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Wellness

Managing Different Parts of Yourself

In this article we will highlight some useful models for working with clients’ ‘Parts’. Numerous psychological theory models seek to describe and explain the functioning of, the different aspects of our neurophysiology/personality and these in turn are used to explain our thoughts, emotions, and behaviour. Examples early on include Freud’s id, ego and super-ego and later on […]

Encouraging Emotional Intelligence in Counselling

For many people, emotional intelligence (EI) is an innate strength; some people can perceive, control, and evaluate their emotions with ease, while others require practice in this area. EI is something that everybody in our society ought to have; it’s the ability to manage emotions effectively and respond accordingly to various situations. This ability is […]

Grounding for anxiety: evidence based practice and practice-based evidence

Clients can, and often do, present for counselling in a mildly, or even highly anxious state and counsellors frequently use ‘grounding techniques’ for the alleviation of both acute and chronic anxiety. Here, we explore the techniques seen as most effective from an evidence-based point of view but additionally consider the thoughts of counsellors in practice […]

Self-Awareness, Emotional Regulation and Empathy

How accurately can you predict how you come across? Are you good at picking up how you are feeling and how this affects those around you? How well do you consciously know and understand yourself including your feelings, wants, goals, desires and motivations? Self-awareness is paramount to Emotional Intelligence (EI) and Emotional Regulation (ER) and […]

Dealing with the Lockdown Blues

Nobody likes being inside on a beautiful sunny day; but lately, as we’re sure you’ve noticed, some state governments – as well as some other countries – have been mandating people to do so. For some, this situation offers a welcome break from work, more time with their families, and other holiday-esque perks. For others, however, this curb on social interaction is proving to be a significant catalyst for mental health concerns. In this article we discuss the detrimental mental health effects of lockdowns, and strategies to deal with it.

Nature’s Effect On Mental Health

If you’ve ever been stressed, anxious, or just feeling a little blue, you know that it can be tough to find the motivation to get out of the house and into nature. But several studies have found that being in nature for even short periods of time can have a positive effect on our mental health. How is this possible, and how can we most effectively reap the mental health benefits that nature offers?

Busting Common Myths About Anger

Because it is so multi-faceted, misperceptions about anger abound, and the question arises: how shall we regard anger? How do we advise the client to think about it? Folk wisdom often would say that the best thing to do is just let it all out, but is it? Clients complain that they cannot control it, that the tendency to be easily angered is inherited, but again, is there evidence for that? This article expores common myths people tend to hold about anger, and factual statements following them that you can use to clarify for the client why learning to deal with problem anger is time well spent.

Strategies for Creating (or Destroying) Habits

In a previous article, we defined habits, looked at how they are formed (through the lens of Duhigg’s and Clear’s models), and then outlined the science behind them. According to James Clear’s Four Laws of Behaviour Change (2018), there are four steps to establishing a habit: cue, craving, routine, reward (Clear, 2018). This article is about how we turn the above steps into practical actions/advice that can help clients not only alter the way they do things, but also make the changes stick.

Enhancing Wellbeing in the Workplace

The morning alarm jolts you awake, and you roll over to swat the snooze button – just like that, Monday has come again, along with another working week. You mourn the freedoms of the weekend and drag yourself out of bed whilst wondering why your alarm’s tone is so irritating. “I need coffee”, you think. […]

Take the Mindful Path to Self-Care

Imagine a self-care strategy which relies solely on you. It can be done in a quiet space or on-the-go; it can take place individually or with like-minded others; and it can be flexible to your needs and circumstances. Furthermore, in a time when uncertainty never feels too far away, it is unlikely to become a casualty of lockdown or physical distancing. Within a working context, if utilised properly, this self-care strategy can enable you to become a better helping professional, as well as inform and improve upon your interactions and practices with clients. Welcome to the world of mindfulness.

Living a Mindful Life: Mindfulness Program

For quite some time now, many of our readers and students have wanted a Mindfulness program that not only teaches them about Mindfulness, but progressively helps them integrate Mindfulness into their lives for enhanced wellbeing. Well, we listened, and now we’re delivering! The resultant program is Living a Mindful Life. Living a Mindful Life This was […]

Dealing with Deception in Counselling

“You should always believe your clients,” said the counselling-training professor to the trainees, “and you should always disbelieve them”  It’s possible that that advice — confusing and impossible as it seems to be — is useful not only for therapists listening to clients, but to any of us listening to a fellow human being. Even […]