Devereaux Frazier and Beth Amanda are currently hosting the Tuesday Writing Prompt Challenge which was started by our star writer Christine Ray. We hope to offer all of you something that will spark your creativity and willingness to participate.

Go Dog Go Cafe

Walking in a dense thick snow fall,

Her mind, a blizzard of thoughts,

Unaware of her surroundings,

Numb, Insecure, Vulnerable.

Then, in a split second,

She heard the music.

As if time halted, she stopped,

And just danced.

The rest fell away.

Happy Tuesday!

Until next time

Stay Safe, Speak Life, and Spread Kindness

Nova Namastè

Today’s episode features an interview with the founder of Grounds for Clarity, Kim Johnson. Kim comes on The Bipolar Writer Podcast at my behest to share her story like all the interviewees that come on and share what she does for a living (life coaching) and sharing her wisdom. Doubt can always creep into our lives, and it can be hard to move on from the past. Kim discusses many essential topics connected to these things that include LivingWorks and how one conversation with her is perhaps what you are looking for right now, in the mental illness community like myself. I have firsthand experience with Kim’s brand of life coaching, and it has helped me be aware of life around me, be open to feelings and emotions, be vulnerable, find ways to live in the now, and work on the inner I. What…

Services’ charity SSAFA says its helpline for Forces personnel past and present – and their families – has seen an 80% increase in calls during the pandemic.

Its free and confidential Forcesline service saw requests for befriending and support from those feeling isolated by lockdown rise dramatically, with more than 300 people turning to the charity for help.

Forcesline acts as a ‘front door’ to the wider support services offered by the charity and beyond. The helpline can act as a telling indicator for the overall well-being of the military community: currently serving (regulars and reserves), veterans and their families.

The Forcesline team say that the other most pressing issues throughout the pandemic have been:

• Mental health;
• Urgent assistance with food;
• Emergency need for housing;
• Lack of human contact; and
• The breakdown of relationships.

If you think the helpline could be useful, it is available 9am-5pm Monday to Friday on…

Introduction

Multiple impact therapy (MIT) is a group psychotherapy technique most often used with families in extreme crisis.

It was one of the first group therapy programmes developed in the United States. In multiple impact therapy (MIT), families are seen concurrently by a number of multi-disciplinary medical professionals. The duration of the therapy is short, typically ranging from one to two full treatment days.

The focus of treatment is to find and evaluate structural patterns within the family, evaluate those patterns to see if they are the source of the problem, then modify the structure to alleviate the problem.

Background

MIT as a therapy technique was developed at the University of Texas Medical Branch in the 1950s. At the time, Texas had very few psychoanalysts and those that were available were unaffordable to most families. Because treatment was scarce, there were few specialised programmes for adolescents, many were admitted as…

Introduction

Helper theory or the helper therapy principle was first described by Frank Riessman (1965) in an article published in the journal Social Work. The principle suggests that when an individual (the “helper”) provides assistance to another person, the helper may benefit.

Riessman’s model has inspired subsequent research and practice by scholars, clinicians, and indigenous populations to address a variety of social and health-related issues plaguing individuals and communities around the world.

Refer to Peer Support and Skills and Abilities Required for Peer Support.

Riessman’s Formulation

Riessman’s seminal article explored how non-professionals supported one another in self-help/mutual-aid support groups based on Riessman’s observations of a sample of these groups, as well as his summary of the findings of research in the areas of social work, education, and leadership. This article suggested that although the “use of people with a problem to help other people who have the same problem…

If you feel down or angry after reading your social media feed, you’re provably following the wrong type of person. Social media needs to work for you, so why not have a cull of your contacts and start following some new people.

Here are my guidelines for social media success…