Timeline Technique CPD (FOR FREE!)

The Timeline technique

Building on my counselling and therapy practice, I’m dipping my toes into the world of CPD / training for counselling and psychotherapy! I’m delighted to introducing my first course on the Timeline Technique.

I’ve started with a technique for helping clients develop timelines as I find it really useful in my own work. This is a approach which draws on both psychodynamic perspectives and narrative therapy. Helping clients systematically build and explore a personal timeline is a really effective way of getting them to reflect on their full story (not just the tough bits), and see links between events. It also helps clients break stuck and unhelpful narratives. I also present a few variations of the approach focussing on future perspectives and meaning making.

The course is a combination of videos and worksheets. By the end, I’d hope you be confident enough to use the technique yourself to help your clients achive good outcomes.

I’d love to give PsychologyItBetter readers who are also counsellors or therapists a chance to be among the first to use this, and for free as a thank you for support of this blog over the years. Happily, I can! I have 100 free spots to give away in the next 30 days. The course is over on Udemy, which means that you can keep it forever and learn at your own pace. If you grab a spot before the offer runs out, it will cost you nothing at all – thats a low risk offer ๐Ÿ™‚

If timelines seem like something you’d like to use more of in your practice, or your want to pick up some tips on how to do them in a new way, simply click here for your free CPD, valid till 03/23/2024 – available while stocks last.

Missed the intro? You can still find out more at the course page or at danielfrings.com.

Daniel Frings Counselling and Psychotherapy

So… I have an announcement to make! Over the last 4 years I have been training as a counsellor and psychotherapist, alongside my job as an academic. It’s time for the next step ๐Ÿ™‚

I graduated last year and have been working for a local community counselling service in a voluntary capacity since. It’s been an amazing journey already; I have learnt tons about myself, made some amazing friends on my course, and been privileged to help clients from diverse background, facing a variety of issues.

Building on this foundation, I am both delighted to announce the launch of my own private practice.  Iโ€™m offering online counselling therapy, as well as face to face sessions in Faversham (Kent, UK).

If youโ€™re interested in finding out more (for yourself or someone else who could use some support), please swing by www.danielfrings.com.

Appointments available from 10th April 2023.

Social media, public health and COVID

The seagull said itโ€™s OK to go out now: Evaluating a community driven public health intervention during the covid pandemic

S

The COVID pandemic presented a range of challenges to public health providers. It also led to the development of some new ways of ‘doing’ public health.

Myself and colleagues at LSBU were lucky enough to have the opportunity to evaluate a community led intervention based on social media delivered by local government. The intervention aimed to reduce misinformation, provide guidance and encourage practical help giving during pandemic.

How effective was this new way of delivering support? You can find out more in our blog about our evaluation… (hosted at LSBU) about our evaluation… the link is here.

The seagull said itโ€™s OK to go out now: Evaluating a community driven public health intervention during the covid pandemic.

Enjoy!


You’re invited…to my inaugural!

Inaugural lectures are traditionally a way of welcoming newly promoted Professors (Chairs in the US) into the academy. They act as a bit of a rite of passage.

Unfortunately, mine was not scheduled when I was actually promoted (due to changes in the University I work at, and later the pandemic). But those days are behind us now (somewhat…) and LSBU is making up for lost time!

After much consideration I have decided to spend this time talking about identity. I’ll be looking at how the various identities we hold impact us on a day to day basis, dipping into areas as diverse as COVID, addiction, parenting and ice hockey. I’ll also explore how these fundamental aspects of our ‘self’ operate at levels which are consciously accessible and not – and what all this means for tackling pressing social issues. Sound interesting? If so, come join me on the evening of 16th March 2022, in person, at our London Southwark campus.

You can book a spot here

Can board games make you happier?

Can board games improve mental health? I think so. I am a total board game geek, and we have a good chunk of a bookcase bursting with them. We are also in the process of ‘up-geeking’ our kids (favourites at the moment include Catan Junior and Castle Panic if you are interested ๐Ÿ˜‰ ). They are a fun way to spend time, give you small, solvable problems to engage with and a sense of reward (or loss of course!). But is there more to it?

Board games and mental health

Although I love playing games, I never really thought of the effect that they can have on mental health before. But I recently stumbled across a blog from a board game developer which explores just this – from a very personal and insightful perspective. It is a powerful piece and makes a strong argument that board games – or more accurately the opportunities they provide – can improve mental health in a fairly unique way. To me, it also highlights the importance of social connections and made me think of other collective activities I’ve written about before, like gardening, singing, and others. These are all things which are tougher or impossible to do at the moment for many of us, and that makes me sad. It also reminds me we need to find meaningful substitutes for these forms for connection and psychological nourishment.

Anyhow, you can check out the blog which triggered these musings via the link below.

Blog post from ITB, who also develop cool games!

Take care till next time


Dan

Where did PiB go?

It’s been a unique (for most of us) year….

Covid-19 has obviously changed pretty much everything for pretty much everybody this year… Much like everyone else I have been juggling work and family, and securing sufficient supplies of toilet roll. I’ve also had a few projects on the go – not least of which is the compilation of a new handbook on alcohol use (working with Prof. Ian Albery and a featuring a host of amazing authors – more on this soon – including a cover reveal :-)). I have also completed the first stage of my training to be a counsellor which is super exciting – I embarked on the second stage of this journey this month. It is a lot of work (and personal development), but really interesting ๐Ÿ™‚

All in all, I’ve not had a chance to post a lot in 2020, and that’s a real shame- but I hope to try to get a few more out in the remainder of the year and the in 2021 – fingers crossed!

Take care, and I hope to be posting more soon!

Help us learn more about our responses to COVID19

It is a strange and, for many, a really difficult time. I hope you are all managing as well as possible and that your and yours are all doing ok…

I know its been a while since the last post (hopefully that will change soon) but I think that a project I am currently taking part in may be of interest to many of you, and I wanted to share an opportunity to take part…

What is the ‘psychology’ of epidemic diseases?

This is the question we are exploring! I’m part of a team at London South Bank University who are exploring how we respond psychologically to events such as the COVID19 outbreak – we have some studies we have completed the initial phases of work for already (such as looking at how being in a group changes the way we feel about disease), but also some that are currently recruiting. If you’d like to help us, you may be able to volunteer to take part in one in particular…

What does it involve?

In brief, we are looking for people to spend about 30-40 minutes with us to do an interview via phone or Skype, discussing how they seek out, understand and evaluate information around corona virus.

Who can take part?

We are looking for volunteers who are English speakers living in the UK who are aged between 20-30 years old and also UK ex-pats who live in Hong Kong of any age.

How can I find out more?

Easy! just email me at fringsd@lsbu.ac.uk and we will be in touch with an information sheet which has full details ๐Ÿ™‚ Equally, please share this invite with anyone you know who may be interested and eligible to take part ๐Ÿ™‚

In anycase…

Regardless of whether this is of interest or not, I really hope you are all able to stay as healthy (physically and, of course, psychologically) as possible over the coming weeks, not matter what is thrown at you. I also hope that when silver linings do appear (whether this is being less busy and taking time to yourself, being more busy learning new skills, or just appreciating the sunshine through kitchen window) you are able to grab the opportunity…

Do you know people in AA?

As part of our ongoing research programme into social identity and the role it plays in recovery,  Prof Ian Albery and I are currently running an online study exploring how people who are members of AA perceive and are affected by hearing other people’s life stories. The survey takes around 15 minutes to complete. There is no participant payment, but we hope the study will help improve our understanding of recovery and thus help people in the long-term.

Weโ€™re looking for around 150 people to take part, so if you know anyone who may be interested โ€“ or groups who could promote the study –ย  please do let them know. People can find out more, and take part, via this link;

https://lsbupsychology.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_8qpuoQmOmcTbn9P

Participants must be English speakers who are AA members, and participation is completely anonymous.

Thanks in advance to anyone who helps ๐Ÿ˜Š

Who writes fake news and why?

BREAKING: Clinton Foundation Ship Seized at Port of Baltimore Carrying Drugs, Guns and Sex Slaves

Seriously?

Fake news is a combination of the psychology of persuasion (how to design a message people will buy by carefully thinking about the audience, message source and content). It is also a striking example of the power of social identity – people often much prefer and share stories which bash the ‘other’ and loudly protest when their own are smeared.

But where does fake news come from? And why do people write it? I read a super article on bbc news today (which, despite occasional protests, probably isn’t fake!) which explores this in depth – I urge you to do the same. Written by Anisa Subedar, it’s informative and, in my opinion, beautifully written…

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/resources/idt-sh/the_godfather_of_fake_news

Enjoy and have a super day!

Free Social Prescribing event in London

The future of social prescribing workshop.

Some time ago, I wrote a post on social prescribing. Since then, I have ended up doing some research in this field. I am also helping to host a British Psychological Society sponsored workshop exploring โ€˜Challenges to Social Prescribingโ€™. The London event will be taking place in November. If your are involved in the field, or just plain interested, I would love it if you could join usโ€ฆ. I am even giving a talk ๐Ÿ™‚ย  Find out more below…

Continue reading “Free Social Prescribing event in London”