We had a three day weekend on Gestalt Psychotherapy, which for me, proved to be one of the most powerful components of the course so far. The word gestalt is used to describe a phenomenon/concept in which the ‘whole’ is considered as greater than the sum total of all its parts. We initially started the […]
Gestalt psychotherapy Read More »
“Neuro-Linguistic Programming n. a model of interpersonal communication chiefly concerned with the relationship between successful patterns of behaviour and the subjective experiences (esp. patterns of thought) underlying them; a system of alternative therapy based on this which seeks to educate people in self-awareness and effective communication, and to change their patterns of mental and emotional
Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) for the counselling toolbox? Read More »
Yesterday I attended an information meeting on the Service User Network (S.U.N) in Wandsworth, which is a peer support service that aims to help people cope specifically with personality disorder and emotional/behavioural difficulties. The service aims to empower service users so that they feel more supported and less excluded from the community. It was insightful seeing how meetings are run,
I am currently undertaking research to evaluate the relevance of early life and psychodynamic ideas of unconscious communication e.g. transference and counter transference to transpersonal integrative psychotherapy. I am reminded how ground breaking the ideas of Freud was, how distasteful the language and ideas of Melanie Klein can be and how attachment theory is
What is the transpersonal approach to early life theory of psychological development? Read More »
A lot has been written about transference and counter transference from the therapeutic relationship between counsellor and client. Of course we do not approach people in any walk of life as a blank sheet but rather we ‘transfer’ what we have already learned from the past to the present. However, in psychotherapy it is
How big a factor is pre-transference in the therapeutic relationship? Read More »
I attended a weekend component of my course yesterday and today on family therapy and the use of sandtrays. It is generally held by those in the know that the birth of Family Therapy method occurred around the middle of the 1950s. It is, therefore, very recent. Previously all psychological problems were primarily seen as individual
Family therapy and sandtrays in Psychotherapy Read More »
There is a whole industry these days that is forever telling us to be mindful of what we eat and of the impact of food on our general well-being. Indeed blogs such as this one will also advocate the role of talking therapy in maintaining effective mental health. However, there is now good research
The role of nutrition in mental health Read More »
I have always thought that we are all a little obsessive and compulsive to a greater or lesser extent whether it is the checking and rechecking we do in our every day lives or the occasional intrusive thought that cause us anxiety. However, for some people the incidence of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) can destroy their lives
The treatment of OCD and BDD in the NHS Read More »
I have often wondered about the impact of role models in my life whether it be the role played by my parents, siblings, teachers, friends or other significant others. I have benefited from the insightful work of Alfred Adler, and his ideas about the birth order, especially since I am from a large family. My personal family constellations
Emulate those you admire but look at yourself when you starting resenting others Read More »
This week’s lecture was the concluding one on Transactional Analysis. Dr Eric Berne’s seminar group from the 1950s developed the term transactional analysis (TA) which described therapies based upon his work. This expanded into the International Transactional Analysis Association. While still largely ignored by the psychoanalytic community, many therapists have put his ideas into practice and swear by the effectiveness of
The only theory paper worth writing is how to cure patients Read More »