A time for Change
Just like the seasons that change nature and our environment, we as humans will change as we adapt to life after this pandemic. Continue reading A time for Change
Loneliness
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
Humility
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
A good therapist
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
Non-Surgery
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
How to deal with Quiet Stress.
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.
Can you train yourself to be more optimistic?
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?
Four Natural Memory Boosters
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
Calls for ibuprofen sale restrictions after study finds cardiac arrest risk
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
Give your Intellect a Spring clean
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
Drug improves social skills of autism patients in US trials
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
Do you Imitate?
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?
Walking in Nature – Walk and Talk
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
The Coronavirus Anxiety Cycle
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
Advice for your mental health from WHO
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
A time of uncertainty and compassion for others
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
Looking for a meaning to life? Join me for a walk by the sea…
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…
Coping with Anger
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
Anger and Mindfulness
“Breathing in, I know that Anger is in me” “Breathing out, I know that I am my anger” By Mindfully observing our anger, we are more aware of its roots. We are not to control or judge the anger. only we are to look after the anger, as a sister would to a younger sibling. When we show anger, we are showing our self. To suppress the anger is to suppress the self. “Breathing in, I know that I am angry” “Breathing out,I know that I must put all my energy into caring for my anger” In time the anger … Continue reading Anger and Mindfulness
Recovered in record time.
For the last 5 years, I have been putting off getting surgery to my face, and it was only through learning how to overcome my fears through mindfulness, that I was able to proceed with confidence. Sedatives were not needed, as the human touch and self-awareness were sufficient. (Big thanks to Refine Murrayfield) Controlling my breathing and reciting inwardly , it really was mind over matter. What strikes me even more astonishing, is that I have made a full recovery in weeks rather than months (shame I haven’t managed to improve my looks though!) Continue reading Recovered in record time.
Walking in Nature Works!
The idea of Walking in Nature, has recently been subscribed to patients by the NHS in Shetland, which have shown that health issues such as high blood pressure, anxiety and sadness, are massively reduced over time by walking in nature. Change Therapy embraces this notion, and offers the unique therapy of Walk and Talk, which encourages positive growth, promotes confidence and increases Wellbeing. Change Therapy is the leading provider in Scotland of Walking in Nature, providing specialized therapies for parents/guardians connected with Autism, and for people struggling to adapt to life changes after serious illness, including heart attacks. I use … Continue reading Walking in Nature Works!
Mindfulness in Nature
Mindfulness in Nature Mindfulness is a form of meditation which has been proven to have a variety of benefits. Mindfulness refers to heightened awareness of what is going on within and around you, in the present moment, in a non-judgemental way. Awareness of the benefits of mindfulness in the workplace is growing, and it is increasingly being adopted by leaders and staff alike to help them perform better in complex fast-changing and unpredictable environments. Applying the principles of mindfulness to the outdoors brings a walk in the woods to a new level of intensity. It’s all about submerging yourself in … Continue reading Mindfulness in Nature
Walk Locations
While Haddington is the main location for the Guided Walks, sessions also take place at the locations below. Amisfield Walled Garden Winton Castle, Pencaitland Levenhall Links, Musselburgh Newhailes Estate, Musselburgh Butterdean Wood, Gladsmuir Continue reading Walk Locations
