Micro-cheating is the latest word to describe infidelity and poses the question: are you really having an affair? And if you’re not really having an affair, is your behaviour such that it is leading up to one? As a relationship therapist a large proportion of my work is helping clients deal with the, often destructive, … Read More
Issues
Anxiety, Phobias, Panic Attacks, Depression
One of my specialisms is helping clients who have anxiety. Anxiety, phobias, panic attacks and depression often work hand in glove. These are sometimes set off by a current life event or can be more long term with no obvious reason for their onset. When anxiety starts to affect life negatively and goes beyond the ordinary … Read More
Exercise as a Prescription for Depression
Who would have thought of exercise as a prescription for depression? Here’s the link to an article which shows clear, scientific evidence that exercise helps to alter mood and can act as an anti-depressant. It recognises that further studies are needed to develop the research, but nevertheless offers some hope to those coping with depression, who often feel that they are … Read More
How to measure where you’re at and where you want to be
During solution-focused therapy we use simple tools to measure the extent of a problem or difficulty. This scaling of an issue is useful because a) both the therapist and the client gain an understanding of how things stand, and b) it gives everyone in the room some assurance that they’re communicating well and singing off … Read More
Instances and Exceptions: the times when problems are not so influential
We argue all the time. I’m constantly angry. He never talks. She always criticises. I’m always depressed/anxious/stressed. She/he never contributes. Our lives are always chaotic. We have never been happy and contented. I can’t ever trust him/her again. These are problem statements which come up regularly in therapy. They are statements which many of us use … Read More
Depression and exercise. What’s your view?
You may have picked up on the recent debates in the press on depression and the efficacy of exercise as a cure. If you suffer from depression this could well have piqued your interest (or ire!). Findings cited in a research article published in the BMJ and widely reported in the press on the beneficial … Read More
About Depression
Signs and Symptoms There is no question that depression is extremely debilitating and has many symptoms : fatigue, lack of motivation, a deep despair, lack of confidence and self-esteem, anger, inability to sleep, suicidal thoughts (or attempts), forgetfulness, overwork and hyper-activity – the list is endless. Depression can strike at any time in our lives … Read More