In part 1 of this series on mental health we examined how we can all go about helping colleagues and acquaintances if we see they are struggling with poor mental health. In this talk we address the following question: How does one handle the situation if we supervise or manage someone with a mental health […]
Over the past 20 years or so public awareness and acceptance of ill mental health has grown enormously. There is vastly improved knowledge of its prevalence and treatment. But there is still much improvement needed. In the context of the Covid pandemic, there is a secondary contagion of mental ill health that to varying degrees […]
Scratch anyone in the right place and you’ll find insecurity. We are hard-wired to fear rejection and to be suspicious of strangers. In fact, recent brain imaging studies show that social rejection is processed by the same areas in the brain that process physical threat. Yet, at the same time, human beings are extraordinarily social.
Although we may not be aware of it, everyone is potentially afraid of you and me. That’s right! But that cannot be the case, can it? Who’d ever be afraid of you or me? It turns out, in the right circumstances, just about anyone.
Milton Erickson was the premier hypnotherapist of the 20th century, if not of all time. He knew a thing or two about a lot of things, including resistance. He once told a teaching story involving his father on their farm in Wisconsin. Young Milton observed his father trying to pull a small steer by its […]
A quiet mind is a strong mind. In an age of busy-ness and urgency, of multi-tasking and work overload, it’d be understandable to think that what’s required is a really switched-on mind, or a really busy mind. But, nothing could be farther from the truth! The noisier the mind, the less productive it becomes. This […]
Would you rather be right or happy? In examining this question, road rage can be quite illuminating. Indeed, road rage can make for very entertaining therapy, especially if the person has to drive to reach the counseling office! You see, as a counselor we frequently don’t get to see the issues ‘live’ as it were […]
Cultivating the Art of Deep Work This is a series of short talks on the theme of modern life and work, exploring the challenges of productivity, distraction, prioritisation, deep work and working for wellbeing. We start with productivity and the curse of busyness Part 1: Productivity & the Curse of Busyness If you are like me, […]
It’s always been a bit of a puzzle for me: is perfectionism a good or a bad thing? In my psychology training it was was mostly presented as a problem – because of its unrealistic goals and standards it often leads to stress disorders and sometimes burnout. And in fact, I’ve spent a good deal […]
Not all optimism is healthy. It’s only really helpful if it is grounded in reality. So, today I’m not talking about crazy, wild-eyed Pollyanna optimism. And let me make it abundantly clear, I think positive thinking is positively dangerous! In contrast, today I’m talking about realistic optimism: a faith in the future that accepts the […]
