Psychology Today United Kingdom: Health, Help, Happiness + Find a Therapist

Friends

The New Rules of Friendship: Navigating Modern Connections

Suzanne Degges-White Ph.D. on January 13, 2026 in Lifetime Connections

Here are 12 modern rules of friendship with tips for navigating digital boundaries, avoiding friendship burnout, and nurturing meaningful connections both online and offline.

Career

No One Asked, But You Delivered: You Pre-Interviewed Yourself

Anna Braverman Psy.D. on January 13, 2026 in A Mental Health Manual For Grad Students

A reminder to those of you currently applying for internships or jobs: It's the employer's job, not yours, to review your applications. Your job is to apply.

Memory

Is What We Remember True?

Samantha Stein Psy.D. on January 13, 2026 in What The Wild Things Are

Why we should cherish, but not fully trust, what we remember.

Personality

What Brings Out the Secret Snob in You?

Gina Barreca Ph.D. on January 13, 2026 in Snow White Doesn't Live Here Anymore

I'm a fabric snob. There are beer snobs, lipstick snobs, and gun snobs, to say nothing of wine snobs, pen snobs, and toilet tissue snobs.

Mating

Is Romantic Curiosity a Virtue?

Aaron Ben-Zeév Ph.D. on January 13, 2026 in In the Name of Love

Balanced romantic curiosity should seek understanding while avoiding harmful disclosures; sometimes, less is more.

Self-Control

Why Knowing Your Limits Can Be Your Major Advantage

Lixing Sun Ph.D. on January 13, 2026 in Lies and Deception

A stubborn accent taught me a surprising lesson: Biology sets limits, but knowing them can free you to grow smarter, speak clearer, write better, and win in your own way.

Anxiety

Hanging Onto Hope, Even in the Face of Disappointment

Mary McNaughton-Cassill Ph.D. on January 13, 2026 in Mental Health Matters

“I’m stuck like a dope with a thing called hope” is a famous lyric from the musical "South Pacific." But maybe in our uncertain world, hope isn't a crazy choice.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Surf Therapy for PTSD Recovery

Jaimie L Lusk Psy.D., ABPP on January 13, 2026 in Threshold

Explore how surf therapy uniquely supports PTSD recovery, combining sensory immersion, community, and graduated exposure to restore safety, joy, and connection.

A simple robe with a cheerful emblem will enhance the comfort and dignity of women undergoing breast cancer treatment.

Creativity

Adding Comfort and Dignity to the Breast Cancer Journey

John McCarthy Ph.D. on January 13, 2026 in The Innovator Next Door

During the stressful and uncomfortable treatment for serious illness, seemingly small things can have a profound effect.

Forensic Psychology

10 Things a Hitman Thought Before Pulling the Trigger

Sigifredo Castell Britton Ph.D. on January 13, 2026 in Emotional Origins of Violence

A prison testimony reveals the emotional sequences that shape lethal violence long before the trigger is pulled.

Pregnancy

Helping All Moms Survive Labor and Delivery

Vanessa LoBue Ph.D. on January 13, 2026 in The Baby Scientist

Between 2003 and 2013, the United States was one of only eight countries that saw an increase in maternal mortality nationwide. Here's why and how we can help all moms stay safe.

Mating

How to Use the '5-Date Rule' in Dating

Bruce Y. Lee M.D., M.B.A. on January 13, 2026 in A Funny Bone to Pick

You may have seen on social media different versions of the so-called "five-date rule." Before you take five, so to speak, and follow it, consider its rationale and limitations.

Gender

The World Is Progressing and Making Men's Lives Challenging

Gary Wenk Ph.D. on January 13, 2026 in Your Brain on Food

Once, white men had a sense of power and authority over their lives; things have changed.

Boundaries

Boundaries and Knowing What You Need to Show Up

Mark O'Connell LCSW-R on January 13, 2026 in Quite Queerly

Boundaries don’t end the scene—they allow us to stay in it without hiding, shrinking, or asking our scene partners to regulate us.

Imagination

The Fall of Imagination

John Nosta on January 13, 2026 in The Digital Self

When understanding arrives before imagination, something essential in thinking gets skipped.

Feature

The Happiness Mindset Shift

Chasing Happiness Is a Bust

Cognition

How to Recover From Messing Up

Alice Boyes Ph.D. on January 13, 2026 in In Practice

5 tips to help you recover elegantly from a mistake.

Play

How Serious Games Tackle Serious Problems

Simon Makin Ph.D. on January 13, 2026 in The Psychology of Games

Serious games harness the power of gaming to tackle real-world problems. Here are some examples aimed at three of the biggest problems facing humanity today.

Anxiety

Why Connecting With the Inner Child Feels So Challenging

Friedemann Schaub M.D., Ph.D. on January 13, 2026 in Empowerment Solutions

4 common mistakes we make with our inner child—and how to connect, nurture, and heal more effectively.

Relationships

What Happens If One Partner Pushes and the Other Pulls Away?

Leon Garber LMHC on January 13, 2026 in Perfectionism

The push/pull dynamic is a label for relationships where one demands more time and attention while the other remains hyper-independent. There's often much more under the surface.

Stress

Tools for Emotional Regulation When Life Hurts

Nan J. Wise Ph.D. on January 13, 2026 in Why Good Sex Matters

When stress overwhelms, our nervous system can get stuck in survival mode. Ventilation, acceptance, and small pleasures help restore calm and hope.

Self-Talk

The "Not Good Enough" Lie

Anna Katharina Schaffner Ph.D. on January 13, 2026 in The Art of Self-Improvement

What if the story keeping you stuck isn’t trauma or missing skills but the belief that you’re not good enough yet? Lack-stories drain agency but you can learn to break free.

Free Will

How and Why We Use, Downplay, or Ignore Evidence

Glenn C. Altschuler Ph.D. on January 13, 2026 in This Is America

What cognitive biases impair reasoning?

Motivation

How to Make a New Year’s Resolution That Actually Lasts

Lauren Palumbo, LMHC on January 13, 2026 in The Paradox of Strength

Most New Year's resolutions start out with high motivation and good intentions, so why do they always seem to fall flat?

Autism

Was Barbie Always Autistic?

Amy Marschall, Psy.D. on January 13, 2026 in Neurodiversity-Affirming Therapy

In light of Mattel releasing the first official Autistic Barbie, let's look at how Barbie has exhibited autistic traits since she was first released.

Sex

Patriarchy, Religion, and the Myth of “Real Sex”

Joe Kort, Ph.D. on January 13, 2026 in Understanding the Erotic Code

Therapists and society need to expand their definitions of sex, stop treating penetration as the goal, and affirm non-penetrative intimacy as complete sexual expression.

Health

How Probiotics Reduce Inflammation

Scott C. Anderson on January 13, 2026 in Mood by Microbe

Probiotics are microbes that pacify your immune system and prevent the collateral damage from an overactive inflammatory response. Here’s how to put them to work.