Author: Lee Avery

October 10, 2023 Blog

Mental Health- recognising the signs and helping yourself.

Bowen for Mental Health

Mental Health Awareness

The global mental health crisis is a major issue facing the world today. The numbers are staggering.  Mental illness affects an estimated 950 million people worldwide and is the leading cause of disability across all age groups. In addition, mental health issues are the leading cause of suicide, accounting for over 800,000 deaths per year.

In recent years there is a clear increase in levels of stress and anxiety, as well as a rise in mental health disorders. The crisis is further complicated by the fact that there is a lack of access to mental health services in many parts of the world, and that stigma and discrimination towards those with mental illness is still prevalent.

In March 2023, the Mental Health Foundation worked with Opinium to conduct an online survey of 6,000 UK adults aged 18+ to look at anxiety in the UK population, its causes, and popular coping mechanisms.

Nearly three-quarters of the population (73%) had felt anxious at least sometimes in the previous two weeks, with one in five people (20%) anxious most or all of the time.

  • Some groups of people are more likely to be affected by anxiety than others. Nearly all young people (18 to 24 years) in our research (86%) had felt anxious in the previous two weeks. For over half (58%), this had stopped them undertaking day-to-day activities. Other groups more likely to report feeling anxious were:
    • Single parents (89%)
    • LGBTQ+ people (89%)
    • Carers (84%)
    • 18 to 34-year-olds (86%)
    • People from a minority ethnic community (84%)
    • People with a long-term physical health condition (LTC) (82%)

Possible Symptoms of Mental Health Problems

Common signs of mental illness in adults and adolescents can include the following:

  • Excessive worrying or fear
  • Feeling excessively sad or low
  • Confused thinking or problems concentrating and learning
  • Extreme mood changes, including uncontrollable “highs” or feelings of euphoria
  • Prolonged or strong feelings of irritability or anger
  • Avoiding friends and social activities
  • Difficulties understanding or relating to other people
  • Changes in sleeping habits or feeling tired and low energy
  • Changes in eating habits such as increased hunger or lack of appetite
  • Changes in sex drive
  • Overuse of substances like alcohol or drugs
  • Multiple physical ailments without obvious causes (such as headaches, stomach aches, vague and ongoing “aches and pains”)
  • Thinking about suicide
  • Inability to carry out daily activities or handle daily problems and stress

Symptoms in children may include the following:

  • Changes in school performance
  • Excessive worry or anxiety, for instance fighting to avoid bed or school
  • Hyperactive behavior
  • Frequent nightmares
  • Frequent disobedience or aggression
  • Frequent temper tantrums

How to avoid mental health issues.

  • Talk about your feelings.
  • Ensure you have a good night's sleep.
  • Eat healthily.
  • Stay active.
  • Practice mindfulness, - be engaged and present in the moment.
  • Keep in touch with friends.
  • Work on relationships by caring for others and letting go of any grudges.
  • Get closer to nature.
  • Avoid or cut down on alcohol.

If you feel you are struggling, reach out to a professional or talk to your doctor. You are always welcome to call me. 

There are also many charities which offer help: 

MIND  and Samaritans  being two of them.

 

 

 

October 2, 2023 Blog

Anxiety in Children

Anxiety in Children

Anxiety in Children and Young People

I am treating many more children for anxiety since the Covid pandemic. Although anxiety and uncertainty are part of growing up as children face different experiences and challenges. The number of children I am seeing who are struggling to go to school, experiencing eating disorders and unable to cope on a day-to-day basis is frightening.

Signs of anxiety in Children

  • Changes in appetite or sleep habits
  • Irritability or moodiness
  • Difficulty concentrating in school or declining grades
  • Complaining of physical symptoms, such as headaches or stomach aches, with no medical cause
  • Avoidance of certain situations or activities, such as going to school or social events
  • Excessive worry or fear about everyday events or activities
  • Panic attacks or extreme feelings of fear or dread

Tips for helping children suffering with anxiety are:

  • Create a safe, quiet space for the child to talk to you.
  • Encourage them to talk to you, then acknowledge, validate their feelings and listen to them. Don’t ask them to “just relax”!
  • Encourage Healthy Habits, sleep, good nutrition and exercise all help with anxiety.
  • Let the child know you are there to support them and to help them find resources and coping strategies to manage their anxiety.
  • Identify triggers, breathing techniques, yoga, keeping a journal, having relaxing therapies such as Bowen all help to calm anxiety.
  • Being around animals for some children can really help
  • Talk to their teachers and advise them of any potential triggers at school.
  • Seek professional help.

Remember to be kind to yourself.

Often the reasons for your children's anxiety are out of your control. It's important to be kind to yourself, focus on your own wellbeing and where you can make a difference.

September 8, 2023 Blog

The Power of Positive Thinking

Positive Thinking

September 13th is “Positive Thinking Day”. This was founded in 2003 by an American Entrepreneur to celebrate the benefits of Positive Thinking.

What is Positive Thinking

Positive thinking doesn't mean that you ignore facts or logic or force yourself to have only positive emotions. That’s not realistic. Life is full of challenges; it is how we look at those challenges that makes the difference.

Positive thinking means that you look at the challenge you are facing and look beyond it, looking at how you can change or deal with it rather than enabling it to consume you.

A positive thinker will assume best intentions and interpret actions in a favourable way rather than assuming the worst. How we talk to ourselves is so important. If you normally do look at the worst-case scenario, believe me you can change. Therapy can really help, and the more we practise positive thoughts the easier it becomes. When you practise positive self-talk regularly your brain forms new ways of thinking. There are many therapies available to help you get started, if you would like to find out more, please do call me. Being mindful of your thoughts and having compassion for yourself can also change negative thoughts.

Positive Thinking affects your overall Health.

  • There is a lower risk of depression.
  • A reduced chance of heart attacks and heart disease.
  • Boosts your immune system.
  • A stable mood rather than mood swings.
  • Able to adapt to change better.

Having a positive attitude can take practice. If you struggle with positive thinking, changing how you talk to yourself, takes time and practice, but it is well worth it in the end. There will be times when you slip into negative thoughts, but notice them and ask yourself some questions such as:

  • Is this really true? Could there be a different explanation, Have I interpreted it correctly?
  • Is this helpful? Does this interpretation help me get through this moment and/or give me ideas to solve the problem.
  • Is it kind to both me and other people?

Questioning negative thoughts allows you to change your thought patterns and have a positive mindset.

How to start thinking positively.

Be grateful.  It doesn’t have to be a big thing. It may be some-body holding a door open for you or smiling and saying good morning. It’s a great idea to do a gratitude journal, where you write at least one thing you are grateful for in that day in a book at the end of the day.

Ensure you get a good night’s sleep. It is when the body recharges and being tired can make you feel irritable which often leads to negative thoughts.

Accept the situation. If you find yourself in a negative situation, reframe it. For example, if your train is late. There is nothing you can do to change the situation, so perhaps talk to the other people waiting, read a book, listen to a podcast, use that extra time wisely rather than getting grumpy about the train being late.

Laughter is so important. Find humour in your daily life. It helps to reduced stress, heart rate and certainly makes you feel better.

If you notice that you have negative thoughts and are struggling to change them, please call me.

July 21, 2023 Blog

Research shows how Bowen Therapy helps improve neck pain, and overall mental and physical well-being.

Twelve weeks of Bowen Therapy provides a favourable option in managing myofascial neck pain according to research.

Neck pain is very much on the rise.

Many people nowadays move less. We sit for long periods in front of our laptops, computers and hold mobile phones at awkward angles. During covid many people struggled with sciatica and neck pain because of sitting in bad positions to work. Although  generally I feel this is improving there is still a long way to go with many people still working mainly at home.

The Chelsea and Westminster NHS state "that two out of three of us will have neck pain at some time in our life". In most cases it is not due to a serious disease or structural problem and often the exact cause of the pain is not clear.

The most common cause of neck pain is a muscle strain. This is when a muscle is stretched too far and tears. Neck muscle strain is typically caused by poor posture or support, and sleeping with the neck in awkward positions.

Research conducted over a 12 week period of having Bowen Therapy showed that  it is a favourable option on reducing myofascial neck pain and overall enhancing your physical and mental health. The research is available here.

I find it invaluable to chat to people about their general movements. Finding out how they sit, what they do for a living and how they sleep. This all impacts on not only neck pain but general overall well-being. Often with Bowen therapy and a few lifestyle changes neck pain disappears.

 

July 14, 2023 Blog

Bowen and Talking Therapies Combined Treatment.

Bowen Therapy and Talking Therapies Combined.

Over the years I have become aware of how much the mind can influence the body. So I decided to study and qualify in a range of talking therapies including EFT (emotional freedom tapping) EMDR, Psychotherapy and Clinical Hypnotherapy.

I am pleased to announce that I am now offering 90-minute treatments combining both treatments priced at £90. I find that many of my clients experience great benefit from having a combination of Bowen Therapy and talking therapies.

Why combine Bowen Therapy and a Talking Therapy?

Mental health issues can really affect how we feel pain in the body. Sometimes we do not want to talk about how we are feeling and other days we want to offload. By offering the combination you can choose on the day what you want to do.  Sometimes when we start talking about things that are affecting us, it can open up some very old wounds and Bowen Therapy is amazing at helping to calm this all down.

Do please call or contact me if you have any questions or wish to discuss if this could be the right option for you.

June 12, 2023 Blog

Theale Village Fete Sunday 25th June 2023

Theale Parish Council Village Fete Sunday 25th June

I am delighted to say that I will be offering free taster sessions of Bowen Therapy at Theale Village Fete from 12pm to 4.30pm. The address is Theale Recreation Ground, Englefield Road, Theale, RG7 5AS.

Come and say hello, ask any questions you might have and try a treatment. No need to book - just turn up. If you have any questions beforehand, please call me on 07710722615.

There is much more information about all the other stalls and events taking place at https://www.facebook.com/thealevillagefete I look forward to seeing you there.

Theale Parish Council Village Fete Sunday June 25th

May 15, 2023 Blog

Dementia Awareness Week 15th to 21st May 2023.

Person with dementia
Dementia AwRWN

Dementia Awareness Week.

According to Alzheimer’s Research UK there are around 820,000 people living with dementia in the UK.

The majority are older people, and incidence increases with age, with one in 20 over the age of 75, and one in five over the age of 85, affected.  However, it is possible for younger people to have dementia, and dementias that are diagnosed before the age of 65 are known as 'early-onset'.

Dementia is a very hard illness not just for the patient but for family and friends that are close to the person.

Signs of dementia can be:

  • Forgetting, not just an event or conversation, but that it happened at all.
  • Not remembering what has been said to you so that it is impossible to carry on the conversation.
  • Getting lost in a familiar place.
  • Forgetting to attend appointments or events that are part of the normal routine of life.
  • Losing items and being unable to retrace steps or think logically where they may be.
  • Serious sleep disturbance and confusion about the time of day.
  • Signs and symptoms which are uncharacteristic of you.

 

How to help prevent dementia.

On a positive note, there are many things that you can do now to help prevent dementia.

  • 1 Good nutrition.
  • 2 Regular Exercise.
  • 3 Optimised Vitamin D Levels.
  • 4 A good sleep pattern.
  • 5 Stress Reduction and management.
  • 6 Don’t smoke.
  • 7 Reduce alcohol consumption.
  • 7 Brain Training – there are lots of brain training games available nowadays.
  • 8 Specific supplements can help, these are not listed as they would need to be checked with current levels and any medications taken.

How you can help someone living with dementia.

  • Don't rush the person, allow them more time for the brain to process information.
  • Keep things normal as far as possible, having a routine can really help.
  • Avoid mentioning things that might make someone feel stupid eg, for forgetting something or being unable to do something they would normally do easily
  • Encourage the person with dementia to keep up with hobbies and interests they have enjoyed in the past.
  • Find meaningful activities that are enjoyable and allow the person to gain a sense of achievement.
  • Use short, easy sentences.
  • Smile and nod, body language is important.

 

 

How you can help someone living with dementia.

How you can help someone living with dementia.

  • Allow more time for the brain to process information. Don’t rush them.
  • Keep things normal as far as possible, having a routine can really help.
  • Avoid mentioning things that might make someone feel stupid eg, for forgetting something or being unable to do something they would normally do easily
  • Encourage the person with dementia to keep up with hobbies and interests they have enjoyed in the past.
  • Find meaningful activities that are enjoyable and allow the person to gain a sense of achievement.
  • Use short, easy sentences.
  • Smile and nod, body language is important.

 

 

Dementia
May 3, 2023 Blog

Gardening Awareness Week 1st – 7th May 2023.

Bowen for Mental Health

Gardening Awareness Week.

Gardening Awareness Week is from May 1st to May 7th. I love gardening, there is something special about planting something, tending to it and watching it bloom. It is one of my happy places. There is however much research out there showing how good gardening is for your health.

How does gardening help our well-being?

  • Promotes social relationships.Gardening Awareness Week
  • Promotes family relationships.
  • Helps with emotional and mental well-being.
  • Moderates stress.
  • Reduces anxiety and depression.
  • Reduction in anger
  • Sense of achievement.
  • Reduction in fatigue.
  • Improves cognitive and educational outcomes in children and adolescents.
  • Delays dementia symptoms.

If (like me) you overdo the gardening, then I suggest you have an epsom salt bath or again like me have  a Bowen treatment,

To read more about how gardening can help us please visit  https://www.bps.org.uk/psychologist/cultivating-wellbeing-and-mental-health-through-gardening

 

April is Parkinson's Disease Awareness Month
April 10, 2023 Blog

April is Parkinson’s Awareness Month.

Bowen for Mental Health

April is Parkinson's Disease Awareness Month.

Causes of Parkinson’s

There are many suggestions as to what can cause Parkinson’s

  • A loss of nerve cells in part of the brain called the substatia nigra which leads to a reduction in dopamine in the brain.
  • Unresolved trauma or long-term stress early in life.
  • Environmental toxins (including foods).
  • Chronic infections.

Main Symptoms of Parkinson’s

  • Tremor.
  • Balance problems.
  • Moving slowly.
  • Loss of sense of smell.
  • Dizziness.
  • Nerve pain.
  • Excessive sweating.
  • Insomnia.
  • Depression and anxiety.
  • Swallowing difficulties.
April is Parkinson's Disease Awareness Month

What may help Parkinson’s?

A life-style change is paramount.

I have treated clients with Parkinson’s and when they follow the criteria set out in the book “Rethinking Parkinson’s Disease” by John Coleman and have regular therapy and follow his guidance their symptoms generally diminish.

  • Eating organic food (as local as possible) and avoiding foods and drinks that cause inflammation.
  • Eating calmly and mindfully.
  • Detoxing.
  • Using environmentally products
  • Having the correct nutritional supplements.
  • Physical exercise
  • Meditating/having a yoga practice.
  • Engaging with people with a positive mindset. Laughter is important.
  • Hydration- Aqua Hydration Formula.
  • Having a gentle therapy like Bowen Therapy.

For more information on the above, do please read John Coleman’s book or call me with any questions.

 

 

 

 

 

February 27, 2023 Blog, Uncategorized

WCBRB Best Businesses In United Kingdom 2023.

WCBRB Best Businesses In United Kingdom 2023

It was lovely to receive an email advising me that I had been selected to be one of the WCBRB Best Businesses in the UK.

 

I would like to thank all the clients who have taken the time and trouble to leave me a review. One of the criteria for these awards is a consistently high level of customer satisfaction based on Google reviews.  Receiving a lovely review always makes me feel very happy and gives me a big smile. It also goes to show how important reviews are, particularly for small local businesses.

If you have received a treatment from me and wish to leave a review, you can do so by clicking  here