Helping Friends and Family

One of the most frustrating things anyone in the helping professions will come up against is that we can help perfect strangers but it is almost impossible to give that same help or healing to our close friends and family. In Psychotherapy we are taught to be wary of 'dual relationships' which describes the problem. It can happen both ways and the helper must also be alert for signs of relationships with clients that change and become too friendly or dependent.

So why can't we help those nearest and dearest to us? Of all the reasons I think that the most prevalent is that they know us as different person not under the banner of helper or healer. It is too much of a shift for them to put to one side the time we were roaring drunk, in love with the wrong person, spending too much money on shoes (that may only be me!) or just having a bad hair day.

Of course it gets even worse when we realise that sometimes the hardest person to help is actually.....ourselves!

Beat the Ban!

1st July 2007 sees the start of the ban of smoking in places of work, hotels, restaurants and other public places. This has already been successfully implemented in Scotland and Ireland and the expected drop off in the pub trade didn't happen. In fact it seems to have welcomed many people back to pubs for a pint without the accompanying stale smell of smoke.

I fully expected smokers to rebel and rail against the 'nanny state' imposing the ban but surprisingly many smokers actually welcome it and have embraced it as an opportunity to finally kick the habit. Of course we all know that is easier said than done and with that in mind I'm running a number of promotions to support smokers who wish to beat the habit and addiction and enjoy the smoke free environment from 1st July.

If you are a smoker who would like to become a lifelong non-smoker then email rachel@positiveresolutions.co.uk for more details.

Daisies and Buttercups

There once was a world
A world in which daisies and buttercups were the most beautiful flowers of all time
A world of long, lazy summer afternoons
Of daisy chains
And buttercup tests
Of lying on backs and looking at clouds drifting by.

There once was a time
A time in which daisies and buttercups were the most beautiful flowers in the world
A time of long, lazy summer afternoons
Of braiding hair
And gentle teasing
Of sitting in trees and listening to the wind rustling the leaves.

And in this world and in this time
Children know daisies and buttercups are the most beautiful flowers
For it is their world and their time of long, lazy summer afternoons
Of adults rushing
And fussing and bustling
Never noticing the daisies and the buttercups as they pass them by.

Charity Update

Prospect at Home

I'm pleased to announce that the first monies have been collected and banked for the Prospect at Home Campaign (see original blog December 2006). To protect the identities of the people involved I won't use full names but instead initials. HM has collected £76, JH £150 and AK £160.20.

Well done to these first three volunteers. The final two people have also stopped smoking but agreed to wait until they had been stopped smoking for a number of months before collecting the sponsorship money.

Cancer Research - Race for Life

As well as supporting Prospect at Home with the above campaign, this year will be the third year I have run the Cancer Research Race for Life. This year's race takes place in Swindon on 17th June 2007 and you can show your support by sponsoring me on:

http://www.raceforlifesponsorme.org/rachelarn

I am also attending a Health and Wellbeing Exhibition at Basepoint Business Park, Rivermead, Swindon on Saturday 12th May from 10am - 4pm. Entry is free and all exhibitors are offering free taster sessions. Donations will be welcome however for Race for Life.