About Café Siller
Plain-English psychology, checked against the research, for the questions people actually ask.
What this site is
Café Siller publishes essays on why people think, feel and act the way they do, and what actually helps. The topics come from the worries people type into search boxes and write about in forums: making friends, saying no, comparing yourself to everyone else, feeling stuck between knowing and doing.
When a popular idea does not hold up, we say so. When the research is thin, we say that too.
How every essay is built
- 1. The pattern
- What the problem looks like, in the words people really use for it
- 2. What is going on
- The mechanism underneath, explained without jargon
- 3. The research
- What studies show, with popular myths marked as myths
- 4. What to try
- Small, specific things you can test this week
- 5. Sources
- Listed at the end, so you can check us
Who writes it
The essays are written by The Proprietor, a pen name. The writer is anonymous, trained in psychology, and not a practising clinician. They write in the first person and sometimes draw on their own experience.
What this site does and does not claim
This site is education, not therapy. An essay cannot diagnose you or treat you, and it is no substitute for a conversation with a qualified professional.
If you need help now
If you are in crisis or thinking about harming yourself, contact your local emergency services. In South Africa, SADAG is on 0800 567 567.