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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Join me as I talk through my recent psychological portrait of Bill Furlong, from Claire Keegan’s Small Things Like These (Faber Books). In this video, I briefly present my formulation of Bill to accompany my psychological portrait. I have used a Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT) based approach to consider the events that have shaped Bill…
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I wouldn’t consider myself the quickest of readers. I rarely read a book these days without my pen and notebook to hand, ready to note down anything significant that could be relevant for a psychological exploration. Approaching reading with a more curious and considered approach like this can prolong my time spent reading a book. …
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At the start of 2023, I had the opportunity to contribute to Poor Things: A Novel Guide, an exciting project from The Alasdair Gray Archive. The project is a celebration of Alasdair Gray’s work which gives audiences the opportunity to explore the book through essays, videos and creative responses. The digital project is timely as…
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As a fan of the films of Darren Aronofsky, I greatly looked forward to seeing The Whale. Like most, I watched with delight as Brendan Fraser was thrust back into the limelight and the hearts of audiences around the world, for his portrayal of Charlie, the protagonist at the centre of the story. The Whale…
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In Karen Campbell’s Paper Cup, we meet Kelly, who is homeless and living on the streets of Glasgow. During our time with Kelly, we join her on her journey home to Galloway. Any pre-conceptions that a reader may have of someone who is homeless are promptly challenged by Karen Campbell’s gripping and tender writing. Throughout…
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*This posts contains spoilers for Mayflies* Mayflies by Andrew O’Hagan Andrew O’Hagan’s Mayflies is a beautiful exploration of friendship, life and death. It truly is a privilege to meet Jimmy and Tully on their journey through Irvine, Manchester and Switzerland. The first half of the book explores their coming of age as they make a…
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Merry Christmas from The Paperback Psychologist Charles Dickens first introduced the world to Ebenezer Scrooge in 1843. His novella, A Christmas Carol tells the tale of Scrooge a tragic, lonely figure who is bitter at the world and focused solely on work and wealth. We are given glimpses into Scrooge’s life from the three spirits…
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“I’m going to tell you something Wendy,’ she said. ‘People don’t like it when girls are a bit different because then they can’t fit them into the only image they have for them… But it’s important to always be yourself whether they like it or not because that’s the best person you can be. It’s…
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When I started this blog, I hoped that a handful of people might find it interesting. I’ve been so surprised by the response and particularly so when an author has got in touch about my interpretation of their character. This has been a real highlight for me and keeps me inspired to keep working on…
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*Please note, this post contains spoilers for the audio drama* The English adaptation of Chilean audio drama, Caso 63 by Julio Rojas was released on 25th October 2022. Case 63, a Spotify Original from Gimlet Studio, stars Julianne Moore and Oscar Isaac. Case 63, an audio drama Over the course of 10 episodes, we are…
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