Cenacle Treatment Centre

The stigma attached to mental health

The stigma attached to mental health issues is very prevalent in today's society, and more so in the workplace, employees feel comfortable with illness if its the flu or vomiting, or migraine, but when it comes to mental health issues, people are more inclined to keep quite about it, as they don't want to be seen as mentally ill, in any way.  According to an article in times online a survey was carried out by a national charity, 'Shaw Trust' on 1000 people and it found that "18.3% would not reveal a condition to their HR dept, and only 17.9% would reveal an illness to a colleague".

This is quite a low figure, which clearly shows the stigma attached to Depression and mental illness, from mild to severe. This is mainly due to it being perceived as a weakness, and in our current climate, of redundancies, and business closures, employees don't want to be seen as weak, in case managers may see this as a flaw and therefore think you are unable to carry out your job as normal.

Gambling Support

Gambling is fast becoming a widespread problem in the UK today.  "It is thought there are about three hundred thousand problem gamblers across the UK. This is a huge figure and a clinic has been set up in Soho London, by the NHS for these gamblers to access a counselling service.  Counselling can help clients with addictions, as it is an illness not a habit, some might say.

Obsessions, and the by products of it being; anxiety, stress, depression, and in some cases suicide, all come from a clients obsession with one particular object.  In this case its gambling, an obsession with winning back the losses, thinking its a quick fix to financial freedom.  If only I could win this to get that, it would be fine, and so the cycle continues. 

Cognitive behaviour therapy is ideal for this and a suggested amount would be at least 12 sessions, alongside group work also, to share and learn from other people in the same situation.  Clients I have worked with describe ' never being satisfied with what they have but rather what they might have' and so are always striving for that winning buzz' these words are from a client I have worked with and through
counselling and group work, this client has moved forward with his life, and has learnt to manage his debts, with the techniques picked up in counselling and talking to others.

Child abuse, more help for victims

Child abuse is still a taboo subject in today's society.  However it is a subject that needs to be talked about more in order to help victims come forward to talk about and take the stigma away from the subject by acknowledging that it is happening today, as much as it happened thirty years ago.  One such story told by a 41 year old woman, described as 'single and childless' tells her story, and a familiar story in the world of Child sexual abuse. The headline reads " My Mum didn't stop my stepfather abusing me".

This is quite a shocking headline to some, but alas a very common theme amongst the victims of CSA.  As a counsellor  with several years experience in the field of rape, and  CSA, I found working with these women, this was the case for seven out of ten victims. Their Mother knew it was happening but did nothing to protect their daughters.  Consequently as adults, these women cant come to terms with what happened to them and why why why did their sole carer not protect them? These are just some of the questions a victim of CSA goes through, when they come to counselling.

Cognitive behaviour therapy

Cognitive Behaviour Therapy is a therapy used for the treatment of Depression.  This Therapy has been in the news a lot recently as the government have ploughed a lot of money and media exposure into this particular type of therapy, in the hope that people who are depressed and on benefits, will get well, and return to work, and consequently the unemployment figures will go down.

However the cynics have criticized this and said its not all its cracked up to be, and the government have been fooled into thinking this is the next super therapy. I disagree with this, as I am a Counsellor myself, and have used CBT techniques, with my clients and diaries of events and behaviour, and found it to be very empowering, positive, and moved my clients into a better  place, which helped them 
to move forward and have much happier lives. 

Seasonal affective disorder

 One in twenty of us suffer from SAD (seasonal affective disorder) and it can really affect our everyday lives.  It leaves us feeling miserable, tired, lethargic, sleep can be affected  as can appeitit and sex drive, and it affects women more than men it seems.  It is fundamentally a lack of exposure to light, and therfore affects us more in the winter months.  If you have other worries like work, relationships, or financial worries this can make it more likely. It leaves you feeling very low and in some cases depressed.

How do we treat this condition?,  Counselling a talking therapy can help a lot, talking about the problems it brings, can be very therapeutic,  as can exercise and  a good balanced diet, and try to get out during daylight  hours to boost your mood.  A light box can help also.

Counselling's most commonly asked questions

Q:   How long can I expect the counselling to last from start to finish?

A: It depends on the issues you come to counselling with, but anything from minimum of six session to a year or more in some cases.

 Q: How long will the sessions last, how often are they, and how much will it cost?

A: The sessions are usually 50 minutes long, and are weekly and vary in price from thirty to fifty pounds.

 Q: How do I know which therapy is right for me, with all the different therapies around today?

A:  It is wise to do a little research before investing your money in a therapist, to ensure they have

   experience in the topic you wish to bring, that they are qualified, and work under the guidelines of  

   The BACP.  Different therapists use different ‘tools of the trade’ you need to decide on a therapist

   that has the right tools to deal with your issues.