Spring is here; the time of year for new growth and emergence. The earth warms and wakes, the trees start to bud, the birds start to sing differently and to build their nests.

We humans, mammals that we are, respond to this shift in the seasons and the returning of light and energy, even if we are not consciously aware of it. This is the time of year when we begin to have a little more energy as we emerge from the hibernation time of winter. We can often be vulnerable in our health. Like a seedling emerging in a cold spring wind, we need to take care of ourselves at this time.

Spring is also a time when new growth deep within us, pushes up towards the light; towards being known within us and through the expression of who we are. Think of a flower, sending up it’s growth, before the flowering and blooming occurs- it’s the same natural process, and part of being alive. During spring, we may feel unsettled, excited, impatient, hopeless, thrilled, vulnerable and/or scared as we feel ourselves internally shift. We may become aware of ‘old branches of growth’ which need pruning, in order to make way for our new growth to flourish.

In the same way you might care for a seedling you are wanting to nurture and encourage, take care of yourself. You are worth it; support your flourishing. The basics are important: good nourishing food, plenty of sleep, and regular physical movement so that your heat beats faster and your blood starts moving. Take some time to sit in the spring sun, to bask and rest a little.  If you feel congested in your feelings, take some time to express this, (whether that be by writing, talking, crying or by undertaking some physical activity).

In the same way you might plan, plant and nurture a beautiful garden, do this for your own inner self; your inner ecology. You can support and direct your growth- and can be supported as you do this.

The world requires more beauty, not less. Flourish!

Earthquake Funding Available:

Funding for 4-6 counselling sessions may be available until December 2011, for those people recovering from impacts of the earthquake. Please ring me to see if you would be eligible for this: 365 0483

I hope you and your family are safe.

My heart and  thoughts are with those of you who have had significant damage to your homes; I hope you are getting the support and assistance that you need at this time and continue do so over the following months.

 I am well; none of my family were harmed, and Ted is anxious and skitzy with every aftershock, but fine. The Caretakers Cottage sustained significant damage so I have moved into an office in my (safe) home. I will be working from next week (Beginning 14 March 2011), so feel free to ring for a catch up yak or to make an appointment. 

Counselling funding for earthquake trauma may be available for you if you decide to return to, or begin counselling. We are investigating this at the moment, so please ring and discuss this.

Recovery tips:

Many people are feeling huge emotional and physical upheavals from the Canterbury earthquakes. Varying degrees of grief and trauma can be experienced as an expected and ‘normal’ response to an event of such magnitude.

There are ways in which you can assist yourself and your loved ones to recover emotionally:

• Ask for help. Don’t try and ‘staunch it out’.; there are no medals being given out for this. This is a time where we can support and care for one another; it is an opportunity for the usual isolation level of our pre-quake daily lives to crumble a little,  so that greater connection with one another  is possible.
• Say No. If you can’t help someone, practice your self-care by saying No.
• Take time out. there are many offers of accomodation in beautiful parts of new Zealand on websites such as Trademe- take advantage of some time out and good sleeping.
• Take the time and space to recover. Many people rush into action as a way of coping, only to ‘drop’ a little further down the track.              While it’s really good to resume your routines, (as they provide a sense of structure and familiarity), be prepared to take some time out, do a half-day at work etc.
• Emotional reactions are varied, depending on the person.  Some people will get afraid to leave their house, others will not want to stay there, others are exhilarated by the action and hype that the earthquake and destruction have brought. You may be afraid or notice you’re more irritable or jumpy or have a low tolerance to things like noises.  All this can be ‘par for the course’. Take some time out/have a rest, talk to someone ( friend or family member- it doesn’t need to be a counsellor or professional), and just know that what you are feeling is very ‘normal’.
• Eat well, drink plenty of water and rest or sleep a little more. Avoid stimulants (e.g. coffee, caffine drinks) as for a stressed physical body, these things only increase the stress hormones.
• Watch your consumption of alcohol at this time. Notice any increases: it may be a way you are coping which can have longerterm  detrimental effects.
• Exercise: VERY important! When we’re under stress the stress hormones in our bodies builds. Exercising helps to release this buildup. A good brisk walk, a bike ride for 20 minutes or so will help immensely.
• If you are experiencing ongoing anxiety or sleeping problems, see your Doctor.

This year for Christmas, consider the gifts that are all around you. Who are the people you love, that you are sharing time and space with at the moment? Soak in your environments; where do you find yourself? In Hindu mythology, the god Shiva’s dance is creation: he dances life into tangible form. Just imagine if Shiva stopped dancing, and all those small miracles of creation which are happening RIGHT NOW around you, would pause (or stop…). Take a moment to notice the Christmas gifts in the ordinary/extraordinary world around you; breathe in the creation that is all around you; that you are a part of.

Many people this year have had to rise to new challenges and situations. We in Christchurch have lived through an earthquake, and many, many people have been shaken up – externally, but internally as well: from old ideas or behaviours, and old ways of being in the world. Many people have taken courageous steps to make positive, sustainable changes within themselves, to create resilient, sturdy foundations within themselves, so they can trust themselves more. This is admirable work- the ‘sloughing off’ and changing, (whether the changes are internal or external), asks for the involvement of our energy, and that can be an exacting dance of creation for us at times!

Thank you to those people with whom I’ve had the priviledge of working with this year.

Much love to you all over these Summer days and evenings. May your dances of creation be sweet and bright.

I recently presented at the NZAC/ACA (the professional bodies for Australian and New Zealand counsellors) combined conference in Auckland.  It was a very enjoyable experience -even though I was a little nervous to begin with, as I’d never presented on my own before. However, I felt well prepared, having run through it with a ”guinea pig group” two weeks earlier – a group of 8 generous colleague-friends who kindly responded to my request for help! (Thanks again to you all).The title of my 90 minute interactive workshop was “Sharing Common Ground;  Sustainable Practices in a Warming World”.

At the conference workshop, a wonderful group of 18 counsellors looked at how we might consider environmental issues for ourselves as people/practitioners, as we work with others and also from within and beyond our counselling rooms. Not how we might use different dishwashing liquid or recycled paper in our practices (although those choices are important), but specifically how we might deal with the feelings of being overwhelmed with the environmental crisis we are currently facing in the world today. Often the crisis seems so big, that it seems we cannot do anything to make a difference.

A well known ecotherapist, Theodore Roszak (2009) writes:

“I discovered that, far from being underinformed, people are often overwhelmed by the magnitude of the environmental crisis. Global warming, melting glaciers, burning rainforest, evaporating ozone, vanishing water supplies, acid rain – no previous society in history has faced such a schedule of impending disasters. The situation seems so far gone that many assume there is nothing they can do.”

The focus of the workshop was specifically on how we might we work with ourselves and with our clients to create sustainability on internal levels, so that each of us individually (but interconnectedly) could create a model of sustainability within our own ‘personalised earth particles’; namely our bodies and our relational experiences. From a strengths based/ empowerment model approach we looked at working with ourselves (including our feelings) regarding the environmental impacts we are facing and how we can respond both internally (self support) and in-relation-to (environmental support).  And then we looked at how we might take that into working with others.

It was enjoyable to be up the front of the room and watch people’s faces start to light up and shine as they connected with their inner knowledge and feelings of joy about the earth, and the experiences they have had. I received some wonderfully positive feedback which was very encouraging.

I realised that 90 minutes is the bare minimum of time required for this workshop, so I am keen to offer this experience as a half or full day workshop.

Please feel free to contact me via the email link on this website, if you are interested in participating (and/or hosting) a practitioners workshop in your area.

Enjoy your days and nights.

Greetings to you and I hope you and your family are safe. My heart and  thoughts are with those of you who have had significant damage to your homes; I hope you are getting the support and assistance that you need at this time and continue do so over the following months.

Many people are feeling huge emotional and physical upheavals from the earthquake in Canterbury. Varying degrees of trauma can be experienced as an expected and ‘normal’ response to an event of such magnitude.

There are ways in which you can assist yourself and your loved ones to recover emotionally:

• Ask for help. Don’t try and ‘staunch it out’; there are no medals being given out for this. This is a time where we can support and care for one another; it is an opportunity for the usual isolation level of our pre-quake daily lives to crumble a little,  so that greater connection with one another  is possible.
• Say No.  If you can’t help someone, practice your self-care by saying No.
• Take the time and space to recover. Many people rush into action as a way of coping, only to ‘drop’ a little further down the track.  While it’s really good to resume your routines, (as they provide a sense of structure and familiarity), be prepared to take some time out, sitting in the sun and reading, have a lie down or an afternoon snooze, weed the garden (it still grows and the birds are still singing-isn’t that amazing?), do a half-day at work if you’ve already returned, etc.
• Eat well, drink plenty of water and rest or sleep a little more. Avoid stimulants (e.g. coffee, alcohol) as for a stressed physical body, these things only increase the stress hormones. Vitamin C is great for stress- 2000mg a day as a maintainence dose at the moment.
• Emotional reactions are varied, depending on the person.  Some people will get afraid to leave their house, others will not want to stay there, others are exhilarated by the danger and hype that the earthquake and destruction have brought. You may be afraid or notice you’re more irritable or jumpy or have a low tolerance to things like noises.  All this can be ‘par for the course’. Take some time out/have a rest, talk to someone ( friend or family member- it doesn’t need to be a counsellor or professional), and just know that what you are feeling is very ‘normal’ given this upheaval and disruption.
• Exercise: VERY important! When we’re under stress the stress hormones in our bodies builds. Exercising helps to release this buildup. A good brisk walk, a bike ride for 20 minutes or so will help immensely.

Lifeworks Counselling will be open again on Tuesday 14th September. I am available for phone consultations before then if people want/need to. Just ring (3650483) and leave a message on the answer phone and I will get back to you.

Take care

Nickei

With the arrival of spring energy, begin to notice your energy returning, and allow the new growth to emerge inside of yourself. If you need to attend to ‘clearing the ground’ inside of yourself to allow this growth to germinate and emerge more easily; do so. There may be emotions which have laid dormant over winter which are now rising with your increasing energy.

I find, within my work, that spring is a time when many people may feel an upheaval inside of themselves; they may be feeling emotions which have been buried for awhile. This may be a scary or unsettling experience, especially when these emotions are connected to something which may have happened many years ago- there’s a belief in our society that we should just ‘get over things’ and ‘get on with it’. Sometimes we need help to do this.

Within my work, I also find Spring is the time of year when people have great energy and enthusiasm for new growth or projects. Sometimes this growth or project will be external and sometimes it will be an internal undertaking- (or a combination of both!) In our culture, the external achievements are usually the ones which are more recognised and celebrated. But think how lovely it would be to focus on an’ internal project’ for yourself, for example being less anxious and more contented, or to better learn how to really support yourself so that you had increased, consistent energy for those relationships in your life which matter most to you; whether that be your partner, your child, your friend or your garden.

How to focus your energy into growing sustainable and satisfying ‘produce’ for yourself in your life is a great thing to be able to do.  Spring is the start of the growing season and we have the opportunity to also use this energy to extend ourselves.

Saturday 10th April 2010

For man, autumn is a time of harvest, of gathering together.
For nature, it is a time of sowing, of scattering abroad.
Edwin Teale

Autumn is traditionally a time of Harvest. It’s the time of year when we gather the “fruits” of what we’ve nurtured, grown and discovered. This can be both an internal and an external process. If we pay attention to ourselves during this Autumn season, we can reap particularly rich rewards.
You are invited to this workshop, to connect with yourself and with others and to celebrate Autumn upon our beautiful Earth. We will also connect with this Autumn inside ourselves.  We will reflect on what we have grown and nurtured to ripeness within our lives and what we can enjoy more fully about ourselves. What might we want to prune to encourage growth, and what we may want to prepare for sowing next Spring?
We will begin to consider the reclaiming of our external energy in conscious preparation for Winter’s hibernation.

•    What are the fruits of this past growing season for you? We will take some time for you to gather, acknowledge, and harvest your ‘bounty’; to acknowledge and appreciate your growth over the past months.
•    Pruning: let’s focus on what needs pruning back in your life, to consciously assist the growth you’d like to encourage next spring. Do you need additional support to make these changes?
•    What have your efforts seeded? There is a new growing season next spring- where would you like to specifically direct your growth?
•    Nurturing and feeding: autumn is also a preparation time for winter. How do you need to pay attention to your changing energy levels now and nurture yourself, so that you might better support yourself as you move into winter?

When:   Saturday 10th April 2010
9.00am – 1.00 pm (includes a shared lunch)

Please bring food for an ‘autumn bounty’ lunch,wear comfy  clothes and shoes suitable for outside

Where: Flescher Room, Avebury House
9 Evelyn Cousins Ave (off Nth Avon Rd, Richmond)
Christchurch

Fee:     $55.00

Registrations close: Thursday 8th April.
To register: Phone 03/365 0483, or send your name and contact details (inc. phone numbers and email address) with payment made to N. Falconer, to LifeWorks Counselling, P.O. Box 26-103, Christchurch, or via my email on the contacts page of this site.

I welcome feedback from you. Feel free to email me!