counselling terenure

Why do people become counsellors/psychotherapists?

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This is a question I am often asked by people in general.   As can be seen from the below IACP video the reasons that bring people to train as a therapist are varied and tend to come on the back of previous work & life experiences.

Of course there are also those who work in the counselling/psychotherapy profession directly from training as psychologists having undergraduate and doctorate level training that can take nearly a decade.

Also see a second video below where IACP accredited therapists explain what they feel are the best things about the work of being a therapist.

 

Acknowledging race in mental health services

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The 21st March marked International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

The following article from the College of Psychiatrists of Ireland blog outlines how race & ethnicity is an area that poses a variety of challenges not only in terms of the mental health of ethnic minorities generally but also in terms of the provision of supports and differences in how that support is experienced.

Talk Therapy Dublin currently  has  40% of active clients born outside of Ireland and these clients often describe issues & experiences affected & augmented by almost constant minority stress.  

Sexuality & Gender are broadly discussed by the mainstream in Ireland and much has been done in terms of acknowledging minority stress in these areas but when it comes to ethnic minorities and their experience of Ireland in 2018 there is a long way to go. Our attitudes to and the experiences of our own indigenous ethnic minority, the travelling community is an example of this.

 

 

 

Mental Health at Christmas

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Christmas is not a breezy time of fun, family and celebration for everyone, in fact for many the narrative of Christmas only serves to heighten feelings of loneliness.

Depression, anxiety, substance abuse and relationship problems are just some areas that can be affected by the Christmas experience as well.

The below article from the UK explores an often understated aspect to the shadow side of Christmas, with a focus on the male experience.

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/nearly-one-in-two-men-feel-depressed-over-christmas-survey-reveals-9908855.html

Mental health and the workplace

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Due to the sheer amount of time spent by individuals in their place of work as well as commuting to it,  the workplace environment has a huge effect on the state of many people’s mental health.

This can have a measurable impact on workplace productivity and likewise workplace issues can have a very real effect on mental health outside the work setting.

Bullying,  stress, discrimination, safety and indeed employment uncertainty can all profoundly affect the state of our mental health.  This article from the financial times looks at the issue.

Talk Therapy Dublin provides a specific employee assistance counselling option for those who may be affected by these issues.