People who struggle with anxiety can often ask themselves the question: ‘Why?’ They get bogged down in examining WHY they might be feeling anxious. But unfortunately, that ‘why’ question can lead them ever deeper into a maze of anxious thoughts: ‘Why? It’s because of that bad experience I had all those years ago’ ‘It’s because my parents did xyz’ ‘It’s because my work colleagues hate me’ Etc. And guess what these thoughts do? Make us conjure up bad memories or negative thoughts. CLICK HERE to view the video version of this blog. Yes, it’s useful to explore the origins ofContinue Reading
Are your childhood beliefs holding you back?
I have a friend who, until he was about 16, genuinely believed his Dad wrote ‘Help’ by The Beatles. Turns out, his Dad just liked kidding around. As children, we tend to believe without question the things the grown-ups around us say. But what if those things aren’t so light-hearted? For some people, they were told very damaging things as they grew up, by the people who should have been protecting and nurturing them. Things that basically translated as: ‘You’re not good enough’ ‘You’re not allowed’ ‘You don’t deserve love’ ‘You shouldn’t speak up’ And these beliefs can haunt themContinue Reading
Getting angry online? Here’s a tip.
Do you ever find yourself getting angry or annoyed at something you’ve read online? If you’re tempted to fire off an irate reply – STOP! (For the video version of this blog, please click on the image below) Wait before you hit that reply button. By all means write your reply – get out all the things you need to say, then –and this is important! – don’t send it. Take a step back, breathe, go and have a cup of tea, stretch, go outside, anything to change state. Even sleep on it if possible. Then when you feel calmer,Continue Reading
Do I Need Anger Management Counselling?
Have you been considering Anger Management Counselling, but keep putting it off? Not sure whether it can really help you? Here are some of the most common thoughts that prevent people from getting help with their anger: 1: “There’s nothing wrong with me” I completely agree. There isn’t anything wrong with you. But often, for people who struggle with anger issues, things have happened in their life that cause them to over-react to certain situations. Sometimes they’ve experienced hurt or trauma in their past; or they’ve grown up around angry behaviour and learned that it was normal to be likeContinue Reading
7 ways to break up with anxiety
Is your relationship with anxiety making you miserable? To celebrate Valentine’s Day, here are 7 ways to break up with anxiety… and start to fall in love with yourself. 1. Stop telling anxiety to stop Have you ever said to yourself ‘I just need to STOP feeling anxious’ – ? Try this: Do your best NOT to think of a pink sparkly elephant sitting in the corner. And whatever you do, don’t give it a fluffy yellow jumper to wear. And definitely don’t imagine it smoking a pipe. Our minds are constantly creating; it’s just how we’re designed. I findContinue Reading
Relationship Counselling for Guilt
Relationship counselling for guilt is something that I get asked about a lot around this time of year. And it’s not surprising, when you look at the data. According to a recent study, the second most common time for relationships to break up is two weeks before Christmas (the number one time is, believe it or not, Valentine’s Day!) So why do so many people need relationship counselling at a time of year that’s supposed to be so full of love and goodwill? Here are a few examples that may help explain. New Year, New (Single) You As the NewContinue Reading
2 minute practice to help reduce anger and anxiety
This simple daily practice will help you to reduce any anger, anxiety or stress that’s building up inside. It can be done anywhere – you could be out in public, waiting in a queue at the post office, or sitting in a traffic jam. All you have to do is develop a regular practice of checking in with your body. Just send your awareness within, scan around your body, and PAY ATTENTION to how you’re feeling. Reduce anger and anxiety Don’t leave it too late I don’t mean you should do this when you’re already at the height of anyContinue Reading
Can tea reduce anxiety?
A cup of tea is often the first thing we reach for when we’re feeling anxious. There’s something about that feeling of familiarity that gives us a sense of comfort when everything around us is falling into chaos. Can a cuppa really reduce anxiety? You might be surprised to know that there’s actually some solid science behind it all. When we drink a warm drink, our vagus nerve is stimulated, which sends us feelings of calmness. Keep calm – it’s time for a cuppa What is the vagus nerve? The vagus nerve is an extremely important nerve that is involvedContinue Reading
Anxiety Course in Glasgow
Anxiety Counselling or Anxiety Course – which should you choose? When it comes to providing anxiety therapy, I provide two options for prospective clients: 1. Anxiety course My anxiety course is a specialised program that incorporates elements of counselling, coaching, CBT, hypnotherapy and NLP. It’s a very pro-active, solution-focused program that aims to get you anxiety-free – or at least bring your anxiety down to easily manageable levels – over a short time period. During the course you will have one-to-one sessions with me that each last for one hour. We can conduct the sessions face-to-face (I’m located in Cambuslang,Continue Reading
Counselling for anxiety in young people
Counselling for anxiety in young people can be a very effective therapy for helping them with the stresses of life in the modern world. Watch the video version of ‘Counselling for anxiety in young people’ below: Anxiety and stress in young people is becoming increasingly common these days. Pressures to do well at school, to be popular (or even to avoid being bullied), and to present themselves in the best way possible on social media – these and many other things all add up to create a huge level of overwhelm and stress in teenagers. When anxiety gets too muchContinue Reading