Stay with the Feeling
I see it every week in the clinic, and I recognise it in myself. The moment a feeling squeezes, we reach for the exit. A new playlist, a new job, a new partner, anything to outrun the pinch of sadness, anger, fear or disappointment. Yet research continues to tell the same story, when we treat discomfort as the enemy, it grows stronger. Phones give us an instant soothing tap, employment websites promise greener offices, and dating apps offer the flick of a thumb to erase awkward silence. A recent multinational survey of workers under thirty found that one in
When Your Feelings Flash Like a Dashboard Light
I still remember the first time the oil light glared at me during a late-night drive back from a workshop. My pulse spiked. For a moment, I fixated on the bulb itself, annoyed that it had ruined a good playlist. Then common sense kicked in: the bulb was not the culprit; the engine needed attention. Over the years, I have come to realise that our emotional life works in a similar way. Feelings spark, pulse, or throb to alert us that something under the hood deserves a closer look. Psychologists Norbert Schwarz and Gerald Clore demonstrated decades ago that
When Love Turns to Hate: Why Justice Must Stay in the Courtroom and Not Online
As a therapist working closely with couples and individuals in high-conflict relationships, I have seen the full emotional arc of love, from intimacy and connection to disappointment, betrayal, and sometimes, rage. It is during these moments of rupture that serious allegations can emerge: domestic violence, sexual harassment, parental alienation, coercive control. These are not just theoretical terms; they are real, lived experiences; however, how we respond to them as a society matters deeply. In recent years, public platforms, from TikTok to podcasts to Instagram, have become the new courtrooms. Stories of abuse and betrayal are now often shared not
Stress at the Top
Why Leadership in Malta is More Isolated Than You Think We often picture business leaders as confident, driven, and in control. They make big decisions, move companies forward, and often carry the weight of others. But in reality, many leaders do all this while feeling deeply alone. In our recent research conducted through Willingness in collaboration with the Malta Chamber of Commerce, we asked a simple but rarely discussed question: Who is taking care of the boss? The answers we received revealed something striking. Behind the ambition and strength that define many Maltese business leaders, there is a silent,
Who’s Taking Care of the Boss?
Boss Under Pressure: Who Cares for the Leader? Over the last few months, my team at Willingness and I explored a question that’s lingered in boardrooms, HR offices, and clinics for years: Who is taking care of the boss? As therapists, psychologists, business leaders, and fellow humans, we’ve seen the toll leadership can take—especially in Malta’s private sector. So, we decided to dig deeper. What followed was a study that merged data collection with lived experience. The results were eye-opening. The Psychology Behind Leadership Let’s start with the kind of person who typically becomes a leader. Our data and
