This month, the UK government announced £300million funding for the provision of mental health interventions in schools and colleges. Funding for mental health resources are always a good thing - as is this. However, I would suggest that before schools and colleges go rushing off to … [Read more...]
Footballer’s behaviour revisited
Since the Saville abuse enquiry, we know how abuse can be "hidden in plain sight" and we know now how prevalent it is across society. We also know how damaging it was to those affected by it - both physically and mentally, often causing irreversible mental health problems. The latest revelations … [Read more...]
Suppression is a natural state
According to the Study of Adult Development by Psychiatrist George Vaillant: "Of all the coping mechanisms - suppression alters the world the least and best accepts the terms life offers".George Vaillant The very word "suppression" in a positive context would, I imagine, send a shiver down the … [Read more...]
Rylan Clark And Paula Hamilton – The Road To Self-Awareness
Because I am very interested in people and, in particular, the behaviour of people in the context of group dynamics, I can not help but tune in at some point to the Big Brother TV Series on Channel 5. Currently, the "celebrity" edition of Big Brother is on air and along with many of my colleagues … [Read more...]
Wellness starts with a little direction………..
I am delighted to see that Wellness, Self-Care, Self-Management are the current buzzwords for health and recovery right now. It was a long time coming but its good to see an acknowledgement that it is the individual who knows their life best and, in that, knows what doesn't work for them and what … [Read more...]
Early Intervention – a luxury when its Universal but essential when its Targeted
Early Intervention has been a buzz-word in social care for some years and is again a focus of central government. The definition however, is understood differently by a whole range of professionals. A Report from C4Eo and the Association of Director of Children's Services defined Early … [Read more...]
How to get people to talk about themselves
Because the word "therapy" is attached to the model I use, I am often asked by people, outside of my field, how I get people to talk about their problems. I usually respond with a screwed up face: getting people to talk about their problems is not my aim. Encouraging people to answer questions … [Read more...]
The man from the Salvation Army…….
Yesterday morning I answered the telephone and a woman said "I'm trying to find a Befriender - do you still do this?" I asked whether she had the wrong number and she explained that she had found us on the internet connected to a Mental Health Befriending Service in London but she thought it … [Read more...]
You really do only get 4,000 weeks in a lifetime, so you may as well do something…
I recently tweeted that, as a guest speaker, I had offered a Positive Action speech instead of the Positive Thinking request that I was asked for. I was asked "surely the thinking comes first?" I disagree: we struggle to achieve change as individuals because, of course, the subconscious usually … [Read more...]
Miss McCloughlan, The Tea Set and Uncle Jimmy’s Cardigan
This weekend saw two festivities: St Patrick's Day and Mothers Day. So - after a quick sobering raw egg on Sunday morning, I adopted the personna of the dutiful (and truly grateful) daughter in the morning to see my mother and then switched to "matriarchal" mindset for my family's visit in the … [Read more...]
