Hello Again
This is the first time I have shared the content I share via my “email contact list” on my website. It’s the start of a new beginning, to share my updates online, so that it reaches a wider audience. Do let me know what you think.
It’s been three months since I last wrote an “update” and asked for your thoughts, ideas and suggestions about what might be useful to you and I am delighted to share that you had much to offer.
Firstly, thanks for the feedback on my website, I appreciate the time you took to read and offer your thoughts on what you read, including a number of suggestions on how I might improve things for the “reader”. I have taken this on board and have made some changes and am continuing to work on other projects to develop this further. I was asked who had been helping with my website and I checked with Pete that they were happy for me to mention their work with website design and IT support. To find out more or get in touch with Pete check out his webpage at https://www.itkabin.com/
Here’s a summary of things that I have seen/read/watched or heard, that are worthy of a mention this last quarter.
Defining Emotions;
A definition that I received from “Intelligent Change”, (check out the website for their newsletter at https://www.intelligentchange.com/) that I have reflected on and returned to more than once is;
Wouldn’t it be amazing if this was taught in schools and was common parlance?
Health;
- Maybe it’s because of a greater awareness of aging, maybe it’s because of changes in my health but it was with a nod to ‘synchronicity’ that this blog dropped into my inbox. It’s a blog by Dr. Hyman, a functional doctor on something he calls “inflammaging” https://drhyman.com/blog/2024/03/15/inflammaging-the-hidden-cause-of-aging-and-disease/?_kx=4il7xl1p8Mjl3FcTO11PZNJmeKdalVjwnBwlJk8uWTA.HKMsXE If you are interested in what we and our clients can do to promote better physical health and in turn better mental and emotional health check it out.
- In a similar vein there is another article that Dr. Hyman shared on “Dangerous Foods for your Brain”. If you have read Chris van Talluken’s book on “Ultra Processed People”, then what Hyman is saying won’t be new to you, however even if you are aware of this area of work on diet and mental health, this article might be a useful link to share with clients. See what you think. https://drhyman.com/blog/2024/05/10/the-most-dangerous-foods-for-your-brain/?utm_id=longevity&_kx=4il7xl1p8Mjl3FcTO11PZNJmeKdalVjwnBwlJk8uWTA.HKMsXE
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) – Free Resource on Defusion and opportunity for CPD on Dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT).
Several of my supervisee’s have trained in the use of ACT and DBT – in addition to them sharing how they use interventions from these approaches, I have noticed a lot more CPD opportunities dropping in to my inbox about emotional regulation and supporting clients to return to the “window of tolerance”, which I think is something that many of us consider within our practice.
So, I thought I would share this quick read on “Defusion” which might be of interest to you or your clients. Cognitive defusion is described as “distancing yourself from and changing the way you react to distressing thoughts and feelings, which will mitigate their harmful effects. Techniques for cognitive defusion include observing a thought without judgment, singing the thought, and labeling the automatic response that you have.” If you would like to learn more about this, please read the attached “Five Simple Steps to Foster Defusion From Just About Anything!” By Dr Russ Harris, author of ACT Made Simple.
Five Simple Steps to Foster Defusion From Just About Anything
Plus, if your curiosity is peaked and you want to expand your learning about DBT, this site also offers other resources and access to free training. https://dialecticalbehaviortherapy.com/mindfulness/thought-defusion/
End of Life, Bereavement, Change and loss
Many of you know I started my therapy practice working for Cruse Bereavement Care and Age UK, where I was immersed in working with bereavement and grief. I then worked in the NHS with staff and realised how much all counselling work is about loss and change, so it’s not surprising that I am still interested in the research about supporting clients who face the end of their own life, or their loved ones.
Linda Machin, who I was fortunate to hear speak when I worked in Hospice Care over 10 years ago, developed an assessment tool for grief that was invaluable in supporting clients with bereavement. Her work is still getting used and she has done further research into the use and develop of assessment tools for use with clients (particularly useful if your organisation needs outcome measures or evidence for efficacy of practice and funding).
Linda Machin’s website offers information and free access to these tools to support work with grief if you register at her webpage. I was particularly interested in a tool that I haven’t used which is called “Attitude to Health Change scales (AHC)”, again it’s a simple tool and even if like myself, you work in private practice, if you are working with clients who are presenting with significant health challenges, this is a good springboard to deeper conversations about the impact of health changes for both individuals and their family/carers. To find out more go to https://mapping-grief.care/
The Value of Creativity
A friend shared this video with me, she is a retired therapist and has felt she “lost” some of her value, purpose, and identity in embarking upon retirement. She, a group of therapists and myself engaged with Julia Cameron’s book “The Artists Way” over a 12-week period connecting with our “parts” through sharing our experience of reading, writing, and completing suggested activities from Cameron’s book.
We learned a lot about how our ‘creative’ parts were often polarised with our parts that can be ‘critical’, and with the safe space that the group afforded us, we learned to be patient bringing humour and fun to our learning about “Art/creativity” and ourselves.
For my friend, she has embraced the parts of her that didn’t get the attention they might have when she was working, which has included knitting, baking, gardening and a range of creative/artistic mediums that she now prioritises as means by which she stays connected with herself and to others.
The film “Visible Mending” is a short, animated documentary about the ways we repair ourselves through craft (notably knitting), even when we can’t be fully mended/healed. It got me thinking about how we might celebrate and value all our parts and those of our clients – which might support healing for parts of us that were never seen, heard or understood.
See what you think. https://www.secondhomestudios.com/portfolio/visible-mending-stop-motion/
IFS – Reflections on the Model and Self
Since being introduced to Internal Family Systems in 2020 and commencing my IFS training journey in 2021, I am constantly coming across new and creative ways to explain the IFS model. I came across this fascinating website that offers a range of film clips that help illustrate “parts” and “self”.
As one of my parts loves films and cartoons, I was delighted to have the opportunity to have a trip down memory lane with films I watched in years past, refreshed in my memory through the eyes of IFS theory.
See what you think. https://effortlessifs.com/movie-clips/
Other things that may be of interest.
- Books for Sale
I have been having a “sort out” of books that I have collected since embarking on my counselling training back in the 1990’s (I have a part that loves buying and collecting books – so there are a lot!). Many of you who receive my quarterly email will have your own book collections and copies of what I am selling, but if you or anyone you know might be interested in looking at what I am selling, please email me or text me your number so that I can send photos of images via WhatsApp, as sadly they are too big a size to share here.
2. Upcoming Workshops
I had the opportunity to facilitate one of my workshops in person this month, it was a breath of fresh air and a great group to work with who brought their experiences, enthusiasm and energy to the day.
If you are interested in this or my other offerings, please check out was my webpage at https://heliostestingdomain.uk/courses/
I think that is it for now, I will be in touch again in September. Enjoy your summers, whatever that might entail.