WELCOME back to our exploration into all things emotional. In this edition our Emotional Health columnist LEIGH SMITH, explores the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic on our mental health, and shares with us how to find our way back to…
BY the time this article is published and read, we will hopefully be feeling more secure in the idea of re-emerging back into a more socially active society. If the road map is keeping us on track we will be experiencing positive societal changes which will herald the end of the tight grip hold of the pandemic. As I poke my head out from the Zoom cave, and open up my counselling cabin to clients, I feel like a tentative deer, eyes wide, ears scanning, searching for threat and asking myself…..
Did that really happen? Yes, it did, and the impact of the pandemic on our mental health is huge. A recent personality study carried out by YouGov gives us some idea of the scale of the impact, with more than 50% of Britons stating that their mental health has deteriorated as a result of coronavirus, and 14% of these said the impact has been very negative. Only 30% say that their mental health has not been impacted, and 8% actually have felt an improved psychological state. The data that tells us those effected the most negatively are aged between 25 – 39 year olds. Two thirds of Britons expressed feeling anxious at least several times a month since March 2020. Within relationships 11% of people have become more distant, however 33% say that the pandemic has brought them closer! The ruptures created in our individual and collective mental health are huge – we find ourselves in new territory, adapting as the situation unfolds, and the road ahead reveals itself. In the midst of such uncertainty we search for the tools we need to ease ourselves back into society, and the wisdom to support ourselves and each other. Right on cue, and when needed most, is an emergence of new scientific knowledge, which has been filtering through into the mainstream of the counselling arena. Quietly, in the background of the pandemic, there has been an unfolding of a therapeutic approach which will support us in the mental health crisis we now face. Before the virus arrived, there was a timely explosion of interest into the discoveries within the field of trauma. Thanks primarily to the work of Stephen Porges and his discovery of the Polyvagal Theory, along with a host of experts, the world of trauma has been transformed and we now have the insights and the skills to use trauma informed therapeutic approaches to support those whose mental health has been impacted negatively by the pandemic As we move into a time of great healing, hope, and engagement, many therapist are bringing this new knowledge into their practice. Dr. Porges identified a second defence strategy within the autonomic nervous system, and brought awareness to the importance of our social engagement system, regulation and neuroception. Like many counsellors, I have incorporated this fascinating understanding of trauma into my approach, and devised a way of working with clients which can support healthy nervous system responses, regulation and social engagement. I have been getting excellent results with this new trauma informed approach, and seeing positive results in as little as three sessions. I am so excited to be able to offer something new and valuable to my clients, and so grateful to the work done by these brilliant physicians, scientists, neurologists, psychiatrists and counsellors who have dedicated so much of themselves to provide the world with the knowledge and skills we need to make a powerful and positive contribution to mental health.v
If your mental health has been impacted by the pandemic, please get in touch to hear more about the six session trauma informed approach. I will be happy to explain more in a short, free, consultation.
Leigh Smith is a counsellor, psychotherapist, supervisor and writer.
Contact her at 07886 867002 or email lesleighsmith66@gmail.com.