Catching Up – September 2024

The Last Three Months…

 

Welcome to this quarter’s update on what I have been up to since my last communication with you at the end of June.  A lot has happened since then and as the months go by, I make a note of things that I want to share, to “capture” what feels significant to “pay it forward” through this online platform.

As you know, I work with individuals and groups, offering therapy, supervision and development opportunities.  I am what I call a “lifelong learner” and for me learning is as much about personal growth, health and wellbeing as it is professional development.  Any experience has the capacity to teach and as time seems to move so fast, I want to share things that are impactful, to keep connected to myself and offer the opportunity for you to connect with parts of me.

As in all things, “take what you need and leave the rest” – my reflections are just that, personal reflections on things that have left an impression and that have stayed with me.  I hope that they might be useful for your own journey, learning and practice – both personally and professionally.

I would like to say that there’s been a clear focus or theme to the last three months, but that wouldn’t be true, so I hope that the subheadings might whet your appetite for things to TIN, which is an acronym for Test, Investigate or iNteresting.   Interesting means just that, it’s interesting but I will “park” it, it is of interest but not for action now!

 

Structure and Routines

 

I am curious, do you have a morning routine or are you more of a “hit the alarm, rush, shower, dress and grab coffee” type of person as you sprint out of the front door to dash to work?

In the 1980’s my first job saw me living on site of a large psychiatric hospital in Surrey.  So, the latter description was my approach to the start of the day, I was younger, had more energy and felt confident that I could adapt and adjust to what the day, job or my family needed from me.

Today, this approach has significantly changed.  I have had a career that has seen me working in different professions, working shift patterns and straight shifts across the whole week.  I have lived and worked in the south of England and the Midlands, working in the public, private and third sectors.  Now I work from home, working both in person and online, with the opportunity to work for large organisations, charities and privately which means I have a very varied working week and calendar month.

By nature I would say I am naturally a “night owl”, however as I have got older, I recognise that my day flows best if I am “up with the larks”.

Why am I talking about this? Well, I have been listening to the Huberman Lab Podcast and he was describing the science behind a morning routine.

Andrew Huberman, Ph.D., is a neuroscientist and tenured professor in the department of neurobiology, and by courtesy, psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford School of Medicine. He has made numerous significant contributions to the fields of brain development, brain function and neural plasticity, which is the ability of our nervous system to rewire and learn new behaviors, skills and cognitive functioning.

When listening to his podcast, the part of me that likes to complete self-assessment was keen to evaluate how many of the 10 suggested endeavors I engage with, either now or in the past.  I was surprised to find that I have engaged with all ten over the years and was equally surprised to discover that I still engage daily with seven of these suggestions and some days even achieve nine within my morning routine.  I have reflected further as to why I don’t embrace all of Huberman’s suggestions and whether this is more from a place of convenience or conscious choice.

I’m sharing a pictogram of Huberman’s routine so that if you were curious, you also can engage with this self-assessment.

 

 

Also, if you are interested in a deeper dive into Huberman’s work, you can check out his webpage and all the episodes, you will be offered a range of resources, articles and links that could keep your “inquisitive” parts active for hours!

https://www.hubermanlab.com/all-episodes

You can also sign up for his “Daily Blueprint” which offers information about science information, tools, and resources that will get you questioning your habits and considering new choices to promote your health and wellbeing.

NB.  I confess that I only came across Huberman’s work thanks to recommendations from you – so please do keep your recommendations coming!

Which modality is the most effective?

 

Last month I read this quote, attributed to Carl Rogers

 ‘There is one best school of therapy. It is the school of therapy you develop for yourself based on continuing critical examination of the effects of your way of being in the relationship.’

If anyone knows the source of this quote, whether it is Rogers or not, please let me know.

The reason I keep returning to this quote and the question of the benefits (or otherwise) of therapy, is because I have noticed how difficult it is for many therapists to prioritise their time and resources on CPD. Whilst I recognise we are all drawn to trainings that resonate with our own values, beliefs and experience, I have found myself feeling concerned at the pursuit of a narrow school of interests.  What I liked about the quote above is that it encouraged me to go within to reflect on what I think and believe about what helps healing in the relationships I have with others.  And what indeed has helped (and continues to help) me in my experience of the helping relationships I offer.

Which does bring me back to one of my favorite quotes by Carl Rogers that had me experience that “penny drop” moment when I suddenly understood the wisdom of the term “Trust the Process”.

CPD – Continual Professional Development

 

 

 

How do you plan and prioritise your time and resources seeking CPD? 

 

 

I love learning.  Whether it’s formal training towards a recognised qualification or CPD that builds on my understanding of a specific topic or informal learning through reading books, magazines, articles, social media or listening to a podcast. I love learning – unlearning and relearning too!

One of the things that I appreciate about the work I do is that I get to meet people of all walks of life with fascinating experiences and stories that they want to share, examine and better understand.  In doing this we both get to consider the meaning and significance of experiences on our health and wellbeing.

The reason that I reflect on this aspect of my experience is that it has an impact on my CPD choices.  Whilst I formally plan much of my CPD in advance, there is a lot that is “emergent” and comes about through informal recommendation, being lent a book, having an article shared with me or receiving a link to a new podcast.  It is these experiences that see me going down unexpected pathways into further learning.

This month, I wanted to share the recommendations that have opened new doorways into familiar topics, that offer a different perspective.

Neurodivergence

A friend lent me the book Unmasked, explaining that the author offers their personal experience and research into Neurodiversity and suggested that I might find it of interest.

Whilst I have attended various trainings and CPD events on neurodiversity and bought many books on this topic, this book has really piqued a deeper understanding in neurodiversity and offered a springboard for me to engage in different conversations with friends and family who would describe themselves as coming under the umbrella of neuro diversity, both from their own self-assessment and formal diagnosis from a healthcare professional.  If there’s one book that I would say has made a difference to me this summer this would be it.

If you like reading I would recommend you pick up the book, however if that doesn’t suit your learning style and you would like to find out more, I would signpost you to the following sources where you can read/hear about Ellie Middleton’s experience, work and community.

 

Trauma

 

I enjoy reading the work of Dr. Frank Anderson, I first came across their writings as his IFS Skills Training Manual was a recommended reading for my Internal Family Systems (IFS) level 1 training. Whilst I think his writing is incredibly accessible and engaging, it is the book  “To be loved” that I would recommend as a real “page turner” and one that moved me to tears of sadness, joy and appreciation for his courage in writing such a personal book.

 

 

Anderson’s webpage explains how this book “unveils the compelling and deeply personal journey of Dr. Frank Anderson, a renowned trauma therapist who bravely shares his own story of childhood abuse and dark family secrets for the first time. Despite his professional success and magnetic exterior, Dr. Anderson’s early life was a battleground of identity struggles within a complex familial environment, marked by a longing for acceptance and a façade of a perfect life that eventually crumbled.”

I would recommend any of his books, however, if you want to find out more about Anderson’s work on trauma, therapy and healing I would encourage you check out his website at https://www.frankandersonmd.com/

Or listen to his podcast  https://www.traumainstitute.com/podcast

Let me know what you think.

99 Exercises For Self-Discovery

Do you like interesting questions, rich conversations, journalling and developing a better understanding of yourself?

If the answer is yes, check out this website and article.  I thought it offered some great ideas for conversations, meetings with friends, teaching icebreakers and engaging with people from all walks of life.  https://www.thegoodtrade.com/features/self-discovery-ideas/?

Creative Counsellors

I was delighted to get the unexpected opportunity to attend a local event offered by a local member of the Creative Counsellors group.

I received a warm welcome and instantly felt at home, with my curiosity and creative parts keen to hear what the session “From the Inside out – therapeutic mess” was all about.  Cara Cramp who led the session introduced the meeting by sharing a video with Pauline Andrews (of Deep Release – Professional Training for Counsellors) working with an adult client, using the characters from the film “Inside Out”.  Cara then provided examples from her own practice, to support our understanding of how this might work when working both in person with clients and online.

There was the chance to use paints, cards, clay which we all sampled to experience what it is like to work with these mediums to work on the edge of awareness with our experiences and feelings.

 

 

If you are interested in developing your practice working creatively, I would recommend the following websites/resources for more inspiration and access to materials you can buy or further CPD.

Job Opportunities

  • BACP

Many of you know I work as a contract assessor with the BACP, assessing BACP accreditation applications.  I love the work I do there because I am employed to read about how other therapists work, learn and have expanded their practice since qualifying.  The BACP are advertising for two employed assessor roles and for a lead assessor role, if you think that you might be interested check out.  https://www.bacp.co.uk/careers/work-for-bacp/

  • Warwick University

Warwick are recruiting for a Psychological Therapist to join their team.  The closing date should is close, Sunday 13th October and the interviews will be held on 21st October 2024.  If you or one of your colleagues might be interested, check out the following for more information.  http://Psychological Therapist (101814-0924) – University of Warwick (tal.net)

 

Learning Opportunities – Professional and Personal Development

What’s on with me?

 

I know many of you have attended CPD that I offer, and I thank you for your support, interest and feedback about my events.   One of the things that I find difficult is promoting my offerings to a wider audience.  So, whilst I have information on this website and social media, if you can share any of the below with your contacts, I would appreciate it.

In October I will be running an experiential event on the “Inner Child, Family and Relationships”.  This will take place on Saturday and Sunday 19th & 20th October 2024.  This is a popular CPD event for both therapists and people who are interested in developing a deeper relationship with their “child” like parts within.  For more information and to book go to https://heliostestingdomain.uk/courses/inner-child-family-and-relationships/

Inner Child Family and Relationships -19th and 20th October 2024

In November I am facilitating the interactive “Working Introduction to Transactional Analysis”.  This workshop offers an individual the tools to learn about themselves and resources to be able to work therapeutically with others exploring ego states, communication and the “games” that we can get involved in when relationships and communication get strained.  To find out more or book a place go to https://heliostestingdomain.uk/courses/a-working-introduction-to-transactional-analysis/

A Working Introduction to Transactional Analysis – 9th November 2024

And something a bit different, I am going to facilitate a “Tarot School” which will be run on three Sundays in October, November and December 2024.  We will be hosted at the local Epicurean Lounge, which is an independent wine merchants and coffee lounge in Hinckley, who offer a range of accompaniments to wine or coffee, plus are hosting a number of different events and groups for the local area. https://www.hinckleybid.co.uk/businesses/epicurean-lounge

 

 

 

 

 

The three linked workshops will be informal, experiential and fun.  I will be bringing a condensed version of my three full day workshops, where I will outline the development of Tarot and how it became a part of culture and entertainment in many countries around the world.  This is for those who are curious and want to link their knowledge of Tarot, Numerology, Astrology and the esoteric with the support of useful resources and activities to build your learning and confidence in this ancient practice.  Equally, I welcome individuals who have no knowledge or understanding of Tarot and who may even have skeptical parts that aren’t sure how this practice could be used for self development or personal growth.

If you are interested in booking a place, then go to the Epicurean’s Facebook page to contact them to book your place.  https://www.facebook.com/people/Epicurean-Lounge/61554438068846/

What’s being offered by others locally?

 

Anna Zabaronski is offering an open group for bereaved siblings at Lifeways in Stratford.  Whilst the first meeting has happened, others can join and if you or anyone you know might be interested I would advise contacting Anna directly, details are below.

 

And finally…

 

If there are subjects that you would be interested in my developing for CPD events in 2025, do get in touch with your suggestions to me at anne@heliostestingdomain.uk or via the website.

I look forward to catching up with you in December, until then, go gently into the autumn months.

 

 

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