Sarah Gingell Ph.D.

About

Sarah Gingell, Ph.D., (MBACP, CPsychol) is a psychologist and counsellor based in Edinburgh, UK. She has an academic background in neuroscience, psychology and cognitive science, and her doctoral research focused on the role of the hippocampus in memory. She has a particular interest in understanding how to maintain mental health, and in the mechanisms of therapeutic change.

Recent Posts

What We Can Learn About Ourselves From BDSM

Internal conflict and self-judgment are often at the heart of strong judgments of others. The BDSM community can teach us something about self-acceptance and self-exploration.

Are You Struggling to Make the Changes You Want?

Stuckness suggests a conflict in our mental "management committee." Identifying and restructuring the roles played by conflicting wants and fears helps us move forward.

How Does Psychotherapy Change Our Brains?

Good psychotherapy produces physical changes in the brain that allow for better functioning, integration, and regulation of neural systems, especially when we are under stress.

Why Does Anyone Need Therapy?

Have we evolved to need therapy? Not exactly. But pairing an imaginative neocortex with a primitive, defensive limbic system, will always challenge us given modern world demands.

The Problem With Gratitude

Gratitude can undoubtedly make us feel happier. However, there are good reasons why gratitude can feel difficult or uncomfortable for many of us, without signifying ingratitude.

Brief Exposure to Junk Food Affects Appetite and Memory

New research confirms that even brief exposure to a poor "Western diet" impairs hippocampal function in humans, making junk food itself more appealing.

Why Your Partner Overreacts (And You Do, Too)

Is your partner driving you mad? Learn to manage relationship triggers this holiday season.

Con or Cure? The Tangled Science of Placebos and Drugs

Medicine has typically seen the placebo effect as a nuisance. However, belief and expectation can trigger psychological and biological effects that underpin healing.

Ancient Brains and Modern Anxiety

We don’t see the world as it is, but as we are—and we are prone to look on the dark side. Managing this evolutionary survival tendency can reduce anxiety and modern angst.

Can My Dentist Cure Depression?

Managing inflammation may be the key to mental health. Your dentist may be able to help, but reducing stress, and improving sleep, diet and exercise will also reduce inflammation.