As far as our primitive survival instinct is concerned, any pain is bad or dangerous. It doesn’t compute that medical science has given us the means to live longer and be healthier and that some of the ways it does that will hurt. It is this neurology that also objects to the drawing of blood, which can be a very specific form of needle phobia based on the fundamental fear that, if we’re bleeding, we might die.
Manifestive spirit
Lockdown blues have inspired a revival of the manifestation movement. This self help method of tapping into the power of positive thinking found popularity with publishing sensation ‘The Secret’ more than a decade ago. It’s compelling message was that anyone can use the ‘law of attraction’ to manifest anything they want. And it made it’s […]
Back to work
Now the wheels of commerce and industry have started turning again, there will be many offices, factories, shops, restaurants and bars where the doors will stay shut and the lights out. The social and economic landscape has changed in a way that affects us all and we’re only now starting to emerge blinking into a […]
A healthy outlook for a better future
Despite the Chancellor’s prescriptions for economic recovery, unemployment is estimated to hit 12 per cent or four million by the end of 2020 and more than a million job losses are predicted by the middle of next year. Like long covid, the symptoms of the ailing financial crisis are going to be prolonged and nasty. […]
The Price of Lockdown
The media is awash with doom and gloom about the economy. And much of what is reported is so baffling it makes no sense in terms of the price of lockdown on us as individuals. When figures are bandied about in the billions, it’s difficult to relate that in real terms to the difference it […]
The S Word
In the long dark hours of a Spring night, a 17 year old boy takes his own life in a Tunbridge Wells park and the coronavirus claims another tragic victim. Lockdown measures are particularly challenging for teens isolated from the social contact of school life and the support of their friendship groups. The structure, order, […]
The anti-viral properties of human kindness
I get great joy from showing kindness to others. It’s a habit which I indulge in whenever I can. But the truth is, I’m not Mother Theresa or Pollyanna and my positive intentions are not entirely altruistic. You see, kindness is often welcomed with appreciation and we all have a fundamental need for approval. Lockdown […]
How to stop the killer cravings…
Do you remember when Corona used to be a sweet fizzy drink? That was back in the innocent days, long before there was a sugar tax on carbonated drinks, when dentists used to give children lollipops for being good as they left the surgery. And here we are now, after decades of an obesity crisis, […]
Back to school (virtually)
Do you remember as a child that end of holiday feeling of dread at the start of a new school term? Well, who would have thought parents across the land are getting that same sinking feeling at the prospect of starting a new term of home schooling? And it’s a mixed blessing for children too […]
Anxiety advice
Goodness me! The internet is suddenly awash with experts on anxiety. Having trawled through some of their offerings, a lot of the advice out there is pretty obvious to me. But then I am, and have been for many years, busy helping people manage their anxiety. Can we first get some perspective here? Anxiety is […]
Women with Anxiety
Women with Anxiety are Strong, Wise and Kind Women learn courage, self-awareness and empathy by fighting their fears… Her strength comes from battling her anxiety when her overwhelming impulse to run away and hide.Sometimes, the voice of fear is too loud to ignore. But mostly, she finds a way to pretend she’s okay. She finds […]
7 Simple Ways of Restoring Harmony and Balance in Your Relationship
Shouting doesn’t get you anywhere. In fact, as soon as voices are raised, you’ve lost the argument and have little chance of resolving your differences. Often, couples will find themselves going over the same old ground, in the same way, becoming more and more frustrated and angry with each other. Once you turn the volume […]
Grown Up Thinking About Childhood Mental Health
Childhood mental health services are in crisis. When a child who feels helpless, hopeless and out of control is brave enough to tell their parents, only to discover that they can’t find a way to solve the problem either, the world very quickly becomes a much scarier place. Small issues can become huge and […]
Banish Back to School Blues
Tunbridge Wells based hypnotherapist Karen Martin spends a great deal of her working day helping children, teens and adolescents. So, she’s busy at this time of year helping to banish back to school blues. Karen’s passion and expertise in this field have enabled her to help many hundreds of young people and she has established […]