The Opening Micro-skills

  The Opening Micro-skills This article was published on Monday, April 23rd, 2012 “First impressions stick.” “You never get a second chance to make a first impression.” If there is any truth in these two popular notions, then anyone working with a helpee (e.g. a therapy client, a friend, a family member, etc.) within the context of providing mental health support should not underestimate the usefulness and importance of opening micro-skills. Appropriate use of non-verbal micro-skills tells care recipients that you are with them and ready to listen. When you use opening micro-skills, you are inviting them to tell you more. While these are technically commands, they are “soft” ones, in that they are presented to the helpee in a manner that communicates,...

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The Micro-skills of Non-verbal Language

The Micro-skills of Non-verbal Language This article was published on Thursday, March 22nd, 2012 The American National Science Foundation discovered that we form an impression of someone in just three seconds (personal communication, 1984). Social scientists also claim that at least 80 per cent of our communication takes place on the non-verbal level (Young, 2005), with only 7 percent of emotion being conveyed by verbal means. Of the rest, 38 per cent is conveyed by voice, and 55 per cent by facial expression (Mehrabian, 1972). Beyond that, researchers have come to appreciate non-verbal behaviours as important channels of communication, serving the functions of: Regulating conversations Communicating emotions Modifying...

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Fundamentals of Stress and Anxiety

Fundamentals of Stress and Anxiety This article was published on Friday, March 9th, 2012 Although never quite adequately defined, vague generalisations such as “stress and tension are normal reactions to events that threaten us” are used to describe it. Such threats can come from accidents, financial troubles and problems on the job or with family and through our emotional and physical reactions to the given situations, we become what is termed ‘stressed’. Not that long ago, the terms of worry, anxiety, fear, impatience, and anger gave way to what has been formally termed ‘stress’ and its offshoots, stressful, stress-related, and stressed-out. Further complicating matters is the fact that different people...

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Six Anger Management Strategies for Clients

Six Anger Management Strategies for Clients This article was published on Monday, March 5th, 2012 ...

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Counselling Techniques to Reduce Stress

Counselling Techniques to Reduce Stress This article was published on Monday, January 16th, 2012 How do we cope with stress? There are literally thousands of books, articles and websites that cover stress and stress management. However, the ancient and natural ways are probably still the best ways towards peace and serenity. The old adage, ‘prevention is better than cure’ is certainly true for stress management. Below are three counselling techniques counsellors can utilise with client...

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Psychological Therapies

Psychological Therapie...

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Humanistic Therapies

Humanistic Therapie...

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Cognitive and Behavioural Therapies

Psychological Therapies » Cognitive and Behavioural Therapies Cognitive and Behavioural Therapies Information about cognitive and behavioural therapies: Behavioural Therapy Behavioural Therapy is effective for individuals who require treatment for some sort of behaviour change, such as addictions, phobias and anxiety disorders. Based on the principle that behaviour is learnt, and can therefore be unlearnt, or reconditioned, Behavioural Therapy concentrates on the 'here and now' without focusing on the past to find a reason for the behaviour. The most famous examples of conditioning are those of Ivan Pavlov and B.F Skinner. An experiment conducted by Pavlov demonstrated how ringing a bell close to dinner time caused dogs to associate the ringing of the bell with the expectation...

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Psychoanalytical and Psychodynamic Therapies

Psychoanalytical and Psychodynamic Therapies Information about psychoanalytical and psychodynamic therapies: Psychoanalysis Freud is widely regarded as being the founder of modern psychology, developing the therapy known as psychoanalysis. This therapy is based on the idea that a great deal of an individual's behaviour and thoughts are not within their conscious control. Psychoanalysis attempts to help clients develop insight into deep-rooted problems that are often thought to stem from childhood. Psychoanalysis is based on the principle that our childhood experiences have created our current behaviour patterns and thinking process. These thoughts and feelings can become repressed and may manifest themselves as depression or other negative symptoms. By talking freely about...

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Psychological Therapies (others)

Family/Systemic Therap...

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Where is the love

Where is the love January 24th, 2012 by Angela Dierks, BA (Hons), MStud (Oxon), MA Integrative Counselling, MBACP Share this:         Most of us would have experienced that dreadful moment in time when the relationship with our partner somehow feels different: heavy, difficult, guilt-ridden, anger provoking, suffocating, annoying - whichever way you may experience it at this point in time. Where is the partner who we fell in love with, who we singled out from a myriad of others because he or she was so special, who made us dive to the bottom of a seemingly endless well of joy? Where is the mirror that we get lost in, the reader of our every though...

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Couples Counselling

Couples Counselling Couples Counselling, previously known as marital therapy or marriage guidance, addresses the problems arising from adult sexual or intimate relationships. The relationship, rather than the two individuals, is the 'client'. Our very closest relationship: a marriage; co-habitation or civil partnership, is based on intimacy and trust. When it stops working we are affected deeply and our health and happiness suffer. Our sense of identity and self-worth often rests on the strength of our relationships and we can despair when our prime relationship fails. Pressures of work, family, money and health all take their toll. Suddenly the relationship that once recharged us leaves us drained and disappointed. Patterns of behaving that we learned as children often re-emerge...

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7 secrets of good relationships

7 secrets of good relationships April 24th, 2012 by Rachel Shattock Dawson BA (Hons), MA, MBACP Share this:         ...

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