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Author Archives: Staff writer

1. Alastair Barrie refines practice with BABCP

   10th September 2019 4:41 pm Leave a Comment

   Following on from our previous blog on the topic, we have more news to announce concerning our recent representation at an industry convention. Last week, Cognitive Behavioural Therapist Alastair Barrie visited the University of Bath for the British Association of Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapists’ annual conference, where he presented his MSc dissertation thesis on refining practice within trauma recovery programmes.

   Alastair has since returned from the event and shared his insights on the experience, which included a variety of academic networking and professional development opportunities. One of these opportunities was a round table seminar, in which Alastair was invited to participate in discussion with other clinicians on the use of best practice when seeking to support clients suffering from complex trauma.

   These cases typically concern individuals who have suffered from extended periods of adverse experiences, often during their early stages of cognitive development. As such, it is necessary to take into account multiple contributing factors that would influence their needs and anticipate how a proper therapeutic approach might differ from the standardised, textbook methods of treatment as a result.

   Unsurprisingly, this seminar became very relevant within the context of Alastair’s study, in which he queried which methods of trauma recovery treatment can be observed to be most effective for clients whose Post Traumatic Stress Disorder symptoms have been caused by different kinds of traumatic circumstances. It is similarly cohesive with the principles of trauma-informed care that we are keen to practice at JSA.

   

   There was also an aspect of the discussion that Alastair found particularly insightful, in which the group explored means of discerning a client’s current strengths and reframing them in a way that allows the therapist to harness the positive potential of extant beliefs and behaviours. He has found this methodology extremely valuable and is looking forward to incorporating it more actively into his own practice.

   Later in the day, he was able to attend a workshop for therapists on how best to practice managing your emotional reactions and responses to certain antagonistic issues that a client may bring to the session. Discussion focused on methods of remaining focused on the client’s needs, an essential component of the therapeutic relationship that defines it against other forms of emotional support.

   Alastair found many opportunities to engage with specialists from the organisation who were able to shed some light on more advanced elements of Schema therapy techniques. He has been spending lots of time working on professional development in this framework over the last year and managed to speak to several industry experts on the panel in order to gain recommendations for more focused further reading. He has also been signposted towards some excellent resources for exploring the use of Dialectical Behaviour Therapy, another model that he seeks to adopt into his working model.

   In terms of next steps, Alastair currently plans to submit his study to academic journals in the hopes of getting it published, but in the meantime, he intends to focus much more on his clinical work and refine his practice through hands- on professional development.

2. Alastair Barrie to present at BABCP annual conference

   30th August 2019 3:57 pm Leave a Comment

   We’re excited to announce the news that Cognitive Behavioural Therapist Alastair Barrie has achieved the opportunity to present the results of his recent research project to several influential members of the mental health care sector.

   After completing his Master’s degree last year, Alastair submitted his final dissertation to the British Association of Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapists. This submission has since been accepted and, as such, he will be giving a presentation on his experiment at their annual conference. The event will be held next week at Bath university, and provides Alastair with the chance to have his work reviewed and potentially explored in further study.

   Alastair’s project challenged the current standards of clinical intervention for trauma recovery work, hypothesising that it may be necessary to employ different methods of treatment where a client’s diagnosis of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder has been instigated by different contextual circumstances.

   As part of this process, he has focused on using the model of Cognitive Reprocessing Therapy (CPT) as a foundational framework. This involves identifying trauma memories, soothing fears that have been constructed around them, and then processing them by constructing a coherent, contextualised narrative.

   He was first inspired to study this topic while participating in his part-time placement here at JSA while he was still at university. Clinical therapeutic intervention for trauma symptoms constitutes a significant proportion of the work we do at JSA, and it’s something that Alastair in particular was deeply involved with while developing his trauma-focused CBT skills. As such, he was very eager to specialise in it further.

   A guiding principle of Alastair’s practice, and that of the company’s ethos as a whole, is that psychotherapeutic care should be individualised wherever possible to be bespoke and meet each client’s unique presenting needs. This is something that has informed not only his professional and academic development to date, but also his expectations for the future of the project.

   Above all, Alastair has expressed the hope that this research can be refined into a practical format with direct utility to clinical practice or applicable future research. In his words, he’ll be happy if he can come out of the experience with something tangibly beneficial to improve the way that trauma is treated.

   

3. How Animal Assisted Psychotherapy can offer unique benefits in clinical recovery

   15th August 2019 9:55 am Leave a Comment

   Of all the therapeutic models that we have available to us at JSA Psychotherapy, one that really sets us apart as a practice is our use of Equine and Animal Assisted Psychotherapy.

   AAP is a form of clinical psychotherapy that involves animals, typically horses, in the client’s recovery process. For many people, interacting with animals has often demonstrated itself to be an excellent way of regulating emotions, which makes the process of engaging with therapy much easier as a result. This is especially true for clients who struggle to engage with talking therapy. This term refers to sessions that incorporate more directive therapeutic models, such as CBT or DBT, that focus on challenging the client’s belief systems, coping mechanisms and perspectives on life.

   Instead, this model follows a non-directive method, in which the client is attributed with the agency to lead the session according to their own impulses and needs. In this scenario, the clinician is responsible for following the client’s progress and providing guidance and support where necessary. Non-directive and psychodynamic intervention is most commonly employed when working with young children, who are unlikely to have developed the mature critical thinking skills necessary to undergo the complex reframing techniques involved in talking therapy. This follows the same principles as models such as Play Therapy.

   However, even adults can find it inherently challenging to undergo directive therapy in certain circumstances. For example, it may be the case that the client’s issues originate with a deeply repressed trauma that they are unable to confront in this way. With the right techniques however, the therapist can help to draw it out in a safe environment, where they can both resolve it together.

   Additionally, sometimes the focal trauma can be ‘preverbal’, which is to say that the traumatic event occurred so early in the client’s life that they had not yet developed the language skills to form words to explain it. Since regressive trauma recovery work requires the client to return to the stage of their life in which the trauma itself can be found, this means in turn that the only way it can be expressed is without words.

   The reason that incorporating the use of animals into therapy is so effective for these purposes is because mammalian companion pets such as horses and dogs are empathic enough to easily pick up on how a person is feeling, even if they don’t understand the words that they are saying. As such, they provide this support in a way that is inherently non-judgmental. Since animals can only communicate using nonverbal means, this also makes them great counterparts for assisting clients with preverbal trauma to access and convey their complex emotions.

   Animals also demonstrate great promise for supporting clients who experience difficulty when forming healthy emotional attachments. In human society, attachment difficulties can sometimes be masked, or circumvented in adverse ways. For animals, however, they’re an essential factor of all social interaction.

   For example, most horses will be spooked by a child who is too excitable or aggressive in wanting to hug or stroke them and will immediately run away. Using this dynamic, the client can be imparted with the patience and emotional resilience to wait for a reciprocated gesture of trust. These are simple skills, but ones that are critically important in adult life, and can cause serious problems in relational health if they aren’t developed.

   At JSA Psychotherapy, we are fortunate to have access to several horses for equine work at a local farm, as well as two small dogs for animal assisted therapy sessions. These may take the form of dog walks outside the practice, but sometimes they help by joining in sessions held in our consulting rooms as well. Their presence during clinical psychotherapy can work wonders to help our clients to practice mindful thinking, and achieve the emotional regulation necessary to get the most out of their time with us.

   Little Miss Dorothy is a 4-year-old Jack Russell terrier/pug cross and Sylvester Sausage is a miniature dachshund puppy. Both are very affectionate, though Sylvester is quite playful and mischievous, while Dottie is much more laid back and restful in temperament.

   If you believe that you, or someone you know may benefit from this form of clinical intervention, or are curious to learn more, please contact us on 01282 685245 or at office@jsapsychotherapy.com

   

4. Imogen HG Johnson concludes training in EMDR

   31st July 2019 4:06 pm Leave a Comment

   This week, our adult & adolescent psychotherapist Imogen HG Johnson has been awarded her final certificate in the delivery of Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing therapy.

   The part 3 forms the last remaining part of her training in this advanced therapeutic model. Imogen’s accreditation process will be formally completed once she’s attended her final supervision with her instructor in Belfast. Despite this, having concluded her minimum number of practice hours, she is now fully trained and will be able to use techniques of EMDR in her new cases going forwards.

   EMDR is one of our most highly valued therapeutic models. Though it can be utilised to support nearly any mental health issue, it is singularly effective for treating mental illnesses stemming from unresolved trauma. Unlike other trauma recovery models, such as trauma-focused CBT, EMDR is more intensive and less directive in its approach, enabling the client to find the root cause of their issues in a very short timeframe, and find resolution for them with the assistance of the clinician.

   This serves as an excellent complement to Imogen’s current specialisation in Emotion Focused Therapy, which adheres to many of the same aspects of the humanistic and psychodynamic approaches. A significant focus of the professional development process that we prioritise at JSA Psychotherapy is providing our therapists with new skills that build upon the specialisms that they already possess within their personal clinical modality.

   An important benefit of this practice is that we are always increasingly prepared to ensure that we have a variety of professional therapists available, equipped with the expert training to undertake a plethora of different approaches where necessary. As such, we can reliably deliver a bespoke package of service tailored to each client’s unique needs.

   If you would like to learn more about Imogen, EMDR or any of the other forms of therapy we provide, please follow the links at the top of the page to explore the different areas of this site. If you’re seeking help for an issue of your own, or on behalf of someone else, you can contact us on 01282 685345 or on office@jsapsychotherapy.com to book an initial consultation.

   

5. Tanya Lyons finishes training programme in filial coaching

   26th June 2019 4:31 pm Leave a Comment

   In professional development news, our child and adolescent therapist Tanya Lyons has recently completed an academic training course in filial coaching. Having studied under Dr Risë Van Fleet, Tanya will still need to accrue the requisite 40 hours of experience necessary to achieve full accreditation, but at this stage is now trained to conduct this fascinating and deeply valuable intervention.

   In summary, filial coaching is a short-term programme of directive sessions aimed at supporting a parent or carer to develop a better relationship with the child in their care, where this is an area that they are having difficulties in. It differs from therapeutic models such as play therapy and theraplay in that the parent, not the child, is the focus of the work conducted.

   

   This is also inclusive of sessions in which the parent/carer and child attend sessions together and take part in play to develop and enhance their relationship. This is facilitated with the help of the filial coach who guides, teaches and encourages positive dyadic interactions. The long-term goal of filial coaching is to impart upon the parent the ability to conduct play with the child in a way that utilises certain techniques of play therapy in daily life.

   If you would like to get in touch to make an appointment or referral, or if you would like to request more information about the services we can provide, please contact us on 01282 685345 or at office@jsapsychotherapy.com

6. JSA Psychotherapy conduct educational events for workforce wellbeing

   20th May 2019 4:56 pm Leave a Comment

   Those of you who have been following our business development blogs recently will be familiar with the progression of our workforce wellbeing programme. Now that refinement of the package is complete, we have organised and begun hosting an ongoing series of corporate events to address the importance of a well-supported workforce and provide answers to pressing concerns raised by the managers of small to medium enterprises.

   This matter is one that we are deeply invested in raising awareness about, as all our professional research and first-hand experience leads us to understand how damaging and pervasive it truly is. In fact, we have made a point of engaging in outward discussions regarding the topic on multiple occasions, such as in this recent article.

   Our first event took place at the end of last month, on the 30^th of April. We hosted the day in association with Lancaster University, making use of our membership within their network of regional business cohorts. As such, our first group of delegates were drawn from the other SMEs that comprise the group. This included all sorts of companies, including those in the agricultural and social care sectors, both of which are infamous for their high rates of staff turnover and workplace mental health concerns.

   The morning’s presentation was delivered in three segments. Principal Psychotherapist Julie Stirpe first established the nature of chronic stress, and how to recognise it as different from a reasonable and expected level of pressure in the workplace. Cognitive Behavioural Therapist Alastair Barrie continued by elaborating on the ways in which an inability to balance demands and adequate coping mechanisms occur and the effects it will cause on mental health. Lastly, Consultant Psychotherapist Kate Portman provided suggestions of techniques that can be helpful for ‘wellbeing triage’ to address these issues for immediate, short term solutions.

   

   Following the presentation, the panel of therapists conducted a Q&A session, in which many of the attendees generously shared some of their own examples of issues that had arisen in the workplace and asked various questions about the logistics of implementing support to mitigate similar ones in future.

   Given the enthusiasm demonstrated for further understanding and actionable progress, we also provided the delegates with a selection of print materials to take away with them. This included a brochure incorporating key statistics and information about the prevalence of workplace stress, as well as details of the package that we offer to resolve these issues and keep everything running smoothly in a proactive approach to employee welfare.

   Those who expressed interested in our retainer package received posters that they could display in their workplace, encouraging the team that their needs were valued and signposting them to engage with the contracted help if needed. Overall, the event was a great success and we’re very excited to put on more in the near future.

   The next one is scheduled to take place in Burnley on the 19^th June. Please contact us at office@jsapsychotherapy.co.uk or 01282 685345 if you are interested in receiving further details, registering your interest or inquiring about future events. We are also open to requests to put on the event at the place of work or business centre of any hosts who wish to promote the emotional wellbeing of their employees or tenants.

7. Julie Stirpe to be interviewed on Ribble FM

   25th April 2019 5:48 pm Leave a Comment

   Something that everyone in the office has been extremely excited for over the last few weeks has been our upcoming involvement with local radio in Lancashire. We are delighted to share that next week Principal Psychotherapist Julie Stirpe is going to be representing JSA Psychotherapy for an hour on Ribble FM. During this time, she will offer her thoughts and answer questions on topical concerns for listeners in the valley.  

   As well as being the director and founder of the company, Julie is also the practice’s clinical lead. In this role she regularly brings to bear her 30 years of experience working in the family justice system and private mental health sector. It is this background that informs her unique insights into the big picture of how significantly issues of mental health and emotional distress interplay throughout the daily lives of millions of people in the UK. 

   Specifically, Julie will be taking part in the station’s Health & Well-being show, hosted by presenter Sophie Ahmed. This programme is set to be the latest in a series of opportunities that Ribble FM showcases in collaboration with a variety of Lancashire based enterprises. The weekly slot is a regular opportunity for business owners to discuss the services that they provide, and the importance of their role in the community. 

   

   Julie intends use her time on the air to dispel common misconceptions about mental health and emotional wellbeing. We anticipate that this will also make for a pertinent segue into discussion of the clinical psychotherapeutic work that is conducted at JSA. One element of this that is likely to be of particular interest to many other employers within the region is the workforce wellbeing service. 

   This is something that we currently aim to extend as a dynamic package arrangement on retainer to local Small to Medium Enterprises as a means of mitigating and ameliorating the harmful effects of workplace stress. To learn more about this issue in particular, please see our recent article on the topic. 

   To hear additional discussion on the matter, and for a broader understanding of the services we provide to the people of the North West of England, we hope that you’ll tune in to the broadcast at 106.7 FM. Julie will be going live between 1 and 2 pm on Monday the 29th of April. 

8. Wellbeing in the workplace: the true extent of stress-related sickness

   16th April 2019 5:21 pm Leave a Comment

   The recent broadcast of a popular radio show offers profound insight into the nature of a disastrous issue facing the working public of the UK and their employers, as well as the extent of its influence. Though the problem is intimidatingly pervasive, there are many actionable steps that can be taken to mitigate its impact.

   The story in question was an episode of BBC radio 4’s programme You and Yours, initially released on Tuesday the 9^th April 2019. The production is aired live over the course of 40 minutes, with members of the public encouraged to call in to the station to join discussions between the host and an industry expert concerning a particular topic. This time the subject was the increasing prevalence of stress in the modern workplace, and its far-reaching impact on mental health and emotional wellbeing.

   Several callers got in touch over the course of the episode to share their experiences of stress in the workplace. A particularly sobering account came from a sixth form teacher whose lack of adequately skilled management and overwhelming workload had led to her adopting the practice of remaining awake for more than 24 hours once a week to make sure that she could mark all of her students’ homework on time, drinking throughout the night to cope with the stress. The physical toll of this pressure additionally led to her becoming addicted to painkillers in an effort to retain daily function.

   It was also reported that several groups of employers were actively responding to these problems in extremely poor and counter-productive ways, with management teams punishing employees presenting with stress & panic attacks as a disciplinary issue in some workplaces. To compound this, employees in a variety of industries were coerced into working many more hours than they were contracted for, depriving them of essential time for domestic responsibilities and leisure. The health, education and social care sectors and the transport industry were cited as the most hostile working environments in this manner.

   The concerns raised above are consistently supported by a plethora of research into the impact of stress. The Health & Safety Executive report 2018 identified that 57% of health-related absences from work are directly caused by stress. Additionally, compared with other common causes of sick leave, such as musculoskeletal injuries, the duration of these absences is much longer. The governmental body ACAS found in a recent study that mental ill-health, including stress, depression and anxiety, is thought to be responsible for 91 million working days lost each year, much more than for any other illness.

   Within the programme, an expert guest from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development highlighted that chronic stress is also responsible for the gradual onset of increasingly severe physical symptoms, beginning with psychosomatic pains, and progressing to a weakened immune system and increased risk of organ failure. As such, it’s likely that all statistics referring to the ratio of stress-related absence are significantly under-estimated, as so many instances of physical illness may originate in stress as a catalysing root cause.

   

   However, for every example of an unscrupulous business acting with callous negligence towards their workers, there will remain a majority of well-intentioned employers who are simply unsure of how best to tackle the problem, or how much it would cost to implement meaningful intervention. The well-evidenced truth is, that for the sake of a short-term investment in wellbeing support, it’s actually extremely cost effective to take proactive measures to prevent the much more significant financial burdens of prolonged sick leave, unnecessary recruitment and potential tribunals.

   Analysts from ACAS project that the sum total of sickness absence costs UK employers £8,400,000,000 each year, plus another £15,100,000,000 in reduced productivity. A further £2,400,000,000 is spent on recruitment costs necessary to replace the staff who have been left with no option but to leave work because of mental ill-health. Overall, recent estimates place the annual cost of avoidable losses due to a lack of mental health support at 30 billion pounds.

   What, then, can be done to ameliorate these regrettable losses? At JSA Psychotherapy, we utilise a variety of therapeutic models to provide our clients with techniques to bolster their emotional resilience and encourage healthier coping mechanisms that will allow them to approach stressful situations in a more confident way. As part of our HR Wellbeing package, we are practiced in offering these services to businesses as an external retainer.

   Evidence-based, solution-focused clinical intervention is offered on a bespoke basis as individual therapy sessions for employees in need of support for pronounced issues, with ongoing, flexible access available to all members of the team for advice, counselling and emotional support. For every possible need, we possess experts capable of delivering a variety of therapeutic models. In the event of a crisis we’re unable to provide appropriate care for, we would promptly signpost the client to the relevant service.

   It’s our belief that the retention of a mental health consultant is as essential a component of any workforce care plan as one sourced for health and safety or human resources, and that the benefits of adequately investing in the people that comprise an organisation cannot be overstated. It’s our hope that these sentiments will continue to spread throughout corporate culture and lead to sweeping changes towards progress for all British industries.

   If you are part of a small to medium enterprise and would like to learn more about our service, or even become directly involved, we will be hosting a workshop and networking event on the morning of the 29^th of May 2019. Delegates will be presented with demonstrations from our therapy team providing a detailed breakdown of the package and its content, and will be able to present their questions to a panel of experts.

   Please get in touch at office@jsapsychotherapy.com to request further information or express your interest.

   The episode of You and Yours referenced in this article can be accessed online here.

9. Dumbo and the magic feather: a great metaphor for anxiety reduction techniques

   4th April 2019 3:18 pm Leave a Comment

   With the recent release of Disney’s live action remake of their 1941 film Dumbo, a modern audience have been re-familiarised with the story of the magic flying elephant. What is worth noting, is that the story contains an excellent allegory for the ways in which we can unwittingly alienate ourselves from our own self-confidence. CBT therapist Alastair Barrie offers the following advice on how this parable can be applied to gain the most benefit from Cognitive Behavioural Therapy.

   For those unfamiliar with the story, the titular Dumbo is a young circus elephant with huge ears. One night, Dumbo and his mouse friend Timothy find themselves up in a tree. Timothy concludes that Dumbo must have flown up, but Dumbo can’t believe it. Because of this, Timothy creates the ‘magic feather’ which allows Dumbo to fly. Trusting in the feather, Dumbo is now able to fly and perform. However, (spoilers) when Dumbo drops the feather mid-flight, he falls from the air. Timothy then tells Dumbo that there’s actually nothing special about the feather and that he can fly on his own. Dumbo stops falling and begins to soar, the music swells and the end credits roll.

   The psychological researchers Seif and Winston attest that the story of Dumbo illustrates two truths about the Cognitive Behavioural approach to anxiety management. Both are centred around the idea of anxiety reduction techniques, which are typically a helpful part of the therapeutic process. Breathing exercises can balance the levels of oxygen in our bodies, while imagery activities can allow us to practice how we’ll respond in anxiety provoking situations. The problem comes when these are relied on in the same way as Dumbo’s magic feather.

   Simply put, it’s all too easy to feel like the felt level of anxiety reduced because of the technique, and not the coping skills it taught us. If we start to believe that these methods on their own are what reduces anxiety, we run in to two serious issues. Firstly, it implies that any successful reduction in anxiety is credited to the technique and not to the client. This disempowers the client, robbing them of their victory.

   Furthermore, we run the risk of the client becoming dependent on the technique, developing beliefs such as ‘I won’t be able to cope without my stress ball’. Instead, CBT helps the client understand that the techniques do not actually lower their anxiety, instead they help them approach their symptoms and difficulties in a healthier mindset. This is the crux of the second truth.

   Just as Dumbo attributed his ability to fly to the power of the feather but actually flew on his own, clients may begin to attribute their ability to overcome anxiety to their technique but are actually just reacting differently towards their stressors. It is this change in relating to the symptoms and stressors which brings about the actual progress, with the techniques as a tool to facilitate it.

   There is a place for the healthy use of anxiety reduction techniques. They can help us practice our daily routines, give us space to reflect and prevent ourselves from falling into unwanted habitual responses. But it is the fact that we have changed those responses, instead of the technique itself, that brings about the reduction in anxiety.

    

   

10. JSA Psychotherapy discuss trauma informed practice at Durham seminar

    2nd April 2019 4:54 pm Leave a Comment

    Last week, Principal Psychotherapist Julie Stirpe, Associate Clinician Kate Thompson and I travelled to Durham to attend the Academic Health Science Networks’ event Creating a Narrative for Trauma-Informed Service Transformation. This article follows an earlier blog, which provides further context about our involvement with the AHSNs, and the ways in which trauma-informed care is utilised in our own services.. 

    Though it served as an excellent networking opportunity for the company, the primary purpose of the day was to catalogue the exchange of ideas and suggestions for improved standards of operation in the mental health sector. Discussions unfolded with the intent of emulating the developments in psychology that are already being utilised to great effect in North America and other areas of the globe.  

    These advances in methodology are the products of a growing movement that it is hoped will revolutionise the fields of psychotherapy, education and childcare. With all eyes on the results that trauma-informed practices yield, it’s the widespread, inter-agency treatment of mental health in particular that the NHS is currently attempting to invest in. 

    The proceedings began with several presentations from members of the local NHS Clinical Commissioning Groups and university research teams. This was followed with a statement from key note speaker Beth Filson, whose experience as a psychologist and psychotherapist has been instrumental in raising awareness around, and pioneering the adoption of trauma-informed care in the UK during recent years. 

    Later in the afternoon, we joined the remainder of the conference’s delegates in a workshop to discuss and develop potential approaches for the adoption of more advanced therapeutic techniques by the NHS. We enjoyed the chance to voice our opinion while also learning more about the ways in which other British care providers are attempting to raise the bar for clinical intervention in mental health. It’s going to be exciting to see how much of our collective vision may become a reality in the months and years to come. 

    Before returning home, Julie participated in a brief interview with audiovisual production company Serious Media. The group have created short films in the past, both for the NHS and Dr Filson, concerning the nature of trauma informed care. On this occasion, they attended the conference in order to gather short pieces to camera from the delegates. Their final product promises to contain a variety of perspectives concerning how the industry can and should change to adapt in the coming years to incorporate it.