Avoidance, Fear, and Mental Health: Learning to Move Through, Not Around Avoidance is one of the most natural responses we have to fear and discomfort. When something feels threatening—whether it’s a difficult conversation, an overwhelming task, or a painful memory—our brains are wired to steer us away. In the short term, avoidance can feel like relief. But over time, it can quietly reinforce anxiety, limit growth, and contribute to the development or worsening of mental health conditions like depression, generalized anxiety, and PTSD. It becomes a cycle: the more we avoid, the more fearful and helpless we feel. A healthier relationship with fear begins by recognizing it not as a signal to retreat, but as a messenger. Fear often points to something meaningful—something we care about, or something that challenges our sense of safety or identity. In therapy, we work to create space between the fear and the action. This means noticing the fear without immediately acting on the urge to escape. When we approach our fear with curiosity instead of judgment, we can begin to take small, intentional steps toward what we’ve been avoiding. Cultivating this kind of relationship with fear is not about becoming fearless; it’s about learning that we can feel fear and still move forward. Exposure, mindfulness, and values-based action are just a few tools that help us shift from avoidance to engagement. With support and practice, we learn that growth often happens not in the absence of fear, but in our willingness to meet it with compassion and courage.

We are often asked by concerned parents whether their child needs to see a Psychologist. Determining whether your child needs psychological support can depend on various factors.

What is lockdown stress? During times of elevated stress, it is important to take care of yourself in whatever way your can. Lockdown is one of those times.

Exercise is one of the best ways to improve your health and not just physically but mentally too. In fact, exercise is so good for the brain that it is fondly referred to as “Brain-ercise”.

Raising children can be stressful. Parenting is hard because parenting is not a one-size-fits-all job. You have to be continually learning, growing, and adapting as your kids grow and change.

Going to see a Psychologist for the first time can feel really scary and nerve-wracking when you don’t know what to expect. Some of the things that my first-time clients say include things like: “I’m afraid I will be judged”, “I’m afraid you’ll think I’m broken or faulty or worse, maybe even unstable or crazy”, “I’m afraid of revisiting painful memories” and “I’m worried I will be expected to change when I’m not ready”.

In times of uncertainty it can be so easy to feel like you are adrift on an ocean not sure which way is North …not a great feeling. In fact, I often say to clients that psychologically, living in the “unknown” is one of the hardest places to live.

Do you need to splash some colour around your life (be silly, have fun, get creative, bend a rule, let your inner child out for a play) or do your need more structure and order? The post Black and White or Colour Your World ? Appeared first on Living Well Psychology.

Stress is part of daily life, no getting around it. However, what if you could use this guaranteed contribution to your day as a resource and set it to work for you? Like most things in life, our perception plays a monumental role in the outcome…