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.

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

05/11/2025

When I was younger remember people saying "time flies" when you get older and how right they were...one minute you're in your twenties full of adventures and plan and suddenly you've hit midlife or older and it feels like it happens in a flash!

I have reflected on myself when I was younger and I have to say I much prefer being older. Personally for me ageing has brought confidence, security, acceptance with a whole host of learning! Looking back I would like to tell my younger self to appreciate time, take every opportunity and becoming older is ok even good and it will be a time when you feel so much more comfortable in your own skin.

How about you? What would you tell your younger self if you could?

03/11/2025

Are you a woman in midlife or beyond adjusting to the transition of ageing?

Then head over and join my Facebook. Group: Thrive After 55

This is a group ran by me (a Consultant Clinical Psychologist) with years of experience in working with age related change and mental health. The group is a place where we discuss all things ageing - the good, bad and the ugly! It's supportive and a place where we don't have to sugar coat or hide things but be real.

If this sound like it might be something for you, you can find the link via my bio. Share this post our for others who might benefit from this group.

01/11/2025

I hear this one a lot. “Why would I pay to talk to someone when I can just talk to my friends?”

It sounds reasonable, doesn’t it? Good friends listen, care, and want the best for you. But therapy is something entirely different. Therapy is not just talking - this is a real misconception that I also hear from other professionals.

Clinical psychologists are trained to notice patterns, unspoken emotions, and long-standing ways of thinking and patterns of behaving that even you might not be aware of. We’re not giving opinions or advice based on our own experiences – we’re using evidence-based models to help you make sense of yours. We help you learn new skills, new ways to manage your feelings, to make links and sense of your experiences, new ways of behaving and stepping out of old patterns. This is all based on evidence based models.

Friends will comfort you. I’ll challenge you but with compassion and care to look at what’s really happening underneath.

Therapy offers boundaries, safety, and depth that friendship (no matter how close – simply can’t provide). You’re not burdening someone or worrying about saying too much. You get space to explore freely, without judgment.

Have you ever had someone minimise therapy as “just talking”? Let me know in the comments

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Newcastle Upon Tyne

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http://www.mindgrowthpsychology.com/

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