Mental Health Nurse and Wellness Facilitator
RESOURCES
If you are in the midst of a mental health crisis. Please contact Samaritans any time, from any phone for FREE on 116 123 (UK).
My approach is informed by the influences below.
HUMANISTIC PSYCHOLOGY
Humanistic Psychology draws heavily on the work of Abraham Maslow who developed the hierarchy of needs as shown in the picture. It also draws on the work of Carl Rogers who advocated a person-centred approach.
It applies to my work in that I understand that people have competing needs and in order to have the best chance of meeting their own personal potential, their needs should be addressed.
TRANSPERSONAL PSYCHOLOGY
Transpersonal Pyschology looks at innate driving forces within a person, be that spiritual or other intrinsic motivators. Transpersonal theories are informed by the work of Carl Jung (and Eastern religious traditions such as Buddhism and Daoism) and the aim of transpersonal psychology is to support a person to become a balanced individual. In my work I use techniques such as mindfulness, meditation, creative expression and reconnecting to nature to support people to find stillness and calm in their daily lives.
PEER SUPPORT
Direct experience is a necessity for those wishing to understand certain manifestations of a mind in trouble. I have a wealth of direct experience of recovery from many common symptoms of mental ill health such as; low mood, anxiety, ruminations, tics, unusual beliefs, emotional intensity, suicidal thoughts, non-ordinary states of consciousness, compulsive behaviour and attention problems. I also have experience of grief, trauma and relationship breakdowns. These experiences do not make me a victim and they mean that I can bring a greater level of empathetic understanding to my practice.
PSYCHEDELIC INTEGRATION
Shamanic traditions have used these substances continuously for thousands of years, and the research currently being conducted at Kings College in London and Johns Hopkins Centre for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research brings a lot of hope for the future of mental health care.
Modules within my MSc programme such as "Entheogens", "Learning Through Integrative Practice" and "Approaches to Consciousness" inform my practice further as well as the many scholarly/ academic works that I have read independently on the subject.
I have direct experience of using psilocybin (legally outside of the UK) and psychedelic integration for psychological healing and it has been of immense benefit to me personally.
