Catherine Sweet Counselling

15/02/2024

https://grownandflown.com/parent-teen-conflict-reduced-with-warmth-love-yale-study/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=socialflow&fbclid=IwAR2TGtE4ucR6gDiLGiVsng04ty2amyKaK_F5bjm0SOHw87kIAuKZwzE0Ukk

New study by the Yale Child Study Center shows that parents can reduce the effects of inevitable conflict with their teens by demonstrating emotional warmth

03/01/2024

This looks great! A six week course in mindfulness with Ruby Wax. She has also written some fantastic books about mindfulness, very relatable and easy to understand why it can be helpful to combat the stresses we experience.

So why now? Well, there are times in life when we’re suddenly forced to confront the hard truths or as I like to call them the BIG SIX realities – difficult emotions, uncertainty, loneliness, change, dissatisfaction and death. And maybe like me, you’ve had to face a lot of that recently.

31/12/2023

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-67800855

A group based on Antrim's north coast aims to help men open up about their struggles.

22/05/2023

From June 2023 I will be adding another location to my practice. I will be working from Yellow Door Therapies in Ashburton! Im very excited for this opportunity to work alongside some fantastic specialists.

28/03/2023

When everything feels overwhelming, just focus on the next step

Image: https://instagram.com/sprxeadpositivity

21/03/2023

Kids are people too. We need to remember we all have triggers. Kids are still learning and developing so hopefully we manage our emotions differently, but often the triggers are the same

31/10/2022

Managing chronic pain? This lady might be of help, Vidyamala’s story is an incredible one about how she understands the way we perceive pain and how our emotional connection with physical pain can actually make the pain worse or better. There are some links on her website with some great interviews and a 10 day free workshop about managing pain.

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28/10/2022

23/09/2022

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2022/sep/23/rage-rooms-and-primal-screams-how-stressed-out-workers-are-letting-off-steam

London’s ‘Screamatorium’ is one way to self-soothe as office tension (and therapy costs) mount

08/09/2022

What a sad day. No matter how you feel about the monarchy; today a family lost their much loved matriarch and many around the world will be mourning the loss of a strong woman who was a constant in turbulent times.

The following days could prove unsettling to children. There will be a sense of collective grief amongst those in the UK (and commonwealth), television and radio programmes will change, there will be constant sombre music and talk of death and funerals. All of this coming at a time of societal change and with children starting or returning to school.

What's the best way to handle this with children? I'm a firm believer in not shielding children from death. I don't think we do them justice in trying to protect them from it. If we don't talk to them about it somebody else will; such as a a friend in the school playground, or they will overhear a conversation. When somebody dies, whether in our close family or someone who played an important role in our life - like the Queen, we should take time to sit and explain to our children what has happened, using simple, child friendly language. Avoid using ambiguous terms such as "passed away", "went to heaven" (conversations about religious and spiritual beliefs can happen later), or "gone to sleep", instead be clear that the Queen has died; actively use the term death.

It's natural for children to ask questions, try to answer them as honestly and accurately as possible, however uncomfortable or inappropriate they may feel to you. It's also natural for them to worry about you, or others close to them dying, here try to reassure them, but again be honest. It is always good to have a few children's books to hand which can help you to explain death to younger children. Children may like to process their feelings and remember the Queen by drawing pictures, or writing about her (this is akin to us as adults writing in a book of condolence).

If you're upset at the news (or it has triggered past grief in you), don't feel that you have to hide your emotions, again it's good for children to see us grieving. Similarly, it is more than appropriate for children to be allowed to watch the funeral on television if they - or you - would like to.

Much love to everyone today, it's going to be a strange, sad and discombobulating period for many (in times that are already tricky).

Image credit: Joel Rouse/ Ministry of DefenceDerivative: nagualdesign - defenceimagery.mod.uk, OGL 3, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=65165563

06/09/2022

This is great. It’s high time that we recognise that these pressures contribute to our mental health - it’s not because we are not strong enough to cope, not able to adapt , not resilient enough - these are tough times we are living through. We are not broken , systems are , we all need support sometimes to see it and recognise how to overcome that which can be very overwhelming. You are not alone

Society’s understanding of mental health issues locates the problem inside the person - and ignores the politics of their distress, says psychologist Sanah Ahsan

06/09/2022

https://ideas.ted.com/the-7-types-of-rest-that-every-person-needs/

This is a really interesting idea that I have been thinking about this week. As a parent I recognise that sleep alone does not make me feel refreshed for the next day! I recognise that there are deficits in the other types of 'rest' needed in my life. How about you? Do you find that when you fill your cup with these other rest ideas that you feel more rested?

Are you getting your seven or eight hours of sleep a night — yet you still feel exhausted? Here’s why that could be happening, according to physician Saundra Dalton-Smith.

01/09/2022

01/09/2022

Self-care isn't selfish, you can't pour from an empty cup 💕 Join us for Self-Care September and find ways to be kind to yourself as well as others

https://actionforhappiness.org/self-care-september