therapy

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…]

We are continuing with the theme of music and adding a little mindfulness meditation with our guest, Marquis, highlighting the benefits of combining music with meditation.

Meditation is a way of expression that increasingly finds its place in scientific research. The practice has numerous benefits and one of these benefits is to release the mind and body from negative emotions. It can help us to be more resilient when it comes to depression or anxiety, it can help slow down the ageing process and contribute to our overall happiness. Similarly, music is something that can bring a reassuring and relaxing feeling as when we listen to music we begin to feel pleasant changes in our body! [Read more…]

Music is a universal language and medium that is evocative, expressive, creative and therapeutic. Who couldn’t use a little music? We welcome back Will, who shares a brief overview about music therapy which is based upon his excellent 7-parter written for My Audio Sound.

Music is a universal language which means we can communicate using it regardless of the country we come from or our native tongue. Music uses emotion to connect with us, and that is why so many people have such a deep connection with it. This is one reason why music therapy is such an interesting and successful form of counselling. But, what exactly is it and how is it able to help us?

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Writing our thoughts down or maintaining a journal can be hugely therapeutic. There are also many other benefits to our mental health as shared here by our guest, Brenda Berg, who is a consultant and tutor for college students and entrepreneurs at Oxessays. Brenda believes that constant learning is the only way to success and shares her ‘writings’ at Let’s Go And Learn!

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Why do we need to revisit painful times to find a better today? Is it truly necessary?

After all, we might open a ‘can of worms’!

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From the perspective of the patient, Tim talks about his experiences in finding a talking therapy – and the obstacles and challenges along the way.

I saw my first psychotherapist in around 2002. I didn’t want to, but I went anyway. I didn’t like the idea and it wasn’t unduly helpful, either. Wisely, I let the experience colour me against that individual, not the profession as a whole. It made me selective. I wondered if you might like to learn a little more about that. [Read more…]

When people are considering engaging a therapist for mental health management issues, they often do so quite intuitively. At a conscious, intellectual level however – what might this look like?

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“If only I could get a full night of great quality sleep.” Something I hear from clients on a very regular basis. Sleeping disorders can affect as many as 7/10 adults, due, at least in part, to anxiety related thought patterns.

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Although this question could apply to any bereavement, I wanted to touch on something that has visited my life recently –  the death of a family pet.

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We ask ‘What is Bipolar Disorder?’ Our guest author, a writer and blogger from the UK explains.

My History and a Little History

Whilst in my early twenties, I was diagnosed with Bipolar Affective Disorder, a psychiatric mood disorder. Females like myself, generally begin presenting with symptoms in their early twenties, whilst males a little earlier, usually during late adolescence. However, though I may have presented with symptoms of mania in my twenties, I had been dealing with severe depression since I was fourteen years old. [Read more…]