Shirley Brocklehurst Psychotherapy

13/06/2024

Body Moves is a free flowing, feelgood activity for mature movers.

In this therapeutic dance movement session you will be guided to find freedom in moving your body your way.

It is not a technique class or a fitness workout, although the principles of exercise, movement and dance underpin the sessions. There is no choreography to follow and no steps to remember. Instead, I will guide you to explore your own movement vocabulary and find freedom in the body.

Using your body in this way develops balance, flexibility and confidence. It also helps to lift the spirits.

There is no right or wrong way to do this. If you feel you lack co-ordination it really doesn't matter. There is no judgement here, only encouragement. You go at your own pace and the energy level is up to you. Being in the spirit of the moment, enjoying the connection with self and others are the main focus. It's just about being curious, having a bit of fun and supporting each other in playfulness.

Booking is essential as space is limited. Use the link below or email [email protected] for information.
https://bookwhen.com/movementinmind-courses/e/ev-sbq8-20240626030000

16/05/2024

Interesting article about moving in synchrony with others.

Synchrony is a valued component of DMP, and is one of the features of Tai Chi, although rarely mentioned as one of the benefits.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/mTyVcHw3ahKNUvoY/?mibextid=WC7FNe

The synchronisation involved in music and dance may be the “active ingredient” in their social bonding effects.

14/05/2024

Are you struggling with low self-esteem, depression, anxiety, or grief?
Or perhaps something is blocking your vision, stopping you from moving forward or being your best, keeping you stuck and frustrated?
Maybe this group therapy can help.
Join me in this small group (maximum six members) with others who are also on a journey of personal development and healing. Working through issues in a community can help reduce feelings of isolation. Making authentic connections brings growth and healing.
The intention is for the face to face group to meet monthly (Tuesday evenings in Broomhall) but there will be an online group in the intervening weeks. You can join either or both.

This is a Dance Movement Psychotherapy group for adults wishing to explore thoughts and feelings in psychotherapy. Creative and mindful movement is a way of processing emotions and unsticking patterns held in the mind and body.

The session is guided, but the movement will come from the participants. Sometimes we’ll use music and at others we may not. Discussion and sharing may happen, but only by choice. Participation is always by invitation rather than expectation.

While many welcome the opportunity to engage in movement and creativity, the prospect can also create apprehension. In this group all felt experiences are welcome and useful. Participants are supported to explore their inner world with curiosity and compassion.

You can find out more or book a place on the link below
https://shirleybrocklehurst.uk/deeply-moving/

14/05/2024

This is a face to face dance movement psychotherapy group which complements the online group. The face to face group meets monthly, on Tuesday evenings at 6.30pm. The online group meets in the interve...

14/05/2024

This is a dance movement psychotherapy group for adults wishing to explore thoughts and feelings in psychotherapy. Creative and mindful movement is a way of processing emotions and unsticking patterns...

14/05/2024

I’m Shirley, a Dance Movement Psychotherapist based in Cheshire but I also work online. For my clients I provide a creative and calm space to work towards better mental and physical health. The body and mind are intrinsically connected and DMP is a process of making sense of blocks, confusions and overwhelming experiences in the body, for a balanced sense of self.
I have decades of experience in this and related fields having been a dance teacher, keep fit instructor, independent dance artist and postural stability instructor (falls prevention). I also practice and teach Tai Chi and Qi Gong.

10/05/2024

30/04/2024

This is a Dance Movement Psychotherapy group for adults wishing to explore thoughts and feelings in psychotherapy. Creative and mindful movement is a way of processing emotions and unsticking patterns held in the mind and body.

The session is guided, but the movement will come from the participants. Sometimes we’ll use music and at others we may not. Discussion and sharing may happen, but only by choice. Participation is always by invitation rather than expectation.

While many welcome the opportunity to engage in movement and creativity, the prospect can also create apprehension. In this group all felt experiences are welcome and useful. Participants are supported to explore their inner world with curiosity and compassion.

You can find out more or book a place on the link below
https://shirleybrocklehurst.uk/deeply-moving/

30/04/2024

This is a Movement Psychotherapy group using a mind/body intervention for adults who are experiencing depressive symptoms and/or anxiety.

The session will be guided, using somatic and movement therapy combined with simple Tai Chi and Qi Gong movements which are chosen for their therapeutic affect. This is not a class, we will use the movements for their therapeutic benefit but not focus on form or technique.

Research suggests that Tai Chi and Qi Gong may help improve your mood if you are depressed or anxious. It’s also believed that the slow, mindful breaths and movements have a positive effect on the nervous system and mood-regulating hormones.

Find out more and book a place on the link below
https://shirleybrocklehurst.uk/moving-the-mood/

28/03/2024

Therapy can help you develop emotional intelligence. Building the skills needed to process difficult emotions increases self-awareness and helps you relate to others in a more helpful way.

22/03/2024

If you're a fan of embodiment, I encourage you to watch this! Scott is one of the founders of Arts for the Blues and I have been privileged to co-facilitate practitioner training sessions with him. In this lecture he speaks eloquently, while all the while moving fluently. Awesome!

e/HBkj-9nJC6s?si=f4npWkPWnX5mkzw9

With the worldwide challenge of mental health at an all-time high, we urgently need to find new solutions. There has been considerable interest in the relati...

16/03/2024

Spring is here! In Five Element thinking, Spring is the beginning of the season cycle, a time of birth and new beginnings. This is the energy that brings forth new growth, that pushes the new grass through the snow, the new branches out from old wood, produces new leaves.

I've been spring cleaning - online, anyway. Website updated, online profiles refreshed and brought up to date.

https://www.counselling-directory.org.uk/counsellors/shirley-brocklehurst?_gl=1*1fa04l5*_gcl_aw*R0NMLjE3MTA1NzY1MDAuQ2owS0NRandodFd2QmhEOUFSSXNBT1AwR29pYVViWWFMckwzcDFUdVlSLWZBWWh1aHp1V3JsSllER3l1TXJoOWRGYXBpWjJMUzR4NU9ORWFBaDdjRUFMd193Y0I.*_gcl_au*MjAzNjM3Njg3LjE3MDc4MzEzMjA.*_ga*MTc2NDE0Njg1Ny4xNzA3ODMxMzEy*_ga_BMWGCG64PD*MTcxMDU3MzM1OS42LjEuMTcxMDU3NzQzNi4yNi4wLjA.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/counselling/shirley-ann-brocklehurst-nantwich-eng/1263564?preview=1&return_to=https://member.psychologytoday.com/gb/profile

I work somatically, accessing and enhancing the connection between mind and body. The body holds meaningful insights into our story and can help re-frame the way we look at things. Over time, we link body awareness with emotional awareness.

28/02/2024

Playfulness. What a lovely word. It evokes concepts like freedom, joy, fun, exploration, and discovery. ‘Play’ sounds like a break from reality, a release of judgment. It implies creativity, which can be therapeutic and healing, offering a fresh perspective, a new way of thinking. ‘Playing’ is present moment living.
Children need play in order to help their rapidly growing brains to develop. Play helps the brain to continually learn as it grows and changes throughout life. As we move from childhood to adulthood, play is usually replaced by adult responsibilities. However, these are all things that are vital and important throughout life, not just in childhood. What happens to that playful energy? According to the laws of physics, energy cannot be created or destroyed? What does it transform into? What would happen if every once in a while adults could put their egos aside and play as if nothing were holding them back?

https://shirleybrocklehurst.uk/2023/11/19/playfulness-a-clients-perspective-painting-with-my-body/

23/02/2024

22/02/2024

21/02/2024

I really enjoyed watching the Great Pottery Throwdown this week. I love all the 'British' creatives - Bake Off, Sewing Bee, Throwdown, Woodworker, as well as the Landscape and Portrait Artists of the Year. It's great to see people give rein to their talent and learn something about them along the way. I'm less keen on the competitive element, but that's the therapist in me and without it there wouldn't be a tv show.

This week's Throwdown was really emotive. The judges had chosen a theme of dark and light and all the participants created from their personal stories. Some were clearly still very raw, and some obviously found the process cathartic.

But there is a difference between creating art and it being therapeutic and a Creative Arts Therapy. Lots of people find that being creative helps their mental health, but while a creative leisure activity can evoke positive feelings, a Creative Arts Therapy is evidence-based treatment that uses creativity while focusing on self-reflection and navigating emotional challenges. Arts therapists/psychotherapists use creative process to address emotional issues. One of the most important aspects of this type of therapy, as with traditional psychotherapy, is the relationship between the client and the therapist. This means there needs to be a therapeutic relationship specifically between the client and a trained and qualified arts therapist in order for it to be truly therapy. Another distinction worth mentioning is that, rather than focussing on technique, talent and aesthetics, therapy is about the process and is accessible to all levels of ability. It provides clients with creative methods in which they make new discoveries about themselves and work through past traumas, emotions and memories in a safely held, non judgemental space.

https://shirleybrocklehurst.uk/2024/02/19/creative-arts-therapy

15/02/2024

This a great 'win' for creative arts therapy. I've been involved with Arts for the Blues from the beginning as a therapist and now as a trainer. Last year, we delivered staff wellbeing projects for the NHS and training for CAMHS practitioners. This funding for Arts4us is a welcome development thanks to the hard work and perseverence of the leadership team.

The Arts4us project focuses on the mental health of young people aged nine to 13, a group at significant risk of developing mental health problems while tran...

13/02/2024

If your body is telling you something is wrong there may be a connection to underlying mental and emotional issues. Over time, these can inform our movement habits and become embedded in the body's subconscious. Sometimes this can lead to discomfort or pain which is medically unexplainable.

Sometimes physical issues can be related to how our muscles and body react to the stress and tension of daily living, and also traumatic experiences.

09/02/2024

https://theconversation.com/why-dancers-are-better-workers-according-to-research-220929?utm_term=Autofeed&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwAR26GHx1C2OBSh_KEtboh4VZOUDzvy7yoMOkuEpho0DiMQ9QZEwd2Ie43XI =1707226216

Dancing boosts wellbeing and reduces absenteeism and presenteeism.