Introduction In the expansive realm of psychotherapy, our collective pursuit of happiness often leads us on a quest for that elusive state of well-being that transcends the daily grind. Today, let’s embark on a journey into the realms of happiness with Mo Gawdat, former Chief Business Officer at Google[X], who presents a unique and pragmatic model that promises to unravel the secrets to a fulfilling life. This is a first off, non critical summary of his Happiness Equation. I. The Happiness Equation Happiness (H) = Events of Your Life (E) – Expectations (E) Happiness, according to Gawdat, can be distilled into a simple yet profound equation. The essence lies in…

Good day to you beloved fellow home confined Britons This morning we woke to the new reality of home confinement. This initial 21 day period may just be the start. In fact, there is an understanding that it takes 21 days to embed a new habit… I felt both frozen and anxious. Remember the discomfort one feels when considering the future death of a loved one? That anticipatory grief describes my feelings when considering the open ended, possibly disastrous future we face in this pandemic. How to deal with it: Understand the 5 stages of grief and that it is not linear but cyclical – denial, anger, bargaining, depression and…

Sometimes a shift occurs in the consultation room when a couple moves from couples counselling to separation counselling. Brian Appleby writes that ‘separation counselling takes place when one person, or both, recognises, albeit in many circumstances reluctantly and sadly, that reconciliation is no longer viable’. I find that this movement often surfaces as an ebbing realisation, rather than a pre-meditated idea. A psychotherapist’s work is to notice this movement, allowing it to rise, holding the tension and presenting the couple with choice. Moving forward a separating couple’s task at hand, often facilitated by their counsellor, will be to plan an exit roadmap. These conversations create significant signposts for a harmonious…

Could it be that time stands still and we are the ones moving on? Does ‘we’ include plants and animals? Brick and mortar? Technology? The universe? We get stuck, we retreat, we try again; we repeat; we try differently; hopefully we move on. We grow? Are we in a loop where it seems like growth but it’s just another last day of the year every year over and over again? Is it a spiral? Does it make any difference? Counselling and psychotherapy engage ways of moving on. Furthermore our chances of growing are better when we are joined by a professional, caring outsider walking alongside us. Wishing you a year,…