Hi Everyone,
We've just celebrated World Mental Health Day and it’s currently Mental Health Awareness Week in the UK. These initiatives both highlight the increasing and welcome focus placed by national bodies, but also point to the depth of the growing problem, and awareness, of mental health concerns.
Some of the figures are stark. In the UK 18.5% of women (compared to 12.5% of men) report to be suffering poor mental health. In 2023/4, the cost of providing mental health-related treatments, including medications like antidepressants, contributed to an overall cost of £17.6 billion for the NHS (a 45% increase since 2018/19). ‘How to reduce stress’ is searched on Google once every 10 minutes.
These figures do not account for regional or demographic differences, although there is data to support a link between mental health issues and average income. Factors related to menopause can certainly play a part, with half of menopausal women reporting low mood while at work.
To help combat medical intervention, talking therapy became popular in the 1970s, especially in the US. Its godfather is Carl Rogers, a psychologist whose innovation was to advocate for the inherent goodness and potential of individuals. Rogers said we should be enabled to be the change agent in our quest to develop our best selves. Self-awareness, personal growth, and the therapeutic relationship are the key to overcoming psychological issues. Despite it seeming obvious now, it was revolutionary. Rogers was writing at a time when Freud’s authoritative, theoretical and psychoanalytic approach had been dominant for over 50 years.
When it comes to therapy, and choosing the right therapist, the choice can be daunting. Which is the right ‘school’ or ‘modality’ for me? What do they even mean? In reality, therapy can be boiled down to a combination of three things: examining the ‘here and now’, understanding the connection between the present and the past, and looking forward to the future (this is more coaching). Every school of thought exists within this spectrum.
At the Medi-Shed we will follow the Personal Consultancy model to integrate styles seamlessly: listen authentically, rebalance, generate (new ways of being) and support (the change). Issues can be examined as they present themselves, or via an exploration of the deep seated underlying causes of them. One way to think of it is when watching your favourite TV show. Sometimes you are engaged with the ‘story of the week’ (the surface), and other times you are connected to the characters, their faults and their inner beliefs (the depth). This experience can shift dynamically moment to moment.
Throughout the process the aim is to help the client develop greater agency towards creating their best selves. We may need to go deep into one’s history, to gently unhook any anchors to negativity, and we may need to consider our responses to the things we experience in the everyday, even the things we experience in the therapy room. The exploration is key. It’s guided but always at the client’s pace. Because, as Rogers said, the client always knows best.
For more information or to book an appointment with Kurban at the Medi-Shed please see the link here below https://www.drdil.co.uk/wellbeingtherapy
With love,
Kurban and Dil x
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