Insomnia, or the inability to sleep, seems to be a real issue of today. All of us can experience periods of disturbed sleep, but sometimes our sleep patterns become irregular and over time this can become an exhausting problem.

Often, sleep issues coincide with difficult times in our lives, such as following a grief or loss, during relationship or work issues, or times of increased anxiety and stress; thus, magnifying the difficulties we are already experiencing and making each day seem even more challenging.

There are many emotional and mental health reasons for disturbed sleep, but if getting restful sleep is an issue for you over a period of time it is advisable to get a health check to ensure there are no underlying medical issues causing your Insomnia.  Sometimes sleep issues can also be a side effect of medication, so it’s worth considering this too.

So, what can we do to help regain a healthy sleep pattern and regular restful sleep? Here are just a few areas I would explore with clients:

‘Social distancing’ and ‘self-isolating’ - such new, yet now so familiar turn of phrase.

It’s been an unprecedented week, with the world and people’s lives being changed hour by hour.  Most people’s stress and anxiety levels will have risen considerably, with health, family, food and financial anxieties being real and major concerns. Sadly, illness and grief are also currently a real part of life for many. The words ‘social distancing’, ‘self-isolating’, Coronavirus or COVID-19 are now firmly imprinted in everyone’s mind.

It’s an extremely worrying time so it’s difficult to stay calm and positive.  However, it’s so important to realise how stress and anxiety affects the body; it triggers your flight-or-fight response, releasing stress hormones adrenaline and cortisol which can weaken the immune system.

Now, it’s more vital than ever to look after your well-being, support each other and try to remain calm.  Here’s a few ideas and strategies you can try to help maintain your mental and physical well-being:

Mother’s Day or Mothering Sunday can be a wonderful day for many, but it can also be an emotionally difficult day for lots of people.

It can be particularly poignant for those who have experienced a loss or are grieving - adults/children who have lost their mother, mothers who have lost a child, women who have suffered a miscarriage or are struggling to conceive, those in estranged families, adopted children/adults who maybe don’t know their biological mother, children who have lost a grandmother, grandmothers who have lost a grandchild, husbands and fathers who have lost a wife or daughter, the list goes on. The actual day and the build-up beforehand can be incredibly difficult and evoke powerful memories, emotions and feelings which are truly personal to each individual and each relationship loss. 

Just like Father’s Day, Christmas Day and Valentine’s Day, the day is publicised widely many weeks beforehand, appearing on social media, advertisements on TV and radio, with cards, flowers and gifts filling the shops, all of which makes it extremely difficult to avoid or ignore.

So, if you are amongst those who are simply ‘dreading’ the day, what can you do to help survive the day and minimise stress, anxiety and upset?

Sadly, the answer to this is yes they can!

A recent BBC News article recently highlighted the current lack of therapy regulation - I must say this is an area I feel passionately about and one that seriously needs to change.  As current regulations stand, ANYONE can call themselves a Therapist, Counsellor or Psychotherapist.

Statutory Regulations URGENTLY need to change so that such professional titles can only be used by therapists who are professionally trained to a regulated standard, are registered with a professional regulating body, are fully insured, receive regular supervision, are practicing ethically and continuously developing their practice.

It's the time of year when many of us make new year’s resolutions - typical ones being; losing weight, quitting smoking, stopping drinking, joining the gym or promising to make time to de-stress/relax etc.

But how many of us commit fully to our promises and succeed in making lasting changes?

I’d like to explore with you some useful tips and the types of support you could access to help you succeed in achieving these goals:

So, what do I mean, 'the A word'?

I mean a word which can feature in all our lives, at any time, and is often explored in the therapy space… the word ANXIETY.

Anxiety is a normal feeling and a part of everyday life, but like anything that gets out of balance, it can have a real and detrimental effect on our very existence.  Feeling anxious can affect us all at different times, to different degrees, causing unpleasant physical and mental symptoms.