The Integrative Practice

01/10/2023

A big thank you to Osteopaths New Zealand for having me speak at their conference last weekend on the topic of practitioner well-being and mental health - I have to say this was possibly my favourite experience of presenting to date with thought-provoking discussion and feeling so welcomed 🤗

I think also, because of being unable to speak at events for so many years of social restriction it was comforting being back doing just that - indicating a further sense of normality in 2023.

My talk was really about how we are all doing after the strenuous weird pandemic years and now..the aftermath, being perhaps not all that much better 🤯

I often think about how we have just gone from one lot of stress and change to another and without much time and space to reflect on what we've individually and collectively been going through - as it was put to me once - "in the same muddy waters but in very different waka." ❤️‍🩹

I came up with these 8 questions to reflect on and discuss in relation to burnout, compassion fatigue (when we care for someone who is suffering), our own trauma as well as vicarious trauma (how we can get adversely affected from hearing about other people's traumatic experiences), and post-traumatic growth - the surprising positive growth experiences we have after getting through extremely challenging situations.

Here are the 8 questions if you are interested in going through the same reflective exercise 💁🏻‍♀️

1) What was the worst part about the pandemic – the thing that when you think about it today, bothers you the most?

2) Did burnout, compassion fatigue, or vicarious trauma occur for you and how are you doing now?

3) What’s one unhelpful lifestyle habit that crept up to help you cope but that doesn’t serve you now, and that you would like to get back on track with?

4) What was an unexpected gift the pandemic has brought you - that you might not have realised at the time - but can appreciate today?

5) What are you most proud of about yourself through this challenging time?

6) What is one thing that you’d like to address in your life that would make all the difference in your mental health and well-being now?

7) Are there any resources or supports needed to help you achieve this?

8) What is one step you plan to take towards this - and when will you start?

🌈

Dr Karen Faisandier, Psychologist. Based in Wellington. Really enjoyed her presentation on Mental Health and Wellbeing. Talking about Burnout, Compassion Fatigue, Trauma, Post Traumatic Growth

10/09/2023

I'm delighted to have been invited to speak to osteopaths from Australia and Osteopaths New Zealand in a couple of weeks at their annual conference . I understand that this is their first conference in person since the pandemic and therefore will be an extra important and reconnecting event 🫶

Osteopathy - especially cranial osteopathy - has been something I've recommended for years to clients with chronic stress and anxiety, trauma, insecure attachment, and gut-brain difficulties. I've observed that having a form of bodywork involved alongside psychological therapy speeds up the process and often becomes a way to reset a stuck sympathetic stress response, heal an array of symptoms, stay well and prevent relapse at times of new stress. I've also used cranial osteopathy myself since around 2013 after I finished my internship and doctoral study 🤯 and can't rate it more highly 🙌

However, over the pandemic, things changed dramatically for osteopaths here in New Zealand as they were unable to work in person during the lockdowns and at different alert levels. Many people were unable to access this form of treatment and osteopaths were doing their best to think on their feet and help remotely while also going through the pandemic stress themselves 😳 - for such a hands-on profession I can't imagine the types of creative thinking that was required!

The conference theme is The Patient Journey and I'm focusing on the practitioner as the therapeutic relationship and how the practitioner is doing themselves is such an integral part of a patient experience 👩‍⚕️

My workshop will cover the concepts of practitioner burnout, compassion fatigue, and vicarious trauma as well as ways to recover well-being after working through episodes of chronic stress and adversity ❤️‍🩹

If there are any osteopaths here who are coming along and have any questions or things you'd like included please feel free to DM me 🤗

04/09/2023

Love it or hate it, money touches every facet of our lives 💰

Our hunter-gatherer drive activates us to obtain and provide resources. Not having enough represents a survival threat in many ways (e.g., physical/social), and so money today is associated with safety or threat depending on your own financial situation 💵

Chronic financial stress is one of the most insidious sources of stress because underneath money there can be uncomfortable emotions such as guilt, fear, shame, and even envy (there's no emoji for envy - perhaps is an example of our aversion to this particular emotion 🤔).

We also usually dislike sharing our money woes with others as we fear judgement, pity or imagine that they can't relate. This can make financial stress incredibly lonely & isolating 😔

We can also create a story our mind tells us about our financial status being about our self-worth, self-esteem and identity. Which it is not - you are not your current bank balance whether it's 7 plus figures or a 0.

We all have a money history that shapes how we feel about it today - it intersects with our personality style, childhood family experiences of money, and can intersect with anxiety and mood disorders, ADHD, but also PTSD if there has been financial trauma (e.g, bankruptcy, litigious divorce, or poverty) 🤑

It can drive our daily behaviours - sometimes in what seems like irrational ways. Hoarding, being "frugal", splurging on things impulsively, pathological avoidance or checking of bank accounts 🫣

I have no idea why I've never written about financial stress and mental health before, but in 2023 I can't not talk about it. So many people are under immense pressure in all kinds of ways, due to economic challenges that have become chronic, seem to be escalating, and can create the perfect conditions for feelings of despair and helplessness ❤️‍🩹

If this topic resonates with you, I've put some ideas together in a new article on how you can get a hold of your stress response if you are currently struggling with either current or imminent (or even imagined/feared) financial stress 🤯

I may not know your exact circumstances but I hope it helps 🤍

https://theintegrativepractice.com/articles/the-hidden-cost-of-money-stress-on-your-health.

An article exploring financial stress and how to mitigate this so it doesn't adversely effect your physical and mental health.

23/08/2023

I'm back on the circuit of public speaking events for the first time since pre-2020 and I'm really looking forward to speaking (In person 🎉) at the conference in Auckland this November 18th on Coeliac Disease (CD): Your brain 🧠 food and mood 🩵

We know that gluten-free (GF) for CD is vital but doesn't necessarily go far enough for good mental health - because this does not automatically equate to eating healthy food or getting enough nutrients to support the nervous system and brain. You could still be consuming a nutrient-devoid inflammatory (yet GF 🌾) diet that can potentially cause or drive mental health symptoms.

I'm planning to cover additional ideas around enhancing mental health and well-being for those with CD or on a medically-necessary GF diet. This talk will be especially relevant for those who are GF and are still experiencing chronic symptoms such as fatigue, brain fog, "ADHD," anxiety, low stress tolerance, and low mood or emotional regulation difficulties.

Check out the Coeliac NZ website (coeliac.org.nz) for more details and ticket info 👀

And if you're planning on attending, please comment with anything you'd like covered in my talk 🙋‍♀️

Registrations for early bird tickets are now open. You won’t want to miss our Conference at the Due Drop Centre (formerly Vodafone events centre) in Manukau City on Saturday 18th November. The conference will provide members and the wider coeliac community with the opportunity to attend an engagin...

13/08/2023

The topic of dairy 🐄 in mental health has been of growing interest to me as a Clinical Psychologist over the years.

Exploring the role of dairy as a mental health intervention for depression was not something I learnt about in my psychology training. But in 2023, we are all discovering so much more about the role of nutrition and the gut in many mental health symptoms, and it's now moving into the mainstream thanks to the hard work of open-minded researchers.

I've seen some clients benefit markedly in their health and mental health from trialling diary-free, while others report little or no improvement 🤷🏻‍♀️ It's not exactly clear who will benefit until after the fact, but there are some tell-tell clues that dairy might be contributing factor in somebody's presentation.

This new article - written for Project Revive by Registered Naturopath Felicity Leahy - delves into some of the clues 🕵️‍♀️ as she looks at the evidence for a dairy-free diet to improve mental well-being 🧠

Her article aims to shed light on when and for whom this dietary change is worth exploring. It addresses:

🥛 What is it about dairy that might be problematic for certain people?
🥛 Food-derived op**te theory
🥛 Immunoglobulin theory
🥛 Is there any evidence that a dairy-free diet will lower risks or improve mental well-being? And for who?

If you're starting to query the dairy then read the full article to learn more 🤓

And excitedly (for the science geeks) there is a novel study underway on the topic of A1 vs A2 dairy and mood by at Deakin University. I'm looking forward to reading the results 🤩

https://theintegrativepractice.com/articles/crying-over-spilt-milk

An article about the effects of dairy on the brain and mental health.

10/07/2023

It's good to release the topic of (FA) with the publication of the final part 3 in a series I've been writing over at Project Revive Courses. What started as one little article morphed into three as the topic turned out to be so dense and somewhat contentious!

I wrote the series to support an important book on women's metabolic health that is currently being written by Lara Briden - The Period Revolutionary (watch this space 🤗). Lara realised she would need to tackle the topic of FA and we had some fabulous conversations exploring it over a weekend in Wellington together earlier this year.

The overlap and interaction between physical health, metabolic health, psychology, attachment experience, past trauma, mental health, degree of current life stressors, life stage, and intake (or absence) of certain foods in a modern world is complex, variable, and a bit of a labyrinth - in the sense that it can be difficult to find your way when things have gone awry. Challenges with feeling out of control with food is something many of my clients have reported (usually but not always secondary to other reasons for seeing me) and I think it is a common, secretive experience that sits on a continuum of severity and can cause distress, isolation, shame and hopelessness ❤️‍🩹

If FA is a concept that resonates with you, much of standard evidence-based addiction treatments can be used. However, a vital piece of recovery from FA is "about the food" and this is where integrating both psychology and nutrition is needed if you are to be successful in lasting change 🦋

You can read the full series or simply get stuck into how to get free from FA - exploring periods of abstinence, harm reduction, reintroducing certain foods, and being prepared for cues, cravings and urges.

It's quite a long read so make sure you allow some time!

Lara's book is going to be a super helpful resource to holistically learn about and repair metabolic health. This will be out in early 2024 and will be announced in her newsletter 💁🏻‍♀️

I can't wait to read it!

https://theintegrativepractice.com/articles/getting-free-from-food-addiction

The final part 3 of my series on addiction to certain foods. A pathway to follow if you want to change your relationship with food.

29/06/2023

Final call for participants for the HAPI Trial - looking at zinc and B6 as a treatment for symptoms of generalized anxiety. If you live with anxiety and would like to find out more, please click the link. Thank you. https://hapitrial.co.nz/

02/06/2023

I'm currently in Italy on holiday and it makes me think a lot about food in New Zealand as I share this recent content I've been writing about food addiction. Food over here is fresh, local, and something to relish and savour and feels very different from eating for the need to sustain oneself or a drive to consume for the sake of it. As my Italian partner says, it's about liking rather than wanting or having to eat. Food for thought anyway! 🍝 🍋 🫒

Article 2/3 from Project Revive's series on food addiction is about how addiction to certain foods can develop 🍩 🍟🍦🍬🍫

"Those with food addiction (FA) are found to often - but not necessarily always - have co-existing psychological concerns such as anxiety and depression, stress disorders like PTSD arising from adverse experiences or abuse, difficulties with impulse control and self-regulation such as attention-deficit disorders, insecure attachment styles, and addictions to other substances or behaviours as well as eating disorders.

Consumption of certain foods may begin as a coping mechanism for the above in childhood or adolescence as a temporary solution rather than starting out as the problem itself, however in time and through reward-based learning (repeated firing of dopamine and opioids) it can take on a life of its own."

Read the full article for more (link in my bio) and look our for the final article on how to unhook from cues, cravings and the vicious cycle 🔄

https://theintegrativepractice.com/articles/how-does-addiction-to-certain-foods-develop

22/05/2023

Do you feel addicted to certain foods? 🍩 🍟 🍫 🍦 🍬 🍞

This month, over at Project Revive, we've been sharing a deep dive on this topic of "food addiction" (FA) in a series of articles I wrote that cover the what, the why and the how to (step out of the cycle of FA). This excerpt is taken from the first article.

"The concept of FA itself is complex, somewhat controversial, and can occur both with and without other mental health or addiction problems, as well as with or without weight gain. The idea that the consumption of certain foods could meet the criteria for addiction is still being debated in the literature, and despite a growing body of evidence, is not an accepted psychiatric diagnosis or even an accepted everyday term. Some argue that to class food as an addiction minimises the seriousness of drug and alcohol disorders while others feel that it stigmatises or shames those who struggle with eating, weight and obesity as being morally at fault.

The reality is that many people suffer quietly or seek help for eating (certain foods) that feels addictive to them and that causes impairment to their physical or mental well-being, especially self-blame, loneliness and shame that occurs in the aftermath."

Read part one of the series and follow for more if this topic resonates with you 💞

https://theintegrativepractice.com/articles/do-you-feel-addicted-to-certain-foods

Part 1 of 3 on a series about food addiction - this article goes into the addictive process in the modern food environment.