admin January 26th, 2010
I think one of the hardest parts of raising a child with a disability is the toll it takes on the families. Emotionally, physically and spiritually everyone needs a little help sometimes. I’ve found a great site for those living in the Halton area where the organizations helps to aid caregivers in finding support workers. Take a look:
respiteservices.com consists of agencies funded by the Ministry of Community and Social Services and the Ministry of Children and Youth Services. We are collaborating to develop a more dynamic respite network for both children and adults in Halton.
The guiding principles of respiteservices.com are:
1. To develop a comprehensive respite system in Halton.
2. To develop and maintain a coherent access process for families of children and adults requiring respite options.
3. To facilitate respite options for individuals that match their identified needs.
4. To work closely with service providers to advocate for appropriate service options to meet the needs identified.
Respite care is a family support service that provides temporary relief from the physical and emotional demands involved in caring for a family member who has a disability. Respite creates greater opportunities for all family members to live actively and participate in community activities and allows parents/guardians time for themselves.
For more information please go to the Respite Services Website
admin January 23rd, 2010
One of the things I love about writing this blog is the feedback I get from readers. It is especially gratifying when people write me to ask if they can post information that they have gathered in the hopes that others can benefit. Ahh…the beauty of the internet. Well, today please welcome to the blog a wonderful resource for our friends in the United Kingdom. It is a tool that has taken all the guess work of finding help for your disorders be it social anxiety or bipolar disorder just to name a few. When I first saw this website I was amazed at how much is available. The dedication of the people that have put this together should be commended.
Thank you Catriona for sharing this great wealth of knowledge with others. Please take a look at the Counselling Directory and read how it all came to be.
A few years ago, a friend of ours found herself in a very daunting situation. After struggling with a number of issues and problems, she decided that counselling was a good option for her to help get her life back track. Her initial decision to go for counselling was undoubtedly one of the hardest parts of her entire therapy process, and a very brave one.
However, once she’d decided this, a whole new set of questions arose, and it became apparent that choosing the right counsellor, whilst perhaps not the hardest part of counselling, is undoubtedly one of the most important parts.
There are numerous issues to consider – practical and otherwise. What about, for example, location? Despite counsellors’ assured complete confidentiality people may prefer to see a counsellor that is perhaps outside their local area, but still in surroundings they are comfortable in. Our friend certainly didn’t want to run into anyone she knew, but at the same time needed to know where she was going.
As we were students at the time, money was a paramount issue. There are counsellors that offer reduced rates for students, and the unemployed or those seeking benefits, but how do you find them? No one wants to end up bartering with a counsellor over the price of their mental well being.
And what guarantees that the counsellor is the real deal? There are no laws in the UK that govern counselling, so what’s to stop anyone setting up shop to listen to people’s problems? There are qualifications and professional bodies, but these can often be confusing and over-whelming.
Counselling can take many different approaches – from person-based to psychoanalytic, and it’s important to choose a counsellor with an approach the person will be comfortable with and respond to well.
A daunting situation indeed, and it made us think. What if there was a website that collected all this information, so you could search for your where you live and the surrounding area and find a list of counsellors, with all their information, qualifications, and what areas they cover? Of course, a website like this didn’t exist. So we made one.
Counselling Directory was set up to provide a simple, easy, and most importantly un-daunting way of connecting people that need help with the people that provide it. A comprehensive searching tool, the site allows postcode, town and country searches, and produces a list of counsellors registered in this area. Each counsellor has a profile, listing a bit about themselves, their approaches, what areas they deal with, and all their training, qualification and experience and fees.
The site shows which counsellors are registered/accredited with a professional body, and full profiles are only displayed after insurance and qualification documents are checked or membership with a professional body has been verified.
We hope the site can solve the situation like our friend had. It’s hard enough deciding to undertake counselling, and who wants extra hassle of trying to find a counsellor? The site has also become a huge information bank – there are articles written by the counsellors, as well as comprehensive information on all kinds of distress – from depression to eating disorders to abuse, to help people identify their problems and become informed, not scared.
We’ve heard from many people who have found the site invaluable, reducing the amount of stress and worrying that can contribute to an already difficult enough process.
Please see us at the Counselling Directory
admin January 21st, 2010
Here’s a great article from my chiropractor’s office about the benefits of crying.
Why It’s Healthy to Cry!
Have you ever curled up on the couch with a blanket and a box of tissues to watch a favorite tear-jerker, perhaps after a particularly nasty break-up? Romeo and Juliet, Titanic, Wuthering Heights, Brian’s Song (even guys shed a tear watching that one!) – any one of those or a hundred others can bring out the tissue box.
So why do we do it? Why do we purposefully seek out situations that make us cry? And what about crying in general? Is it really good for you? Can a good cry really make us feel better?
There are actually three different types of tears.
• Reflex tears are produced in response to an irritant (i.e., smoke, onions, a bug getting into your eye, etc.).
• Continuous tears lubricate your eyes to keep them from drying out.
• Emotional tears are produced in response to any number of situations, including frustration, sadness, anger, relief, pain and even joy.
William Frey II, a biochemist at the St. Paul-Ramsey Medical Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota, discovered that there is a significant increase in the types and amount of stress hormones released in emotional tears. Stress hormones can damage brain cells and negatively affect nearly every organ and system in the human body. Frey’s research seems to indicate that tears serve a definite purpose by eliminating harmful stress hormones (toxins). Interestingly enough, research has also discovered that those who suffer from stress-related conditions, such as ulcers and colitis, frown on the idea of shedding tears.
How miraculous our human bodies are! It’s amazing that so many people still look down on a body function that is intended to eliminate stress hormones that are responsible for virtually every stress-related illness. Now, is it really any wonder that you feel so much better after a good cry?
Article taken from Discover Wellness
admin January 20th, 2010
During circle time it is not uncommon a scene to see the kids one by one holding on to cookie monster as they share their stories. As the big eyed blue stuffy monster comes closer to Sydney the action of passing it to her seems to skip a beat as all the students assume that Sydney will not share with the class so cookie monster skips her altogether. Thankfully, the teacher recognized this and thought of a great idea. Sharing with the class is coming very, very slowly but it was recognized that perhaps one day Sydney would like to share but opportunity is passing her by. She knows how difficult it is to contribute to class but she thought a acceptable challenge would be to at least take cookie monster and pass it along. She does not have to utter the word pass it’s just a small step to gain confidence in herself to say I’m part of the group regardless of whether or not I speak.
I admire the teacher for realizing that this little step is just what needs to happen in order to help things progress. It’s safe and it’s a step up that mountain one pebble at a time. Now, I’m just waiting for that cookie monster in her communication book to be circled to show that the steps are working.
admin January 20th, 2010
I just found a great site called Freedom from Fear. Take a look at the information below and see if there is anything there that can benefit you.
Anxiety and Depressive disorders are the most common of all mental illnesses. Anxiety disorders alone affect more than 19 million American’s each year. Both anxiety and depressive illnesses are severe, chronic and extremely impairing to the individuals who are affected by them. Furthermore, they can have a devastating effect on the family members of those suffering from anxiety and depression.
Freedom From Fear is a national not-for-profit mental health advocacy association founded in 1984 by Mary Guardino. Ms. Guardino founded FFF as an outgrowth of her own personal experiences of suffering with anxiety and depressive illnesses for more than 25 years. The mission of FFF is to impact, in a positive way, the lives of all those affected by anxiety, depressive and related disorders through advocacy, education, research and community support.
FFF has developed an anxiety and depression screening program with a free consultation from a health care professional. Visit the FFF Screening Room.
admin January 6th, 2010
Well 2010 is most certainly upon us and if you’re a regular to the blog you may have noticed that there were not too many posts over the last few months. As I mentioned in a previous email I have been having some troubles of my own in dealing with my past traumas and current issues with anxiety. I am fortunate to have what I call my “Angels” behind me and each day is a step closer towards healing. One of my New Year’s resolutions was to try and concentrate more on the blog and my committement to advocacy. I have so many wonderful ideas, now if I can only get my head together to put it all in motion.
I’ve started the year off for both Sydney, her brother and I with a little positive chant. When I wake up these are the things that I say to myself to start the day and with the kids I hold out my fingers and together we say:
I am healthy
I am happy
I am loved
I am strong
I am supported
These words have a powerful impact in the morning. Not to mention that it has raised many a giggles which is always a good start to the day.
I wish you all a happy 2010 and thanks for being patient with me. I promise good things are coming.
