I often hear the following remarks from clients, especially after something bad has befallen them:
I recently received a most wonderful gift in the mail from my oldest childhood friend in South Africa: the outstanding novel Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell. The story has its base in fact (William Shakespeare’s early life, his marriage and his three children) but is also highly fictionalised, especially around the death of his only son (Hamnet) and the subsequent writing of the famous play Hamlet.
Come in, and have a seat…
All therapy happens somewhere! I have worked as a therapist in a variety of settings: first in various public teaching hospitals in Cape Town, then a year in a little barebones clinic on a military outpost in the middle of nowhere (where I painted the walls of my office yellow within my first week of arriving there).
The term diet culture has a lot of buzz around it of late, but many still ask what it is and why should we be aware of it? It can be tricky to spot because most diet culture is sadly considered the social norm.
What is diet culture?
Diet culture doesn’t simply equate to “being on a diet”,
As a psychologist, I often find myself in the tricky space of balancing two therapeutic modes of being with a client: empathic holding on the one end, and challenging the client on the other end. As per classic Rogerian theory, I certainly subscribe to the idea that unconditional positive regard, warmth and empathy form the bottom line of any good therapeutic experience.
Many Australians believe that fresh vegetables are better for you than frozen, but is this really the case? The truth is, science has shown there is very little difference in nutritional value between fresh and frozen vegetables. (1) This is great news and here’s why:
Food waste equates to a $20 billion economy loss in Australia each year,
How many minutes are there in an hour? 60, right? Well, in the psychological parallel universe, there is an actual expression “the 50 minute hour”. What this means in practice is that a session usually starts on the hour (say, 10am) and finishes more or less 51-55 minutes later (say, 10.53am)… hence the “50 minute hour”!
Mindfulness is a word often thrown around a lot today. It’s a practice based on Zen Buddhism which is based on having a clear understanding of being in the present moment, calmly and without judgement. Therefore, mindful eating encourages awareness of our eating experiences. It’s about bringing your attention to the present moment when eating,
Now that is quite a strong statement, isn’t it!? Especially coming from someone who actively avoids broad brush strokes when giving opinions, and who is generally more comfortable with grey than with black and white! I am however very happy to throw my weight behind the following statement, or my “golden goal” for therapy:
Therapy – i.e.
Spaghetti Bolognese is a known and loved household meal. It’s quick, easy, delicious and kid-friendly. That’s why I’m giving you all this tasty spag bol recipe, packed full of hidden veggies, but also providing some nutrition education below the recipe to tell you exactly why certain ingredients are so good for you!