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TherapeuticThread
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Our Charitable Work
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All BTC/HTC Practitioners commit at least 25% of their time to the provision of low-cost and no-cost therapy. Any surplus generated from our mainstream work is ploughed back into our charitable services. You can help someone in your community access the support they need by contributing using the button below.
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Can't donate? Spread the word! If you're enjoying our newsletter, send it to your friends and get them to subscribe. Or if you know someone who might be looking to start therapy, send them our way.
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This Week
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We hope you enjoyed Mental Health Awareness week last week, and in keeping with it's theme, hope you found ways to move and embrace your mental health.
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For us at BTC, we're always promoting mental health awareness so expect more local events, mental health stories in the news and another wonderful piece written by our CEO, Kerry Evans in this week's Therapeutic Thread, exploring anxiety and self-regulation.
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We're also sharing a video from Norwich City FC that really moved the team, which we think holds an important message.
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Just in case you missed it...
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We're continuing to offer free initial consultations to anybody in Hastings who is eligible to receive funding. These will be free to book right up until the 30th of June, even if the assessment itself takes place after this date.
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Bookings can be made and eligibility criteria can be found on our website by clicking the link below.
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Anxiety and Self-regulation
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A few words from our CEO Kerry Evans
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One of the parts of my job that I love the most is meeting clients for the first time at their initial consultation where I try to understand a bit about them and the problems they are experiencing. Recently I have been struck by the growing number of people seeking therapy to help with debilitating anxiety and panic attacks. Almost without exception these people also struggle to relax.
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Paul Gilbert’s 3 systems model goes some way to explaining why. The Threat System generates fear hormones adrenaline and cortisol in response to perceived threats which could be anything from a physical attack or looming deadline to an internal critical voice. Meanwhile, the Drive System generates feel-good dopamine when we reach a goal or obtain something, this could be winning a competition or buying a new pair of shoes.
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Anxious people tend to ping-pong between the threat and temporary relief of these 2 systems, which are urgent and compelling, and they neglect the Soothing System. This third system produces oxytocin and endorphins, enabling us to moderate the other two through rest, relaxation, connection and reasoning.
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When we were little, if we were lucky, we learnt from our care-givers how to soothe ourselves appropriately. We were rocked when we cried; restored by a warm bottle of milk; lulled to sleep by the beginning, middle and end of a story.
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As adults we might get similar results from talking things through; breathing deeply; having calming, sensory experiences; and engaging in creative and playful activities. This ability to self-regulate helps us tolerate a certain amount of discomfort and pain, and therefore to have confidence in our ability to cope with the inevitable challenges and stresses of life.
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If we aren’t practised at self-regulating we may find other, less healthy ways to manage difficult and painful feelings when they arise, such as using alcohol or drugs, gambling, overworking, overeating, and so on. The problem with these substitute soothers is that they can cause as many problems as they solve. While the beauty of healthy soothing methods is that they involve being confident and comfortable in your own skin, the knock-on effect of which is that you stop being drawn unnecessarily into the Threat System, saving it for real rather than perceived threats, and you depend less on fleeting, expensive temporary relief from the Drive System.
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Anxious people have overdeveloped their Threat and Drive Systems while their Soothing System has atrophied from underuse, so it will take patience and practice to develop, but I promise it will be worth the wait. Deep relaxation, intimate connection, healthy self-esteem and contentment are some of the lasting pleasures that await you.
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Mental Health in the News
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Events Calendar
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Embrace your creativity in this mindfulness activity lasting two hours at Hastings Museum and Art Gallery where you'll learn the basics of mandala design and create your own.
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Hastings Museum and Art Gallery.
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An online webinar discussion with Dr. Naomi Fisher about how trauma and loss can affect children and what their parents can do to help. Suitable for those who have experienced different types of trauma, including medical trauma, family loss and school trauma.
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A fun, safe and nurturing workshop event which will offer a range of practical tips for regulating your nervous system. A wider aim for the session will be to co-create a supportive community around women to assist with growth, resilience and long-term healing.
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Jubilee Library, Brighton.
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An interactive online workshop discussion promoting healing and growth. Join for a deep dive into the relationship between therapists and clients with a particular focus on how to work effectively and prioritising wellbeing.
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This event will allow you to fully express yourself by dancing along to a curated playlist from a wide range of different genres whilst in total darkness. You can lose yourself with no one watching and embrace the joy that brings.
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Every Monday. The next event is the 3rd June.
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All Saints Centre, Lewes.
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Walking is one of the easiest ways to exercise, boost your mental health and meet other people. All are welcome and the walks are designed not to be too challenging, lasting for around an hour.
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Weekly ongoing meeting (drop in) programme with various start times.
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Various locations around East Sussex. Click the link below for full schedule.
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Book your Initial Consultation
Hastings Therapy Centre and Brighton Therapy Centre have vacancies for therapy throughout the week. We offer individual, relationship and group therapies.
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We also have a number of low-cost appointments available.
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Book your consultation now:
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Check in on those around you - Norwich City FC
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At the end of last year, Norwich City FC released this video campaign in collaboration with Samaritans. It shares the important message that you can't always tell when the people you care about are struggling - click the image above to watch the video.
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"I was stuck in a cycle of depression and group therapy helped in gaining more awareness and getting out of that cycle."
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Have Your Say
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Let us know what you would like to see in our Newsletter!
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Follow us on Social Media
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See what us and our community are discussing on our social media pages and join the conversation!
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Meet our Practitioners
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Browse the practitioners who offer therapeutic services from a range of modalities and specialities
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Meet our Employed Team
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Meet the friendly team behind BTC and HTC who will help you find the help you may need
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Meet our Trustees
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Meet our trustees who offer their valued experience and knowledge to support our charity
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2nd Floor, 17 Havelock Road
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Charity Number: 1150032 | Company Number: 07791021
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