Mental health service budgets 'cut by 8%' But we can still help you by offering affordable counselling

Mental health service budgets 'cut by 8%'

But we are still going strong regardless & offering affordable counselling

'Therapy for Life' has survived all along without funding or any aid from the government, and still able to offer affordable counselling for the public from as little as £15 per session on our scheme.

How do we do it? Our successful results bring back client after client through positive word-of-mouth. We are able to see clients within a week instead of long waiting lists, and our therapy is tailored to each client. We don't just use a single theory, we are integrated therapists and apply several theories to get the client to achieve their goals.

Successful companies like us are built on good feedback and results. That's how we survive inspite of the cuts that the NHS IAPT and MIND services suffer.
We are here and ready to help, why not come along and meet us. You'll be greeted with a warm friendly smile and offered something to suit your needs.

Client Testimonials:

"I have struggled with depression at various points in my life and have had anxiety as long as I can remember. I thought these were things I had to learn to live with.When it got really bad, I felt like there was nobody to help and no escape from my fears. It was a very frightening time. Luckily, I found Sam at Therapy for Life. Using CBT and other techniques, we talked through my worries and worked through my issues each week. She laid out a plan for me to do after each session and I felt empowered. My confidence grew and she gave lots of support and kindness. I was quickly back on my feet and I have got a brand new outlook on my life. It was a compelling and rewarding experience. I feel more in tune with myself and my confidence is here to stay. I am very glad I picked up the phone to her. I would highly recommend Therapy to Life and thank Sam for helping me feel free and happy."

Lucy from Southend-on-Sea

"On initially meeting Sam, you immediately realise why she is a counsellor. Being able to talk to someone knowing that they are truly listening is such an empowering experience. Sam shows such empathy and provides the perfect environment to be able to talk openly and honestly without the fear of being judged. Most of us at some time, for whatever reason, struggle to deal with certain issues and don’t quite know how to move forward. By seeing Sam and talking it through we worked together on coming up with a more positive way to deal with things. We owe it to ourselves to lead the happiest life possible. I would most definitely recommend Sam to anybody. You could not meet a kinder, more caring, genuine, trustworthy person. A truly positive experience. Thank you."

Keeley Smith from Essex


"Many thanks for the care, warmth and professionalism you have shown me over the last few months Sam. As I have said to you before, I am amazed at how much I have got out of the counselling sessions. I have a greater understanding of myself, feel more relaxed and able to manage life’s challenges better, which previously caused me a lot of anxiety - can’t thank you enough!"

Nicola Huggan from Essex

"I can honesty say therapy for life changed my life in every way As cliche as it may sound I feel like I've grown as a woman and person in mind and spirit. Sam was so welcoming and warm I felt comfortable and safe. Thank you is not enough I will be forever and eternally grateful."
Laurelle from Essex

"We found our counselling sessions really helpful and supportive. Sam was really lovely and made us feel at ease. Just having someone listen to our situation really helped us in our relationship. We would definitely recommend Sam and therapy for life for anyone who may have problems or struggling with life in general"
Claire and John from Southend-on-Sea

Source: BBC News

Ways of dealing with addiction... AA versus personal therapy

12 Step Programs have been criticised in the past for reinforcing the            'addict identity'. 

Members are encouraged to think of themselves as recovering addicts. Sobriety is treated in the same way as remission from any incurable disease. The understanding is that the individual could relapse at any time. The problem is that the individual’s sober self image is still tied up with alcohol or drug abuse. Some people who break away from programs like 'AA' claim they want to give up the addict identity as well as the substance abuse. Members of 12 Step groups would claim that such criticisms are unfair and that the program helps many people achieve lifelong abstinence.

Dave became alcohol dependent after working in London for 3 years, previous to that he hardly drank alcohol or had any addictive traits. Dave was surrounded by his colleagues and felt he wanted to fit in. A drink at lunchtime and after work each day became the norm and the way to do business and feel accepted.

Dave eventually realised he had a problem after logically adding up all the units he drank every week compared to the recommended amount a male should consume. He was also starting to have arguments and problems at home with his wife as she was feeling neglected.

Dave attends an AA meeting, they tell him he is powerless against this addiction and that he will always be a recovering addict... Is this correct? Is he getting the right help... the right message? 

Does Dave need to stay away from alcohol forever?... Or learn to deal with the emotions behind the drinking? Or even just stay away from the group of colleagues that he felt pressure from?

Should Dave instead discover his self-esteem and confidence so that the risk of peer pressure doesn’t affect his decisions?

Many people in re-habilitation would argue he must be treated the same as all people with addictions regardless of how it started, what triggered it, their upbringing, whether they are surrounded by it, peer pressure, emotional stresses past and present, learnt behaviour and learnt mentality regarding substance abuse and for how long they’ve had the problem.

In my opinion, there are too many grey areas with addiction whatever form it takes, but one commonality is that it’s linked to emotion. What has worked for many of my clients is focusing on the emotion and just exploring how life would be without the addiction. With motivated interviewing and investigation of their thoughts, emotions and memories that the addiction tends to numb for them, they begin to realise that they CAN face their issues, and generally the addiction starts to fade along with the emotional healing.    

Dave was stuck in a vicious cycle where he felt emotionally drained from his wife being constantly upset and angry and the pressure from the boss to go for another drink. Dave felt threatened that he may lose his job if he didn’t conform. Dave was drinking to numb and forget the pain and pressure but ultimately the alcohol was a big catalyst towards Dave’s unhappy marriage. Dave was afraid to face his wife and face his boss with his low self-esteem and confidence. With work in therapy, he learned to recapture his confidence and felt he could say no to his boss and spent the extra time at home reconnecting with his wife.

Therapists: Always take a record of how much substance the client is taking for their safety and others around them, and suggest they seek help from their GP for safe reduction and quitting. If the client is heavily taking substance, the best route might be to enter a facility for their own safety.

If you or someone you know is suffering, don’t hesitate to contact Sam at www.therapyforlife.co.uk

Could it be that our children are self-medicating with Sound?

I’ve always believed our brains try to find a way to help us out. When clients come to me feeling low, one of the questions I ask is...

“What seems to help?”

The client usually manages to reel off at least a couple of things that seem to lift their mood slightly, quite often to their own surprise.

We as humans want to be happy and healthy, and our brain and body is doing the best it can in the background.

Some people genuinely do already have or create for themselves a negative chemical change in the brain, which can lead to feelings attached to depression.

Others have irrational or rational fears and worries that don’t seem to leave their heads bringing them down in a spiral of depression.

Breaking that cycle of constant woe and gloom is extremely difficult and seems impossible for some.

So what if there was an easy and regular way to actually affect the pathways and chemicals in the brain physically? How much would that give us a boost out of depressive states?

It has been discovered that sounds such as music are capable of reliably affecting moods and emotions by affecting the dopamine in the brain (so they suspect). Dopamine is a neurotransmitter heavily involved in emotional behaviour and mood regulation.

Depending on your genetics though depends on what type of sound or piece of music is most effective at stimulating your individual dopamine.

You may well enjoy listening to heavy rock, when all you actually need to lift your spirits is a spot of Bach!

“We are really excited about our results because they suggest that even a non-pharmacological intervention such as music, might regulate mood and emotional responses at both the behavioural and neuronal level," says Professor Elvira Brattico.

Can you imagine... soon we might find ourselves getting referred by our GP for a ‘personalised music-based intervention’ for the treatment of depression and anxiety rather than taking anti depressant and anti anxiety drugs.

I personally have seen many teenagers walking around with their earphones in, are they already self-medicating without consciously realising it?

I have also had many clients that find music an important part of their relaxation regime. Do we already know this deep down? Perhaps music just didn’t seem to be a viable or strong enough cure?

My son is taking a Music Degree, and is considering taking that work and combining it with psychology to be a specialist in Music Therapy. He believes in the power of music and this has certainly opened my eyes up to it.

Isn’t it amazing how sometimes the cure can simply be right under our nose... or in this case next to our ears!!

So if you haven’t already compiled your favourite ‘feel-good’ music list, it’s scientifically proven to be beneficial. Keeping your music choice diverse is key, perhaps you’ll notice how much more lifted you feel after particular genres of music and then get more of the same.

Task: Try listening to a diverse choice of music twice a day and see how your moods are affected to get your ultimate dopamine affecting compilation.

Written by Sam Crook Director at Therapy for Life.
www.therapyforlife.co.uk

Source : Sciencedaily

Pluralistic Counselling... The Ultimate Therapeutic Approach?

Cheap 'Counselling Supervision' in Southend-on-Sea ***£15 for 1.5 hours***

Recently qualified supervisors looking to build working hours.

Gain your required supervision hours for a fraction of normal charges.

Supervision: 1.5 hour session costs £15

Please register your interest with Sam: sam.c@therapyforlife.co.uk

Prittlewell HouseSuite 8/8a30 East StreetSouthend-on-Sea SS2 6LH

Supervision held in modern bright rooms in a Grade II listed house

Have your CPD/Training event completely arranged & earn what you want

My role in your training/CPD event is to: 

• Make a plan to estimate ticket cost, prospective interest, number of attendees and earnings required
• Find the correct venue
• Advertise 
• Send E-tickets and arrange CPD certificates
• Answer all questions and liaise with attendees up until the event
• Arrange everything that is needed for the day/s including projector/microphones/chairs/coffee,tea,water,biscuits,food etc.
• Help out as needed on the day/s and hire extra help if needed.

Alternatively you may be looking at video training,

in which we can film, advertise and setup payment online.

It really depends on what you want and how you imagine it happening.
It can be:

• A regular setup
• A set of training days
• or a one off.

To start with, give me an idea of the subject, how many sessions you’d like to deliver and the size of the audience you want in front of you.

Then perhaps we we will have a meeting to plan the rest and gauge outside interest.

Please contact Sam:

sam.c@therapyforlife.co.uk

07546 917252

Stuck on a Waiting List? Can’t afford Counselling? Really need help?... Sessions from £15 on a new scheme

At Therapy for Life, we can now offer counselling that’s affordable for everyone in Southend-on-Sea.

If you don’t mind having treatment from recently qualified counsellors, or counsellors undergoing the last parts of training... we have found your solution!

Our counsellors are supervised and monitored and are up to date with all the latest techniques and skills in psychology.

For £15-£20 per hour, you will benefit from their expertise in a modern comfortable room. We are a friendly group of counsellors and you will be very welcomed.

Many people have negative preconceptions of therapy, if you’ve never been sure whether it would suit you, or you had a bad experience in therapy... This is your chance to give it a try with us for very little expenditure. You never know, you may really benefit...

We only have space for a few clients under this new scheme, so do contact us and book in as soon as possible... We will start running these sessions from September 2016.

You will be given an initial assessment on the phone with Sam, then your counsellor will communicate with you to arrange a suitable date and time.

Terms & Conditions:

• Cash is to be paid upfront at each session.
• Your attendance is expected unless you ring to cancel (early that morning at the latest if possible in emergencies).
• There will be a minimum charge of £12 if you fail 2 consecutive sessions or more without ringing to cancel (please cancel sessions ideally at least 24 hours before to avoid charges). These failure charges are put in place because room rent still needs to be paid whether the client turns up or not.
• If you fail to attend 2 or more sessions successively without ringing to cancel, or your attendance is very poor, your place could be given to someone else
• You are entitled to have an initial 6 sessions then a review to see if more are needed. You may have up to 12 sessions at this reduced fee, then the session fee goes up to the normal concessional rate at Therapy for Life if long term therapy is required.
• To qualify, you must prove that you are on Income Support, Benefits, Pension Credits or Job Seekers Allowance at your first session. If you are on a low wage and can prove it but don't receive benefits, you can still be entitled to the help, every case is considered.
• Your financial situation will determine your fee, our negotiation on fee relies on clients being honest about what they can truly afford, at the end of the day we'd rather you get the help you need, but understandably bills must still be paid at Therapy for Life. 

Contact Sam: sam.c@therapyforlife.co.uk/ 07546 917252

www.therapyforlife.co.uk