Counselling

Why I won’t sell vouchers for therapy

| Sally O'Reilly
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First the super good news: people are asking for Christmas gift therapy vouchers again this year and I think that’s amazing. It’s a sure sign that mental wellbeing is being taken more seriously than ever before and that therapy is being normalised. When I first started out in private practice this was one of my dreams and honestly, I didn’t think we’d get here.

But here we are!

[bctt tweet=”That said, I won’t sell vouchers for therapy. And here’s why: #therapyvouchers #therapy #selfcare #christmasgifts #boundaries #relationships” username=”psychosal”]

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What to do when someone you care about self-harms

| Sally O'Reilly
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Not a week goes by that a therapist doesn’t hear about a client or a client’s friend self-harming. This is particularly true of therapists who work with teenagers – lately it feels like something of an epidemic.

After first hearing about self-harming behaviour – which usually takes the form of cutting, scraping, hitting or otherwise causing injury to the self – parents and friends usually react in one of two ways:

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What is the difference between Counselling and Psychotherapy?

| Sally O'Reilly
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I am aware that the words ‘Counselling’ and ‘Psychotherapy’ are often used interchangeably, particularly by clients and members of the general public. However, with the huge increase in training courses and the growing (and very much welcomed) normalisation of counselling and psychotherapy, the definitions of and distinctions between these two professions are becoming clearer.

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Tips on self care coming up to Christmas – Tip Three:

| Sally O'Reilly
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Take a minute right NOW to do NOTHING: take 3 slow, deep, to your tummy breathes, feel the chair under you, the ground under your feet, hear the sounds around you, feel the clothes on your skin, be aware of what smells are around you.

Listen to your inner dialogue: how much pressure have you put yourself under? How many rules and demands have you made of yourself for Christmas? Would you make these same demands of your best friend??Write down what you expect of yourself, then cross off the unreasonable and unnecessary items, the ‘shoulds’, and marvel at how few are left:)

Remember to breathe during today – just remind yourself, and you’ll soothe yourself nicely.

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