HG Newsletter - May 2021

In this issue:

• Psychological Dimensions of Peacemaking
• Managing the unexpected – remote working in Barbados
• Self-care for the caring professions – New course
• How HG embodies person-centred care
• Could you work for the HGI?
• Frontline commissions HG training
• New Mental Health Blog
• Food for thought
   

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Psychological dimensions of Peacemaking

A while ago, John Bell and Ivan Tyrrell from the Concilliators Guild attended an international two-day roundtable discussion on the psychological dimensions of peacemaking, at which Ivan gave a well-received presentation about the human givens.

Psychological insight is often surprisingly lacking in high-level negotiations and political circles and as a result of that meeting Ivan was asked to write an article for the New England Journal of Public Policy (the journal of the Graduate School of Public Policy and Global Studies at the University of Boston, Massachusetts). It has just been released.

This academic publication is forwarded to and read by policy makers, politicians, diplomats, peace negotiators and others around the world.  You can view the Journal and read Ivan's article here.

If you'd like to learn more about what war, terrorism and bullying reveal about the human psyche and gain an improved ability to see through political and cultural assumptions, you might like the online course How to overcome fear and political chaos, currently available at 20% OFF.

 

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Managing the unexpected

After deciding to grab a life-changing opportunity – made possible by the pandemic – HG therapist Roberta Hutchins has been working remotely from Barbados since November.

Moving her life to the tropics brought plenty of challenges and learning opportunities as well as perks – not least when a volcano on the nearly island of St Vincent ferociously erupted, showering Barbados with volcanic ash for days and the supply of enough fresh water for everyone became a real concern.

Struggling in the heat and trapped inside for days, with no air conditioning, was says Roberta “another great opportunity to put HG techniques into personal practice in order to keep well resourced on a personal level to maintain sufficient capacity to continue working with clients”.  We were delighted when Roberta agreed to take some precious time out to tell us more about her experiences – you can read her article here.

Thankfully things are returning more to normal now in Barbados and Roberta has recently returned safely to the UK.  (read the article)

 

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Self care for the caring professions

This last year has been tough for many, as the dramatic increase in people looking for help with their mental health confirms, but what of those looking after them? We need to have enough 'spare capacity' to be able to help others safely and effectively, whatever our role – sadly ‘burnout’ is all too common amongst the caring professions.  Even if we know good stress management techniques, and what we should be doing to maintain our own wellbeing, this often isn’t enough.

How to avoid burnout is a new live-online workshop with Emily Gajewski designed to help anyone who is struggling with the unique pressures of working with vulnerable and distressed people.  Drawing on her wealth of experience, she examines the particular ways working in the caring professions can impact us, provides practical steps to take and ways to identify your particular vulnerabilities. She also looks at the most up-to-date guidance on keeping ourselves well and thriving in caring roles and will help participants develop a realistic plan for their own continuing wellbeing.

The workshop is limited to 20 participants so that there is enough time for everyone and will run for the first time on Thursday 23rd September on Zoom.

To find out more, click here.

 

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How HG embodies person-centred care

You may be familiar with the term person-centred care. But even if you’re not, you might well have been a recipient of it if you live in the UK. It is a term for an initiative that has been rippling through the NHS for some years now, with the aim of changing care, in whatever setting it is delivered, from something that is done or given ‘to’ people to something that is achieved with them.

In other words, it is about partnership. As NHS Health Education England has put it, “Being person-centred is about focusing care on the needs of the individual – ensuring that people’s preferences, needs and values guide clinical decisions, and providing care that is respectful of and responsive to them.”

This approach is as applicable to mental health needs as it is to physical needs. So, as mental health is the domain of HG practitioners and those trained in HG who use it in their NHS work (as psychiatrists, GP, nurses, occupational therapists and more) it is instructive to compare how our standard practice accords with the goals of person-centred care…  [read full article]

 

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Could you work for the HGI?