Health, WellbeingLeave a comment

Smarter Living

Change Therapy

Smarter Living: So you’ve made a terrible mistake. The first step to correcting a monumental blunder is to acknowledge to yourself that it was indeed a mistake. Then, don’t allow it to define you or your self-worth. From there, the way out comes in low-risk baby steps. If it happens to be a mistake you continue to make, do whatever you can to stop making the situation worse. If you need some help making a plan or advise on a strategy to alter your way out of the situation, get in touch. Contact Continue reading Smarter Living

Autism specific, Health, WellbeingLeave a comment

Autism and accessing Home Deliveries

Change Therapy

I have come across a number of articles in various publications, which highlight the difficulties that individuals on the Autistic Spectrum are having when it comes to getting groceries delivered to their homes. If you are deemed as in the high risk category by the Government, you should have been given a priority slot for deliveries, however if your health issue or disability does not fit their criteria, you have to rely on neighbours or family members to get supplies. Autism is not in the Government list. Getting through to your local Asda/Sainsbury/Tesco is another story, and waiting for 4 … Continue reading Autism and accessing Home Deliveries

general health, Health, neurological disorders, WellbeingLeave a comment

Peaceful Sleeping strategy

Change Therapy

If you would like to sleep more peacefully, as you lay your head on the pillow, think of the people you are grateful to, or the times you helped others and felt good about yourself. It will warm your heart, gifting you with more peaceful sleep.   Some ideas from clients which may help: “I visualise the Hibs team minutes before the final whistle of the Scottish Cup Final in 2016, and fall asleep happy!” “12 years ago, I used to be a carer in a Nursing Home, and I think of all the ladies that I helped, and made … Continue reading Peaceful Sleeping strategy

general health, Wellbeing1 Comment

Letting go of Unpleasant Feelings

Change Therapy

When you have an unpleasant feeling, don’t grab hold of it and turn it over and over. Instead leave it alone so it can flow. The wave of emotion will naturally recede on its own, as long as you don’t feed it by dwelling on it. For instance, to get food unstuck from a saucepan, just pour water in the pan and wait. After a while the food will loosen on its own. Continue reading Letting go of Unpleasant Feelings

general health, WellbeingLeave a comment

Do you live in a Noisy World?

Change Therapy

We know the world only through the window of our mind. When our mind is noisy, the world is as well. And when our mind is peaceful, the world is too. Knowing our minds is just as important as trying to change the world. Are looking to change your world into a more peaceful one? Looking to alter your perception or just needing some Space? Join me for a walk in nature, and find some peace within your self, while learning ways to take control of your own life and time. Get in touch and let me help realise this … Continue reading Do you live in a Noisy World?

Health, WellbeingLeave a comment

Can do or Can’t do?

Change Therapy

It is easy to say that ‘I can’t do’. When faced with a challenge, what are you more likely to say in this instance? An upcoming interview or a meeting? Perhaps, you have been asked to speak to an audience or give a presentation? Asked by someone to do something you feel is too much? The above picture says a lot more than the words it conveys. Are you the person holding the card or the one with the scissors? I can help you to overcome fear, or dread with challenges in life, and believe me, nothing is insurmountable if … Continue reading Can do or Can’t do?

general health, Health, WellbeingLeave a comment

Exercising your memory

Change Therapy

Most people think that when they finish school, then no more study is required. On the same principle if an athlete develops a strong body and then stops training, their muscles grow weak and waste away. Likewise, the mind grows weak, if we stop exercising it. Make it a rule in your life to study for 30 minutes a day, whether that is reading about something in a book, online or watching something in nature. Even practice adding and subtracting in your mind for a few minutes; so instead of reaching for the calculator, try to do without. Many people … Continue reading Exercising your memory

general health, Nature, WellbeingLeave a comment

Loneliness

Change Therapy

The word loneliness is one that is never really mentioned, except in the news or by people talking about others. It is viewed as a desperate sort of subject and one best avoided, as it only affects certain types etc etc. Loneliness is a subjective feeling about the gap between a person’s desired levels of social contact and their actual level of social contact. It refers to the perceived quality of the person’s relationships. Loneliness is never desired and lessening these feelings can take a long time. Social isolation is an objective measure of the number of contacts that people … Continue reading Loneliness

general health, Health, WellbeingLeave a comment

Humility

Change Therapy

Humility: Letting someone ahead of you in line when you see they are in a hurry is an act of humility. Cleaning the bathroom of your office, even though you own the company, is an example of humility. … An athlete who credits his success to his teammates, even though he has great skill, shows humility. If you would like to learn how to re-balance your outlook on life, here are some pointers: Listen and empathise – Listening empathetically to others shows you value them, and may clarify what you do and do not know. Become more curious – Opening … Continue reading Humility

Diabetes, general health, Nature, Weight and Diet, WellbeingLeave a comment

A good therapist

Change Therapy

  The talking therapies are a form of storytelling, where many conclusions are possible. A good therapist teaches you to get along with the world, not to blow it up. Mindfulness walks can help you get some peace and quiet in your mind, and help to offload some of the negativity surrounding your life. Come and join me for an hour that will start to change your life.     Continue reading A good therapist

general health, Health, Wellbeing1 Comment

Non-Surgery

Change Therapy

Western medicine emphasizes surgery far too much. Doctors want to take out things that are not wanted. When we have something irregular in our body, too often they advise us to have an operation. The same seems true in psychotherapy. Most therapists want to help us throw out what is unwanted and keep only what is wanted. But what is left may not be very much. If we try to throw away what we don’t want, we may throw away most of  ourselves. Here at Change Therapy, I will help you transform your life and find a way to remain … Continue reading Non-Surgery

Autism specific, general health, Health, Wellbeing3 Comments

How to deal with Quiet Stress.

Change Therapy

How to deal with Quiet Stress “Despite getting a bad rap over the years, expressing anger or frustration is far healthier than smiling sweetly while feeling quietly stressed.” according to Prof Cooper of Manchester University. “There is a growing epidemic of people who don’t voice their anger, and suffer just as much.” When she was growing up, Kate was aware her father had a temper. “He would fly off the handle very easily. My mother was forever telling him to calm down before he had a heart attack,” she remembers. “Growing up, if my brother or I ever lost our … Continue reading How to deal with Quiet Stress.

general health, Health, Nature, Weight and Diet, Wellbeing2 Comments

Can you train yourself to be more optimistic?

Change Therapy

  Can you train yourself to be more optimistic? In this current pandemic you may ask? With so much depressing news filtering in to our living rooms these days, the general mood of society is one of despair and sadness. Lockdowns restricting where we can go, and social distancing in place preventing us from human contact that we seek. If you want to change the way that you feel, try and learn one of, or all of the following: Widen your possibilities. Whenever you catch yourself expecting a catastrophe, stop. That is only one possibility. Imagine two other outcomes, one … Continue reading Can you train yourself to be more optimistic?

Diabetes, general health, Health, Weight and Diet4 Comments

Four Natural Memory Boosters

Change Therapy

Eat your veggies. You’re not likely to forget this message. Getting adequate vegetables, especially cruciferous ones including broccoli, cabbage and dark leafy greens, may help improve memory. Try a kale salad or substitute collard greens for a tortilla in your next sandwich wrap. Broccoli stir-fry also is an excellent option for lunch or dinner. Be sweet on berries and cherries. Berries — especially dark ones such as blackberries, blueberries and cherries — are a rich source of anthocyanins and other flavonoids that may support memory function. Enjoy a handful of berries for a snack, mixed into cereal or baked into … Continue reading Four Natural Memory Boosters

general health, Health2 Comments

Calls for ibuprofen sale restrictions after study finds cardiac arrest risk

Change Therapy

Over-the-counter drug linked to 31% increased cardiac arrest risk, with the figure rising to 50% for diclofenac, says research There have been fresh calls for restrictions on the sale of the painkiller ibuprofen after another study found it heightens the risk of cardiac arrest. Taking the over-the-counter drug was associated with a 31% increased risk, researchers in Denmark found. Other medicines from the same group of painkillers, known as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), presented an even higher risk, according to the findings published on Wednesday in the European Heart Journal. Diclofenac, available over the counter in the UK until 2015 … Continue reading Calls for ibuprofen sale restrictions after study finds cardiac arrest risk

general health, Health, WellbeingLeave a comment

Give your Intellect a Spring clean

Change Therapy

Our cognitive ability is not fixed. Scores on intelligence tests vary depending on the circumstances at the time of testing – how tired you are, how well nourished, how anxious you are. These are not the only factors that make a difference. Andrew Lim and colleagues at Toronto University carried out tests on 3000 ‘older’ participants at different times of the year to assess cognitive functioning, measuring thinking and concentration skills, as well as physiological tests to look for early signs of Alzheimer’s disease. The outcome was that people who tested in Summer and early Autumn obtained significantly higher scores, … Continue reading Give your Intellect a Spring clean

Autism specific, HealthLeave a comment

Drug improves social skills of autism patients in US trials

Change Therapy

Drug improves social skills of autism patients in US trials A new drug can improve social skills in both adults and children with autism, scientists have revealed. The studies showed that those on the spectrum would be helped to be able to empathise with others. Scientists at Stanford University in the USA are excited about these revelations. The name of the drug is Vasopressin. There is no cure for Autism, however research increasingly indicates that earlier therapy can have a markedly beneficial effect. The full report can be viewed through this link : Hormone reduces social impairment in kids with … Continue reading Drug improves social skills of autism patients in US trials

general health, HealthLeave a comment

Do you Imitate?

Change Therapy

Do you Imitate? The curiosity of the gentleman who, seeing someone shrug their shoulders, instantaneously and voluntarily, shrugs his own shoulders, has elicited several similar accounts. It may even occur when, for example, watching the news on TV and seeing a person shrug their shoulders – the viewer feels the urge to imitate. Similar such behaviours include waving and blinking, with a further variation of “feeling grievous pain” on hearing someone describe falling over and injuring a limb. This phenomenon has a name, Echopraxia, and could, it is thought, be related to copying behaviours common in infancy.   Continue reading Do you Imitate?

Health, Nature, UncategorizedLeave a comment

Walking in Nature – Walk and Talk

Change Therapy

Massive thanks to Stephen Newlin at Business Gateway for publishing an advert promoting Change Therapy in the Buzz (Business News) magazine. Have a look; 3 minute read please. The link to get the download is https://www.eastlothian.gov.uk/downloads/download/12586/east_lothian_business_buzz_newsletter The service I provide, is free. I have a life long disability which prevents me working again (career wise), so with the help and support of Business Gateway, we have come up with this Social Enterprise (unpaid) idea in which I can try to help people overcome challenges that they may face,by utilizing my Psychology and Counselling skills to make positive change happen. Did … Continue reading Walking in Nature – Walk and Talk

Health2 Comments

The Coronavirus Anxiety Cycle

Change Therapy

Uncertainty about coronavirus spreads anxiety through social contagion. Here’s a way to minimize that. Stocking up on large amounts of toilet paper when you see others doing so is an example of social contagion.Credit Getty Images   Anxiety is a strange beast. I have learned that anxiety and its close cousin, panic, are both born from fear. I know that fear’s main evolutionary function is helping us survive. In fact, fear is the oldest survival mechanism we have. Fear helps us learn to avoid dangerous situations in the future through a process called negative reinforcement. For example, if we step … Continue reading The Coronavirus Anxiety Cycle

HealthLeave a comment

Advice for your mental health from WHO

Change Therapy

ADVICE FOR YOUR MENTAL HEALTH FROM WHO Minimize watching, reading or listening to news that causes you to feel anxious or distressed; seek information only from trusted sources and mainly to take practical steps to prepare your plans and protect yourself and loved ones. Seek information updates at specific times during the day, once or twice. The sudden and near-constant stream of news reports about an outbreak can cause anyone to feel worried. Get the facts; not the rumors and misinformation. Gather information at regular intervals, from WHO website and local health authorities platforms, in order to help you distinguish … Continue reading Advice for your mental health from WHO

HealthLeave a comment

A time of uncertainty and compassion for others

Change Therapy

As the country seems to be going through yet more turbulent times, it is good to have our mindfulness practice to see us through whatever arises, giving us a little distance, a little breathing space, between ourselves and the haunting headlines which seem designed to scare us. It is hard not to feel overwhelmed by the events around us, and so we can offer ourselves a little self compassion and send that compassion out to those around us and further afield who are also suffering with the events that are unfolding around them. Continue reading A time of uncertainty and compassion for others

UncategorizedLeave a comment

Looking for a meaning to life? Join me for a walk by the sea…

Change Therapy

Most of us wander through life searching for that something, but never quite find it. Sound familiar? Personally, it took me 50 years to find my true calling and I have never looked back. How did it come about? Well, the first part of that journey started by taking a walk along the promenade at Joppa, a place that I knew well from my childhood. It was at the end of this gentle walk, when I realized that life and the things that made it alive, were here, right in front of me, and I had forgotten they existed until … Continue reading Looking for a meaning to life? Join me for a walk by the sea…

NatureLeave a comment

Coping with Anger

Change Therapy

If we become angry that we are angry, we will have two angers at the same time. This causes a negative cycle of anger and despair, where the world appears darker than it should. Observe your anger and understand its meaning; it will soon transform itself and appear less important. Becoming self-aware of the reason why the anger is in your life is a positive step to a better life, and lighter skies above. I can help you with Guided Mindfulness Walks; get in touch and together we will work to make life more manageable. Continue reading Coping with Anger