News

Hosted by the Mental Health Foundation, Mental Health Awareness Week will take place from 10-16 May 2021. The theme is 'Nature'.  

Nature is so central to our psychological and emotional health, that it’s almost impossible to realise good mental health for all without a greater connection to the natural world. For most of human history, we lived as part of nature. It is only in the last five generations that so many of us have lived and worked in a context that is largely separated from nature. And it is only since a 1960s study in the US found that patients who were treated in hospitals with a view of nature recovered faster, that science has started to unpack the extraordinary health benefits. It turns out that it is not just being in nature, but how we open ourselves up and interact with nature that counts.  Read more here.

These are uncertain times for everyone, but particularly difficult for those experiencing challenging life situations, psychological or relational problems.  So we continue to provide 'face to face' therapy sessions here at Asana Health for anyone who:

• Is not self-isolating
• Is not feeling unwell
• Is not having Covid19 symptoms – high temperature; new persistent cough; or loss/change of sense of taste and/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

After careful assessment of our premises and business operation and due adherence to the latest government guidance to curtail Covid19, we have produced an operational plan that enables our therapists to safely use the facilities at Asana Health to see their clients ... because we believe that traditional face to face counselling is always preferable and more effective.  

Every therapist has 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. We are fortunate to have spacious, airy consulting rooms where we can operate well within all social distancing requirements.  Our professional practitioners are so pleased to be able to continue focusing on traditional 'face-to-face' counselling and psychotherapy, at a time when mental health services are desperately needed by people of all ages and backgrounds.  Our wonderful team of therapists offer the best treatment and counselling within Asana's discreet yet professional environment of comfort, safety, understanding and confidentiality.

Stress Awareness Month is held every April and has been running for 28 years. The aim is to increase public awareness of stress, the causes and cures. THE TRUE ORIGIN OF STRESS - is a FREE E-BOOK by Giselle Monbiot. A simple yet powerful guide to what stress is and how to manage it. Download your free copy here now. 

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.

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

Cecily Criminale, MS, MEd, MA, MBACP (Reg.), Sex and Relationship Therapist and former neuroscience graduate knows that past trauma can impact your long term relationships and day-to-day interactions with each other.  Sometimes this can be because the relationship itself feels unsafe overall, and is dangerous or toxic and this shouldn’t be overlooked, but emotional flashbacks can also happen in good and healthy relationships, where the partners are growing closer.  In many cases the trigger has nothing to do with whatever started the current misunderstanding, but is almost entirely to do with things already inside of us (or our partners) from the past. The most significant way to overcome this is to take the power out of the trigger by understanding each other better and this is where sex and relationship therapy can help. ~ Cecily Criminale.

This years Awareness Week took place in February and the theme was 'Express Yourself' - encouraging children (and adults) to explore the different ways we can express ourselves, and the creative ways that we can share our feelings, our thoughts and our ideas. Watch this video by HRH The Duchess of Cambridge - supporter of children's mental health and Patron of Place2Be. 

Visit our own dedicated page here: More about therapy for children and adolescents

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 professionals at Asana 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.

Feeling the effects of stress can be overwhelming and can leave you with a sense of being powerless. But the good news is that there is a lot you can do to empower yourself and help regulate your emotions. Giselle Monbiot is a Stress and Anxiety Management Practitioner and shares her invaluable knowledge here, with these 10 Steps to Reduce Stress - to enhance and improve your life.