The Therapy Shed

In the final episode of the series, we reflect on all the brilliant guests that have joined us across Series 2. Talking about the learning, and the homework tasks, we reflect on the knowledge shared from each of our special guests around Trauma, OCD, Children, Suicide Prevention and ADHD. We share our favourite conversations from the series, how we apply the theory into clinical practice, and answer more listener's questions. That's a wrap for Series 2... Thanks for listening!

Episode 5 is a great conversation, with special guest Sarah Templeton, about all things ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). Sarah runs 2 services that specialise in supporting people presenting with traits of ADHD; Headstuff ADHD Therapy, providing a team of over 40 therapists specialising in ADHD and supporting people across the UK, and Headstuff ADHD Liberty service, which targets support for people "fighting for freedom from addiction and crime". Sarah was diagnosed with ADHD at 51 and has been sharing her personal story and expertise about all things ADHD ever since. Sarah offers insights to what ADHD actually is, how it can be recognised, the assessment process, and importantly Sarah shares coping strategies and ways to use ADHD traits as superpowers! Sarah has extensive experience working in prison systems across the UK, and we talk about her work with prisoners, highlighting the correlation between ADHD and convicted offenders. Sarah highlights how ADHD is still a grossly misunderstood area of mental health, and we discuss the huge impact of people being misdiagnosed or undiagnosed. We learned a lot and thoroughly enjoyed talking with a leading light in a vital area of mental health. For more info, check out Sarah's book "How NOT to murder your ADHD kid, instead learn how to be your child's ADHD coach". 

This week we welcomed into The Therapy Shed a very special guest; Yinka. Yinka is a Counsellor with extensive experience working in suicide prevention with people from all age ranges and backgrounds; it was a real honour to have him drop by the Shed to talk about what is often the most sensitive and challenging issues in society today; Suicide. Listen, as we explore the evolution of language around Suicide, the role of language in how we understand and relate to Suicide and suicidal ideation. Yinka offers great insight into the how, what and why any of us could experience suicidal thoughts and feelings, plus the great importance of learning to understand and respond to those thoughts and feelings constructively. We share personal experiences relating to suicidal ideation and Yinka shares suggestions for communicating with the self and others if someone is experiencing suicidal ideation. This is one of the most human and honest conversations we had the pleasure of hosting in The Therapy Shed. Hope you enjoy listening, and be kind to yourself.

Welcome back into the Therapy Shed, for a chat with another very special guest and friend of the show; Kate Henderson. We had a great conversation with Kate, discussing one of the most important healthcare topics in the modern world; children and young people's mental health. Kate is a qualified CBT therapist, CAMHS Senior Practitioner and University Lecturer, with vast experience working with young people, schools and social support services. We pick Kate's brains about the different challenges facing families and young people today; the relationships within the family and the challenges of communication and safeguarding in today's everchanging world. We discuss the importance of constructive relationships for young people, both within their peer group and with adults at home and in school. Kate shares examples from both her personal and professional life, and offers advice on listening and talking effectively with children. We learned a lot, and hope you enjoy this one!

We are back in the Therapy Shed with another very special guest; friend and experienced clinical therapist Nik Voller. We talk about Nik's journey into the world of therapy, including a great insight into her personal challenges with a very commonplace mental health issue; OCD. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is a prevalent and widely discussed subject, however it can often be a misunderstood area of mental health. We discuss Intrusive Thoughts, the impact of childhood experiences, unconscious fears, and the caring, compassionate nature often characterising people who develop OCD symptoms. Nik shares personal experiences, along with effective techniques and approaches to help begin treating OCD. Plus, Nik puts us to work, with a task designed to challenge our own personal habits and everyday rituals! 

The opening episode of Series 2 has very special guest and Trauma Therapist Paul Nairn invited into The Therapy Shed. The conversation is a real insight into the key aspects of Trauma; what happens in the brain when we have experienced Trauma, the key symptom criteria for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and we delve into various therapeutic approaches available to treat Trauma. We discuss Paul's experience working with survivors of the Manchester bombing and ask him about Trauma treatments such as CBT, Counselling, Brainspotting and Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR). We draw on Paul's in depth experience of working with and treating Trauma survivors. Paul also puts us to work, sharing everyday techniques that can help begin to heal a traumatised mind.

Anxiety is something we can all experience in many different ways, and can often lead to severe distress and pain. In this episode we explore what Anxiety is, and how the mind is structured to experience it. We discuss some of the ways anxiety can significantly impact our life, through General Anxiety, Health Anxiety and OCD; and we share some techniques for building a more constructive relationship with Anxiety and reducing everyday stress.