Downloads
On this page, you’ll find a library of the tools and resources I use in psychotherapy with clients. They are here for you to download and use as you continue your mental health and wellbeing journey. Enjoy. Please get in contact if you have any questions, feedback or ideas for future tools and resources.
Progressive Muscular Relaxation (PMR)
In this exercise, you’ll progressively contract and then relax each major muscle group until all targeted muscles are relaxed. This tension-release cycle helps to build awareness of the difference between tension and relaxation. With practice, you can learn to detect tension in specific muscles and take steps to relax that muscle.
Autogenic Training
In this exercise, you’ll incrementally focus on different parts of the body and while doing so, we’ll introduce a series of self-statements about heaviness and warmth. Through this process, the parasympathetic nervous system, the rest and relax response is stimulated.
Simple Relaxation
In this exercise, you’ll focus attention on the breath as an efficient and effective relaxation tool. Through this exercise, you’ll learn to activate the parasympathetic nervous system and switch off the stress response.
Dropping Anchor
This exercise is my adaptation of Dr Russ Harris’ Dropping Anchor. The exercise is particularly useful when you find yourself caught up in an ‘emotional storm’, but with repeated practice it can also help better recognise when a storm is brewing and taking steps to respond effectively… so that the storms get easier to weather and less of a struggle.
Difficult Emotions
We don’t get to choose what emotions show up at any given time… and our natural inclination is to try to get rid of strong and unwanted emotions when they show up. This can lead us to fight and struggle with, or at least tolerate these unwanted emotions. In this exercise, you will work with a difficult feeling to see if you can find ways to make space for it, accept its presence, and turn down the struggle.