Blog by Dan Roberts, Therapist in East Finchley, North London & the City.

Thoughts, reflections, advice...

» Self-acceptance versus self-esteem

What is the difference between self-acceptance and self-esteem? And if you want to feel better about yourself, which should you aim to develop? read article

» What is cognitive-behavioural coaching?

As well as cognitive therapy, I also offer cognitive-behavioural coaching for health, wellbeing, stress-management and a host of other problems read article

» Changing negative thoughts

Negative, unhelpful thinking is at the root of all unhappiness - such as stress, low mood or anxiety. Here's how to challenge your negative thoughts read article

» Skype sessions now available

I now offer sessions via Skype for people living outside London and around the world read article

» Assertiveness: the key to good mental health

A lack of assertiveness is linked to poor confidence, low self-esteem, anger issues and chronic stress - but you can learn to be more assertive read article

» Why do we feel negative emotions?

Powerful emotions like anger, sadness or fear may be uncomfortable, but we feel them for a good reason - and suppressing them can cause us problems read article

» What are hot thoughts?

As the name suggests, thoughts are crucial in cognitive therapy. And becoming aware of your 'hot thoughts' is a shortcut to thinking more positively read article

» Shyness and social anxiety

People often confuse shyness - a perfectly normal human trait - with social anxiety disorder, a condition that does need treating with psychotherapy read article

» Overcoming traumatic stress

Traumatic incidents can be hard to overcome. But with the right help and support you can recover and get on with your life read article

» How to beat the January blues

January is not the easiest of months. So if the short, grey days are getting you down, try this simple mindfulness exercise to lift your mood read article

» Persistence: the key to change

Whatever problem you hope to solve through therapy, it's important to understand that persistence is the only route to genuine, long-lasting change read article

» Christmas wishes

I would like to wish all my clients, past and present, a very happy Christmas - and I have a few more wishes for everyone in the coming year... read article

» Learning self-acceptance

It's only human to try and avoid painful feelings or parts of us we don't like - but it's important to accept ourselves, warts and all read article

» Why men hide their depression

Men's depression has been in the spotlight recently. But why do so many depressed men go untreated and undiagnosed? read article

» Overcoming seasonal affective disorder (SAD)

It's natural for your mood to dip at this time of year - but if you suffer from seasonal affective disorder, winter can be a real challenge read article

» Should you take antidepressants?

There has been a huge rise in prescriptions for antidepressants recently. But if you're anxious or depressed, is medication really what you need? read article

» Why are some people happier than others?

A new study shows that the structure of happy people's brains helps them stay cheerful - but there's plenty you can do to feel happier read article

» Healthcare practitioners

If you're looking for a good osteopath, nutritionist or fertility expert in north or central London, these are the people I recommend read article

» Overcoming postnatal depression

Postnatal depression affects more than 1 in 10 women having a baby. It can feel really overwhelming, but there's no reason to suffer in silence read article

» Developing kindness and compassion

Research shows that compassion - for ourselves and others - can be deeply healing; especially if we are prone to depression or overly self-critical read article