The greatest threat to any country and its greatness lies not in the potential for violent attack, but in the gradual decline of individual character. With the anniversary of 9-11 approaching, let’s remember that you are the heart and soul of the nation, whatever nation you call your own.

As the latest media circus in the U.S. demonstrates, having some regret simply isn’t enough to make a person mend their ways; and important lessons can be gleaned by distinguishing between selfish, personal regret and genuine repentance.

Vilifying the rich has become popular. Yet a recent survey shows that wealthy individuals don’t feel rich despite their financial standing. What drives the rich to get ever-richer, and what does it tell us about the psychology of wealth?

Quite apart from the question of whether human beings in a deterministic world can be said to be free — and what that means for moral responsibility — the idea remains that we all have it within us to be more than just a slave to our fears and desires.

There is some evidence to suggest that ‘stress debriefing’ after disasters may actually increase the incidence of post-traumatic stress disorder. Are counsellors flying in from different cultures to those who have survived the disaster able to understand other kinds of coping strategies, or are they imposing their own models of psychological distress?

The ‘cuddly hormone’, oxytocin, seems to have a dark side, according to research suggesting that it only works on those who are within our own group. But does this say anything about our real lives?

Being an ethical practitioner of counselling requires us as therapists to take care of our own needs for nourishment so that we are able to offer a nourishing therapeutic relationship to clients. The risks of not doing so are potentially damaging to all of us.