I saw something very powerful on television last week.  And I’m not talking about Inside the Manosphere – though we’ll come back to that.

Rather, it was an exchange between two men on a football discussion programme - a show normally known for sharp analysis and good-natured banter, not for emotional revelation.  But then, at the beginning of the show, in front of an international audience, one of them paused to say something real to his friend and colleague.  Something unexpected.  Something kind.

The other man received it.  He didn't deflect, didn't laugh it off; didn't reach for a joke to kill the awkwardness of the moment.  He accepted it - admittedly, with no small degree of self-consciousness - but then, courageously, talked openly on international television about his struggles with depression and alcohol, and how a friend helped him reconnect with the true meaning of life beyond the glitz and glamour of being a professional footballer.

It was, without exaggeration, one of the most powerful displays of masculinity I've seen on television in recent years.

We'll come back to it, as an example of what some writers refer to as positive masculinity (Kiselica & Englar-Carson, 2010).

But first, we need to talk about the other kind.

​It’s been about a year since I last wrote a blog article, a gap which is attributable to a combination of factors (isn’t it always a combination of factors rather than one thing in particular…?  Seems like it’s my answer to everything!): Workload, family stuff, health, energy levels, motivation, prioritising, procrastinating, recharging, hiding in bed… You get the idea, and I will spare you the details.  Suffice to say that today I am minded that devoting some time and attention to writing a blog article – while admittedly not directly helping me to complete the three reports I need to get through – is something that is going to be enlivening and invigorating, rather than draining, and will give me a kick of ‘oomph’ that will enable me to get some other stuff done later.  At least, that’s the theory.  So here we are.  Full steam ahead.  Let’s go!
 
In this article, I will explore the concept of Facing Your Dragons, a psychological and behavioural process that can help us at times of challenge or difficulty, or when experiencing emotional distress (e.g. anxiety).  We will also see how Facing Your Dragons doesn’t necessarily mean heroically slaying them – there are some dragons that cannot be slain.  But – as Obi Wan Kenobi wisely noted in Star Wars (A New Hope): “There are alternatives to fighting.”
 
Facing Your Dragons is a process that I have been through many times both at work and in life, but one of my more memorable examples occurred back in 2010 when I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis.  That example will be the main focus of this article.
 
I hope you find these musings helpful.  As always, take what you want and leave the rest.

​Greetings to everyone who is taking time to read this blog article.  This article explores a part of my own recent life experience, while capturing and sharing some examples of coping strategies that can help when we are dealing with grief, depression and difficult live events.  In my case, this relates to significant health issues, and this article may be of interest to people in a similar position; at the same time, I also wonder if the themes might have broader relevance.  I hope this is of some help or interest to others, and invite others to share their own experiences and coping strategies if willing to do so.

A belated Happy New Year to anyone reading this.  I felt moved to write this blog article following a recent experience I had with a health professional whose work had a significant positive impact on me, both in terms of my physical and psychological wellbeing.  There was, of course, the benefit of her technical skill, but this was all wrapped in a person-centred approach that made such a difference to my experience.  If you want to know more about what happened, and where it's left me as a result, read on....

Greetings to everyone who is taking time to read this blog article. I’m writing this article to provide an update about how Aspen Psychology Services is changing in response to my own changing personal health circumstances. It outlines:

• How and why our service is changing (but still continuing).
• Why these changes are needed.
• How we plan to move forward from here.
• How the services we are able to offer moving forward may still be relevant to you.

This is no doubt one of the more personal blog articles I have written, but I am providing the full context as it is consistent with my values of transparency, authenticity, honesty, and clarity.

Warning: Sensitive content

This blog article contains information that some people might find upsetting or distressing to read, especially if you have or know someone who has Multiple Sclerosis or another potentially degenerative or life-limiting condition.

​This short article focuses on a real-life illustration of how principles and strategies from Motivational Interviewing (Miller & Rollnick, 2002, 2013) can be embedded into daily practice in order to help others to tap into their motivation to change.

​In this article I will explore the concept of core human needs and signpost to a language of needs that can help us to understand either ourselves or others.

This post offers some thoughts on the nature of the creative process, what it takes to make our ideas a reality, and the importance of persistence and determination as we shape and refine our efforts.

For the final PfPC article of the year I’m going to completely swerve away from the theme of the rest of this academic year’s articles, and am instead going to offer some personal reflections on an aspect of my recent practice that didn’t go as well as I would have ideally liked.  In so doing I will draw upon the spirit and messages of Black Box Thinking, Matthew Syed’s engaging and inspirational book on the importance of systematically learning from failures.