In “When Your Therapist is only a Click Away”, New York Times’ Jan Hoffman discusses the pros and cons of where technology today is taking therapy – out of the counselling room and into the virtual world thanks to online communication options such as Skype and FaceTime. Interestingly, while there may be some aspects that both therapists and clients need to be aware of, such as privacy, security and connection issues, to the greater extent the research cited seems to suggest that clients report similar levels of satisfaction across both in-house and online sessions. Infact the flexibility that online sessions provides clients with may infact outweigh any perceived drawbacks. Imagine, as Hoffman cites, being able to sit back with a preferred beverage of choice , by the pool, while skyping with your therapist. Continue Reading →
Skype Therapy : Counselling Sessions at the Click of a Button.
Myths and Truths about Happy Couples
In Judy Lightstone’s article on “Myths and Truths about Happy Couples”, she takes a look at what extensive research has revealed about what makes for a healthy and joyful partnership (and vice versa) . Readers may be surprised to learn that it is not the number of differences or things a couple disagree on that can make or break that relationship, but more so – how they discuss these differences that is key to their satisfaction and success together. The article includes findings from world renowned research-practitioner John Gottman’s studies on couples dynamics and also proposes a few useful ways in which we can work towards overcoming the “4 Horsemen” of Continue Reading →
Talking to Our Emotive Brain
A lot of the work that we do as therapists involves helping clients to become more comfortable with and aware of their ‘less-than-comfortable’ emotions – and indeed some of my articles before this one have addressed the importance of learning to become more open to negative feelings, instead of responding reflexively and shying away from them. In his article on “Unraveling Emotional Triggers”, George Altman examines what happens to us on a brain level when we have a negative emotional reaction and proposes some practical ways in which we can begin to create greater awareness and use language to speak and soothe our emotive brain in these moments. Continue Reading →
Embracing Vulnerability
In line with my last article on “Hugging the Chaos”, where I explore the potential for self-growth that lies in learning to stay with and re-story our past anxieties , is Brene Brown’s increasingly popular suggestion that there is much personal power to be found in embracing our vulnerability. In her TED talk on “The Power of Vulnerability” , she takes a look at this counter-intuitive, and yet vital approach we can take towards our own vulnerability, or parts of us which we have felt we need to keep hidden from the world. Continue Reading →
Hugging the Chaos
In his article, “Hugging the Chaos” content marketing strategist, author and speaker Robert Rose addresses the inherent contradiction, and yet importance, of learning to approach and embrace that which we feel fearful or uncomfortable with. In the face of chaos, he describes how story-telling can be a powerful tool which emerges to create a new experience. Applied to a marketing context, he discusses how his grandfather’s words ‘when you create a new experience for someone, you get to experience it – and in turn it creates new opportunity for you’ have become integral to his concept of story-telling in marketing , and in particular , creating stories and new experiences for clients. Continue Reading →
Closing Cycles
Transitions are a common and integral part of life, yet also known to bring up resistance and often anxiety or fear for many of us. Faced with the end of one chapter, perhaps a job , relationship or even home or country of residence , and the beginning of another, how do we learn to navigate this space with greater ease and more comfort even when entering into that which is new and unfamiliar? And while embracing the new, how do we also learn to bring closure and say goodbye to what has past in a way that feels right for us and fitting for the context? In his article on “Closing Cycles” Paulo Coelho addresses the importance of becoming more attuned to when certain phases in our lives are coming to an end and another is beginning. He explores the importance of letting go of the old so that we can create space in our lives to allow the new in. Continue Reading →
The Neurobiology of Personal Transformation
It was once the long-held belief that the brain itself and it’s connective pathways were subject to little change after a certain point in a child’s development. This had implications for both therapists and also clients seeking personal transformation, because it suggested that the brain itself would biologically restrict the aspects and degrees of change a person would be able to undergo, especially as they got older. Viewed from this perspective, patterned responses to stress for example, conditioned in childhood, supported by wiring also laid down at the same time, would be very difficult to change in adulthood. Continue Reading →
Love and Mindful Relationships
In the article “From Romantic to True Love: Life, Love and Mindful Relationships (Part I)” Carole Bradshaw takes a look at what it means to be in true love as opposed to the first phase of love or ‘falling in love’ in an intimate relationship. She discusses the importance of making the distinction between these two phases, a framework which Gary Chapman, author of couple’s resource “Things I wish I’d known before We got Married”, similarly proposes and also highlights as being key when a couple are considering entering into a marriage. Bradshaw goes on to suggest that while Continue Reading →