CBT

We now join Anne Marie McKinley (a Midwife and Birth Trauma Specialist at Afterthoughts NI) for the final part of this sub-series and take a look at various trauma therapies available to both mums and dads.

Which Therapeutic Approach?

When either parent attend counselling in pregnancy, or post birth, several pathways may open up. If a woman is searching for a therapist herself, there are a number of things that may not be immediately obvious.

Therapy or counselling is often known to first time seekers through TV or film representations of how therapy works, or through reports from friends and family. Entering the perinatal timescale may also be the only space in the next number of years where parents can freely allocate time to heal old emotional wounds, deal with anxiety or depression, and come to terms with the journey of birth which may, for them, have been less than they had hoped and dreamed. It can be hard to prioritise self-care later on when there are little ones around your feet. [Read more…]

Childhood Emotional Neglect (CEN) is something observed in so many adult clients I meet every day. Yet, most clients I work with have little idea they may be in receipt of such symptoms; after all, CEN is about the dreadful abuse and neglect sometimes reported in the news, isn’t it? [Read more…]

Everywhere you turn there is bad news and recent weeks have been no exception.

A 29-year-old man goes on a killing spree in an Orlando nightclub because he can’t come to terms with his sexuality; a two-year-old is attacked and killed by an alligator while on the holiday of a lifetime at Disney World; and closer to home (here in the UK), an MP is stabbed and shot in the street by someone consumed by hatred.

The world can be a frightening place, and if you’re easily overwhelmed by worry and a sense of dread, you aren’t alone. [Read more…]

This quote, “Pain is Inevitable – Suffering is Optional”, is not easy to attribute to the originator, but some think it may derive from Buddhist traditional philosophy, and it certainly fits, regardless. The quote, and what it can mean, is also one of the most powerful metaphors to be heard and explored in the therapy room. This short post explores for you the reader, some of its potency. [Read more…]

Holiday and New Year greetings to all of you and my deepest appreciation for those who continue to engage and support me and my work. Read on for a New Year’s message requiring courage to take action – if this year is to be ‘the one’ where you CAN once again become the best expression of yourself. [Read more…]

John and Joanna do not know one another. They have never met, and yet the similar symptoms in their lives are as a result of learned beliefs and perceptions. Are you John, or Joanne?

[Read more…]

Discovering the cost and value of counselling – or not!

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I tend to use metaphors quite a lot with clients, and here is another, linked to a question I ask within the initial registration and assessment of clients I meet for counselling services. Do you experience mind-chatter? [Read more…]

Because even if I do have challenges (and don’t we all), I don’t want to be considered a failure. It’s not like I’m sick! (Psst! You don’t need to be ill to gain new perspectives.)  [Read more…]

The truth is, who wouldn’t sooner fix the car or some other mechanical part of our lives? Who ever heard of a ‘mechanical’ stigma? When the car breaks down or needs attention, we might get emotional about it. The inconvenience, cost, all sorts of judgements but mostly we know it has to be done, and so we bite the bullet. [Read more…]