interpret what we don’t understand. A family friend once shared how, when trying to communicate with certain colleagues - they felt like their words left their mouth and fell through the floorboards — picking up…
When Strength Is a Shield
Hyper-independence is often mistaken for strength. It’s praised in society as self-reliance, competence, and resilience. But underneath the polished surface lies a very different story — one of pain, protection, and deep survival. What Is Hyper-Independence? Hyper-independence is the compulsion to…
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When Complex Trauma Shapes Our Thinking It starts as something simple. A message. A warm, friendly “Hey, want to grab a coffee?” But what happens next says far more about trauma than it does about coffee. The message is read — but not replied to. The person who sent it begins to feel a ripple of…
A trauma-informed approach to everyday challenges
Parenting is one of the most important — and most complex — roles we’ll ever take on. It doesn’t come with a manual, and many of us are learning in real time, often while healing from our own past experiences. If you’ve ever found yourself saying things you didn’t mean or reacting in ways that…
What Happens When We Feel Uncomfortable?
What Happens When We Feel Uncomfortable? - And Why That Discomfort Might Be a Clue, Not a Problem Ever felt yourself physically or emotionally pull back when something doesn’t sit right? You hear a story… You read a post… Someone shares something real, raw, painful— And inside, you squirm. You…
Shame Disguised as Motivation
Let’s Talk About Shame Disguised as Motivation Something’s been showing up repeatedly in my feed — and it needs to be addressed. Images of disabled people being used as inspirational tools to shame others: “If I can work with no hands, so can you.” “If you can scroll on social media, you can……