Evolution Counselling

I meet and talk to amazing people and Frances Kelleher Coaching is one of those people. Frances' speciality is finding love for those looking for love. We all want to be loved and belong. Frances warmth and enthusiasm is evident from when you first talk to her and the beauty of her Coaching is that you do not need to be both be in the same room.

Some tips for attending counselling from the CEO of MS Molloy.

When counsellor/psychotherapists finish their training in college, which includes 100 1 hour sessions, a supervisor's report of their ability to be a qualified Therapist as well as all the academic study. They move from being a student member of IACP to a Pre-accreditated Member of IACP where they have to complete 450 sessions with clients. The only include fully accreditated members on their website.

Mental Health Week Is the Perfect Week to start your Mental Health Journey | Hotpress Irish Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (IACP) urge public to consider counselling this mental health week

On Saturday I was lucky enough to win a raffle and choose as a prize an Orchid, it was dry and in need of some care, and so I put it into a new pot and filled the pot with additional moist soil.

Today I went to work and was told by a colleague how much I was appreciated for my support and the kind words I say and was given a lovely box of chocolates.

I came home to find the Orchid has opened a bud - it is happy in its new home.

We all need to be cared for and nurtured holistically = physically, psychologically, emotionally and spiritually. I am very lucky to be surrounded by people to care for me and nurture me.

We all need time to be nurtured and to rest.

Anxiety and stress are commonplace in the workplace, this useful podcast gives hints and tips.

Coping Strategies for Stress and Anxiety You May Not Know About This podcast provides some incredibly practical tips and strategies to better manage stress and anxiety. It is a response to a survey of subscribers to www.workplacestrategiesformentalhealth.com e-ne

Last Tuesday on my way to work, as I was approaching the DART station, I noticed a woman trying to get a ticket, and the DART was close to the station. I told her I would hold the door for her. My thinking was if I had one foot on the platform and one in the carriage, the door would not shut.

What happened instead was my foot totally missed the carriage and ended up going down the gap. Looking at the rail, I thought I was going to end up sitting on it, but with a bump, I landed on the edge of the platform sitting facing the train. There was a gasp from the train. "I must get up as I watched two young men get out of another carriage and wave to the driver at the top". I can remember giving a woman my Leap Card, and I must have been helped up because I was on the carriage and a kind young woman helped me my moving seats. I don't really like travelling backwards.

Are you ok the train driver came down to ask "Yes, just go, I'm ok, I was a nurse." At a conference in Canada, I had learnt when stress occurs to walk, talk and drink water. It is a way of coping with a difficult situation and regaining your holistic balance. At that moment I couldn't walk, I had a bottle of water in my bag and was able to talk, and I did.

Slowly I became aware of the tenderness in my upper thigh and my lower leg - looking at my trousers I could see on my shin broken skin. I knew that it had to be cleansed. My thoughts turned to where I could go to get the items I needed until I realised that Pearse Street Station would have a First Aid Kit. A member of staff very kindly helped me to the office and all the while I was chatting asking questions I had often wanted to ask. My thinking was quicker, but the most important thing was to cleanse my broken skin. "Help yourself," he said. Taking what I needed, I thanked him. Trying to work out what way I could leave the station.

I was becoming increasingly stiff and thought how lucky I was to be working as a therapist where I would sit and actively listen to my clients. Focusing on clients meant while my pain was there, the focus on my clients distracted me from this pain. Distraction is a useful tool when we are in pain. I had also recently discovered that physical and emotional pain was located in the same area of the brain. Relaxing music, mindfulness is also useful tools to help with anxiety as well as tears.

Fast forward, and the distraction was no longer working, my left ankle now swelled, I knew that I needed to seek medical assistance. I was sure that I did not have a broken leg, but something wasn't right and wasn't sure exactly what.

I am in the lucky position of being able to visit a private health clinic where I have access to medical and nursing staff and if necessary, an X-Ray and be treated in around an hour. This, in comparison to the public health system here and my overall experience in the NHS it is a handy resource to utilise. An injection, antibiotics and no confirmed broken bone and I was on my way. Told to rest and keep my leg elevated.

A few days later, despite having taken regular painkillers and keeping my leg elevated, the pain was becoming unbearable as pins and needles went up and down my legs. Luckily my next-door neighbour was around and able to take me to the local public Emergency Department. As you know, because it is an Emergency Department, there is a priority system meaning that those patients with the most acute medical needs are seen first. I knew I wasn't a top priority, but I also knew that I was not a routine appointment, which meant a wait of approximately four hours.

I hadn't brought a book with me, my concentration levels were low. I doubted if I would be able to read a sentence. Closing my eyes allowed me to focus on me, where was my pain, my lower leg just there nowhere else, so in the majority of my body, I had no pain. Breathe into the pain, it is only this tiny part of your body I repeatedly said to myself, and for a while, it helped. I looked at the clock one hour had passed, soon I said to myself I will be called by the doctor. The pain was increasing, and the focusing and breathing were no longer helping, my fear was growing, behind me, I could hear different people talking to the receptionist, "My wife is being brought in she had a heart operation early May, the accent familiar, County Down" I could hear being said, the hotel again familiar a place for recharging and slowing down for a couple of hours. A priority I'm down the list; still, the pain was increasing, a tear sprang to my eye.

Cry - no I thought at first, but then I thought tears - our body way of relaxing us and so they fell for just a few minutes, silently focusing on my breathing allowing my tears to fall. My pain eased. I tried to get someone attention. Finally, the triage nurse came over, "I'm sorry, I know you are busy", I said, She held my hand, the doctor has just ticked you I'm not looking after you, not too much longer he will see you up there". I moved to a more comfortable seat, closer" I could see through the double doors. Finally, the doctor was coming, would he call my name "Gráinne Clancy" I struggled and managed to get up, the pain had lessened somewhat.

James was a very kind doctor and brought me into an examination room. I told him that I had worked in nursing and social care for twenty-six years, approximately twenty had been in nursing. His care and gentleness in examining me gave me both reassurance and calmness. I left armed with extra painkillers.

It is in the darkness that we see the brightest stars, and that has undoubtedly been the case for me over the last week. Friends and family have been supportive while giving me the independence to do what I can and supporting what I cannot do.

All of us need help from others, even therapists. A friend said to me today - "Why didn't you phone me?" when I told her how I cried in the Emergency Department, but the truth was I didn't want to bother her. We often think that our friends are busy with their own lives, but when we are down and feeling vulnerable as I have many times over the last week, that is the time we need to be honest with ourselves and connect with those who are nearest and able to help.

I recently read about the fact that emotional and physical pain receptors are located in the same part of the brain. I have been heartbroken, but last week when I was in shock, that same feeling of vulnerability and aloneness was present. I pushed it away, distracting myself until the pain got too much. I was in physical pain, but I was also frightened that there was something more serious going on than badly bruised muscles. The doctor, with his kindness and gentleness, took away my fear and lessened by physical pain as a result.

All of us can have physical or emotional pain, and both types can have an impact on each other. We are social creatures, and when we are hurt is when we need to have more people around, whether that is a listening ear or how are you today? Do you need any shopping done?

My hairdresser asked me this morning "Do you think an ambulance should have been called?" My immediate response wasn't myself, it was others. I have always cared about people, but today, caring for others means it is even more critical for me to care for myself. I can't give to others if I do not care for myself. What do you think I would say?

Are you busy seven days a week?

You are not lazy by choosing to take a day and do what you want to do

Read a book

Watch some television

See a movie

Listen to the radio

Go for a walk

Listen to music from a CD or on a Record Player

Rather than

Do the washing

Clean the house

Go Shopping

Take some time for you

Have some

What you might notice is that you have time for yourself, and feel refreshed and energised and the housework, etc gets done in a shorter amount of time.

Save the Date: Friday 13th September http://bit.ly/2IpudpT

A few months ago I talked about how all healthcare staff needed to be listened to - does have the answer?

Caring for the carers: Looking after the wellbeing of frontline workers Cara Driscoll ’s initiative Working Well aims to improve her colleagues’ mental health

Very often we can say oh aren't the French this or the American or Italians this way the fact is we are all human beings, who have similar thoughts, feelings, and moods. Here is a link about Burnout from Portland in America.

'Burnout' redefined, now linked to chronic stress at work PORTLAND, Ore. – Many Americans know the feeling - you don’t want to go to work, you’re overworked, you just don’t care. It’s known as "burnout. " Now, the World Health Organization (WHO) is beefing up their definition of burnout. They say it is a “syndrome concep...