Octopus Psychology

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Octopus Psychology specialises in helping people recover from trauma, particularly experiences rooted in childhood abuse, neglect, or institutional harm such as bullying, whistleblowing, or boarding school environments.

Our in person and online services combine in depth psychological therapy, life coaching, and cutting edge neurotechnology to support nervous system regulation and long term healing. Whether you’re feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or burnt out, we tailor our work to help you move forward with clarity and confidence.

With over 30,000 hours of experience each, our doctoral level clinicians (HCPC registered) and Consultant Nurse Psychotherapist (NMC-registered, BABCP-accredited) provide a neuroscience-informed approach using clinical psychology, psychotherapy, coaching, and non-invasive neurotech tools such as NeurOptimal®, RoshiWave, and Safe & Sound Protocol.

Our work is grounded in compassion, confidentiality, and deep expertise in trauma recovery.

We offer complimentary consultations to craft the right therapeutic pathway for you, with flexible delivery via Oundle or online.

Enhance your emotional regulation, focus & flow, proprioception and sleep

31/10/2026

Why shouldn't we shy away from feeling frightened?

In this thought-provoking conversation, Michael Guilding explores the role of fear in our personal and professional lives — from the physical and psychological impacts of chronic threat, to how fear shapes the cultures of institutions like the Royal Mail, the NHS, and secure environments.

Key topics include:
• How our fear system affects relationships and organisational cultures
• The connection between trauma, fear, and physical health
• Why even warmth and kindness can trigger threat responses for some
• The importance of creating safe, supportive spaces for growth and recovery
• Practical advice for therapists, frontline staff, and anyone navigating fear-driven settings

Whether you work in healthcare, corrections, or any high-pressure environment, this episode will give you new insights into managing threat, supporting colleagues, and building a healthier workplace.

Find Locked Up Living wherever you get your podcasts or via the links below

17/10/2026

We are used to talking about our 5-sense perception – sight, sound, smell, taste and touch but did you know there’s another sense that’s just as valuable, possibly even more so in helping us navigate the world?

Interoception is the ability to detect our inner sensations. Our so-called “gut reaction” is part of this – our stomach can tell us we’ve eaten something bad, we’re excited about a date we’re going on or we will regret taking that job. It can help us make better decisions but also be more aware of our emotions so we can manage them better or guide us to be more authentic in our relationships.

Our ability to use interoception is so relevant to a healthy life that I’ve developed an app, CalmCore to help people hone this skill. I’d love to help people find out how valuable this skill is for themselves. You can find a link to the app in the comments.

You can also read more about interoception in the blog post I’ve linked to in the comments

15/10/2026

Why’s interoception so valuable? What other innate skill can help you regulate emotions more effectively, make decisions that are more aligned with you, increase your empathy, help you live a more authentic life and increase your ability to connect? Check out the link to Calmcore in the comments at

15/10/2026

Why's interoception so valuable?

What other innate skill can:
Improve your ability to self-regulate?
Help you problem solve and make better decisions?
Increase your empathy?
Increase your ability to live more authentically?
Increase your ability to connect and belong?

Some of us are better at this than others. Some of us have been encouraged to hone this skill whilst in other families, some people learned to shut it down.

That's why I developed an app, CalmCore, to encourage people to build and strengthen this ability. There's a link to the app in the comments

15/10/2026

Can we live more at ease if we wind back from modernity?

This conversation features Dr Rodney King, a martial arts expert, author, and scholar whose journey from government housing and homelessness in Johannesburg to international leadership coach is as inspiring as it is insightful.

In this episode, Dr Rodney King joins hosts Dr Naomi Murphy and David Jones to explore:
• How adversity and early experiences shaped his life and work
• The transformative power of martial arts, mindfulness, and embodied leadership
• Why success isn’t just about grit—and the critical role of community and support
• The pitfalls of “optimizing” our lives and how to truly reconnect with what matters
• Practical strategies for wellbeing, navigating modern challenges, and finding authenticity
Whether you’re passionate about leadership, mental health, or personal growth, Dr Rodney King's story and insights deliver valuable takeaways for all of us.

🔥 Ready to be inspired?
Look for Locked Up Living wherever you get your podcasts or via the links below. Listen now and join the conversation every Wednesday at 6am UK time!

14/10/2026

Locked Up Living is a podcast hosted by Dr Naomi Murphy and co-hosted by David Jones, exploring the challenges and solutions within institutional settings, especially prisons and healthcare environments. The show features conversations with a range of experts and thought leaders, aiming to uncover both the harsh realities of institutional life and innovative ways to support growth, wellbeing, and development.

In this episode, neuroscientist Sarah Turner joins the podcast to discuss the interconnectedness of the brain, body, gut, and environmental factors—particularly light—and how these can be leveraged to enhance wellbeing, especially within challenging environments like prisons.

The discussion covers cutting-edge topics such as photobiomodulation (red and near-infrared light therapy), the importance of the microbiome, and accessible ways to improve mental and physical health.

Key Insights
• The Power of Light: Sarah Turner explains how natural light and targeted light therapy can increase brain energy, reduce inflammation, and even improve symptoms of severe conditions like motorneurone disease, based on real case studies.

• The Microbiome and Diet: The podcast stresses the under-appreciated impact of gut health and prison diets on mental health, behaviour, and emotional regulation—highlighting simple, low-cost changes that can yield significant benefits.

• Empowering Agency: Regular wellbeing routines, including exposure to natural light and small dietary adjustments, provide individuals—even those in highly restrictive environments—with a sense of agency and potential improvements in quality of life.

• Accessibility and Solutions: Sarah Turner offers practical strategies for making light and nutrition-based interventions more accessible in institutions, emphasising education, simple environmental changes, and the use of inexpensive tools (like red clothes or flax seeds).

• Research and Integrity: The episode touches on the importance of scientific transparency and collaboration, and the challenges of bringing new wellness technologies to those most in need.

Who Should Listen
• Professionals working in prison, secure care, or institutional environments
• Healthcare practitioners interested in holistic and innovative interventions
• Policy makers focused on wellbeing in constrained settings
• Anyone interested in the science of light, brain health, and accessible wellness strategies

Join Dr Naomi Murphy, David Jones, and Sarah Turner for an engaging discussion packed with actionable insights, scientific discoveries, and practical advice relevant for anyone invested in improving life for those living and working in institutional environments.

Links below or look for Locked Up Living wherever you get your podcasts

Find new episodes every Wednesday at 6 AM UK time.

Save 20% on cerathrive via this link https://www.cerathrive.com/Living and enter discount code of LIVING20.

09/10/2026

We're beginning to get our heads round the scale of sexual abuse by men. What about sexual abuse by women?

This week's conversation features Ffyona Campbell discussing the motivation behind her long walks - the search for justice for girls sexually abused by nuns.

The conversation is powerful and shocking. Ffyona doesn't discuss the details of the abuse but focuses on the degree of deception and the barriers to justice.

Links to listen and read the transcript below

Naomi Murphy Ffyona Campbell Appreciation Society.

07/10/2026

AI – friend or foe?

On Monday I was lucky enough to participate in the wonderful educative and thought-provoking AI and Psychology summit curated by Esther Cole and Aisha Tariq (assisted by Matt Allen).

I’ve been following discussions about AI with much interest and it was so good to participate in an event which, rather than scaremonger, offered genuine insight and advice from a wide range of professionals with different perspectives.

My own paper positions AI as an opportunity for us to get back to doing the things that really count in therapy. Since the mid 1990s and the import of neoliberalism and managerialism ideals into psychology, it seems to me, that we’ve drifted away from what really matters in therapy and increasingly focused on manuals and technique at the expense of the relationship. The more manualised the approach we adopt in therapy, the easier it is to replace us. What research has repeatedly shown over many decades is that what really counts in therapy is the relational skills of the therapist and the ability to be truly present with our clients.

So, what does AI mean for therapy? I believe AI is giving us a gift. In a world where we are more disconnected than ever, now is the time that cultivating our sense of authentic presence and recognising our ability to sit relationally, human to human, is at a premium. In AI delivered therapy, silence is deadness not a pregnant pause or a frozen one; there is little scope for rupture, repair and growth with a sycophantic mirror and the urge to hide that accompanies shame is never confronted.

My own foray into the more useful side of AI has been the development of CalmCore an app to encourage the development of interoceptive awareness – a skill that is implicated in improved affect regulation and increased authenticity. You can find a link below

You can still watch the day on catch up via the link in the comment. It includes contributions from Winnie Akadjo, Jo Desborough, Clare Veal, Natalie Scott and Dr Rima Lamba

28/09/2026

In the latest compelling episode of the Locked Up Living podcast, hosts David Jones and Dr Naomi Murphy are joined by Dr Elly Hanson, clinical psychologist and strategy director at CEASE (Centre to End All Sexual Exploitation) and research lead at Fully Human. The episode dives deep into the commercial and cultural forces driving sexual exploitation and abuse, focusing on the influence of the po*******hy industry, the challenges of advocating for change in the face of powerful interests, and the personal and professional toll of working in this demanding field.
Dr Elly Hanson shares candid reflections on what it means to tackle deeply entrenched societal problems, the importance of collective action, and the need to uphold hope and integrity even when faced with resistance and setbacks. The conversation also explores the concept of post-traumatic growth, the dangers of bureaucratic indifference, and the power of literature and philosophy to sustain resilience.

Key highlights include:
• How commercial interests shape unhealthy sexual scripts in society
• The challenges of protecting children and societal responses to harmful content
• The emotional and ethical complexity of working with trauma and abuse
• Reflections on resilience, compassion fatigue, and remaining human in challenging systems
• Signs of societal progress: New laws and shifts in attitudes around online abuse and regulation
• Personal strategies for staying hopeful, inspired, and connected despite adversity—including poetry and collective effort
If you work in social care, education, or just care about social justice and the future of our digital society, this is an unmissable episode packed with insight, honesty, and hope.

🔗 Listen now and join the conversation every Wednesday morning at 6am UK time. Find us wherever you get your podcasts or via the links in the comments

28/09/2026

On Sunday 18 October, Physis Oundle comes to The Talbot Hotel – a one-day wellbeing festival exploring the art and science of human flourishing. The future of wellness, without the woo.
If you work with trauma, anxiety or the nervous system, here's what's worth the trip:

🔹 Metaphor and the capacity to think – Dr Libby Nugent, Clinical Psychologist and Group Analyst, leads a reflective, interactive workshop using Sleeping Beauty as a lens on what happens to our minds under pressure. A chance to go deeper into symbolic thinking and how myth can hold what's hard to say directly.
🔹 Family Constellations – Richard Buckworth offers an experiential introduction, with live demonstrations of how generational patterns show up in the present.
🔹 Hypnosis for anxiety – Laura Alexander, clinical hypnotherapist, explains how anxiety works and what feeds it, then leads a live group hypnotherapy session so you can experience the approach from the inside.
🔹 Somatic movement – Nahid de Belgeonne, author of Soothe, guides a live somatic yoga class on why the body can't switch off (limited spaces, add £15 at booking).
🔹A grounding workshop with expert in Functional Neurological Disorder expert, Kerryn Withers Green
🔹 The Discovery Zone – try technologies designed to calm the nervous system, including NeurOptimal® neurofeedback, RoshiWave™ light and sound, Neurox and Sona.

A rare chance to experience, first-hand, approaches your clients may be asking about – and to spend a day with colleagues who care about the same things.

📍 The Talbot Hotel, Oundle
🗓 Sunday 18 October, 9am–5pm
🎟 £70 – all talks, workshops and the Discovery Zone

Book at www.physisoundle.com

Elaina Smith Coaching Oundle Business

Address

#4, The Courthouse, Mill Road, PE8 4BW
Oundle
PE84BQ

Telephone

07771732104

Website

http://Octopuspsychology.com/

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