New Article Published

Last month I was thrilled to see an article I wrote published in the BACP journal for Children, Young People and Families, a division journal of my professional organisation. Embodiment - the experience of being in, or connected to, our body - often comes into the work I do with clients whether that's talking therapy or yoga. For me it is a really central aspect of human experience and yet it isn't always used a such in the world of psychotherapy. If you are interested in how it might be used in talking therapy, you're more than welcome to take a look (PDF file below).

(The article addresses therapy with young people, but I think that most of the points are relevant to clients of all ages.)

This article first appeared in the June 2022 issue of BACP Children, Young People & Families, published by the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy.https://www.bacp.co.uk/bacp-journals/bacp-children-young-people-and-families-journal/ BACP 2022©

To be somebody

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New Yoga for Trauma @ tree in Newark - September 2022

The next group sessions of Trauma-Sensitive Yoga are running from September. This is a chance to explore your connection with your body and the present moment, in a way that is specifically designed for people who have experienced trauma.

When? Thursday 8th September at 1pm

Where? tree in Newark

Who? No experience of yoga needed. The sessions follow a trauma-sensitive model of yoga, but you won't ever be expected to talk about your experiences as part of the sessions. This is a women-only session.

How much? £30 of the whole 6 session block

Trauma comes in a variety of forms. Sometimes it is a particular event, relationship or loss, and sometimes it can be much harder to identify as one thing in particular. Yoga for Trauma doesn't need you to have come to any conclusions about your experiences, and the group does not involve you needing to verbally process or share what you've been through.

A trauma response is often one that we have had to learn in order to survive. It might involve dissociation (disconnecting from your body or present moment experience), hypervigilance, a need to please people or a general feeling of not being safe. There are lots of other symptoms and ways of describing a trauma response - if this is something you're experiencing, a trauma-sensitive yoga group could help.

Feel fee to contact me to chat more about the group.

View the Facebook event.

And lastly, to go ahead and book a place.

How to Choose a Therapist to work with Complex Trauma

The relationship you have with your therapist is important. After all, if you want to work on things you find difficult or painful, it really helps to feel supported, accepted and understood. And maybe you have other particular things you'd like in your choice of therapist too.

For many people, especially those of us who have a history of complex trauma, relationships can be daunting or frightening. I'm always aware, when meeting someone for the first time, what a significant step that first conversation or session can be.

I came across this brilliant blog post about questions to ask when you're looking for a therapist to work with you around complex trauma. It is written by Lilly Hope Lucario, a survivor of complex trauma and writer, blogger and campaigner. It provides some great ideas about what you might want to know when you're talking to someone you're considering working with in therapy. You can find her blog over on Wordpress.

When I speak to people who are looking for a therapist, many don't know what to ask, yet have a feeling of wanting to find out more. I hope you find the questions in Lilly's blog useful. I think it could be a great place to start. Don't forget, too, that how you feel with the person on the other end of the phone or sitting opposite you is often a good indication too.

I offer a 30 minute phone call free of charge to any one who is wondering what it might be like to work with me, or even if you aren't sure yet if therapy is right for you at this point. Please do get in touch if you think this might be helpful for you.

Good luck in your search!