Books I have read....

In my time as a practising counsellor, I put aside time to read a book that have either been recommended to me or catches my eye. Particularly since lockdown, I have re-discovered my passion for reading and I now wont go anywhere without a book to keep me company!

The following books have recently inspired me:

• The Body Keeps The Score (Bessel van der Kolk): best book I have read on trauma, causes, impact and healing. "...being able to feel safe with other people is probably the single most important aspect of our mental health; safe connections are fundamental to meaningful and satisfying lives." (p.92) My aim in therapy is to provide that person with the safety they need and deserve to help them start to open up about their lives and their pain.

• How To Stop Time (Matt Haig): Such a readable, accessible author and this one has some gems. "There comes a time when the only way to start living is to tell the truth. To be who you really are, even if it is dangerous." (p.265)

• Demian (Herman Hesse): "When, on occasion, I compared myself with other people, I sometimes felt proud or conceited but often I was depressed and mortified." (p.88). How true that is - the dangers of comparing ourselves with others - 'compare & despair!"