Oh hey gang!
This week felt like one of those weeks where everything gets taken apart at once – mentally and physically!
So, to kick off, I had a psychotherapy training weekend. The module? Childhood and the Unconscious. And, yes, it was every bit as intense as it sounds. Deep, stretching, emotionally demanding work. The kind that leaves your brain feeling like it's been through a spin cycle!
We were exploring Erikson's stages of development, particularly the very first one: trust vs mistrust, from birth to around two years old. The idea that if something significant happens in that window, it can leave you with a deep, embodied sense that life might not be safe or that things might not work out.
And man, did that land with me.
You see, something did happen to me then. I lost my dad. And sitting with that theory, I realised how much I've carried a quiet, underlying distrust that everything will be okay. Not loud or dramatic. Just a steady hum of be careful, don’t assume, brace yourself.
But here's what's been strange and oddly beautiful this week.
Some of those long-held beliefs are loosening a bit. It feels a bit like someone picked up my brain, shook it like a snow globe, and all the pieces have landed back down… in slightly different places. Like Tetris blocks rearranged into a new shape.
I'm walking through that gently and letting it settle. And, even though it's all new, it already feels like there's something joyful in that. In realising the stories we've told ourselves for decades don't have to be permanent.
In the middle of all this inner excavation, I also had an incredible evening on Tuesday exploring our relationship with social media alongside the brilliant Nick Whitnall and Professor John McAlaney. The conversation was open, raw and thoughtful – not about demonising tech, but about really asking why we reach for it, what we're looking for in those moments, and what else might be possible.
It reminded me how powerful honest, curious dialogue still is. Real humans in a room, actually connecting. Such magic!
And then – because life loves balance – my washing machine broke. Because of course it did!
So it's been a week of mending. Old assumptions, inner foundations, conversations about how we live.
And most importantly – appliances.
Here's the thing I keep coming back to: even when that early distrust gets activated, even when things feel wobbly or inconvenient or emotionally loaded – everything will be okay. Not because life is neat or easy, but because we repair and adapt. We get help. And we mend.
So this is just a gentle reminder, from me to you: it might feel testing – but it will be okay. One repair at a time. We've got this, friend.
Sending you so much love,
Cate x
Oh hey gang!
This week felt like one of those weeks where everything gets taken apart at once – mentally and physically!
So, to kick off, I had a psychotherapy training weekend. The module? Childhood and the Unconscious. And, yes, it was every bit as intense as it sounds. Deep, stretching, emotionally demanding work. The kind that leaves your brain feeling like it's been through a spin cycle!
We were exploring Erikson's stages of development, particularly the very first one: trust vs mistrust, from birth to around two years old. The idea that if something significant happens in that window, it can leave you with a deep, embodied sense that life might not be safe or that things might not work out.
And man, did that land with me.
You see, something did happen to me then. I lost my dad. And sitting with that theory, I realised how much I've carried a quiet, underlying distrust that everything will be okay. Not loud or dramatic. Just a steady hum of be careful, don’t assume, brace yourself.
But here's what's been strange and oddly beautiful this week.
Some of those long-held beliefs are loosening a bit. It feels a bit like someone picked up my brain, shook it like a snow globe, and all the pieces have landed back down… in slightly different places. Like Tetris blocks rearranged into a new shape.
I'm walking through that gently and letting it settle. And, even though it's all new, it already feels like there's something joyful in that. In realising the stories we've told ourselves for decades don't have to be permanent.
In the middle of all this inner excavation, I also had an incredible evening on Tuesday exploring our relationship with social media alongside the brilliant Nick Whitnall and Professor John McAlaney. The conversation was open, raw and thoughtful – not about demonising tech, but about really asking why we reach for it, what we're looking for in those moments, and what else might be possible.
It reminded me how powerful honest, curious dialogue still is. Real humans in a room, actually connecting. Such magic!
And then – because life loves balance – my washing machine broke. Because of course it did!
So it's been a week of mending. Old assumptions, inner foundations, conversations about how we live.
And most importantly – appliances.
Here's the thing I keep coming back to: even when that early distrust gets activated, even when things feel wobbly or inconvenient or emotionally loaded – everything will be okay. Not because life is neat or easy, but because we repair and adapt. We get help. And we mend.
So this is just a gentle reminder, from me to you: it might feel testing – but it will be okay. One repair at a time. We've got this, friend.
Sending you so much love,
Cate x
