Blog

Some things can seem daunting and impossibly big: a blank canvas; starting a new project at school or work; making positive changes in relationships. But isn’t it great when you gradually chip away at a task and see it transform into something that you’re happy with? For me this month, I’m seeing the result of some hard work staring back at me in black and white…...

This year, alongside working at Creating Healthy Minds, I’ve become a student again! I’ve begun studying for a postgraduate diploma in Systemic Family Practice at Kings College London. I’ve got the opportunity to learn new theory and hone practical skills at working with whole families and the networks around them. Often, in families, one person is singled out as being the ‘identified client’… the one with...

September 2014 saw the publication of a new SEND Code of Practice.This provides statutory guidance on duties, policies and procedures relating to children and families with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Four main areas of SEN have been identified: 1)            Communicating and interacting 2)            Cognition and learning 3)            Social, emotional & mental health difficulties 4)            Sensory and physical needs As an art therapist, I offer assessment and support for people’s...

I was recently invited to write a guest article, about parenting after splitting up, for the charity OnePlusOne (www.oneplusone.org.uk). It will be published there soon, as part of their #PutKidsFirst campaign, but in the meantime, here’s a taster...

When parents separate, children need time and space, to work out what they feel and think. Many children worry that sharing their feelings with parents will add...

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Earlier this week, I completed a 5 day training course, updating my skills in Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT). I was happy to learn that this was a timely refresher: a new study by Mayo-Wilson et al, published in The Lancet has found that for people suffering from social anxiety disorder (social phobia), talking therapies are more effective and long lasting than taking medication. CBT was...