As the song goes, let it snow, let it snow, let it snow. There can be a magical sensation for some associated with a blanket of snow that can appear to make people feel happy, particularly approaching the festive time of year. So, is there any science behind an uplift in mood brought about by
The psychology of snow days Read More »
Motivational interviewing (MI) is not a modality in itself but can be a very useful add-on when practicing integratively in counselling and psychotherapy. It emerged as a collaborative approach to promoting client change in substance abuse treatment centres from the 1980s. Miller & Rollnick, (2002) explain that it came about essentially as an alternative to
How motivational interviewing can be a useful tool in therapy Read More »
In a post pandemic world it can sometimes feel like there is no shortage of social opportunities for a night out, whether that is a celebration event or a weekend opportunity to party. However, over-indulging in alcohol or drugs on a night out can present many risks and hazards. You are at greater risk of
The dangers of taking it too far on a night out with drugs or alcohol Read More »
Some of the biggest assumptions in the therapy world can be misplaced. One is that there will be more effective therapy, if practitioners personally identify with the presenting issues, or mirror the profile of the person they are seeing. Self-disclosure, whether on the basis of lifestyle choices, sexual orientation or past lived experiences, is often
Exploring the need for clinical guidelines for working with people with kink interests Read More »
Anxiety, perhaps closely followed more recently by the word ‘trauma’, are words that can be commonly overused in counselling and psychotherapy circles. Anxiety is a term that is even more dominant in mental health settings when you look at the news. For example, the US Preventive Services Task Force, an independent volunteer panel of experts
How worry and anxiety can be helpful Read More »
Sometimes I wonder if there are increasing levels of anxiety around in a post pandemic social environment. Perhaps we got more accustomed to managing our environment when there were lockdowns and less people about in the course of everyday life. We might have become more relaxed working from home and perhaps felt more autonomous when
Living better with social anxiety Read More »
By embracing deliberate practice you could be able to apply key concepts in outcomes measurement to an understanding of your own personal performance in your practice, as well as develop your own personal learning project to boost effectiveness in your role as a therapist. You could apply the concept of deliberate practice to better navigate
How Deliberate Practice can boost your psychotherapy practice Read More »
The benefits of social media are many and include the ability to stay in close contact with friends and family, the commercial aspects of having access to a self publishing tool, enjoying direct contact with your audience and having a means to drive traffic to your website. The downside of social media, and perhaps Instagram
Addressing body image anxiety in an era of social media Read More »
This podcast is about immortality with Dr Shelley Astrof, originally from Montreal but now based in India, and asks questions such as does life end when the body dies and is existence dependent only on a body. Shelley is the author of the Knower Curriculum and Timeless Tales books and chapter contributor to Sacred Death, 25 tools for
Podcast: Dr Shelley Astrof on immortality Read More »
This podcast (see link below) is with Andrew Thomas, he of the Rainbow Map, who has developed a new adjunct for integrative therapists called Avoidance Theory. Avoidance Theory is grounded in neuroscience and evolutionary psychology. Accompanying slides to the podcast can be accessed here. Avoidance Theory connects with and supports Bowlby’s Attachment Theory by offering a
Andrew Thomas on the ideas of Avoidance Theory Read More »
