Total Recall
Uplifting / February 19, 2016

I was working with a client who was doing a bridging course for university.   He expressed that the work was hard and he was having a really tough time passing exams.  This course was only three weeks long, and was designed to enable him to complete three years’ worth of maths in 3 weeks.  He needed an understanding of mathematics before he could progress in his chosen field of study.  For him this was mandatory to completing his future goals and he needed help as his old beliefs about study, and his ability to retain information was not supporting him very well.   He commented many times about how “hard” it was.   I asked him what he needed help with.  I gave him two options.  1/ studying and learning, or 2/ recall.   He informed me that he needed help with recall.   I then began a process in which I had him imagine that his recall ability was located somewhere in his body.  I then had him imagine that this was represented by a colour.  Next I asked him to remove all of this colour in his body using his imagination.  He got all the colour and held…

Technology Addiction and delayed gratification.

I was looking on Facebook recently and an article was posted that was a test for technology addiction.  It was offering a large sum of money to those who could live apart from technology for an extended period of time.  It had a picture of a log cabin in the woods.   There are those who consider that the need to feed this addiction outweighs their want for material possessions.  In other words it is a battle of Will power.  The mind is willing and yet the flesh is weak.   For those who are dependent on technology for connection with friends, family and the world it may be a difficult thought.  If you rely upon the phone, iPad or other device to validate you as an individual, this test may actually be difficult, or even seem impossible.   Those that have no addiction to technologies, such as Wifi, Internet, computers and mobile phones would consider a time to be away from these a welcome break.  Some even said that they would remain in the Log cabin indefinitely so long as food and other essentials kept coming.   There is a new branch of psychology that deals directly with gaming…

Saying dumb stuff

I spoke with a man who stated that he continually makes jokes about other people in front of them that are inappropriate. These jokes are far from malicious as he is a wonderful man and really cares for others, however he described that there is a switch in his mind that is activated when he makes an attempt to draw people close to him. What ends up happening instead is that he can offend and hurt others feelings, thereby causing distance in his interpersonal relationships. These actions are born of insecurity. Rather than silence he feels the need to speak to fill that silence. As I was listening to him describe this situation I recognised a need to be accepted, loved and connection with other people. Offending people in this way is antisocial. While innocent in his intent, the fact remains that this need for love and connection is driving him to speak and act in adverse ways, and this is producing the opposite effect in his world. Once trust is broken and offence received he has to work twice as hard to reestablish this connection with others. I wanted to help and decided that a swish pattern could be…