Octopus Psychology

Octopus Psychology 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

23/07/2025

🚨 New Episode Alert! 🎙️
This week on the Locked Up Living podcast, hosts Dr. Naomi Murphy and David Jones sit down with Jennifer Gibson, co-founder of the non-profit Psst! to discuss the harsh realities and high stakes of whistleblowing—especially inside the tech industry.
Jennifer brings deep insights from her extensive background in strategic litigation and advocacy for whistleblowers, including those exposing troubling practices in national security and Silicon Valley giants. From the challenges of speaking up against powerful tech corporations to the urgent need for collective action and systemic change, this episode explores:
• How whistleblowers face trauma both from what they experience and from the act of speaking out itself
• Why tech industry workers encounter unique risks—financial, reputational, and even physical—when they raise concerns
• The power of collectivizing whistleblowers for greater protection and impact
• The importance of comprehensive support, from legal counsel to mental health resources
Jennifer also shares the story behind founding psst, and what needs to change so that speaking up doesn’t require sacrificing your career, wellbeing, or safety.
If you’re passionate about ethics, tech, or social change—or just want to hear straight talk about holding powerful institutions to account—you won’t want to miss this conversation.
👉 Listen now and join us every Wednesday at 6am UK time for new episodes. Look for Locked Up Living wherever you get your podcasts or follow links in the comments

22/07/2025

Did you know the most prolific ra**st in Britain r***d men not women?

You might not know this because relative to stories centred on women as victims the crimes of Reynhard Sinega got relatively little coverage or discussion. It seems we really struggle to think about the plight of boys and men who experience s*xual violence.

Anyone who has experienced s*xual violence might struggle to reach out and talk to their loved ones about it. Yet connection is the strongest way to counteract the harm.
Let’s not make the s*x of the victim be another barrier.

This is why this project is so important and I’m so proud to be part of it. I’m working with former professional footballer Andy Woodward (whose revelations about prevalent s*xual abuse in soccer shocked the world) and award winning creative partners Sane Seven and Marius Janciauskas (whose photographs have graced the cover of The Sunday Times and featured in Time and Harper’s Bazaar), to draw attention to the issue of the s*xual violence against boys and men.

Five brave and inspiring men including Rafael Viola featured in this video have agreed to participate in this project. Rafael has spent years seeking answers and justice from the Vatican about the abuse he experienced in the care of Roman Catholic nuns and priests.

All participants and project leads are working pro bono but we need to raise money for studio and equipment hire and to make this exhibition happen. If you can donate the price of a coffee to support this important project that would be terrific. But if even if you can’t, please share the post and help us make this happen. Link to donate is in the comments

Thank you

22/07/2025

Last week on the Locked Up Living podcast, Dr. Naomi Murphy and David Jones welcome radiologist and keynote speaker Mitch Abrams for a mind-expanding conversation about energy medicine, the science of the heart, and the role of compassion in healing. Mitch shares his unique journey from traditional medicine to exploring quantum physics, consciousness, and the transformative power of heart-centred connection. Discover how science and ancient wisdom are coming together to revolutionize healthcare and why tuning into our hearts might just be the key to personal and collective well-being. Don’t miss this inspiring and thought-provoking episode! 💡💖

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

16/07/2025

💡 This week’s episode of Locked Up Living features Dr Mitch Abrams—a Canadian radiologist, educator, and founder of NextGen Health Ltd—on the transformative power of energy medicine and the science of the heart.

Mitch’s journey is truly inspiring. He shares with Naomi and David how his own heart surgery led to him shifting from a purely physical view of healing to a deeper, more holistic understanding. He emphasizes that our hearts are so much more than just physical pumps—they’re also glands that secrete hormones like oxytocin, and even contain neural networks that help encode our emotional energy.

One powerful takeaway from Mitch’s insights:
"When we step into our own heart, we can now begin to step into something much greater than ourselves."

He also highlights how integrating compassion, connection, and mindfulness can revolutionise not just healthcare—but how we relate to ourselves and each other. The science is catching up to what many traditions have told us for centuries: our thoughts, emotions, and intentions matter, and collective coherence can have tangible effects on wellness, resilience, and even global events.

As we continue to navigate challenges in modern medicine and mental health, perhaps it’s time to reconnect with the 'art' of medicine—deep listening, authentic presence, and leading with compassion.

🌍 Let's create a more connected, compassionate world, one heartbeat at a time.

Look for Locked Up Living wherever you get your podcasts or follow the links in the comments

12/07/2025

🎙️ This week on Locked Up Living, Dr. Deborah Jump—co-director of the Manchester Centre for Youth Studies at Manchester Metropolitan University and youth justice expert—dives into her fascinating research on boxing, masculinity, and violence.

Join hosts Naomi Murphy and David Jones as they explore the myths and realities of boxing as a tool for young people at risk, the appeal (and pitfalls) of using sport to address crime, and the complex intersection of trauma, identity, and violence.

Don’t miss this thought-provoking conversation! Look for Locked Up Living wherever you get your podcasts or via links in comments

09/07/2025

Is boxing a symptom or a solution?

I’m excited to share the latest episode of the *Locked Up Living* podcast, featuring Dr. Deborah Jump—Co-Director for the Manchester Centre for Youth Studies at Manchester Metropolitan University. With over 20 years of experience in youth justice, Deborah sits down with Dr Naomi Murphy and David Jones to unpack the complexities around trauma, youth violence, and the surprising role of boxing as a diversion for young people at risk of crime.

In this thought-provoking conversation, Deborah discusses:
- Why boxing is so appealing to young men involved in the criminal justice system
- The nuanced effects of boxing beyond the surface—challenging the idea that it’s a “quick fix” for youth violence
- The intersections of masculinity, victimization, and respect in both sport and society
- The health and well-being impacts of boxing—and its risks
- How gender and background shape people’s experiences and motivations in combat sports

Deborah also draws on her personal ethnographic research within boxing gyms, shares insights into policy discussions, and reflects on how her work connects criminology and psychoanalysis.

🔗 Tune in for a deep dive into youth justice, sport, and the challenges of overcoming institutional trauma.

02/07/2025

Parole. Could we make it work more effectively?

After spending 16 years in custody, many might think the hardest part is finally being released. But what if the real challenge comes after the gates open?

In David and Naomi’s recent conversation on the Locked Up Living podcast, we explored with Simon Scott what it really means to prepare for life after prison—how the narratives you create for parole hearings rarely match the unpredictable, complicated reality of life in the community. As someone with lived experience researching this for his PhD, he’s well-equipped to answer.

Preparation for release? It’s more performance than genuine preparation. You craft stories that tick boxes, demonstrate compliance, and show you’re “stable.” But walking into the world—navigating relationships, jobs, accommodation, the simple act of going for a walk in the rain—demands a different kind of resilience.

Here’s the lesson: True growth isn’t about learning to repeat the right lines for an audience. It’s about learning to adapt, rebuild your identity, and seek out support—often where the system fails to provide it. Real change comes from community, connection, and the courage to ask for help even when you fear it will be judged or withheld.

Organizations and people who genuinely listen to lived experience are rare—but they are vital.

It’s rarely a straightforward road, and support is uneven at best. But just as the compounding impact of a 10% mindset gets you to the top, it’s the small acts of adapting, reaching out, and reflecting honestly—not just for the parole board, but for yourself—that build the foundation for a new life outside the walls.

If you work in justice, social care, or support, ask yourself: am I helping people script for the system, or am I empowering them to write their own future? The difference is everything.

Look for Locked Up Living wherever you get your podcasts or find us via the links in the comments

25/06/2025

Sometimes the most profound lessons in life and work come from being faced with what we’d rather not see. Here’s what I mean.

Last Friday, Dr. Rachel Gibbons joined me and David for Locked Up Living to discuss the Assisted Dying Bill. She shared a poignant story about how people approach dying that causes us to stop and think

She recalled an account from a rabbi who accompanied over a thousand people in their final days. The rabbi noticed something unexpected: many people were ready to go long before they actually passed. But, often, it was the loved ones who struggled to let go. In some cases, people only “allowed themselves” to die once those around them accepted what was coming.
It’s a striking reminder that sometimes, the real work isn’t just in coping with our own fears—but in supporting others through theirs. Facing death, Dr. Gibbons suggests, is less about fighting the inevitable and more about collectively mourning, processing loss, and finding some peace on both sides. When families have the space to talk, grieve, and say goodbye, the end isn’t a catastrophic rupture—it can even be, as one guest puts it, “a friend in the end.”

It’s easy to focus solely on treatments, legislation, or the mechanics of the end of life. But the story reminds us that the human element—connection, acceptance, saying goodbye—is just as important.

Whether we’re talking about end of life care or challenges at work, so much depends not on technical fixes but on our willingness to sit with discomfort, to support others, and to have honest, emotionally-charged conversations. Sometimes, the best thing we can do is to be present and allow the space for resolution, even when it’s hard.

It’s a lesson I think we could use in a lot more places—inside and out of institutions.


Links to watch and listen in the comments

24/06/2025

Last Friday MPs voted to back the Assisted Dying Bill but it remains a divisive issue. The timing was incredible, on Friday David and Naomi were also unpacking what it means in a special “Locked Up Living” episode with Dr. Rachel Gibbons.

As a consultant psychiatrist and psychoanalyst, Rachel brought a wealth of perspective on the global movement toward assisted dying, the nuances between terminology like “assisted su***de” and “assisted dying,” and why these definitions deeply matter—for patients, families, and clinicians alike.

Some standout reflections:
🔹 There’s a worldwide reckoning with mortality—possibly intensified by the pandemic—and a growing desire to define what a “good death” means.
🔹 The debate over assisted dying is both emotionally charged and nuanced: “As soon as you start to engage with it, it unravels fantastically to complexity.”
🔹 The difference between su***de and assisted dying, and the critical need for careful safeguards, especially in vulnerable and disabled communities.

This episode is a must-listen for anyone navigating healthcare, ethics, mental health, or reflecting on how we, as a society, talk about the end of life.

Thank you Dr. Rachel Gibbons for sharing your expertise and candid reflections.


Links to watch and listen in the comments

21/06/2025

Are your children safe when they participate in sport outside school? This week’s podcast conversation might cause you to question whether you really know.
We spoke with Emma Webb whose forthcoming book details the abuse of children under the watch of British Gymnastics as well as other sports. Did British Gymnastics have the chance to take protective action? Are children safe even now, 3 years after the publication of the Whyte Review into abuse in the sport?

Links in comments to listen/ watch the podcast and order Emma’s book

18/06/2025

Do Inquiries into pa******le networks ever lead to increased safety for children?

Listen to this week’s powerful episode where Emma Webb shares her story of surviving abuse in British gymnastics and her journey to activism, healing, and advocacy with David and Naomi.
Emma’s courage in recounting not only her own traumatic experiences but also highlighting how abuse is systemically enabled within elite sport is deeply moving—and eye-opening. As she says, “these are human rights violations…ruining hundreds of children’s lives, all justified in the name of a sport that wants to retain its autonomy and yet doesn’t want to be told what to do.” Her call to redirect shame away from survivors and onto institutions and individuals responsible is an urgent one.
A few key takeaways:
• Abuse in youth sports doesn’t end with individual abusers—institutions, culture, and even societal myths about “Olympic heroes” all play a role in both perpetuating harm and silencing survivors.
• Parents need to be vigilant. “You can’t take your eye off these bastards, they’re so slick. Before you know it, you’re groomed as a parent as well.”
• Regulatory systems in sport are failing to protect children and survivors alike. As Emma puts it, “nothing’s going to change until it’s really fundamentally changed.”
• Education around safeguarding, both in schools and for parents, is non-negotiable.
• Healing is a long, collective process, but sharing stories like Emma’s is a powerful force for change.

Listen to this episode and reflect on how we can all play a role in making child protection a reality—not just an aspiration—in every area of society.

Links in comments to listen and order Emma’s book

16/06/2025

Abuse in British Gymnastics.

Its exactly 3 years since the Whyte Review into abuse within British Gymnastics was published. Has anything changed? Are our children any safer? How does this compare with other sports?

This week we publish a conversation with former gymnast Emma Webb who’s soon to publish her book Historic about abuse within the sport. As a survivor of abuse by her coach Brian Phelps, she tells Naomi and David why we should still be worried.

From Wednesday at 6am on all major podcasting platforms. Or follow us here for the link when it lands.

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