Mental health is more than just a list of symptoms. Whilst management of symptoms has its place, therapy is more than just learning to cope. After all, emotional suffering is complex; rooted in relationship patterns, inner conflict and emotional blind spots. A psychodynamic approach to therapy focuses on the psychological roots of emotional suffering through… Read More Therapy – beyond a list of symptoms.
Freudian thinking posits the ego as independent of other drives; tasked with self preservation and dealing with the demands of reality. The principle of ‘reality’ is arguably subjective; considering risk, making ‘appropriate’ decisions. In conflict with ‘phantasies’ – perhaps an underlying, ever present tension? So how do we satisfy need? By learning to develop a ‘healthy… Read More The ‘ego’ and its independence.
Antidepressants work – but we need to talk to. An interesting article by Rhik Samadder of The Guardian. Rhik writes about the positive effect of managing low mood with medication. Whilst research in this field is extensive and outcomes identified as positive; medication does not negate or replace the effectiveness of talking therapy as a… Read More Mood – to medicate?
Anger is a universal emotion experienced by all humans although, the interpretation of anger is individual. Anger can be destructive, forceful and dangerous; it can also be motivating, energising and impulsive. It is understood that early ancestors of man experienced anger as a form of self-preservation; an innate aggression to survive. “Civilisation began the first… Read More Anger
‘While suicide among men remains considerably higher – accounting for three-quarters of all cases – experts have raised concerns about the unprecedented rise in young women taking their lives, highlighting the role of social media’. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/suicide-rate-among-young-women-soars-as-national-rates-hit-20-year-low-a8117021.html The role of social media in context of suicide is an emerging area of interest. Professionals have attributed the… Read More Suicide, women and social media.
The relationship with our self is the most extensive and sustained of our life time. Informed by object relations theory, it is my belief that people have both internal and external relationships with the world in which they operate. An internal relationship you say? Possibly. A world that includes a relationship with an image… Read More Self
Welcome to the Counselling Room, Armstrong House. Imagine a space where feelings and thoughts could be explored in safety. A space to find meaning. It is the quality of the emerging therapeutic relationship which is of significance in counselling practice. However, it is the context in which the therapeutic relationship develops (the physical and… Read More Armstrong House
Counselling and Catharsis The Greek Philosopher, Aristotle termed catharsis as ‘drama which leads to emotional purging… a release of deeply held emotions’. An emotional cleansing perhaps? Catharsis in practice is about ‘appropriately bringing to consciousness repressed ideas, accompanied by the expression of emotion‘, and safe release of tension. Counselling provides individuals with the opportunity to… Read More Catharsis
It is acknowledged that the subject of ‘suicide’ is complex. A dynamic, interplay of depression, hopelessness, rage, perfection, impulsivity or perhaps a fleeting thought; all forces which cast aside well rehearsed defences to reveal anxiety. The intensity of this experience can lead to impaired functioning where ‘thinking’ and ‘doing’ are interrupted and ‘all… Read More Suicide: in search of meaning.
“Sleep is of central importance to the health of the body and mind.” As human beings, our need for sleep varies from one person to another. Despite this variance, sleep holds a common purpose; a restorative tool to energise our being. A recent article in the Guardian newspaper explores the link between ‘insomnia and depression’:… Read More Mental Health & Sleep
