Amanda Jarman Registered Member MBACP

Counselling can involve talking about painful feelings and difficult situations which may make people feel worse in the short term.  However, for those who attend regularly, listen and try hard the benefits can be immense.  

In this blog I intend to record things that might be of interest to clients and potential clients. The reflections are intended to provoke thought.  I hope you enjoy my entries.  

Attempts to create methods for assessing and treating mental distress existed long before the nineteenth century.  The earliest recorded approaches were a combination of religious, magical and/or medical perspectives.  In an informal sense psychotherapy has been practiced throughout the ages, as people received psychological counsel and reassurance from others.  In the West, serious mental disorders were generally treated as demonic or medical conditions that required punishment and confinement until the eighteenth century.

Amanda Jarman July 2018 

The Talking Cure was a term a patient called Bertha Pappenheim used to describe her verbal therapy with the physician Josef Breuer.  He found that her symptoms improved once she expressed her repressed trauma and related emotions.  The term talking cure was later adopted by Sigmund Freud to refer to the fundamental work of psychoanalysis.  This therapy involves exploring with the client anxieties which they find are impeding their ability to lead their lives to the full.  The words talking cure are now used by mental health professionals to mean any of a variety of talking therapies.

Amanda Jarman  August 2018  

Research suggests that the therapeutic relationship itself is more important for a good outcome than the approaches therapists may have been trained in and will use.

Amanda Jarman September 2018

Sigmund Freud felt that repressed sexuality was the most significant motivating force behind a client's neurosis but Carl G. Jung felt that Sigmund Freud overemphasized the role of sexual repression in the formation of neurosis.

Amanda Jarman October 2018

Clients often experience loss in the process of constructive change.  For example, a client who has made good progress can feel they have lost a safe place.

Amanda Jarman November 2018

Research has shown that unemployment negatively affects mental health.

Amanda Jarman December 2018

Therapists should be informed about how to respond to clients who report anomalous experiences which may include poltergeist activity, unusual healing, apparitions, spirit possession and sense of presence.  Clients may be keen to make sense of their experience and they must feel accepted, understood and listened to.

Amanda Jarman January 2019

Up to the present time there has been no consistent biological evidence from any scientific test undertaken that mental disorders have physical causes.

Amanda Jarman February 2019

Rogers outlined six conditions that he considered were sufficient and necessary to initiate 'constructive personality change' in a paper entitled 'The Necessary and Sufficient Conditions of Therapeutic Personality Change.'  One of these conditions is that two persons are in psychological contact.

Amanda Jarman March 2019

Early in Freud's career he considered that sexual abuse in childhood was responsible for the neuroses and other mental health problems of many of his patients.  He believed his patients were telling the truth.  Later, however, Freud decided to dismiss the claims of victims.

Amanda Jarman April 2019

Sigmund Freud was against religion.  He called it a "collective neurosis."  However, Carl G. Jung considered that religion was beneficial to society and was a natural expression of the collective unconscious.

Amanda Jarman May 2019

Freud believed that the easiest road to understanding the unconscious activities of the mind is through studying dreams.  Jung considered that dreams are a manifestation of the unconscious mind.

Amanda Jarman June 2019

The amount of neurological activity occurring during sleep is enormous.  This is particularly the case in REM sleep.

REM sleep is the period of sleep occurring at intervals characterized by rapid eye movements, more bodily movement and dreaming and faster pulse and breathing.

Amanda Jarman  July 2019

The best person to decide what the meaning of a dream is is the dreamer themselves.

Amanda Jarman August 2019

The Psychodynamic approach to counselling emphasizes dream work.  One of the reasons why dream work is so important is the amount of time people spend dreaming.

Amanda Jarman September 2019

The founder of Gestalt therapy (Fritz Perls) considered that dreams are projections of parts of the self that have been suppressed, rejected or ignored.

Projection is when one attributes to others feelings or aspects of the self which cannot be directly owned.  An example of this is when someone accuses someone of being angry when they are secretly feeling angry themselves.

Even inanimate objects in the dream may represent aspects of the dreamer.

Amanda Jarman October 2019

Freud considered that the unconscious mind stores physiological instincts that we cannot bring out in daily life.  Primarily, this is the sexual instinct.  Whenever dream symbols come up it is as a result of repression of those drives and the content of dreams are wish-fulfillment:  this refers to wishes that one cannot fulfill otherwise in daily life.  Because we repress our sexuality we are not able to meet particular milestones.  According to Freud, dreams happen so that we can have a chance of hitting those developmental milestones.

Amanda Jarman November 2019

Studies have indicated that physical activity can have a positive effect on mental health.  Benefits can include managing anxiety and stress, better sleep, happier moods and better self-esteem.

Amanda Jarman December 2019

Money and mental health are frequently linked.  For example, one's self-esteem and confidence can be affected if one does not have enough money and worrying about money can also have a negative effect on one's mental health.

Amanda Jarman January 2020

There is no significant link between the most common mental health problems and violent behaviour.  The proportion of people who commit a violent crime that are living with a mental health problem is extremely small.

Amanda Jarman February 2020

Mental health problems are common.  One in four people will experience poor mental health at some point in their lives.

Amanda Jarman March 2020

Mental health problems and feeling lonely are linked.  For example, one's chance of feeling lonely can increase if one has a mental health problem.

Amanda Jarman April 2020

Many people do recover from mental health problems.  It is still possible to find ways to manage one's  symptoms if one is experiencing a more serious mental health problem.

Amanda Jarman May 2020

Hope that recovery is possible can be vital.

Amanda Jarman June 2020

The coronavirus pandemic is a mental health emergency.  Lessons from past outbreaks, newly conducted polls and emerging studies into Covid-19 suggest that it could have long-term and profound impacts on mental health.

Amanda Jarman July 2020

Coronavirus is limiting the mental health service's ability to treat patients.  Many have been forced to reduce the number of patients they can treat because of infection control procedures and social distancing measures.

The NHS Confederation have warned that the peak in demand for mental health care is "yet to come".

Amanda Jarman August 2020

Mind says UK's mental health has deteriorated under lockdown.

Looking after our mental health is extremely important in times like these.

Amanda Jarman September 2020

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have supported a campaign encouraging people to look after their mental health during the coronavirus pandemic.  

One of their suggestions is that getting a good night's sleep and sticking to a regular daily routine can help.

Amanda Jarman October 2020

Psychiatrists have said that many COVID-19 survivors are likely to be at greater risk of developing mental illness.  This followed a large study which found that 20% of people infected with the coronavirus are diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder within 90 days.  This study focused on people in the United States but researchers say that the findings are likely to be the same for those afflicted by COVID-19 worldwide.

Amanda Jarman November 2020

Some people with mental health problems find it helps to use complementary and alternative therapies.  These are health-related therapies that are not part of mainstream medical care.

Amanda Jarman December 2020

Psychiatric medication includes all drugs that are prescribed to treat different types of mental health problems, reduce the symptoms or help one cope with the symptoms.

Generally psychiatric psychiatric drugs can't cure a mental health problem.

One's diagnosis, symptoms and how severely the condition affects one will determine whether one is offered medication.

Medication may just have to be taken for a specific amount of time but some people may be advised to stay on medication for several years or indefinitely if they have repeated episodes of mental ill health.

Amanda Jarman January 2021

Bringing nature into your everyday live or spending time in green space can benefit your physical and mental wellbeing.  For example, being around animals, growing food or flowers and exercising outdoors can have positive effects.

Amanda Jarman February 2021

Mental health and sleep are closely related.  One's mental health can be negatively impacted if one has difficulties with sleep.

Amanda Jarman  March 2021

One's mood and sense of wellbeing can be positively affected if one eats a healthy diet.

Amanda Jarman April 2021

Nearly nine out of ten people with mental health problems say that stigma and discrimination have a negative effect on their lives.

Amanda Jarman May 2021

It is common to think that you must have a mental health problem if you hear voices.  However, research shows that many people who are not mentally unwell hear voices.

Amanda Jarman June 2021

Many outstanding individuals have heard voices.  These individuals include the actor Anthony Hopkins, the Greek philosopher Socrates, the Indian politician and spiritual leader Mahatma Gandhi,  and Joan of Arc.

Amanda Jarman July 2021

According to research undertaken by Prof Marius Romme and Sandra Escher people who were in the group of voice-hearers who did not need psychiatric care and who coped with their voices well were able to have a sense of identity in their dealings with the voices they hear.  The people who needed psychiatric care found that their voices were a negative experience.

Amanda Jarman August 2021

An eating disorder is a mental health condition where one uses the control of food in order to cope with feelings/other situations.  Most people can recover from an eating disorder with treatment.

Amanda Jarman September 2021

Sometimes an addiction may start as a way to enable one to cope with feelings that one feels one cannot deal with in other ways.

Examples of addictions include addictions to drugs, alcohol, sex and gambling,

Addiction is often linked to mental health problems.

Addiction can be treated successfully.

Amanda Jarman October 2021

Many people find that being creative helps their mental health.  This can be done with the help of a therapist or on one's own.

Amanda Jarman November 2021

Doctors may suggest certain kinds of treatment for people who have a mental health problem.  However, a healthcare professional cannot lawfully treat someone unless the person agrees to that treatment in most situations.

Amanda Jarman December 2021

Human Rights cannot be taken away, although they can be restricted in certain circumstances.  They are freedoms and basic rights which we all have.

One is protected by the Human Rights Act in the UK.

If one has a mental health problem it is important to know what your rights are under the Human Rights Act.  One of the reasons for this is that you should be treated and looked after in a way which complies with human rights.

Amanda Jarman January 2022

When people feel emotional pain, the same areas of the brain get activated as when people feel physical pain:  the anterior insula and the anterior cingulate cortex.

Amanda Jarman February 2022

Neuroscience and neuroimaging have found that measurable structural changes occur in client brains as a result of cognitive and interpersonal therapy.  Advances in positron=emission tomography scans and functional magnetic resonance imaging have made it possible to measure areas of the brain that "light up" or "fire" under various stimulus conditions.

Amanda Jarman March 2022

Voices caused by psychosis are as real as hearing a person in the same room speaking  Research carried out by scientists has shown that the parts of the brain that are activated by hearing real speech are also active when voice hearers hear the voices coming from inside their heads.

Amanda Jarman April 2022

Counselling and Psychotherapy have a success rate just as high as the majority of treatments for physical illnesses.

Amanda Jarman May 2022

Sometimes people who have a mental health problem find that it is harder to have their ideas/opinions taken seriously by other people.  People may not always be involved fully in decisions about their care or offered all the opportunities/choices they would like.

An advocate is someone who gives you support to help you express your views and wishes, and help you stand up for your rights.

Amanda Jarman June 2022

In most cases, you cannot be forced to take medication.  If you are offered medication, you usually have the right to refuse it and ask for an alternative treatment.

Amanda Jarman July 2022

A label can be useful, but for mental illness, it can sometimes be degrading, demeaning and hurtful.

Amanda Jarman August 2022

Many people find practising mindfulness helpful.  Mindfulness is a technique which one can learn which involves noticing what is happening in the present moment, without judgement.

Amanda Jarman September 2022

Experiencing racism can make one more likely to develop mental health problems.

Amanda Jarman October 2022

Identifying as LGBTIQ+ means one may be lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, intersex, non-binary, queer or questioning.  Or one may define their gender and sexuality in other ways.  

Those of us who identify as LGBTIQ+ are more likely to develop problems like low self-esteem, depression, anxiety (including social anxiety), eating problems, misusing drugs and alcohol, self-harm, suicidal feelings and other mental health problems.

Amanda Jarman November 2022

Feminist therapy contends that women are in a disadvantaged position in the the world.  Feminist therapists argue that many problems that arise in therapy are due to disempowering social forces, thus the goal of therapy is to recognize these forces and empower the client.

Amanda Jarman December 2022

The aim of Electroconvulsive therapy, or ECT for short, is to relieve the symptoms of some mental health problems.  This treatment causes a brief surge of electrical activity within one's brain (also known as a seizure) by sending an electric current through one's brain.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence's recommendation is that ECT is only used in certain situations.

It's difficult to measure how effective ECT is or how it works.  Research hasn't shown how its effects might help with mental health problems or what effects is has.

Amanda Jarman January 2023

Media coverage of Prince Harry's book has included many comments on therapy.  Sensationalised, stigmatising headlines about therapy could be harmful.

Amanda Jarman February 2023

The war in Ukraine may affect how you're feeling at the moment:  this may be the case even if you're not directly impacted.  For example, one may be frightened or anxious of what might be coming.

Amanda Jarman March 2023

Climate anxiety/eco-anxiety is increasingly impacting people.  These terms refer to worries, fears and stresses about what will happen to the planet and hopelessness at the enormity of the issue.

Amanda Jarman April 2023

Research suggests that positive body image improves physical and psychological well-being.  Positive body image can be used as both a preventative and an interventional measure within psychological therapy.

Amanda Jarman May 2023

A lot can happen during silence in therapy.

Amanda Jarman  June 2023

The use of technology is widespread.  It can be a mistake to ignore the impact technology can have on people's lives.

Amanda Jarman  July 2023

Telephone or online counselling can be extremely effective.

Amanda Jarman  August 2023

Going through distressing, frightening or stressful events is sometimes referred to as trauma.  

If one talks about emotional or psychological trauma one may mean either how we're affected by our experiences or events or situations we find traumatic.

Traumatic events can cause long-lasting harm and can happen at any age.

Amanda Jarman  September 2023

After experiencing traumatic events one may develop Post-traumatic stress disorder.  (PTSD)  

Post-traumatic stress disorder can be caused by a wide range of traumatic experiences.

It has had different names in the past, such as 'shell shock.'

PTSD was first recognised in war veterans but is not only diagnosed in soldiers.

Amanda Jarman  October 2023

We all feel angry at times:  it is a healthy, normal emotion.  However, anger can make our lives harder and be difficult to manage.  One can learn how to recognise anger, express and manage it and this can make a big difference to our mental health.

Amanda Jarman November 2023

Many people find that working is good for their mental health.  One's employer can support you so that you can make some changes to help manage and improve your mental health at work.

Amanda Jarman December 2023

The Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in more unexpected deaths than usual.  There has been restrictions on usual contact, funeral rites and traditions for people who have been bereaved.  People have been bereaved in complex circumstances.  After a coronavirus related death grief grief may result in post-traumatic stress disorder or a more traumatic bereavement.

Amanda Jarman January 2024

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental condition.  It is not mental health condition or a learning disability.

Therapy can be beneficial for managing ADHD symptoms and improving functioning.

Amanda Jarman February 2024

Hoarding is finding it impossible or difficult to throw things away and having so many things that one cannot manage the clutter.

There are other types of hoarding which include Digital hoarding.

Hoarding can affect one's day-to-day life.

Amanda Jarman March 2024

Paranoia is when there's very little evidence or no evidence that you're being deliberately harmed in some way but you feel that you are.  It is not a mental health problem itself.  It can, however,  be a symptom of mental health problems.

Amanda Jarman April 2024