Is Therapy Taking You Backwards?

This week’s newsletter is kindly supported by SURI.

The Power of Small Rituals

As a psychotherapist, I’ve come to believe that it’s often the smallest things we do every day that have the greatest influence on how we feel. We tend to think wellbeing comes from the big breakthroughs, but our daily rituals quietly shape our relationship with ourselves.

There is something deeply comforting about beginning the day with simple acts of care. Brushing your teeth. Washing your face. Making a cup of tea. These moments may seem ordinary, but they send us a subtle message: I matter. I am worth looking after.

I’ve been using the SURI toothbrush for some time now, and it has become one of those small pleasures in my daily routine. It gives a really thorough clean, but what I appreciate most is how thoughtfully it has been designed. It feels lovely to use, sits neatly on its mirror mount, and somehow makes my bathroom feel calmer and less cluttered. It’s a small thing, but those details matter.

I’ve also travelled with it recently, and the lightweight UV-C cleaning travel case has made it incredibly easy to take with me. The 4+ week battery life means I don’t have to think about charging it constantly - it just fits into my life without any fuss.

As I get older, I value products that quietly support my wellbeing rather than demanding my attention. For me, SURI has become one of them.

If you’d like to try it, you can use my link and code JULIAS15 to receive 15% off.

One of the hardest parts of therapy is that there are times when it can feel as though it is taking you backwards.

You may cry more than before. Feel more anxious, more angry or more overwhelmed. Old memories or emotions surface. Relationships become harder. Instead of finding relief, you wonder whether therapy has made things worse.

Usually, it hasn’t.

Therapy rarely goes in a straight line. We hope for steady progress, but change is messier than that. We have insight, then we wobble. An old pattern returns. Life presents another challenge and another layer of ourselves emerges. Over time, those cycles shorten and we recover more quickly.