It’s been the strangest couple of years – more so than any in living memory perhaps. It’s particularly striking at the moment how many of my clients are people who have never experienced poor mental health previously. Those who have always regarded themselves as strong, capable people now genuinely concerned at their own inability to deal with things they would usually take in their stride.
If this sounds like you I would like to reassure you, you are not going mad.
This is a real concern that I’ve heard more than once during recent sessions. It’s a very rewarding part of my job to be able to explain what’s happening, how we can start to put it right, and to see the relief that this explanation brings.
The fact is that brains change all the time (neuroplasticity), and the experiences of the last 18 months have inevitably changed some parts of the brain, often in ways that we find unhelpful. Approached in the right way we can take conscious control of some of these changes and effectively reshape our own brain to work in the way that we want. At the same time we can harness the power of the subconscious to work with us rather than against us.
In every first consultation with a new client I take time to explain some of the science of why the brain behaves as it does, and the steps we can take to influence our own mental state.
Many new clients find this extremely useful even before any treatment begins, as understanding it immediately puts them more in control. We then follow this up with gentle and focused techniques to help the brain return to normal service, and to help them return to being the strong, capable person they really are.