LPG Counselling

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With the end of the Lockdowns it feels like there may be a light at the end of the COVID tunnel. Before we can navigate the post-pandemic world we may need to take some time to reflect on our experience of the pandemic.

Our new blog post looks at framing our experience of the pandemic through the lens of the 5 stages of the grieving process.

https://www.lpg.scot/blog/the-new-normal-a-grieving-world

The ‘New Normal’: A Grieving World — LPG Counselling With all then restrictions being lifted and lockdowns officially coming to an end there is a sense that life is returning to ‘normal’. But let us take a moment to really reflect on the time that has just passed and recognise that we are all in the grieving process.

The concept of the inner critic is quite often spoken of in counselling and other mental health settings as for some it can be a useful model with which to understand our own experiences of self-criticism and negative self-talk.

This month we have decided to reshare Paul's blog on this topic. In which he explores how greater awareness of when we are hearing from our inner critic can help us begin the process of changing "harsh self-criticism into the kind of empathetic self-reflection that leads to personal growth."

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The Inner Critic — LPG Counselling The concept of the inner critic is used in a wide variety of counselling modalities as it is a concept that many of us will understand intuitively: the part of our internal dialogue which says things like “ you did not do this well enough ”

With the recent boom in articles & discussions around "toxic positivity" it felt like a good time to reshare our very own Laura's first ever LPG blog called "The Problem with Gratitude".

All emotions are valid & it is imperative that we learn how to hold space for each one & listen to what it is trying to tell us.

"I had a friend who would physically wince whenever I declared that I was having a s**t day or if I was ranting about something (or someone) that was bothering me. I felt constantly judged that I wasn't being positive enough. Spoiler alert, expressing a negative emotion does not make you negative. It makes you human. It also makes you an authentic human.

We're not designed to squash all of our frustrations and hurt and pretend that they don't exist. You're not failing at life if you have a bad day. You simply are having a bad day. Being able to vocalise this is the healthiest thing you can do for your body."

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www.lpg.scot

Have you checked out our latest blog?

A year on from the beginning of the first lockdown loneliness is a subject that a great many of us can relate to.

However, loneliness is something that has been growing in our society for far longer.

There is nothing wrong with us just because we are lonely. It is a normal reaction to being isolated from other people, but it is an important feeling to listen to which is why we chose to explore it in our latest blog post.

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Loneliness — LPG Counselling We are currently facing a crisis of loneliness in our society. When the idea of including a blog on our website was first discussed I knew that this was a subject I had to write about and considering the year we've all had I think it is even more important to speak about it now.

Roughly a year on from the beginning of the first lockdown loneliness is a subject that a great many of us can relate to.

However, loneliness is something that has been growing in our society for far longer.

There is nothing wrong with us just because we are lonely. It is a normal reaction to being isolated from other people, but it is an important feeling to listen to.

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Loneliness — LPG Counselling We are currently facing a crisis of loneliness in our society. When the idea of including a blog on our website was first discussed I knew that this was a subject I had to write about and considering the year we've all had I think it is even more important to speak about it now.

Whether you are happily coupled, throupled or living your best single life getting into the habit of reviewing our relationships can be an emotionally healthy practice.

So, to get you started this month's post takes a look at the different types of intimacy.

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The uncertainty we have been experiencing in 2020 is very much continuing into 2021.

We had hoped to reinstate in person sessions by the end of 2020 but as events unfolded we decided it was not the time.

Until that time comes, all sessions will still be provided via Zoom 💻or telephone ☎️until we feel it is safe enough for our clients and our counsellors.

We understand that you may have reservations so we encourage you to reach out to us and we’ll be more than happy to answer your questions or concerns.

With the vaccines beginning to distributed, 2021 brings with it a sense of hope. But remember we are not out of the woods yet and we don’t yet know what we will find on the otherside. So, stay safe; continue to follow the guidelines for yourself and for others; and remember to look after yourself.

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Hello. This is just a gentle reminder that we will not be offering any appointments until 6th January as we will be taking time out for a well needed rest.

This will include a break from social media as we feel it's important for our wellbeing to take virtual breaks. We would encourage you all to do the same if you feel that social media is impacting upon your mental health or you find yourself comparing your current circumstances to others.

Please know that you only see what people allow you to see which is true of the real world as well as the virtual. It can be hard but try not to compare yourself, more than anything, you are comparing your own assumption of the other.

Rest up, take care & we will see you all in the new year!

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Have you read our latest blog?

Financial stress has a massive impact on our wellbeing and the effects that systemic factors like poverty and class have on mental health is often underacknowledged.

Our blog looks at these issues and explains how this factored into our thinking when setting up LPG Counselling

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Wealth & Mental Health: Reflections on the Intersections of Class & Mental Health — LPG Counselling It is surprising, given how much research data there is linking class and mental health, that this topic is not talked about more. So, I thought it timely to add my voice to highlight some of the ways that class and mental health intersect, as well as how this factored into our thinking when setting

Hello. With the roller coaster that has been 2020 drawing to a close, we have decided that we will be taking a fortnight's break from Friday 18th December to rest & recharge our batteries.

We believe it is vital that we are at our best to be able to join you with whatever you are bringing to the counselling room & travel alongside you. Rest is therefore an essential component of our work & we would be doing you all a disservice if we didn't take this time for ourselves.

With that being said, we are conscious that this can be a difficult & challenging time of year so if you have any queries or feel like getting in touch with us then please use the contact form on our website (https://www.lpg.scot/) or email us at [email protected]

We will aim to respond to all queries within 48 hours.

As always, we are here for you & will continue to be offering affordable person centred counselling up until & including Friday 18th December.

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Financial stress has a massive impact on our wellbeing and the effects that systemic factors like poverty and class have on mental health is often underacknowledged.

We don't feel that this is right so have written a blog looking at some of the statistics and discussing how this factored into our thinking when setting up LPG Counselling

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Wealth & Mental Health: Reflections on the Intersections of Class & Mental Health — LPG Counselling It is surprising, given how much research data there is linking class and mental health, that this topic is not talked about more. So, I thought it timely to add my voice to highlight some of the ways that class and mental health intersect, as well as how this factored into our thinking when setting

We strongly believe in the importance of the therapeutic relationship. It is imperative to feel safe (enough) & secure in order to be able to open up & feel comfortable (or comfortable enough) being vulnerable.

That's why in our "about us" (https://www.lpg.scot/about-us) section of our website we try to give you an insight as to who we are & what person centred counselling means to us to aid you in your decision making.

Whether you choose to work with LPG Counselling or not, please remember that this relationship is a mutual one & even if it feels scary or intimidating it's OK to tell a counsellor when you don't think it is working.

This can inspire great discovery or signal the end of a relationship. Either way, it is a change that is necessary & not one to fear.

Don't forget that this is your time, your space, your money & that you are in control.

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*UPDATE*

With Tier 4 fully in swing in Glasgow we have made the decision to postpone offering limited in person sessions on Fridays.

As we mentioned previously, online & telephone appointments will be available regardless of government decisions or restrictions but we didn't feel it would be safe to go ahead with our previous plans.

We hope you will be able to understand our position as your safety is always our number one concern.

This is a challenging & difficult time for a lot of us, please try to be gentle with yourself & if you are struggling, don't hesitate to reach out.

We are here for you.

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Have you read our latest blog?

This month we are looking at long term counselling & what that means to you. We propose a minimum duration for long term counselling within the blog and outline some of the other considerations that will aid you in getting started in your long term counselling journey.

ReFramed: Long Term Counselling — LPG Counselling There is a profound lack of clarity around the duration of long term counselling this is problematic especially since very few of us have unlimited resources. With this in mind, we propose a re-framing of the concept of long term counselling.

Hello. This is just a friendly reminder that we are still here, providing affordable person centred counselling to all.

With Glasgow now in tier 3 & the uncertainty of what the future holds we have made a few decisions regarding our next steps.

For the remainder of the year we will be offering online, telephone & limited face to face counselling sessions.

Face to face sessions will only be available on a Friday from Studio 70 Yoga

Gavin will be the main counsellor offering face to face sessions but there may be scope for Laura & Paul to offer the odd in person session under exceptional circumstances.

Your safety is our priority & for that reason we will continue to offer online & telephone sessions regardless of any government updates/changes.

We are conscious that this may not be suitable or safe for all which is why we are introducing in person sessions on a limited basis.

Please feel free to email [email protected] for more information or head to https://www.lpg.scot/ to book your appointment today.

We are here for you.

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There are many considerations to be made before embarking on long term counselling. One of the most daunting is how long to commit to counselling.

Without a clear definition of the duration of long term counselling you can’t be blamed for feeling overwhelmed.

In this blog we propose a minimum duration for long term counselling and outline some of the other considerations that will aid you in getting started in your long term counselling journey.

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Blog — LPG Counselling ReFramed: Long Term Counselling There is a profound lack of clarity around the duration of long term counselling this is problematic especially since very few of us have unlimited resources. With this in mind, we propose a re-framing of the concept of long term counselling. Read More Gavin MacDonald...

There seems to be a common misconception around counselling that in order for it to be effective it must be weekly or that it is something you have to do in blocks of 6 or 12.

Here at LPG Counselling we believe that you are the best judge of how often or little you need a session. That is one of the reasons we have an online booking system on our website.

We feel it's vital for you to have complete control over your session times & frequency.

We will never push you to work with us every week as we understand that it is not helpful for all, not to mention financially possible, so we wanted to have a space that would allow you to book a session in a way that is most convenient for you.

So what are you waiting for?

Book Now — LPG Counselling Book initital consultation or with a specific counsellor online. Pay now or in person.

Another chance to read the second part of "The Chronic Pain Blame Game" an unflinching and unapologetic account of our very own Laura's experience of living with chronic pain.

Whether or not you suffer from a chronic or invisible illness we highly recommend you give this a read.

(If you missed part 1 you can check it out here: https://www.lpg.scot/blog/the-chronic-blame-pain-game)

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The Chronic Pain Blame Game (Part 2) — LPG Counselling When I think about chronic or invisible illness it's hard to convey in words to someone that doesn't experience it the anguish that your body does not feel like your own. You have no control. It doesn't care how much you want to go for a walk or go on that night out or simply wake up refreshed and r

We at LPG are in full agreement with this open letter to the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy:

"We cannot support SCoPEd because it imposes an understanding of therapy that we do not share and for which there is a lack of good evidence. The project’s organisational processes and research methodology have created a framework that erroneously equates practitioner competency and therapeutic depth with specific theoretical approaches, training conventions, practitioner titles and organisational memberships/levels – all of which evolved for professional reasons that have little bearing on the richly diverse, lived experience of therapeutic relationships.

In its legitimising of redundant hierarchies, SCoPEd misrepresents the profession of counselling and psychotherapy, fails the Person-Centred Approach, devalues the work of thousands of trained counsellors in the UK and risks further impeding diversity in our field."

Open letter from person-centred community calls on BACP to halt the SCoPEd project An open letter from hundreds of person-centred practitioners and supporters of the Person-Centred Approach has been published, calling on BACP to halt the controversial SCoPEd project for counselli…

Hello. This is just a friendly reminder that we are still here, providing affordable person centred counselling to all.

With ever changing restrictions we continue to work away behind the scenes trying to figure out the safest way that we can see you all in person again!

Telephone & online sessions are still available & will continue to be even when face to face sessions have resumed as we believe it's important for you to have as much choice as possible.

In these challenging times, we want to make counselling as accessible as we can!

If you are finding life tough at the moment, & a lot of us are, please don't hesitate to reach out.

We are here for you.

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In our latest blog post, part two of The Chronic Pain Blame Game, Laura explores more of her own experience of living with chronic pain.

Whether or not you suffer from a chronic or invisible illness we highly recommend you give this a read.

(If you missed part 1 you can check it out here: https://www.lpg.scot/blog/the-chronic-blame-pain-game)

The Chronic Pain Blame Game (Part 2) — LPG Counselling When I was 11 I experienced the most excruciating pain I had ever encountered. My parents and I were not long back from Spain and my mum, a born panicker, was worried that I had meningitis as there had been a small outbreak where we had been. The emergency doctor was called and I remember lying in b

Once again sharing our introduction to intersectionality blog, which has loads of resources & links for further reading if you wish to learn more about the topic.
Whether or not this is something you are directly affected by we feel it is important for us all to use our platforms to spread awareness of the injustices that are being allowed to exist in our world.
As Adrienne Onday writes, “Your silence is violence to us."

Intersectionality: a Holistic Approach to Understanding Oppression — LPG Counselling Intersectionality is a concept that is growing in popularity, particularly at this time when there is an increased focus on the way different groups are marginalised by our society. In this blog I will try to give an outline of the meaning and history of this term.

"What I love about us as people and as counsellors is our ability to adapt. I feel like we walked into the business of private practice with a fresh perspective, we threw the rule book out the window and we've forged our own path.

It is my favourite part of LPG Counselling and the thing that I'm most proud of reflecting on our first year in business.

We stuck to our guns, we have made active steps to remove the power imbalance and elitism of our profession and we offer people something that we truly believe in".

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"All things considered I am amazed by how adaptable we have managed to be and I know that I would have seriously struggled to cope if not for the support of Laura and Gavin.

Together we have overcome some sizeable obstacles this year, but our shared outlook on counselling and comittment to the Person Centred Approach, which first brought us together while at university, has been invaluable in helping us rise to these challenges as a team."

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"Our vision of counselling has never been about “fixing” yourself – none of us are broken! It’s about providing support through difficult times; it’s about making space to process our experiences with another human being.

This year has reminded me that we can’t do everything all on our own and we’re stronger when we reach out and share our lives with others.

As our new world dawns we need to hear this message. It is going to be vital for us all to make space to process what has happened to our old world and to adjust to all the new changes in our lives".

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Celebrating our first year in business has been a monumental achievement for all of us here at LPG Counselling

So much so that we've decided to take the opportunity to reflect on the past year & share this with you via our latest blog post.

Have a read, let us know what you think & as always, we are here for you.

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Our 1st Birthday — LPG Counselling To mark the celebration of LPG Counselling’s first birthday each of the founders reflect back on this last year together.

We are 1!!!!

Thankful & grateful to everyone that has supported us along the way.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, it has been a challenging first year in business for us but a milestone we felt celebrating.

Reunited after 6 long months of Zoom calls & frantic group chats we decided to have a mini birthday party in our much loved & missed room at the wonderful Studio 70

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With the increased focus on how our society marginalises certain groups we thought it could be helpful to write a blog about a topical concept that we feel is extremely important.

Consider this an introduction if you will into intersectionality with plenty of resources & links for further reading if you wish to educate yourself further on the topic.

Whether or not this is something you are directly affected by we feel it is important for us all to use our platforms to spread awareness of the injustices that are being allowed to exist in our world.

As Adrienne Onday writes, “Your silence is violence to us."

Intersectionality: a Holistic Approach to Understanding Oppression — LPG Counselling Intersectionality is a concept that is growing in popularity, particularly at this time when there is an increased focus on the way different groups are marginalised by our society. In this blog I will try to give an outline of the meaning and history of this term.