The Therapy Shed

This episode we talk about what the term self-esteem actually means. The different ways in which our self-esteem can be influenced and manipulated, along with the importance of our personal values in shaping how we view ourselves. We share themes that often come up in the therapy room when we struggle with self-esteem, along with ideas of how to recalibrate your self-esteem.

In this episode we welcome in to the Therapy Shed another very special guest, Chris Roberts, to preview his newly released book "Football > Anything". We enjoyed a fascinating conversation with Chris, discussing the inspiration behind writing the book and the key themes explored; the greed and sometimes self-destructive competitiveness rife within football. How does the sport so loved across the globe cause so much pain, hurt and heartbreak? Chris shares his personal journey and challenges with Depression, leading him to access therapy and becoming motivated to write the book. It was inspiring to sit down and chat with Chris, hear his story and how he continues to manage his mental health.  

The book is a brilliant, insightful and incredibly well researched account of the underbelly of football. All proceeds from the book are donated to Sean's Place, a mental health support service in Liverpool. Pick up a copy online here; https://www.amazon.co.uk/FOOTBALL-ANYTHING-Football-Brought-Worst/dp/B0BVCTPP85

This episode is all about the value of sleeping soundly. We discuss the role of Sleep and the importance to our minds for us to have healthy Sleep Hygiene. As sleep is an oft undervalued area of mental health, we talk about the impacts of a disrupted sleeping pattern and aim to offer ideas for improving your Sleep Hygiene. Hope you enjoy listening in to the episode. Sleep tight!  

In this episode of the Therapy Shed we chat about the importance of self-care and maintaining social connections as the seasons change to Autumn/Winter time. We are once again joined by a very special guest, trainee clinical therapist and all round nice guy, Nathan Nairn. We discuss the difficulty of studying during COVID, along with the importance of timing, on a personal level, when beginning training to become a therapist. Nathan shares his personal experiences of mental health challenges, the inspiration to begin training in mental health and how he began to find the right course for his interests. We chat about each of our experiences working as a therapist, the anxiety of meeting clients for the first time, along with the challenges and rewards of working in the world of mental health.

In this episode we welcome back into the Therapy Shed, friend of the podcast, Counsellor and Trauma Specialist Paul Nairn. Listen in to hear us chat with Paul about a topic that impacts every single one of us during our lives; Grief and Loss. We discuss the various types of Primary and Secondary loss, including loss of a friendship group, changing job, moving house, a stage in your life (e.g. your youth) along with the loss of a loved one. Paul offers great insight into how the human brain can be impacted and subsequently changed due to loss, and we explore the different ways each of us grieves following a loss. Take care and we hope you find listening to this conversation helpful.

In the final episode of series 3 we reflect on another series of brilliant and interesting guests that have joined us for a chat in the Therapy Shed. We discuss the various services available across the city, and reflect on the personal challenges often experienced, and overcome, by people when accessing support. Also, Brian shares his plans for Hypnotising Mark in a future episode... best of luck Mark! 

This episode we invited the very lovely Debbie Rogers, from Sean's Place, into the Therapy Shed. Sean's Place is a charity based in the Sefton area of Liverpool, that aims to support and improve men's mental health across the Sefton and Liverpool city region. Debbie shares her personal journey about the loss of her brother to suicide, which motivated her to founder Sean's Place charity service. Very quickly Sean's Place became an invaluable support service for men of all age ranges, and by 2021 was awarded "Charity of the Year". Debbie shares the various reasons why men often access support, from acknowledging feeling lonely, experiencing suicidal thoughts or a lack of opportunity to socialise in a welcoming and relaxed environment. 

Sean's Place encourages positive discussions around mental health, in a non judgemental setting through a variety of practical and proactive support programmes, including Counselling, CBT therapy, Coffee and Connect Drop In groups, as well as Guitar sessions and Sean's Place Fishing Club! They support adult males, aged 18 plus.

To access Sean's Place you can complete a self-referral, via their website or in person at the centre. Alternatively, someone can refer on a person's behalf, providing the person has given consent for the referral.

Further information about all the services and support available at Sean's Place can be found at www.seansplace.org.uk

We also named the Therapy Shed gnome in this episode... If you know, you know! Hope you enjoy

We are back in the shed for a catch up on the past few weeks of talking with various support services and mental health organisations. We reply to some questions and suggestions sent in from listeners, including pics of a trek to Hong Kong (sadly not involving ourselves!). We also discuss our favourite and most helpful books, ranging from mental health and "self help" books to more social psychology related books that explore various cultures and how we understand each other and the mind.

In this episode we were kindly welcomed into RASA (Rape and Sexual Abuse) Support Service to chat with Vicky Green, a Counsellor and Clinical Lead at RASA. Vicky shared her backstory and interesting journey into the world of mental health, along with the specialist work RASA offers. We discussed some of the causes and consequences of rape and sexual abuse, whilst hoping to break down some common myths often attached to both perpetrators and victims. RASA are a vital and brilliant charity, supporting victims of rape, sexual assault and/or abuse. RASA offer independent advocacy, Counselling, help and information to anyone affected by rape and/or sexual assault. People can contact the RASA helpline (0151 666 1392) to share concerns and/or report an incident, and also remain anonymous if they wish.  

Further information is available at www.rasamerseyside.org  

In this episode we welcome special guest Andy Milner, from men's mental health organisation Andy's Man Club, into the Therapy Shed for chat. Andy kindly shares his experiences of fulfilling a childhood dream of becoming a professional footballer, along with the mental health challenges he experienced following his football career ending prematurely. Andy speaks openly and honestly about his own journey, which led to him becoming a participant of Andy's Man Club; a men's mental health charity offering free to attend men's talking groups across the UK and helping to breakdown the stigma around men's mental health and emotional wellbeing. Andy's Man Club is available to all males aged 18 and over, now in more than 100 groups across the UK. Andy's Man Club is free to attend and attendees are not required to involuntarily share any personal information. For further information please visit www.andysmanclub.co.uk

The first episode of Series 3 is a poignant and compelling conversation with Kathy Lapsley, co-founder of Liverpool based charity service Love Jasmine. Kathy shares her heartbreaking experience of losing their young child (Jasmine), along with the consequential challenges of accessing support, which led to Kathy and her family eventually founding Love Jasmine. We talked about the unimaginable pain of losing a child, and the subsequent challenges families often face when trying to cope in the aftermath of child loss. Kathy talks with great honesty and openness about her families experience, along with the inspiration and motivation for Kathy and her partner Rob to ultimately founder Love Jasmine. We discuss the amazing work at Love Jasmine, along with the various support available at the service, including Talking Therapy, Parent Support Groups, Grandparent Support Groups, Sibling Support and Coffee Morning Events.  

It was a real honour to talk with Kathy in the Therapy Shed. If you would like further information or support in relation to any of the issues discussed, Love Jasmine offers support to bereaved parents and families, and is accessible via telephone, email and online self-referral at https://www.lovejasmine.org.uk/contact-us  

Xx

Listen in to the Therapy Shed for the final episode of the year, as we wish all our listeners a kind and peaceful festive period with a Therapy Shed Christmas special. We are joined by special guest Jack Rhodes; experienced podcaster, the "Epiphany Coach" and all round charming, warm soul. We talk with Jack about our favourites and least favourite Christmas songs/movies/foods, with some interesting festive preferences! We also scratch the surface of Christmas and explore the emotional impact many of us can experience at Christmas time; and the impact of personal relationships, reflections, loss and self-expectations at this time of year. We sign off the season with a joke off contest of our favourite Christmas cracker jokes... Ho Ho Ho! 

Merry Christmas everyone; kindness begins with you

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. 

In episode 2, listen to Mark and Brian continue to chat about their experiences in the world of therapy. This episode delves into the reasons why a person may access therapy, the difference between talking with a therapist compared to talking with family or friends, and explores the importance of self-reflection, empathy and congruence. Plus, an interesting insight into the confidentiality skills required to be a local barber!

Welcome to the first episode of The Therapy Shed podcast. Listen in to the Shed for an introduction to the hosts, Mark and Brian, sharing their stories and experiences that led to them becoming practicing clinical therapists.