Mental Health help for children and parents

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We are a group of therapists who are also parents and we want to let parents and children know at your school that there is help for families locally.

We can help:

• Teach communication skills.
• Give parents and children the opportunity to discuss their worries.
• Bring families closer together.
• Discover what is causing bad behaviour and attitude.
• Discover what is causing shyness and social phobias.
• Improve concentration resulting in better school work.
• Teach organisation skills to help with work load and motivation.
• Find new confidence and self-esteem.
• Find new goals and interests.
• Increase self awareness.
• Hold group meetings for students designed to help with stress.
• Parent group discussion - tea and coffee mornings.
• One to one counselling for children or adults daytime, evenings and weekends.

We have an office and meeting rooms in the University Gateway Building in Southend-on-Sea just off the High Street shopping area where we can offer to accommodate people, alternatively we can travel to the school if such arrangements are more convenient.

Our after class ‘De-stress and Wellbeing group’ for the children is very successful. The kids help and support each other and offer solutions to problems and dilemmas. Once a child knows their situation is normal, worries and stress start to diminish.

If any parents or children are interested in one-to-one or group sessions, please contact Sam at ‘Therapy for Life’ and tell us what you need.

One example of the sessions we offer is:

The after school ‘De-stress and Wellbeing group’ for kids at £5 each for 50 minutes. Especially good around exam time. Knowing how caring parents can be and how helpless they can feel with their own children, this is a solution that relieves so many worries for the whole family.

It can be held at the school or our offices in Southend

Parents pay upfront for 5 sessions at £25 (occurring once per week) for their child to attend. If a child misses a session, it’s no problem, the money carries over to pay for next week. It'll be the best £25 you've ever spent...  to see the difference in your child is magical.

If you are a parent or a teacher, we would be grateful if you sent this out to the parents/carers and teachers at your school to encourage the school to promote it. Your participation will show an immense amount of thought and care towards the parent’s and pupil’s and overall sense of wellbeing at the school you or your children attend.

Please check out our Website and read about us, and view one of our latest blogs:

Parents who feel helpless... the best thing you could do for your child is this

10 Simple Ways to Keep a Happy, Healthy Mind

1. Eat Healthily – We all know that what we eat has a big impact on our physical wellbeing, but it also affects your mental happiness. As the old saying goes; a healthy body makes a healthy mind, so think about your diet and what foods you maybe eat too much of. While it’s easy to forgo healthy foods for those that are convenient there are lots of quick and easy meals that are much better for you. Eating three meals a day will keep your energy levels up and keep you feeling good all day long. As well as eating healthy foods, drinking lots of water will keep you hydrated and boost your metabolism; making you feel and look better.
2. Watch what you Drink – While a lot of people drink alcohol and caffeine to change their mood, their effect is only temporary. When the feelings of energy or excitement fade you will often feel a lot worse than before you drank, which has a big effect on your mental wellbeing. Most people only drink alcohol or caffeine in moderation which can often be good for you. However, some people carry on drinking to delay the onset of these negative feelings, or to escape underlying feelings of nervousness or depression. This is very dangerous and can cause long-term health problems or cover up existing conditions. Try to drink no more than four units of alcohol a day if you are male and three if you are female, and try not to drink caffeinated after seven o’clock at night.
3. Take some Exercise – Doing a little exercise every day has many different benefits; both mental and physical. When you exercise your body releases endorphins which can greatly improve your mood. You don’t have to spend a lot of money and join a gym to get some exercise; walking or cycling to your destination instead of driving, cleaning the house while listening to music and gardening are all easy ways to get the blood pumping. After a while you’ll start to find doing tasks easier as well looking better, which in turn will also make you feel better about yourself.
4. Talking to Others – In today’s world it has never been easier to keep in touch with friends and family. Feeling connected with other people is an important part of what makes us human and neglecting this part of life can have detrimental effects on your mental health. Many mental health problems have their roots in trouble with communication and can be helped or even prevented by keeping in touch with others and maintaining strong relationships. If you are having difficulties then some of the best help can be given by friends or family, so talk to them about how you feel as well as listening to their thoughts and emotions.
5. Getting a Change of Scenery – Sometimes we get stuck in a rut, it happens to all of us! Taking a holiday is a great way to relax, improve your mood and see more of the world. However, not all of us are lucky enough to jet off into the sun whenever we feel like it. But there are much simpler (and less expensive) ways of taking a break from our day-to-day routine, which can do just as much to improve your mental health. Taking a different route to work or just moving the furniture around will help your mind in being able to experience new things and cope with different situations.
6. Get a Hobby – So much of our lives are taken up by the pressures of work these days that we can sometimes forget about what we enjoy. Maybe you love to paint, play a musical instrument or have always wanted to build the best railway set in the country. Taking some time out to dedicate just to yourself will help you cope with stress, focus your mind and allow you to express yourself. If you are feeling blue, conveying your thoughts in a painting, a song or in a poem will help you understand how you feel and make you feel much better.
7. Accepting that You are Unique – Many people are unhappy or self-conscious about their appearance, the way they speak or their background; comparing themselves unfairly to others they see in magazines or on television. These kinds of feeling can lead to an entrenched sense of worthlessness or even bring about conditions such as depression or an eating disorder. By talking to others and expressing your feelings you will be able to get a better understanding of both your weaknesses and strengths. If you find it helps, take five minutes every day to list the qualities that make you unique, thinking of one positive and then one negative, and try to accept that you are you; which is the best person you can be.
8. Care for Others – It’s only natural to be concerned for other’s welfare, whoever they are. Part of maintaining healthy relationships is returning concern for those who care for you. This could be as simple as signing a ‘get well’ card at work or calling an elderly relative to ask how they are. Getting a pet makes you exercise these emotions constantly as you are the person they rely on for food, shelter and love. Really caring for others can help greatly improve your mental health and allow you to explore feelings you may have grown out of touch with. You may even find you enjoy it so much that you want to volunteer to help others in the community who are less fortunate than yourself, but this is only an extreme example of caring. Allowing yourself to have feelings for others helps you understand why other people care for you and why you should care for yourself.
9. Exercise your mind – Just like the rest of your body your brain needs exercise too in order to stay healthy. There are lots of different ways you can do this; from computer games to doing the cross word. Instead of working out your bills on a calculator straight away, try calculating the sums in your head first before checking if you were correct mechanically. Learning a new word every day is also a good way of making sure your memory stays in full working order, which will help as you get older as well as in day-to-day life. Your mind is your most valuable tool so keeping it fully functioning is very important to staying happy and living an active life.
10. Remember that Help is at Hand – By following these simple steps you should feel better in and about yourself. However, if you are feeling anxious, depressed or think you may be suffering from a mental illness it is important to remember that there are lots of places you can go to where you will be offered plenty of support. As well as your G.P. there are many different services based locally around the country such as charities and support groups. The most important thing is to let someone know how you are feeling, be it a friend or family member, a confidential service like the Samaritans or professional services offered by your local health trust.

For more help and tips tailored to your circumstances, come and see a therapist at Therapy for Life. These are all very good tips, but if you are feeling stuck, stressed, depressed or anxious, it's difficult to apply any of these suggestions. If that's the case come and see a therapist to initially find a way to cope, then find the way to love life again.

Source

Are you on a waiting list? Don't wait for help any longer

Forget waiting lists for therapeutic counselling, if you are struggling to cope, speak to us now, no sense delaying. 

"Stress, depression & anxiety doesn't just melt away."

We have helped many people who are on benefits and are low earners, and we are able to negotiate a payment plan to suit you.

We know the basics in life always take priority like "the kids, the pets, household food, the bills", but your mental health is suffering, and all these challenges in life become unmanageable....

"Time to put your health first"

"Believe it or not, if you are healthy minded, everything and everyone around you will benefit as well as you."

We have childcare options in the room next door at an additional cost if you are really stuck. 

There's no excuse, start taking care of yourself today and give us a call. You'll be so glad you did...

Call Sam on 07546 917252

or Jackie on 07492 360357

Impact of Mindfulness on our Health & Wellbeing

“As you read this, wiggle your toes. Feel the way they push against your shoes, and the weight of your feet on the floor. Congratulations, you’ve just done a few moments of mindfulness”

Says Tom Ireland writing for 'Scientific American'

Did you know Mindfulness originates from Buddhism?

We don’t have to be Buddhists to practice it though.

“You too could become enlightened!”

It’s been a useful therapy for anxiety and depression for around the last decade.

Schools, pro sports teams and military units are exploring it’s possibilities for enhanced performance, and is showing promise as a way of helping sufferers of chronic pain, addiction and tinnitus, too.

There is even some evidence that mindfulness can help with the symptoms of certain physical conditions, such as irritable bowel syndrome, cancer, and HIV.

“And all it involves is some quiet reflection each week and even better 10 minutes each day”. 

If you would like to try some mindfulness, we like to use this one for clients, it’s just 10 minutes long just click here.

A University in North Carolina at Chapel Hill demonstrated a correlation between mindfulness practice in couples and an enhanced relationship.

“The couples reported improved closeness, acceptance of one another, autonomy, and general relationship satisfaction.” 

This ‘loving-kindness’ type meditation involves positive imagery and wishes towards another or yourself affecting how we relate to people.

One study tested participants by showing them pictures of strangers after carrying out this particular ‘loving-kindness’ meditation.

The participant’s thoughts and feelings were positively affected regarding the stranger’s pictures, which demonstrated how the meditation heightened their abilities to socially connect.

Also, parents of children with disabilities noticed increased positive parenting and improved relationship with their children. They also experienced less stress as a result of the mindfulness.

“In these studies, the children of these parents benefited from the mindful parenting practice, showing decreases in aggressive and non-compliant behaviour.”

If you or someone you know is interested in experiencing the benefits of mindfulness, or you are finding life difficult to cope with, please contact Therapy for Life

Sam or Jackie will be happy to help you.
Source:
Scientific American
Mindfulness Research