Homework

CBT Essentials Part 4 Welcome to the fourth instalment of ‘CBT Essentials’ a new mini-series within Forrest Rambles where I’m exploring the building blocks of CBT.  You can read the previous editions on agenda setting, mood questionnaires and goals on my website. This month I’m looking at ‘homework’ a phrase which conjures up a variety … Read more

Goal Setting

CBT Essentials Part 3 Welcome to the third instalment of ‘CBT Essentials’ a new mini-series within Forrest Rambles where I’m exploring the building blocks of CBT.  I’m hoping this will be of interest to those of you who are curious about CBT and those who want to know more about what to expect from their … Read more

Mood Questionnaires

CBT Essentials Part 2 Welcome to the second instalment of ‘CBT Essentials’ a new mini-series within Forrest Rambles.  Over the next few months I’ll be looking at the building blocks which make up a typical CBT appointment.  I’m hoping this will be of interest to those of you who are curious about CBT and those … Read more

Agenda Setting

CBT Essentials Part 1 Welcome to a new mini-series within Forrest Rambles which I’m calling ‘CBT Essentials’.  Over the next few months I’ll be looking at the building blocks which make up a typical CBT appointment.  I’m hoping this will be of interest to those of you who are curious about CBT and those who … Read more

Blue Spaces

I’m very lucky to live just a short walk from my local beach which is where you will find me most evenings unwinding from my working day.  Little did I know that I was benefiting from ‘Blue Space’ therapy.  I was quite familiar with the mental health benefits of ‘Green Space’ and some of you … Read more

Uncertainty

On my desk I have a framed postcard of a quote from one of my favourite authors, Tove Jansson (creator of the Moomins), which reads “All things are so very uncertain, and that’s exactly what makes me feel reassured”.  I’m not always sure I agree with this, especially over the past few years when there … Read more

Menopause

I’m getting to that time in my life where I’m finding myself having more and more conversations about ‘the menopause’.  Then towards the end of last year the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) proposed an update to their guidelines to include Cognitive Behavioural Therapy as a treatment which can help during menopause.  … Read more

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