The Soothing System

Since the start of the year I’ve been sharing blogs with you which explore ‘The Compassion Focused Therapy Model’.  We started off with an introduction to the model, then we focused in on ‘Drive’, followed by ‘Threat/Protection’.  Today I’ll be focusing on the third system which is called ‘Soothing’. The Soothing System is all about … Read more

The Threat System

Back in January I wrote an introduction to the Compassion Focused Model (if you’ve not read that one then it might make sense to do that before you carry on!).  Last month I looked at the Drive system in more depth and now it is the turn of the Threat system. The Threat system is … Read more

The Drive System

This blog post is a follow up to my previous one titled ‘The Compassion Focused Therapy Model’ so please read that first then hop back over here to learn more about the Drive system. The Drive System is all about acquiring things, focusing on a goal and getting jobs done.  We may experience feelings of … Read more

Anti-depressants (a brief intro)

People often talk to me about anti-depressants, and whilst I am not a doctor or medical prescriber I thought a blog addressing the basics would be useful. Please bear in mind as you read this blog that I am not intending this as a substitute for professional medical advice. If you have any questions or … Read more

Q&A: Yoga for mental health

I’ve been practising yoga for many years.  When I’m ‘on the mat’ I feel centred, it’s space away from everything else in my life and a rare chance to pay attention to my body instead of my mind.  Recently I’ve been attending classes led by Liz Walker.  Liz is an experienced yoga teacher who specialises … Read more

Values

Values

In therapy, when we talk about ‘values’ we mean the things which are important to you – the principals you want to live your life by, the kind of person who you want to be in the world and the example which you want to set for others.  It’s your own personal compass which keeps … Read more

Self-Care

Self-care has become quite the buzz word in the past few years with it ranking amongst one of the most frequently used hashtags on social media today. When we think about self-care, typical things which may spring to mind include … Bubble bathPainting your nailsMeeting up with a friendMindfulnessCoffee & cake (my personal favourite!)Watching an … Read more