Taking Clinical Psychology out of the therapy room and into the pages of books
A book blog from the perspective of a Clinical Psychologist
Using psychological formulation to explore character and story
Posts
Join me as I journey through literature as a Clinical Psychologist. Here I explore some of my favourite characters from fiction using tools from psychological assessment and therapy.
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This summer I had the chance to attend the Edinburgh International Book Festival. I’ve been numerous times over the years but this time was my first with a media/ press pass. With this golden ticket, I was able to take in some wonderous events. This has truly been a highlight of my bookish journey so…
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Thank you so much for the nominations for Creative Excellence and the Book Blogger of the Year for the UK Book Blogger Awards 2025. https://www.thebookparty.co.uk/uk-book-blogger-awards I pride myself on trying to bring something different to the book review and blogging community – combining my love of psychology and books. I love taking a deep dive…
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Meet Ouse, Firth and The Father Please note, this article contains spoilers for the novel. Michael Pedersen’s highly anticipated debut novel, Muckle Flugga, launched into the literary world in May 2025. Published by Faber, the book is remarkable and Pedersen’s lyrical prose leap from the pages. In the two weeks since its release, the book…
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What would you do if each morning, when you wake up, the day has reset, and you are forced to relive the 18th of November again and again? A seemingly endless time loop. You confide in your partner, parents and friends but each new day, they forget the conversation and you need to start again.…
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Garrett Carr’s debut adult novel, The Boy from The Sea landed on the literary shore, much like the book’s protagonist, Brendan Bonnar: unexpected, mysterious, packed full of heart and special. The book is a marvel, an intimate tale of a family and small rural community in a fishing village in the west coast of Ireland. …
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A giant of Scottish fiction, Trainspotting by Irvine Welsh, was released in 1993. It tells the story of Mark Renton and his friends in 1980s Edinburgh as they navigate through heroin addiction, violence, brittle friendships, the emerging HIV epidemic and high stakes drug deals. (Please note this psychological portrait contains spoilers for the book) Through…
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Please note this article contains spoiler for Juno Loves Legs. Juno Loves Legs is a beautiful and devastating novel with so much heart. It tells the tale of Juno, an incredibly resilient and strong young girl growing up in 1980’s Dublin. It’s a love story of friendship between Juno and Legs. Two outsiders, who fight…
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Please note: This article contains spoilers for Caledonian Road. Caledonian Road is the latest novel from Booker Prize nominated author Andrew O’Hagan. It is a book of epic proportions, with a host of principal characters who are all part of a complex and interconnected web. Campbell Flynn is at the centre of the novel and…
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In February, I had the pleasure of watching Two Sisters, a new play written by David Greig and directed by Wils Wilson. Starring Jess Harwick, Shauna MacDonald and Erik Olsson, it ran at the Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh from 10th February to 2nd March 2024. Please note this post contains spoilers for Two Sisters. The…
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A reflection on reading, Compassion Focused Therapy, and taking psychological formulations out of the therapy room and into understanding literary characters A Guest blog post written for balancedminds.com I’m very proud to have been able to contribute to the Compassion Focused Therapy blog for Balanced Minds. It was a chance to step back and reflect…
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