Image above: Illustration from The Arthur Rackham Fairy Book, 1933 'Goblin mode - “a type of behaviour which is unapologetically self-indulgent, lazy, slovenly, or greedy, typically in a way that rejects social norms or expectations” In a BBC news story this last week I read that the first Oxford word of the year to be chosen by public vote had been announced. Witnessing the arrival of a new word excited me, but reading the article caused my mood to shift to one of deflation and irritation. Notwithstanding the winning word is actually two words being used to form a slang term, I’m just not convinced it offers us the ability to express anything particularly meaningful, adds a

Like all professions we undertake professional development activities and I like to mix technical training with a focus; for example over the last few years we have concentrated on psychiatric medications, psychosexual therapy, safeguarding and suicide to name some of them, as well as more experiential events. These tend to be about having a time and space to focus on a particular concern with living, for example change and uncertainty. Whilst we have a wonderful range and breadth of expertise in the UK, I also like to keep an eye on what my colleagues in the USA are doing and in October I was able to visit Tamp

Image: The tree of knowledge, depicted in many forms in different cultures Nicholas Rose is away for the month of September and will be returning to write for The Chiswick Calendar on 14 October. Meanwhile, Nicholas' colleague, Evangelos Raptis, will be writing the Mind Matters blog on his behalf. The anxiety of knowledge and what to do about it As a schoolboy, I experienced the first days of September as a period of heightened anxiety: racing heart palpitations, sweaty palms and stomach cramps. Maybe it was the first drops of autumn rain on the windows of our living room, or the transition out of a summer filled with careless play and chocolate ice cream. More ominously, September marked the beginning of the academic year – a time when I h

I’ve noticed a tinge of annoyance when reading in the media about ‘Micro aggressions’. Having reflected, I realise it is because it is a concept that encourages us to be constantly vigilant in terms of the behaviour of other people. Of course it can be a relief to have a concept like ‘micro aggression’ to help us make sense of our experience of others and yet at the same time the negativity of the word itself may well result in us feeling less comfortable. I’m not saying

It is natural for us to make judgments in the current moment based in part upon old experiences and information and this means we never enter into a new situation or interaction without the potential for unhelpful bias and prejudice. The word prejudice meaning prejudging, happens when we judge, form opinions about a person and assess a stimulus as positive or negative, without a strong foundation or valid reasoning for those judgements. Prejudice can have a strong influence on how people behave and interact with others. It can happen outside of a person's awareness, without the person realising they are under the influence o

It really is a very busy time for us working in the mental health and psychological wellbeing field. Services for children and young people are particularly strained and we are finding it hard to find team members able to work with children and young people to join our practice. Headlines such as this one: "The pandemic have driven an unprecedented surge in demand for mental health services for children and young people" and this one: "Children's mental health: Huge rise in severe cases, BBC analysis reveals all" summarise some shocking statistics detailing the worsening wellbeing of our young and the pressure

I’ve been thinking about how Chiswick, a place thought of passionately by so many as home, offers such a positive opportunity for friendship. Its thriving centre of shops and meeting places, schools, local employment, green spaces and groups, events, activities, its diversity of ages, its location close to the city and the countryside, its mix of old and new and a population possibly unlike any other in the London area. It is as easy to meet someone who has never lived anywhere else and who would happily describe themselves as a local as it is to meet someone who has lived all over the world and comfortably call themselve

I hope that Storm Eunice did not cause you or yours any harm and that you were fortunate not to suffer any damage, losses or inconvenience? For my part I did suffer some inconvenience and had to change some plans but the most impactful experience turns out to be how I found myself reflecting on my experiences and choices. Watching the Storm Eunice coverage Friday morning reminded me of the pandemic and the lockdowns. In particular that experience of being told what to do, I thought carefully about the wording being used around the red warning and part of me, the tired and nervous part wanted someone to come on screen and tell m

A number of very welcome announcements have been made recently to highlight the role of talking therapies (counselling and psychotherapy) and the range of services available for young people and adults. In this article I thought it worth shining a light on our relationships. The pandemic has brought many changes that have impacted upon relationships - home working and schooling, lockdowns, reduced social contact, fewer holidays, loss and bereavements, more time or less time together - so something that can be said with certainty is that our relationships have experienced change. Having relationships is crucial to our health,

In something lost, something is found and in something found something is lost. I don’t know about you but the extent to which the last couple of years and the pandemic appear to have accelerated changes to how I live my life reveals itself to me at the most unexpected times and in unexpected ways. Last week I went to meet with a colleague in Hampshire. I used to think nothing of jumping in the car and heading to a meeting and it was only in the doing of it that I realised how unfamiliar it had become and also how the experience of it had changed over the years. My thinking was that of course with experiences that

This is a question which is probably as old as humanity itself but first credited to psychologist Sir Francis Galton in 1869. Ever since, many studies have been conducted, trying to discover the reasons behind the most common mental health problems. The appliance of scientific study to human behaviours generally serves only to raise more possibilities and lines of enquiry. And whilst much greater understanding exists around the physiology that accompanies psychological distress it is not that there is categorical certainty about whether and which might come first. As psychotherapists our role is to facilitate someone getting to the most helpful understanding of their concerns so that they can make skilful decisions about how to live life. Therapy exists at the point current medical know

The word trauma is one that is being increasingly used, understood but also misunderstood. Often there is something really powerful when someone realises that the feelings they are struggling with are those of feeling traumatised. Once identified it is possible to find a way forward. In this blog post we look at trauma, ASD - Acute Stress Disorder and PTSD - Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. In psychology, a PTSD diagnosis is applicable to people presenting symptoms once a month has passed since the traumatic event. A whole range of emotions can be triggered by an event that for many connects to key life concerns such as security, bel

Feeling the pressure to get back to "normal"? Recognising our vulnerability to stress is essential. One way of getting a sense of how you are doing might be to pay attention to your feelings and thoughts as you read this post. Under pressure we tend to have less patience, want quick answers, feel irritated and critical as opposed to calm, patient, curious and accepting. So just your reactions to something as simple as a post on psychological well being can provide vital information on how you are doing. And that is important because? Well not managing stress and pressure has a direct impact on our health, how people experience us, our relationships, enjoyment of life and can lead to a downward spiral. So putting off dealing with stress and pressure is a flawed strategy. On one hand w

It seems that as we emerge from the various lockdown restrictions many people are finding themselves struggling to adjust, with accounts of relationships under strain, unhealthy patterns of behaviour around food, alcohol or other substances, anxiety disorders and anger management problems. But times of change can also bring opportunities for us to change in positive ways too and I think that now is a great time for us to consider addressing those things that make us feel less than happy about ourselves. This week I

Too stressed to notice that April was Stress Awareness Month? April was Stress Awareness Month and yet with so many stressors in our lives at the moment I think we can be forgiven for not being aware of it? However, I have been thinking about how many of our clients are routinely impacted on stress that comes from work, either from the pressure of the work itself and or difficult relationships at work. And too much stress can so easily hav