First Psychology blog

New Year is often a time when we look to the past, take stock and think how we can improve and build for the future. It may be that we are hoping to improve at a skill, want to take up a new hobby or are looking to get fitter and more active - perhaps run a marathon. Whatever our goals, the best way to achieve them is to emulate the habits of tops sports people. There's a good reason why only some people reach the top levels of sport. It takes a whole range of skills and behaviours, as well as an excellent ability at a sport, to join the sporting elite.  The good news is that many of these behaviours aren't specific to sports. Five habits of successful sports people that could help you achieve your goals Here are five habits of successful sports people, that could help you achieve your goals in the coming year. Motivation: Keep motivated because if you really want it, you are more likely to achieve it. While this sounds simple, it can be hard to keep going ...

Black Friday (also know as 'Mad Friday') is nearly upon us! Yes, you heard right. There is another Black Friday. But this one has nothing to do with shopping. It's been named Black Friday by the emergency services and it's the last friday before Christmas - the most popular day for the office Christmas party. Need we say more! As we mentioned, this day is when ambulances and emergency services are most in demand and this is largely due to the amount of alcohol consumed and the mishaps, brawls and traffic accidents that result from this. While many are out for a good night out and in full control of what they consume, government statistics suggest that one in every 13 adults is actually dependent on alcohol in the UK. This is a staggering figure and shows just how important it is to know the signs of alcohol dependency so you can recognise them in yourself and others. It is not easy to recognise the signs of alcohol dependency, particularly in ourselves....

Christmas is often seen as a time for families. And whatever shape and size a family is there are often complex dynamics involved in interacting within the family unit. Whether we come from a family we perceive as 'happy' or not, being a parent is not easy. We often come to parenting with preconceived ideas about how parenting and families should be. Many people struggle to shake off negative experiences from their own upbringing, which can come to the fore when we find ourselves parenting. Often parenting is as much about what we don't want for our children as it is about what we want. And our partner may have different views from us, to further complicate things. Counselling Psychologist, Flora Maclay who works with many children and families at First Psychology's Edinburgh and Borders centres has been scouring some well known parenting books for some of her favourite parenting tips. Top parenting tips "Once finished, forget it" Children forget...

We know from the questions we're asked that many people find the different types of psychological therapy confusing. So we thought we'd give a brief summary of each type of therapy. Counselling Counselling is a popular therapy that involves talking to a trained practitioner about your problems and issues. It provides a safe place to talk about and think about your thoughts and feelings with someone outside of your social circle. Counselling is usually a short-term therapy and typically lasts from six to twelve sessions. More about counselling > Psychotherapy Psychotherapy, like counselling, involves talking about problems and difficulties. However it is a more in-depth process which involves looking at your life as a whole rather than looking at specific problems. Psychotherapy provides a regular space for clients to talk about how they are and to work through patterns and issues they find difficult. One popular type of psychotherapy is IPT or interpersonal therapy,...

Following on from the spending driven days of Black Friday last week and Cyber Monday yesterday, today is increasingly becoming known as Giving Tuesday, a global day devoted to thinking of others and giving back to the community. Giving Tuesday began in 2012 to encourage people to donate their money, time and services to their community. Some examples include giving blood, donating to a charity, volunteering to help a charity or organisation, the list of how we can give to others is endless. The idea of giving is, of course, one we are all familiar with, particularly at this time of year. The holiday season is a time when we traditionally give to others. However, we often see giving as about gifts rather than our time or services. With many feeling the pinch of the latest government cuts and job losses, it is important to remember that giving something as simple as a smile or a kind act can brighten people's lives in ways that tangible gifts cannot reach. And it is not ju...