Increasingly I am starting to bring ‘body work’ into my talking therapies sessions.  In particular I have been reading about Polyvagal Theory, and recently attended a workshop on this.  It is fascinating to think about how bringing body-based interventions can really enhance the talking therapy that I do.  This can be really helpful when the words just don’t feel quite enough and people are feeling overwhelmed or are struggling to say what is needed.  So much of our emotional word is held by our body, and the words we have don’t always seem to do it justice.

Using movement can be a really powerful way of grounding us in order that we can start to use the ‘thinking’ and ‘planning’ parts of our brain, if they have felt overwhelmed.  It can often be really simple, small movements that can help.  If you are feeling stressed at the moment, try just pushing your feet into the floor.  Try and really notice the feeling of the ground beneath you, supporting your weight.  If you are struggling with your mood and looking for talking therapy that also pays attention to the body then please do get in touch for a free 15 minute phone consultation to see how I can help.

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Now might be a good time to try and make a bit of a plan of personal do’s and don’ts. What are the things that will help you stay mentally and physically well – maybe write them down somewhere now so that you have them to hand in the future. Making a bit of a plan and having some element in control of a potentially challenging situation can help it feel more manageable.

Feel free to comment below to share ideas of what worked for you. The top one for me is making sure I get out for a walk in nature, even if it’s just 10 minutes every day – whatever the weather.

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Over the last few months I have been continuing to provide therapy sessions online via Zoom. It has taken a bit of getting used to, for both myself and clients, but in the main the transition has been seamless and it has continued to be very effective. However, of course, it may not suit everyone. As an alternative for those who don’t feel they wish to do online therapy I am also offering therapy via the phone. The obvious difference with phone therapy is the lack of information about body language. However, for some people the slightly more distant approach of phone therapy may make it feel easier to open up and talk about difficulties.

If you are considering therapy but are not sure whether phone or online would be best do feel free to contact me to discuss this further.

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Stress is a big issue for many people. The stresses of day to day life can have a big impact on our emotional and physical wellbeing. This is because of the ‘fight, flight, freeze’ alarm system in our brains, which has been around since caveman times. Our brains are wired so that if we are in danger (like a caveman stumbling across a tiger) we get ready to fight, run or stay really still until the danger has gone. Most of the time the things that set off this alarm in our brain aren’t dangers (like tigers!) but day to day stresses, but our brains still react in the same way. When this alarm goes off it sends a signal to release hormones; including adrenaline and cortisol which increase our heart rate and blood pressure and increases energy in our blood, all to get us ready to fight, run or stay really still.

When our alarm system is going off all the time, and our bodies are constantly being flooded with adrenaline and cortisol this can cause depression, anxiety, digestive problems, headaches, weight gain, sleep problems, and can affect our memory and concentration. This is one way exercise can help: Aerobic exercise actually reduces the levels of adrenaline and cortisol in our bodies. Not only that but exercise also causes endorphins to be released. Endorphins are a natural pain reliever, improve our mood and immune response and regulate our appetites. So the process of working out is likely to make us feel better and reduce the effects of stress on our physical and emotional health. Research has also found that doing exercise can improve concentration as well as mood.

Wellbeing isn’t just about what happens with our bodies and brains when we exercise. A technique often used in therapy (especially for low mood and depression) is called activity scheduling. This involves planning and carrying out regular activities, which should be a mixture of things that are fun, and also things that give you a sense of achievement. This might be things like spending time with friends, shopping, cleaning the car, going to the gym, going to the cinema – the list is endless and will be individual to each person.

Relaxation and mindfulness are also good for mental wellbeing. Relaxation can be about just doing things you find relaxing, but it is also good to ‘actively relax’. This means doing an activity purposefully for relaxation: That could be using imagery, like imagining yourself on a beach – what can you hear, see, smell, touch, taste? Or it could be using a progressive muscle relaxation, where you tense and relax different muscle groups in turn. Mindfulness is about paying really good attention to what is going on right now, instead of thinking or worrying about the past or the future. YouTube has some good videos for relaxation and mindfulness.

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