Scribblings of a Psychotherapist

#MondayMotivation This week's #MondayMotivation focuses on 'The Tricky Brain'. We often talk about this in therapy and counselling and it can really help clients to see that many of the problems they blame themselves for are not their fault: the old part of our brain hasn't kept up and presents us with all sort of problems. Basically, the hardware and software in certain parts of our brain haven't updated, through no fault of our own, making things quite tricky for us, especially when it comes to anxiety, worry, panic and stress. So, parts of the brains operating system, built to help us many 1000s of year ago haven't updated, yet we still live out lives according to that old, outdated operating system. If you don't update your phone or laptop, it starts causing problems over time, right? Certain parts of the brain are the same. However, we can't reach into the brain and tinker about with those parts that haven't evolved so well, can we? No. But we

IT CAN BE DAUNTING STARTING THERAPY OR COUNSELLING....CAN'T IT? Starting therapy and counselling can be a daunting and anxiety-provoking step to take for many. Whether you have decided to talk to a therapist for mental health concerns such as depression or an eating disorder; personal development goals, such as increasing confidence or developing assertiveness; or you are experiencing relationship problems, grief and bereavement, therapy and counselling can be very beneficial. It offers you dedicated time and space to talk through your worries and concerns and work towards any goals that you may have. Whatever the case may be, talking to a professional about some of the struggles you are experiencing is a great step forward. However, it can be daunting at times, can't it? This is ok - most people engaging with therapy, counselling or other forms of support will experience initial anxiety and hesitation. Part of therapy involves you and your therapist getting to know each other

''It's like a rolleroaster at times and I don't know what to do''. What it's like to experience anxiety and low mood, sometimes at the same time, from someone we have worked with in therapy (quote posted with permission). ''Sometimes I feel like I'm on high alert and constantly watching and anticipating something bad happening. I don't even know what bad thing will happen, it's just this feeling I get and it's awful. I feel sick, agitated, sometimes my heart races, sometimes I feel faint. I can't sleep well because I am worrying about stuff...it's not even important stuff either. My brain never rests, I am always planning the next thing to do or worrying about things that might not even happen. As I said, it's not just affecting sleep; I can't relax, I've noticed I'm more impatient than usual; I am eating more to comfort myself and I seem to be doing millions at thinsg at once. I don't even know why I feel

GUILTY! Who experiences guilt? Most of us do, at some point in our lives. However, some of us experience it a lot: me feel guilty about what we did say, didn't do, could have done and so on. Guilt can be in relation to ourselves or others. ' I feel guilty eating more than I should' or 'I feel guilty that I didn't do the chores even though I had a stomping headache' or' I felt guilty when I didn't work on that assignment for exactly 1 hour'. And so the list goes on....   But what is guilt? The Cambridge Dictionary defines guilt as: 'a feeling of worry or unhappiness that you have because you have done something wrong, such as causing harm to another person'.   Wiki also defines guilt as 'an emotional experience that occurs when a person believes or realises—accurately or not—that they have compromised their own standards of conduct or have violated universal moral standards and bear significant responsibility for that violation'.   The

  Reaching out for help and support isn't always easy, is it? Maybe you worry that your problems aren't big enough to go to therapy for. Maybe you think that whatever's on your mind will just go away one day, even though it's been there for a while. Perhaps you think no-one will understand or that your problems are too big enough for the therapist/counsellor. Whether your recognise any of the scenarios above or have other worries or concerns about reaching out for support, I just want to say that my team and I understand and acknowledge how tricky it is asking for support. We are here to guide you through this and go at your pace. As far as we are concerned, if you are experiencing some difficulty or uncomfortable situation in your past, present or future and need some support with this, we are here to assist you, at your pace, with understanding, patience, encouragement and support. How can we help you? * Want to reduce and manage stress, anxiety, panic, tension or pre

FOCUS ON.... EATING DISORDERS NOT OTHERWISE SPECIFIED: EDNOS/OSFED     Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (or EDNOS) is now increasingly known as OSFED (Other Specified Feeding and Eating Disorder) accounts for the highest percentage of eating disorders.    EDNOS/OSFED is just as serious and debilitating as any other form of eating disorder and needs to be taken more seriously.    Unfortunately, however, in our experience, this is often not the case and many are not given appropriate treatment or support (whether from family, friends, professionals and others) and the condition can deteriorte and even change into another form of eating disorder.     WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT EDNOS/OSFED? Then read on.....     EDNOS/OSFED is the most commonly diagnosed eating disorder in clinical settings. It has often been described as ‘partial syndrome’; however, in our opinion, referring to an eating disorder as 'partial' presents, in our opinion, several problems, namely that the client o