News

These are uncertain times for everyone, but particularly difficult for those experiencing challenging life situations, psychological or relational problems.  So we are especially pleased to announce that some face to face therapy sessions are again available at Asana Health from Monday 18th May, for anyone who:

• Is not self-isolating
• Is not feeling unwell
• Is not having Covid19 symptoms – high temperature; persistent cough; loss of sense of taste or smell
• Has not been in contact with anyone suspected of having coronavirus in the last 14 days
• Is not considered clinically vulnerable and in need of shielding

The government advice is that mental health services are actually exempt from closure, as long as they follow relevant social distancing guidance. After careful assessment of our premises and business operation and due adherence to the latest government guidance, we have drawn up an operational plan that will enable our therapists to safely use the facilities at Asana Health to see their clients, if they wish.

Whilst we believe that traditional face to face counselling is always preferable and definitely more effective, online technologies have enabled some of our therapists to offer their clients therapy in this format over recent weeks. Indeed, several therapists are choosing to continue with online working where their own personal circumstances dictate that this is their safest method, or only available option, of delivering therapy for the time being. Each therapist’s profile carries information about their current mode of working. Please contact your chosen therapist directly to discuss your needs and arrange appointments.

Every therapist will have a copy of Asana’s Operational Plan and Hygiene Procedures that will ensure your visit to Asana Health will be well managed and take every precaution to keep both our clients and therapists safe.

Bereavement is a distressing but common experience. Sooner or later most of us will suffer the death of someone we love. Yet in our everyday life we think and talk about death very little, perhaps because we encounter it less often than our grandparents did. For us, these losses usually happen later in life. So we do not have much of a chance either to learn about grieving - how it feels, what are the right things to do, what is 'normal' - or to come to terms with it. In spite of this, we have to cope when we are finally faced with the death of someone we love. Of course, we grieve after any sort of loss, but most powerfully after the death of someone we love - and it is not just one feeling, but a whole succession of feelings, which take a while to get through and which cannot be hurried. These various stages of mourning often overlap and show themselves in different ways in different people. Many of our therapists are experienced in helping those who seek bereavement counselling and especially those who seem stuck in the grieving process. You can read more about bereavement, how we experience grief and what happens if grief is unresolved on the Royal College of Psychiatrists website here. Read the profile of one of our specialist therapists - Nikki Macpherson.

For special advice about funerals and pastoral care during the Coronavirus outbreak, Churches Together in England have information on their web page. Click here.

Here at Asana we have seen an increase in the numbers of clients coming to us suffering from Workplace Stress and Anxiety. Read more about this here.  There is further inspirational information about how we can guide you to achieve personal and professional change and evolution here.  We are able to assist professionals from all sectors, including medical doctors of all grades and specialties.  Just click on the blue links.

For employers: Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) England has launched best-practice guidance for employers on how to implement Mental Health First Aid in the workplace. This follows the Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE) recent enhancement of its First Aid guidance to clarify the existing need to consider mental health alongside physical health when undertaking a ‘needs assessment’. Click here to access more information and download the separate guides for employers and employees. 

There are many myths and misunderstandings that surround anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder and EDNOS. On average, 149 weeks pass before those experiencing eating disorder symptoms seek help. That’s almost three years. On top of this, in a YouGov survey conducted for EDAW, more than one in three adults (34%) in the UK, who gave an answer, could not name any signs or symptoms of eating disorders. We recognise that we must raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of an eating disorder and encourage and empower people to take action now, no matter how long their symptoms have been present. For an informative overview click here to go to Asana's dedicated web page. Find out more about all eating disorders on the Beat Eating Disorders website. 

To take part in a major research study to better understand the genetic and environmental links to eating disorders and help develop better treatments, please visit EDGI - Eating Disorders Genetics Initiative

It's real! The design tricks and techniques that keep you hooked on your phone, Facebook, video games, etc. is known as 'Persuasive Design' and it influences the parts of your brain responsible for forming habits and addictions. We all know someone who's fascination with their phone or other gadget has become excessive and is seriously impacting their relationships, work, education, etc. The WHO (World Health Organisation) now recognises gaming addiction as a mental health disorder - and, the NHS has opened the country's first specialist clinic to treat children and young adults who are addicted to social media and playing computer games. So - what can you do? At least learn more about 'Persuasive Design' in this short BBC video. If professional help is needed to help a person combat their addiction, we have the professionals at Asana, like Nicola Todd and Petar Rodic, who are used to treating habits and addictions. We also have therapists who specialise in treating children. Click the blue links to find out more.

Around three children in every primary school class has a mental health problem, and many more struggle with challenges from bullying to bereavement. Place2Be is a children’s mental health charity that provides counselling, mental health support and training in UK schools, using tried and tested methods backed by research. From 3-9 February 2020 schools, youth groups, organisations and individuals across the UK took part in Children’s Mental Health Week. This year’s theme was 'Find your Brave'. Bravery comes in all shapes and sizes and is different for everyone. Bravery can be about sharing worries and asking for help, trying something new or building confidence and self-esteem to make a child feel good about his/her self. You can also find out more about the professional help for troubled children and their parents at Asana Health - here. Take time to explore this wonderful range of children's mental health resources from the BBC.

The True Origin of Stress - by Stress and Anxiety Management Practitioner, Giselle Monbiot - is a simple yet powerful guide to what stress is and how to manage it. Download your free copy here! 

The many therapists at Asana may all have their own areas of expertise and specialisms - but, they work as a team. This means that they will cross-refer clients to each other if it is felt that a client's concerns fall better into another therapist's area of expertise. Joanna Benfield, one of our senior therapists, explains how referrals are managed at Asana Health, in the 'Talking Point' section of the April issue of Therapy Today - the voice of the counselling and psychotherapy profession.

Cecily Criminale, MS, MEd, MA, MBACP (Reg.), Sex and Relationship Therapist and former neuroscience graduate, steps back into the debate on whether sex addiction 'exists' or is 'out of control sexual behaviour' with her new blog which looks at the scientific method of 'exploring an observable phenomenon'. Read it here.

Joanna Benfield, our Psychosexual Therapist, has a new article published online for 'Sexual Addiction and Compulsivity', The Journal of Treatment and Prevention - which is The Official Journal of the Society for the Advancement of Sexual Health. The article is a study examining the lived experiences of 6 sex addiction therapists who incorporate an attachment-informed approach in their work. The study aims to elaborate key components of an attachment-based approach that could potentially be incorporated into sex addiction treatment strategies for therapists working across different modalities. View the article here. View Joanna's informative website here.

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