Mind Growth Psychology

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Mind Growth Psychology

Dr Sarah Straughan
HCPC Registered Consultant Clinical Psychologist
Mental Health Service for mid to later life.

Supporting women 55+ navigating challenges and mental health impacts of ageing

Dementia support for families & carers.

12/01/2026

People often see carers as “strong,” “organised,” or “coping well.”

But what’s on the surface rarely tells the full story.

Behind the routines and resilience, I hear carers speak about ongoing grief, guilt, exhaustion, and the emotional toll of watching someone they love slowly change.

This iceberg is a visual reminder: just because something is hidden, doesn’t mean it doesn’t matter.
Your wellbeing matters too. Your emotions are valid. You don’t have to keep it all below the surface.

Put your oxygen mask on first.

If you’re caring for someone with dementia and want evidence-based support join my mailing list via the link in bio, or check out my resources for carers.

28/11/2025

Sadly stigma in mental health remains a key concern and particularly for ageing adults.

Have you experienced mental health difficulties as you've aged and felt reluctant to seek out help? or have you tried to seek help and found it difficult to access? let me know your experiences in the comments

26/11/2025

Have you been struggling with your wellbeing and mental health?

Many women can find ageing a challenge. There can be a lot of change and loss. Changes to our physical health including menopause, our bodies and appearance, changes to our roles and sense of purpose in the world.

These changes alongside the subtle messaging of gendered ageism within society and women can find ourselves struggling.

I'm a UK qualified and HCPC registered Consultant Clinical Psycholgist with decades of experience in age related mental health. The work I do is grounded in clinical training, psychological theory, evidence based research and models and years of experience.

Psychological therapy, is not advice and it's not life coaching. It’s structured, goal-oriented therapy based on what research and evidence shows us to help.

If you feel you need therapeutic support feel free to reach out via DM or my website.

24/11/2025

There comes a point where you stop living by other people’s or societies expectations.

You stop asking if you’re too old or if its too late. Start asking better questions like what do you really want? What matters to you?

It is your life, live it exactly how you want with no apologies

Do you live your life by your rules?

21/11/2025

Ageing can change a lot including your body, your roles, your relationships, how the world sees you… and how you see yourself.

And most of the time, either no one is talking about it or selling “anti-ageing” fixes like ageing is a problem that we can avoid, solve and fix (news flash - it happens to us all!).

Ageing Out Loud is a regular newsletter from myself (a Consultant Clinical Psycholgist with years of experience in age related mental health) talking about issues of ageing for women.

What you’ll get:
✔️ Honest reflections about ageing and mental health
✔️ Links to relevant research and articles
✔️ Wellbeing tips

The link is in my bio if you want to subscribe. It's entirely free and you can unsubscribe if you find it isn't for you ☺️

20/11/2025

It shocks me that it wasn’t that long ago (just 1975) when women in the UK couldn’t get a mortgage without a father or husband signing off. I mean WHAT?!?!

If we just sit and think about that for a minute and what message that sent. That we were not seen as capable, we were not trusted, we had no financial independence and we had little autonomy over ourselves and our future.

But, we moved forward. We still have a long way to go but look at where we are compared to that. We have built lives, raised families, held jobs, running businesses and we often carry the mental load of everything.

I think this shows how amazing and strong we are as women. So when society now tries to tell you that you’re “past it" or "too old" remember just how amazing you are and when not too long along we were told "you cant" and look at what we have done anyway....

Like this post if it resonates with you.

19/11/2025

Age and gender intersect to disadvantage women in the workplace. While women are living and working longer than ever, that longevity isn’t always met with respect or value.

Gendered ageism is a double-whammy of discrimination that hits women as they grow older. It can happen in quite subtle ways such as being passed over for chances of further role development, excluded from training opportunities, or passed over for certain projects. This may sit alongside comments such as “fresh energy” or “new perspectives” which unfortunately often mean younger and also sometimes male.

Menopausal symptoms can also be misinterpreted or dismissed, adding another layer of workplace stigma for older women. Sadly, research shows that women over 50 often feel undervalued, despite bringing years of experience and skill to the workforce.

Have you experienced gendered ageism at work? I would love to hear of your experiences! Pop them in the comments

13/11/2025

Feeling invisible with age is something I hear a lot from women I work with. This is a common experience for women in midlife and beyond.

Women as they age find themselves feeling dismissed, their confidence knocked, and are often left questioning themselves and their purpose.

That’s why I created ‘Invisible to Empowered’. This is a free workbook with tools designed to help you reconnect with who you are and what is important to you.

Inside you’ll find:
*Awareness and challenges to ageist stereotypes that you might have become caught up in
*Practical tools to rebuild self-confidence
*Prompts to help you redefine your identity and what is of meaning to you
*Clear guidance for managing the emotional impact of ageing

Strategies drawn from therapy models (not pop-psych nonsense)

If you think this may help, then download it today. Small steps can lead to big change.

Link in my bio.

11/11/2025

If ageing was redefined in society, what would this mean for women?

It wouldn’t mean erasing wrinkles or pretending to be 30. Would it mean respecting what comes with age rather than dismissing or looking down on it?

Would we as women feel valued and not in spite of our age but because of it. It would mean visibility, not invisibility.

I would hope we would stop treating ageing as a decline and start recognising that although there can be some challenges, it can also continue to be a time of growth, experience, purpose and value.

What would this mean for you? Share you thoughts with me below

10/11/2025

When we talk about retirement, it can often bring to mind a sense of freedom and we can lots of ideas and plans of what retirement may look like.

However retirement can be a real challenge. For many women, especially those who’ve spent decades caring, working, or holding families together, retirement can bring something unexpected: a loss of identity.

For years, your worth may have been tied to your role, productivity, to being useful, to being needed. Then one day, that role stops and this can feel like a huge loss in many different ways.

This can be a time when women can start to question who they are, what is their purpose and can feel lost.

Our roles can shape how we see ourselves. When those roles change whether it’s through retirement, the end of caregiving, or children leaving home our sense of purpose can change.

To make it harder, society doesn’t really prepare us for this. The message is that retirement should be blissful, that you should feel grateful. So when you don’t, shame and even guilt can creep in.

If you’re struggling with the transition, let us know in the comments, has anything helped?

08/11/2025

I love my role as a clinical psychologist and I view it as a privilege and it also comes with huge responsibility. People often put their trust in you at their most vulnerable and share their biggest and often most harmful experiences.

I take my job seriously and I ensure I uphold my values and ethics. Although the online world can provide so much knowledge and help I learn every day how there can be a different side to this, which often leaves me concerned and sad.

Here are 3 things (our of many!!) that I will say no to:

1. No miracles or quick fixes
There are no miracle cures for mental health and often no quick fix. Recovery from mental health takes a lot of work and can take time. Psychological support isn’t about handing out tips and moving on. It’s about working with those who are skilled and experienced and work according to the evidence base.

2. No distressing content for clicks
This one has really bothered me. it has left me sad and also enraged. I have seen many posts where people have shown videos and those in distress, at their most vulnerable times and often when people are no longer able to consent to this and this can also leads to people making profit and this leaves me uncomfortable. Please consider what you share - would this person want this shown to the world? Are you undermining their dignity?

3. Jumping on trends that might undermine dignity
Some trends are fun and light-hearted and that's fine. Others not necessarily. I have joined the online space to reach and help people beyond what I can do from sitting in a clinic.

Now maybe some may be thinking "oh give it a rest" or even I may be a tad boring but that's ok, I will take that. My values are important and keep me aligned to my work and practice which is always ethical, compassionate and authentic.

06/11/2025

Ageism can have a significant impact on mental health and wellbeing. Here are 3 reasons why:

1. Internalized Ageism and Self-Perception
Negative stereotypes about aging (e.g., being frail, forgetful, or a burden) can be internalised and adopted by us as we age. Internalized ageism is associated with:

Lower self-esteem
Increased depressive symptoms
Reduced sense of purpose and meaning
Higher levels of stress and anxiety

Studies have shown that people who hold more positive views about aging tend to live longer and report better physical and mental health outcomes.

2. Social Isolation and Loneliness
Ageist attitudes can lead to exclusion from social, professional, and even familial roles. As we age, this may look like:

Dismissal in conversations or decision-making
Loss of work opportunities or forced retirement
Fewer social invitations and reduced engagement

This can contribute to social isolation, a key predictor of depression and cognitive decline.

3. Access to Mental Health Services
Healthcare providers may underestimate or misattribute mental health symptoms (e.g. assuming depression is a normal part of aging). This leads to:

Underdiagnosis or misdiagnosis
Lack of treatment or access to treatment for mental health issues
Reduced referrals to psychological therapies

Many adults as they age often report seeking help is “pointless” due to internalised beliefs that they should simply “accept” how they feel.

Can you relate to any of these? Let me know your experiences in the comments

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http://www.mindgrowthpsychology.com/

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