Website rebuild

It's looking like the website will be completely rebuilt in the New Year - yippee!  It has become very big, cumbersome and somewhat difficult to navigate.  There are lots of pages that even the most frequent visitor would have great difficulty finding out it was even there!  So, please let me know if you have any suggestions for improvement, or perhaps about elements of the website that you'd like to keep pretty much the same.

You can use the feedback form on this page:  www.get.gg/feedback.htm

or use Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/getselfhelp

Romanian resources

Following Michelle and my visit to Zalau in Romania 2 weeks ago, I've added 3 Romanian sheets to the website.

Available from this page:  http://www.get.gg/translated.html

(Thanks to Felicia for the translations)

World Map

Here's a Google Map of where copies of The Decider: A Skills Manual has been sent to since 1 January 2012

http://goo.gl/maps/yhd7D

The Worry Bug (poem)

This stirring poem (with a wonderful positive ending) was sent to me by Andrew Ballard.  Hope you like it!

The Worry Bug

Good morning, you’re there I feel you again,

My friend, mi amigo, mein comfortable pain.

We’ve grown up together, an unwritten pact,

You’re just so perfect at making my “being” react.

There you are above my stomach right next to my heart,

Come on now, let’s do it, the tension must start.

You’re moving I feel you, you’re into my brain,

He’ll send your true message thru’ nerve, muscle and vein.

It’s spreading, I feel it, that glorious rush,

Once more I am covered by your worrying brush.

It’s normal, it feels right it has to be there!

Or does it? Let’s question, let’s ponder, let’s dare!

Are you part of my body like mucus or hair,

Could it be possible that I put you there!?

I feel you right there my meaningful pal,

But what do you do to help my morale?

What good are you doing you make me feel tense,

So patiently waiting to begin your offense.

You must be there, you feel so alive,

Oh wait, no it’s me that am making you thrive.

Do I need you, well no, you just make me wither,

What goods such a thing, where’s it got me ‘til hither?

I see you my “worry bug” you do not exist,

You’re nothing that’s making my whole being twist.

I see you just there and now it’s a hurry,

I’ve realised it’s you and me making me worry.

I’ve got you, you’re trapped, it’s over you fool,

You’re times up dear bug, expulsion from school.

I’ll notice you there just waiting to flounce,

But now I can see you I’m prepared to pounce.

It’s over, you’re gone, you’re something not there,

You’re never succeeding again that I swear.

And so goodbye old bug it’s been a long road,

I’ve cracked it, farewell to your burdensome load.

Happy (or Horrible) Holidays

A lot of people find the holidays difficult, so here's my contribution to the upcoming holiday season:  

http://www.getselfhelp.co.uk/docs/Holidays.pdf

Let me know if you see any errors of have any ideas for improvement  :-)

Romania

Michelle and I are flying off to Romania for the next few days, teaching The Decider skills!

www.thedecider.org.uk/

French CBT status

A letter received today states I have been accorded "le statut de membre Actif" of the AFTCC (Association Française de Thérapie Comportementale et Cognitive) - the French equivalent of the BABCP. :-)

Online Survey

The University of Surrey are looking for participants for an online survey

www.therapyresearch.info

mp3 files

I have finally completed the transfer of all the mp3 files over to dpd.com

The webpage doesn't look any different, although when purchasing mp3 files, it will look more streamlined and integrated with the site.

www.getselfhelp.co.uk/gallery1.htm

French CBT worksheets

The French page is up and running.  Only 7 worksheets so far, but more are coming!

www.getselfhelp.fr 

Survey

Gabriele Staubmann, a masters student psychologist at the University of Vienna, is conducting an online survey on "Dealing with feelings and negative

thoughts".  Visit this webpage for more information and to take part:  http://dk.akis.at/survey1en/

Mobile

I've set up a mobile version of the website, although it only contains the most popular pages

http://www.get.gg/mobile/

I've added a link on the home page and in the menu navigation column on the left of the main site

Good feedback for The Decider

Good article in yesterday's Guernsey's Press about self-harming. It described how a skills group "changed Jo's life"  
You can see links to the article on The Decider home page:
http://www.thedecider.org.uk/

Sky-Dive tomorrow!

Come on folks - Naomi has to raise £500 for this sky dive!

It's all going to happen at L'Erée (Guernsey) tomorrow late afternoon or evening, so get donating!

http://www.justgiving.com/naomi-cottam

I'm moving to France next weekend! Over the next few months, I'm going to be spending a lot of time learning and living the language. I will of course be maintaining the website! I would like to translate some of the free resources into french, but my language skills are not yet very good, so any help from native speakers would be very welcome :-)

Cool, fun and catchy MP3s

I asked Josh to come up with some fun, cool and catchy tunes to help us remember those helpful phrases at times when we need them. I've just added the first of them: "Keep calm and chug along" (keep calm and carry on!) on this page: get.gg/gallery1.htm

French leave

There's still time to donate for Naomi's Sky Dive on 1st September!

http://www.justgiving.com/naomi-cottam

I hope the weather will be good that day, because if the sky dive is postponed I will miss seeing my beautiful daughter plummet to earth from a plane, as we're moving to France the next day!

I'm leaving my post at HSSD in Guernsey, and heading to France for a year to see how we get on with learning the language.  It seems to be the right time for us, and Alice (my 6 year old) is the right age to pick it up quickly.  So, I'm frantically trying to sort everything out.  Just 2 weeks to go!

I will still be maintaining the website, so everything will continue as usual.

Example - thought record sheet

In response to a request yesterday morning, here's an example of a completed thought record sheet: http://www.getselfhelp.co.uk/docs/ThoughtRecordSheet-example.pdf

Updated metaphors

www.getselfhelp.co.uk/metaphors.htm

The Skydive

My 21 year old daughter will be leaping out of a plane for charity in September. Please donate to a great cause in return for using the website resources:  http://www.justgiving.com/Naomi-Cottam 
Naomi will be starting her nurse training that month too!

Mindfulness for Busy People: NOW

An acronym for mindfulness... NOW: Notice, Observe, Wise Mind. Mindfulness for Busy People: www.getselfhelp.co.uk/docs/NOW.pdf

Tunnel vision?

"What we see depends on what we look for". (John Lubbock)

5 Ways to Personal Wellbeing

New handout added to the Free Downloads pages: 5 Ways to Personal Wellbeing
http://www.getselfhelp.co.uk/docs/5WaysPersonalWellbeing.pdf
Based on Nic Mark's The Happiness Manifesto

Happy Easter

"The spirit of easter is all about Hope, Love and Joyful living. Happy Easter!" 
Author Unknown

MP3 files

All the female voice self help MP3 files have been re-recorded and replaced. We'd received 2 comments that there was an intermittent background hiss on the female voice mp3s, so we've used Josh's superior recording equipment and expertise!

If anyone has noticed an intermittent background hiss, find your original email with "Order info - getselfhelp.co.uk" in the subject line, click on the link in the email. You'll be taken to the Payloadz.com website in your internet browser, and you can click on "Request Additional Downloads". I will "approve" the request, then you'll be able to download the updated file.

Self Help MP3s on this page:
www.getselfhelp.co.uk/gallery1.htm

Muddy water

Lao Tzu said: "Muddy water, let settle, becomes clear".

Or as another translator put it: "Have the patience to wait until your mud settles and the water becomes clear."

I've added a page of Lao Tzu quotes to the website. An ancient Chinese philosopher and considered to be the father of Taoism. His insights could be straight out of a CBT text book - except he said them a few thousand years ago! How about this one: "If you are depressed you are living in the past. If you are anxious you are living in the future. If you are at peace you are living in the present." There's loads more...

www.getselfhelp.co.uk/laotzu.htm

Music website

Josh's music composition website now online: www.jcottam.co.uk
Hurray! He's put links to some of his animation music success, and of course the Abbey Road competition video, and a couple of the most recent therapy background tracks that we use on the website. Available for all your composing needs :-)

We're currently using Josh's expertise and equipment to re-record all the female voice versions of our self help mp3s. We've upgraded some already, 3 more recorded this morning and will be added to the site over the weekend (when Malcolm able to do the editing!)

www.jcottam.co.uk

The Decider: A Skills Manual - feedback

We received some great feedback this morning from someone who purchased The Decider: A Skills Manual in January:
"We have been using The Decider for 8 weeks now... It is going down very well and hopefully enables clients to have a strong foundation before moving into more exploratory work...We are delighted with the results so far. We are even managing to engage the historically unengageable!"
(NC, Berkshire)

Fantastic!

www.thedecider.org.uk

Keep Calm and ....

You've probably heard 'Keep Calm & Carry On' - now there's 'Keep Calm & Do No Harm'.
Printable resources:
www.getselfhelp.co.uk/freedownloads.htm

Shop

I've added a main shop page to the website - I hope it looks a lot simpler

www.get.gg/shop.htm

MP3s, books, documents, clothes & accessories

Self help course for mobile devices

I'm no expert in web or app development, but I've made a simplified webpage version of the self help course in the hope that it's more suitable for mobile devices:

http://www.getselfhelp.co.uk/cbtmob.htm

If anyone can help me improve it - I would love to hear from you 

Music by Josh

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yx3dEPyXmpo&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Kayak challenge in Guernsey Press

Good article in Guernsey Press today. I'm in middle front of group photo! Seems a long time ago now.

Word documents

As frequently requested, Word document versions of therapy worksheets and leaflets are now available.  

See this webpage:  http://www.getselfhelp.co.uk/gallery.htm

A few of the sheets have not been included for copyright reasons, but there are 50-70 in each pack (total of about 175 worksheets/leaflets)

Self Help mp3s

It seems the self help mp3 page has been offline since I last tried to update it a few days ago. Sorry! All working again now.
http://www.getselfhelp.co.uk/gallery1.htm

One Life...

One Life...
Live a few thousand days.
Goof and blunder on the ways.
Journey a few times around the sun.
Make a difference on each one.
One life: Make it count.


(You'll be pleased to know I don't intend making a habit of attempting poetry!)

Great advice

This YouTube video has such great advice!  Entertaining too.  

http://youtu.be/sTJ7AzBIJoI

Thank you Naomi for reminding me via Facebook!

quotes

I'm adding meaningful quotes to Twitter and Facebook pages every day or two

FREE mp3: First Aid for Panic

'First Aid for Panic' free mp3 download from http://www.getselfhelp.co.uk/gallery1.htm

New ambient music mp3

'Regeneration Science Lab' mp3 added to the website.  25 minutes of original relaxing ambient / therapy music

http://www.getselfhelp.co.uk/gallery1.htm

Homework Practice Record

New worksheet added

http://www.getselfhelp.co.uk/docs/HomeworkPracticeRecord.pdf

The Decider: A Skills Manual - posted!

The Decider: A Skills Manual is now winging its way around the globe - orders have been posted to USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Germany and the UK!

New Exposure Homework Sheet

New Exposure Homework Sheet added to the free downloads page
http://www.getselfhelp.co.uk/freedownloads2.htm
http://www.getselfhelp.co.uk/docs/ExposureHomeworkSheet.pdf

The Decider: A Skills Manual

The Decider: A Skills Manual NOW IN STOCK! Received orders will be posted within 48 hours.
Each copy of the manual will come with a laminated copy of "The Decider" - an A4 visual prompt card.
www.thedecider.org.uk

Happy New Year

Click here for your card!