Monthly Archives: September 2015

George Monbiot – Why I ate a roadkill squirrel

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/aug/27/why-i-ate-a-roadkill-squirrel ‘….it seems to me that some people have confused what is customary with what is ethical.’ Challenging, thought-provoking piece from George, well worth a read. Palace Gate Counselling Service, Exeter Counselling in Exeter since 1994

Posted in awakening, blaming, compassion, compulsive behaviour, cultural questions, cultural taboos, Disconnection, dying, Eating, ecological, ecological issues, education, emotions, equality, ethics, external locus, fear, George Monbiot, grief, human condition, identity, immanence, interconnection & belonging, internal locus of evaluation, meaning, mindfulness, natural world, non-conforming, organismic experiencing, paradigm shift, perception, physical being, political, presence, shaming, sustainability, values & principles, wonder | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

David Whyte – Time Left Alone

Beautiful and profound. Palace Gate Counselling Service, Exeter Counselling Exeter since 1994

Posted in beauty, consciousness, creativity, David Whyte, dying, emotions, encounter, flow, human condition, immanence, natural world, organismic experiencing, photographs & pictures, poetry, presence, spirituality, surrender | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Person-centred Basics – Dave Mearns & Brian Thorne on building trust via the core conditions

The second in our occasional series of refreshers in some of the fundamentals of a person-centred approach to therapeutic work. The following examples from Dave and Brian cluster around the central theme of building trust, and which core conditions may … Continue reading

Posted in acceptance, actualizing tendency, Brian Thorne, clients' perspective, communication, conditions of worth, congruence, core conditions, Dave Mearns, Disconnection, diversity, emotions, empathy, encounter, interconnection & belonging, internal locus of evaluation, love, non-directive counselling, perception, person centred, person centred theory, presence, relationship, self concept, therapeutic growth, therapeutic relationship, trust, unconditional positive regard, vulnerability, working with clients | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Thousands of children are being medicated for ADHD – when the condition may not even exist – Will Sutcliffe

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/thousands-of-children-are-being-medicated-for-adhd–when-the-condition-may-not-even-exist-10509842.html Thoughtful and useful article by Will about the ‘ADHD’ label, its implications and consequences. The writer too believes the exponential increase in diagnosis and drug treatment makes sense in political and financial terms, rather than in terms of the … Continue reading

Posted in blaming, child development, civil rights, cognitive, communication, compulsive behaviour, creativity, cultural questions, diagnoses of ADHD, Disconnection, diversity, education, emotions, empathy, encounter, equality, ethics, external locus, family systems, fear, Gender & culture, generational trauma, growing up, human condition, masculine, medical model, non-conforming, paradigm shift, parenting, perception, physical being, political, power and powerlessness, psychiatric abuse, psychiatric drugs, psychiatry, relationship, research evidence, scapegoating, shame, shaming, therapeutic growth, therapeutic relationship, trauma, values & principles, vulnerability | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Joan Armatrading – Willow

It’s been a while since we posted some music…. This is beautiful. We all need a willow. Palace Gate Counselling Service, Exeter Counselling Exeter since 1994

Posted in emotions, empathy, encounter, music, presence, relationship, resilience, vulnerability | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Thomas Merton on where to focus in our working

“Do not depend on the hope of results. You may have to face the fact that your work will be apparently worthless and even achieve no result at all, if not perhaps results opposite to what you expect. As you … Continue reading

Posted in cognitive, consciousness, creativity, cultural questions, empowerment, ethics, human condition, interconnection & belonging, internal locus of evaluation, meaning, perception, relationship, Thomas Merton | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

For Equilibrium – John O’Donohue

John O’Donohue described a blessing as ‘a circle of light drawn around a person to protect, heal and strengthen’. This one is for equilibrium – our sense is many of us stand in need of this just at present…. ‘A … Continue reading

Posted in acceptance, beauty, compassion, core conditions, creativity, emotions, flow, gratitude, healing, human condition, humour, immanence, interconnection & belonging, internal locus of evaluation, John O'Donohue, kindness & compassion, love, meaning, natural world, organismic experiencing, perception, poetry, presence, resilience, spirituality, trust, wonder | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Reclaiming Sweet Freedom – 23 things that we need not explain justify or defend – Isabel Abbott

http://www.elephantjournal.com/2015/09/reclaiming-sweet-freedom-23-things-that-we-need-not-explain-justify-or-defend/ Just gorgeous. This is written from the woman’s perspective, and the writer wants to expand it to include all of us (with any tweaks required to find the right fit for you). It’s wonderful, profound, poetic and important. Thanks, … Continue reading

Posted in abuse, acceptance, actualizing tendency, awakening, beauty, blaming, compulsive behaviour, conditions of worth, congruence, consciousness, core conditions, creativity, cultural questions, dependence, diversity, Eating, Elephant Journal, emotions, empathy, empowerment, encounter, equality, ethics, external locus, fear, feminine, flow, Gender & culture, grief, growth, guilt, healing, human condition, humour, identity, immanence, interconnection & belonging, internal locus of evaluation, loss, love, meaning, mindfulness, non-conforming, organismic experiencing, paradigm shift, parenting, perception, person centred, physical being, political, power and powerlessness, pregnancy, presence, reality, relationship, resilience, sadness & pain, self, self esteem, sexual being, sexual orientation, shadow, shame, shaming, surrender, transformation, trauma, trust, vulnerability | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Marshall Rosenberg on cultural beliefs

“…there is considerably less violence in cultures where people think in terms of human needs than in cultures where people label one another as “good” or “bad” and believe that the “bad” ones deserve to be punished.” Marshall B. Rosenberg, … Continue reading

Posted in 'evil', anger, blaming, communication, compassion, conflict, core conditions, cultural questions, Disconnection, empathy, human condition, interconnection & belonging, Marshall Rosenberg, non-violent communication, paradigm shift, perception, relationship, scapegoating, shaming, violence | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Person-Centred Basics – Janet Tolan on Listening to the whole person

This is is the first of an occasional series we are launching, refreshing some basics of person-centred theory. We are beginning with Janet Tolan, on the importance of affording the core conditions to self-structure. ‘Listening to the whole person One … Continue reading

Posted in acceptance, actualizing tendency, clients' perspective, conditions of worth, core conditions, cultural questions, empathy, Janet Tolan, love, meaning, non-directive counselling, organismic experiencing, person centred, person centred theory, self, self concept, self esteem, supervision, tears, therapeutic growth, therapeutic relationship, unconditional positive regard, vulnerability, working with clients | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment