My approach to coping skills for emotional pain
The Work of Counselling James Foley The Work of Counselling James Foley

My approach to coping skills for emotional pain

Working with thoughts, emotions, behaviours and sensations of the body, (TEBS), is the approach I use in therapy. The client is encouraged to identify how thoughts drive our emotions and physical sensations.

To reduce or learn to live with our emotional stress is done by practicing alternative positive thoughts. These thoughts have to be supported by associated behaviours.

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Prevail’s approach to the porn debate

Prevail’s approach to the porn debate

Porn is a pervasive part of our society. That said, it rarely comes up in the counselling room. That reflects how accepted it is in our culture. But still, the debate exists as to whether it suits you.
Some argue that porn is destructive for genuine sexual relationships and that it isolates people. Others say that porn plays a productive part in their relationships and helps educate them about the practicalities of sex.
Perhaps the context for discussing porn is not about physical enjoyment but the actual purpose and nature of sexual relationships in the first place.

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Managing a suicidal emergency
Suicide, Helping Others James Foley Suicide, Helping Others James Foley

Managing a suicidal emergency

If you walk into what seems to be a suicide attempt the first thing to manage is your own shock. Positive, active, immediate interventionis are essential. Get medical support if needed. Assess the degree of suicidality and maintin a safe an area as possible. Don’t be afraid to ask direct questions and keep with the client until their risk has decreased or they are with somone else safe. Occupy the person and try to remove them from the location you found them in.

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Dying to survive: Facts about suicide in Ireland
Our Search for Meaning, Suicide James Foley Our Search for Meaning, Suicide James Foley

Dying to survive: Facts about suicide in Ireland

The reality of suicide has touched all of us in some way.
The statistics of suicide are bleak.

Whether it is younger or older people, male or female, the reasons for suicide are individual to each person’s story. Common to most stories are the realities of isolation and hopelessness. Perhaps this is because by the time a person comes to the point of suicide, they have stopped properly engaging with people and have lost hope that there is any solution apart from death.

Thankfully, there are numerous emergency services available via the phone to meet these people in their time and place of need.

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Eating disorders and food control
Family, Managing Daily Life James Foley Family, Managing Daily Life James Foley

Eating disorders and food control

Eating disorders are one of the hardest conditions to treat. The person involved has many layers of hurt that the control of food becomes their seemingly only way to cope with emotional pain.

Unfortunately, the associated behaviours are often very manipulative and destructive on the person themselves and those close to them.
When occurring in a family context, family therapy is often the main therapeutic approach, with individual support as needed.

This blog covers the main types of eating disorders. The cognitive, behavioural and emotional impacts are also discussed.

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Violence in the Inner  Man
Family, Men's Issue's James Foley Family, Men's Issue's James Foley

Violence in the Inner Man

Are men naturally violent? Is the aggressive response of men always a bad thing? There are lots of questions we have about men and violence. One thing that most will accept is that men are generally more aggressive than women and that this aggression can be very destructive.
The source of aggressive behaviour would seem to be partly learned through social expectations and partly biological through testosterone.

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Cognitive  Behavioural  Therapy
The Work of Counselling James Foley The Work of Counselling James Foley

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

CBT is a combination of two psychological theories. Cognitive and Behavioural theories. CBT proposes that emotional change happens by changing the underlying thoughts that support them. To effectively change our thoughts, we utilise the behaviours that correlate with them.
This approach can be a trial and error, and is greatly helped by having a good understanding of your underlying beliefs that caused the thought to start with.

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