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ONLINE

Online therapy and counselling sessions via Skype, Zoom and Facetime.

Please call 01438 832957

Calming help through online sessions

What strange and unprecedented times we find ourselves in right now – and worrying times too. None of us (including politicians and the medical profession) can be entirely sure when we will start to see light at the end of this dark coronavirus tunnel, and this kind of uncertainty is one of the most stress-inducing feelings we can ever experience.

 

It’s one thing to appreciate and know that we need to stay calm and rational, but it is quite another to be able to put that into practice. Which is why I genuinely do feel privileged to be in a position to offer calming help in these troubled times, through my online sessions, which are also working very well for my existing clients.

 

Online really is face-to-face

Because I am working exclusively online now, with sessions conducted through Skype, Zoom or FaceTime, I am starting to marvel at just how much the technology has developed in a few short years. The quality of the software available to us now enables online sessions to take account of all the nuances of conversation, verbal and non-verbal, with very few of the old problems associated with losing video and audio through dropped connections.

 

In fact, I am certain that one positive to emerge from the current scenario will be a much more widespread use of online communication – certainly in my profession. So please don’t be in any doubt about the effectiveness of working with me online.

 

Keep calm and carry on? Yes OK. But how?

As I mentioned, uncertainty can be incredibly stress-inducing. The most difficult thing can be to see and deal with our worries and concerns separately. Human beings have a natural tendency to mesh everything together so that problems can seem huge and insurmountable. But just remember, the pandemic will pass and we are all in this together.

 

As the wise saying has it, there are things we can change and things we cannot change. We need to recognise that some things are actually beyond our control – and these things we cannot change. Serenity can come to us when we sit back and decide to take things a minute, an hour and a day at a time. One thing we can be sure of is this – we’ll not only get through this, but we will be better and stronger for it.


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    7 useful tips for coping in a lockdown.

     

    Keep a regular routine. Plan your day, perhaps make a timetable. Go through your normal morning rituals. If you’re working from home, start at the usual time and take that mid-morning break. Have a drink, take an hour for lunch, take an afternoon walk, finish at your regular time, have your evening meal and go to bed at your usual time.

     

    Schedule regular ‘you’ time. Make time each day for something you enjoy, and timetable that in. Listen to music, podcasts. Listen to comedy – that’s especially therapeutic. But also try and avoid comfort eating or taking comfort in too much booze. Maybe catch up on gardening, decorating or all those jobs you never seemed to have time to complete. Watch old movies, old sitcoms – stuff that makes you feel safe, cosy and comforted.

     

    See time with your kids as a gift. Take advantage of the time you have with the children, building lots of memories as you play together. Indoor or outdoor picnics, making camps, reading, watching movies snuggled up together. Your kids will love it and remember it long into the future.

     

    Exercise! There’s lots online to help you here, whether it’s yoga, meditation, jogging, walking or cycling. Whatever you’ve got in mind, make sure it is part of your timetable.

     

    Learn. Take an online course. Explore a new language or a craft or perhaps even a musical instrument. Maybe go to a virtual zoo or gallery, museum or stately home.

     

    Create. Explore a craft, take up art. Make music, if that’s your thing. Join an online cooking, dining or book group. Write, draw, paint. There’s so much of this happening now and it is actually quite inspiring and fun to share online.

     

    Socialise. Keep up the social contact by taking advantage of ‘online’. Set up WhatsApp or Zoom groups to chat or even share a drink. Make plans to have fun and celebrate when the lockdown is over. And maybe a bit of actual personal contact – a song, a silly dance or a joke with a neighbour – from a safe distance.

    I hope you have found these tips helpful for coping in this strange and disorienting time. And please remember, whatever you are concerned about or feel you need help with, get in touch with me – I am here to help!