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Information & Advice From CounsellorsIf you're interested in an article below and want to find out more about that particular counsellor, simply click on their name to be taken through to their full profile. August 18th, 2008 by Greg Madison Ph.D. A View of Therapeutic Practice Counselling, Psychology, PsychotherapyBelow are some views about psychotherapy. This is presented in the interests of instigating dialogue and is not meant to adequately describe my way of working to potential clients; although I think it does say something about my general approach to practice. A philosophy of therapeutic practice 'Psychotherapy', 'Counselling', and 'Counselling Psychology', are all various terms referring to the professional practice of exploring human life experiences with the intention of helping, sometimes in unexpected and surprising ways. In many cases the various professional titles no longer indicate qualitative differences in client practice. I believe no one is an expert on life. I suggest that when searching for a counsellor, psychologist, or therapist, that a potential client might consider shopping around, navigate with their intuition in order to find a human being that they fee ... August 18th, 2008 by Greg Madison Ph.D. Existential Migrations and Globalisation Psychology Leaving home can be a traumatic and exciting experience, especially if we are leaving to live in a foreign country. Research into the experiences of voluntary migrants has unexpectedly revealed that some of these people are actually using migration to express a deeply felt existential need. These ‘existential migrants’ discover more about themselves and feel more alive when confronting unfamiliar cultures. But by repeatedly exposing themselves to a vast range of different people and foreign places they can consequently end up living with a feeling of not being at home anywhere.Alan is an executive in a large banking firm in the City of London. Six years ago as a recent business graduate, he left his native Maryland to ‘seek his fortune’. After a year in New York and two years in the Netherlands, he arrived in London where he’s worked for the past three years. When I first met Alan he presented as an intelligent, curious and ambitious young man with a passion for travel. He was ... August 18th, 2008 by Greg Madison Ph.D. Focusing and working with a dying patient (Published in The Focusing Connection, 2003)*Focusing is a natural way of being with our own experience, patiently, until it becomes more clear. Information on Focusing can be found at www.focusing.org Unbeknownst to most clients, psychotherapy remains governed by many theories and boundary ‘rules’, the actual purpose of which may be to protect the therapist from his or her own anxiety . In this short piece, an existential therapist uses Focusing to attempt to remain open to the difficult experience of being with a dying client. Through this example of his work in an acute hospital setting, Greg suggests that Focusing can be a crucial aspect of redefining therapy as a human relationship rather than an expert one. The medical and nursing team called me to meet Loyola, a patient who was refusing to accept her terminal diagnosis and return home. Walking onto the ward I became aware of a nervous feeling in my stomach. Although feeling nervous ... August 14th, 2008 by Toby Ingham The Dangers of Alcohol Misuse Alcohol misuse is a serious problem. A successful 40 year-old man is in trouble at home. His wife is threatening to divorce him if he doesn’t get his drinking under control. She has told him to go to Alcoholics Anonymous but he doesn’t want to. Drinking has been a big part of his life for the last twenty years, part of his business culture and his social life.Privately he knows that his drinking is taking its toll. He has made mistakes at work, work is more pressured these days and he doesn’t want to stand out as a liability. He’s been scared by repeated memory losses which make him feel guilty and ashamed because he can’t remember what he’s done, and he’s becoming more anxious about what people are saying about him. He knows things are difficult at home, he’s been losing his temper with his wife and two daughters. He is frustrated by not knowing what is causing these problems, but he is caught up in a spiral, he gets frustrated so he drinks, he drinks and he g ... August 13th, 2008 by Centre For Counselling Training & Therapy How Relationship Counselling Can Assist Couples Most relationships experience a time of uncertainty and confusion. Couples may look at each other and think, “You are just not who I thought you were!” Or they may look at their partner and think, “Why on earth did I end up with you?” All these doubts and anxieties in a relationship can lead to couples feeling very alone and fearful about their future together. Some times at this point they may decide to embark on an affair or take up a new hobby or pastime that creates distance between them and their partner. However they could also seek support from a couple’s therapist! Coming into couple counselling at this stage of the relationship could enable them to discover a different way of being together. As living entities partnerships have a life death cycle, which evolves about every seven years. And like all living things relationships will also be subject to ‘dis ease’ and ill health! At this point a third party may help the couple to examine the dynamic they create! As human beings we ...August 8th, 2008 by Andrew Richardson Depression and our Dreaming Brain Tonight you will dream, even if you don’t remember doing so. Your brain will act out in story-like form the hopes, fears and reflections that occupied your mind today. Today’s concerns are tonight’s dreams. In simple terms, dreaming is our brain’s emotional flush toilet. This extraordinary process refreshes our emotional brain, leaving it better prepared to deal with tomorrow’s stresses.Today’s worries are tomorrow’s depression. The cycle of depression becomes established in the following manner. The process usually begins when some circumstance or event in the environment triggers an increase in worry. Examples may be the birth of a baby, loss of a job, changing circumstances like a new school or university, or the feeling of overwhelm related to stress at work or home. The person spends large amounts of time focussing inwards on their problems. This leads to a huge increase in emotional arousal. When the person sleeps at night there is a massive increase in dre ... August 8th, 2008 by Andrew Richardson Terror in the Brain - PTSD Post traumatic stress disorder. (PTSD)Once known as shell shock, or battle fatigue syndrome, because of the enormous incidence of this condition in association with soldiers and victims of war, it is now understood that a far wider section of the community is affected by this terrifying condition. When a person is exposed to a traumatic event where there is a perception of threatened death or serious injury, either to self or others and where the person’s response involved fear, helplessness, horror or, as is often the case with children, disorganised or agitated behaviour, it is likely that a up to 25% of people will develop the symptoms of PTSD. These symptoms may include recurrent intrusive thoughts of the event, flashbacks, hallucinations or nightmares. The person may feel as though he is reliving the experience on a regular basis and the fight and flight response may be fired off very easily by the least stimulus that in some way is connected, however remotely, wit ... July 31st, 2008 by Ian Beardsall When bulimia is in our lives we are not just dealing with food and weight issues. When bulimia is in our lives we are not just dealing with food and weight issues.There are underlying concerns that drove us to focus on food and body initially. Many of us have feelings of low self-worth, and a strong need to control emotions and surroundings. We experience escalating cycles of binging and purging in our attempt to feel in control of our lives. Binges distance us with an external sense of safety. The purges help us to regain a sense of control over our body and behaviours. That sense of control comes at a high price however, as we will ultimately end up feeling guilty and disgusted with ourselves for binging and purging and we still haven’t solved the problem that led us to binge and purge in the first place. The majority of those with bulimic behaviour are secretive about the cycle of binge, purge, shame, and guilt. They struggle with feelings of self hatred, blame, low self-worth, loneliness, and fear of failure. Those who struggle with bulimi ... July 25th, 2008 by Georgina James MBACP Panic Attacks Panic attacks belong to a family of anxiety disorders like Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PSTD) and Phobias. A panic attack occurs when a high level of anxiety causes adrenalin to produce severe symptoms reaching a peak in minutes.Panic attack symptoms can include chest pains, nausea, breathlessness, pounding heartbeat, and even a fear of dying. The effects of panic attacks continue long after an attack, and sufferers live in fear of the next one. Panic attacks can seriously impact the way a person lives their life by limiting what they do or where they go as they attempt to avoid situations that trigger the attack. We all experience fear or anxiety from time to time and often there is a real reason why we are afraid or anxious and we still feel in charge. However, when the fear or anxiety is triggered arbitrarily, the experience is sudden and overwhelming; the sufferer of the panic attack is so distressed they feel ... July 12th, 2008 by Howard Widdicombe BSC (Hons) Behavioural Science; Post Grad Dip. Psychotherapy; UKCP Reg. Humanistic Psychotherapy Humanistic psychotherapy seeks to explore and promote a holistic understanding of people. It has relevance for people, both as individuals and communities (domestic, social and work related) as well as for the larger society and culture within which we all interact.Working with a wide-lens and multi faceted vision leads to the study and understanding of people in their entirety. People are seen as whole beings made of many interacting parts, for example: body, feelings, thoughts, senses, imagination and spirit. The whole is seen not only as more than the sum of the parts but by exploring the nature, action and interaction of the many parts Humanistic Psychology offers a deeper understanding of what it is to be human than approaches which focus more narrowly. Indeed, Humanistic Psychology can include and integrate such approaches. This broad perspective is allied with an understanding of human potential which is both positive and facilitative. Read the whole article » Counselling Directory is not responsible for the content produced by counsellors |
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