I had a client who was overcoming addiction, in recovery from cocaine addiction. He explained that it had all started so well, with the occasional line of cocaine at the weekend. The drug gave him the ability to party a little bit longer and drink a little bit more. He noted that it was hard
One of the presuppositions of NLP is that we can only evaluate behaviour and change in terms of context and ecology. That’s to say, we can only evaluate change if we firstly understand the circumstances in which change has taken place. Secondly, we can only make that evaluation if we can confirm that everyone benefits,
For most, if not all, of us the labels we acquire as we go through life bind us. Firstly, we’re children, parents, brothers, sisters, wives, husbands, and partners. Additionally, we take on job titles, roles within our families, and the labels we give to ourselves. Others impose labels on us, just as we impose labels
I recently visited some friends. I hadn’t been for a while. Much had changed yet so much remained the same. Isn’t that the same with friends? We’re all getting older yet the bonds that bind remain as strong as ever. During the trip I was able to get out and visit the tree which we
We’re all aware of what stress is, or at least I assume that we’re all aware. There’s enough out there about the nature of stress, the risks of being stressed and, seemingly, an endless number of ways of managing it. The message it appears, is simple: stress is bad and we must take steps to
I’m fairly confident that we all, at times, think about things we’d like to do and have. Those fleeting daydreams of a better future. We allow our imaginations to run a little bit wild. And then we turn back to reality. The dreams, the aspirations, the hopes, all gone in an instant. It’s time to
One of my more recent clients came to me because they were experiencing overwhelming anxiety. It had gone beyond the point of feeling uncomfortable. They were now ready to take action, realising that confronting the anxiety was the lesser of two evils. And it’s an interesting thought. Some people continue with the bad feelings simply
The summer holidays have, for many, come to an end. You may be sad that it’s all over for this year. Alternatively, you may be only too glad to get back to the routine that life can offer. Of course, your feelings could be anywhere between the two. For those attending school, college, or university,
It sometimes surprises me how much therapy some people go through to address their problems. For some, it is the only way that they can move forward. They have a genuine need to resolve the past before they can think about the future. Occasionally, I meet people for whom continuing therapy has become something of
The art of effective communication is, in my view, reaching a shared understanding of an issue or a situation. We don’t have to agree. Indeed, we can agree to disagree. However, if we have communicated effectively, I understand you and you understand me. We can each represent accurately what the other has said. Easy, isn’t