Courage

This week the word "courage" has featured many time in my work and personal life. Regardless of whether we are facing big changes in our life or just making it through each day, we all need courage. If we are lucky enough, we may have people in our life who will encourage us to move forward and meet the challenges that we all face. Facts About Geese is an interesting article which I have attached below as it talks about courage. It teaches us that we can all learn from nature and interpret animal behaviour in terms of how we can take steps to live a better life.
Wishing you the courage to cope with all your challenges whether they are life changing or just getting through each day.

Facts About Geese 
Milton Olsen (the Naturalist) said it’s very interesting that, particularly with geese, we have a lot to learn. 
Fact One: As each bird flaps its wings, it creates an uplift for the birds following it. By flying in a V-formation, the whole flock adds 71 percent greater flying range than if the bird flew alone. Lesson: people who share a common direction and sense of community can get where they’re going quicker and easier because they’re travelling on the thrust of one another. A universal collective lesson. 
Fact Two: Whenever a goose falls out of formation it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of trying to fly alone and quickly gets back in formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird immediately in front. Lesson: If we have as much sense as a goose, we will stay in formation with those who are headed where we want to go and be willing to accept their help, as well as give ours to others. 
Fact Three: When the lead goose gets tired, it rotates back into the formation and another goose flies at the point position. An invaluable lesson for us to apply to all group work. It pays to take turns doing the hard tasks and sharing leadership. With people as with geese, we are interdependent on each others’ skills and capabilities and unique arrangements of gifts, talents, resources, or what indigenous societies call “the good, true and beautiful.” 
Fact Four: The geese in formation honk from behind to encourage those in front to keep up their speed. Lesson: we need to make sure that our honking from behind is encouraging. And not something else. In groups where there is greater encouragement against great odds, the production is much greater – the power of encouragement. Now, I love the word courage because it means “to stand by one’s heart, to stand by one’s core.” To encourage someone else’s core, to encourage someone’s heart – that quality of honking. 
Fact Five: When a goose gets sick, or wounded, or shot down, two geese drop out of formation and follow it down to help and protect it. They stay with it until it is able to fly again or dies. Then they launch out on their own with another formation or catch up with the flock. Lesson: if we have as much sense as geese, we too will stand by each other in difficult times as well as when we are strong.

29 Castlegate is a free information, support, advice and guidance service for young adults aged 16-25. It is staffed by professionals who deal with problems and concerns such as: sexual health; housing and benefits; legal issues; education, training and employment. There is also a confidential counselling service.

The City of York Council has made a decision to remove this holistic provision and there is a petition requesting James Alexander to review this.

Will you sign the petition to save this important service for young people in the City of York? Click on the link below.

http://www.change.org/p/james-alexander-review-the-decision-to-remove-the-provision-of-holistic-information-support-and-counselling-for-young-people-16-25-in-york-provided-by-support-workers-careers-advisors-and-counsellors-at-castlegate?recruiter=165350499&utm_campaign=signature_receipt&utm_medium=email&utm_source=share_petition

Thank you

Click on the link below to understand a little more about depression and how it can affect all areas of your life.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XiCrniLQGYc

Counselling can help you make the changes to live a better life.

Coping with exam stress

How to reduce exam stress

This time of year is important for students taking exams. Stress can prevent you from performing at your best and achieving the grades that you deserve. Below are some steps you can follow to help you to keep cool, calm and in control. You may already have some of them in place or have other strategies which you find helpful. Please feel free to share.

Prepare

• Make out a revision plan showing what topics you need to revise and when you will do this.
• Include some fun activities in your plan, when you can relax and spend time with others.
• Don't work for too long at one time. If are finding it difficult to concentrate, take a break.
• Leave some relaxation time between working and going to bed. 
• Challenge yourself by completing questions/problems and not just reading and making notes.
• Pay close attention to mark schemes.
• Form a small revision group to discuss ideas and support each other.
• Turn off social media site so you are not distracted.
• Play background music if it helps but don't continually select. Stick to a playlist.
• Make sure you are comfortable and not disturbed. Take frequent short breaks.
• Make time to exercise and enjoy some fresh air.
• Talk to someone you can trust if you feel that you are not coping.

Look after yourself

• Get plenty of sleep.
• Prioritise, you may not be able to fit in all your regular social activities. You can party after the exams.
• Eat a good diet and keep hydrated.
• Take care with energy drinks. Sugar and caffeine hits will not help you to study effectively
• Treat yourself. Rewards are always welcome and a good motivator.

Before the exam

• Don't stay up too late and succumb to last minute revision.
• Make a list and prepare what you will need for the day of the exam to avoid a last minute panic.
• Eat protein and fruit beforehand rather than sugary snacks and keep hydrated with water.
• Practice some deep breathing exercises to help you stay calm or imagine yourself doing something you enjoy or feel positive about.
• Give yourself enough time so that you arrive early.

During the exam

·         Read the exam paper and decide which questions you might answer, if you have a choice.

·         Answer questions that you feel confident about first. Stay with feeling positive.

·         Keep your eye on the clock and make sure you don’t run out of time.

·         Divide the time up between the questions. Limit the time you spend on each one.

·         Leave time for checking at the end and only change answers if you are absolutely sure.

Afterwards

Try not to go over the questions and worry about your responses. Give yourself a treat and concentrate on the next exam, if you have one. Nothing can be gained from speculating on your results.

Remember that exam results are only part of your route to success. There are many other factors that contribute to future careers and possible options. Not performing well in an exam does not mean that your future will be less successful. It is important to keep things in perspective and to realise that worrying can act as a barrier to performing at your best.  Good luck to all students, keep positive and take good care of yourself.

Using dreams in therapy

Have you ever thought of bringing your dreams to therapy?

Dreams can often be a source of concern to us or seem significant in terms of what they might mean in relation to our lives. We may feel that they contain a message or are linked to our unconscious wishes, fears or memories. Sharing your dreams in therapy can often bring insight to part of your life that you may not be aware of. Dreams can be explored in terms of how every aspect and happening in the dream may represent you and different parts of your life.

In therapy it is important to recognise that the content of your dream, just as in life, will have a unique meaning for you. With that in mind, dreams are best interpreted by the dreamer themselves. The role of the therapist is to help to make connections between aspects of the dream and your life and explore what can be learned from these associations. 

There are a number of ways of working with dreams in order to help you to make sense of them and meet your needs and hopes for this type of work. It is possible to work with fragments of dreams as well as complete stories.

Why not bring your dreams to therapy?