Health & Wellbeing
All the healing effects of water Wallace Nichols, the author of Blue Mind, asks us to consider what is our ‘go to’ water? Surprisingly, everyone can answer this. It might be the pond in your garden, the seaside, the open ocean, a favourite waterfall or a walk beside your local river. Wherever it is, we have a deep-rooted psychological connection with water. It is the single biggest feature of our planet, and our bodies, and is the essence of life itself. Being beside it has profound effects on our mood and sense of well-being. Water fires our imagination with its changeability, the mystery of what lies beneath and its colours and motion; all of which calm or excite us. When I first moved to Dorset, I missed the wide-open spaces and granite peaks of Dartmoor that had been my home for so long. Most of all, I missed the rivers that would race and tumble amid the boulders, sometimes with just a gentle murmur and at other times, in crashing, dramatic torrents of noise. I loved the different melodies that would accompany me along the many mossy watercourses. These were the soundscapes that denoted the place and its ambience. But over the years in the Vale, I have also come to love the River Stour. At first I found her deep, meandering silence disconcerting as she soundlessly wandered through the Dorset countryside. But now, I have come to know her moods, and in winter I watch in awe as her floodwaters creep up and over her banks until they make vast lakes that reflect the light and change the landscape in a matter of hours. On this watery day, however, I have veered away from her side to follow one of her many tributaries. Through a narrow, deep wooded, hidden valley, the Darknoll Brook twists and turns. It is a quaint and secretive burbling watercourse, sunken and dark in today’s stormy weather. Pleased with my discovery, I look for a place to sit for a while and find the perfect spot beside a cloud of gleaming snowdrops, newly opened and pristine. From here, I watch the steady raindrops create hypnotic, concentric circles on the surface of the stream as I listen to the approaching singular song of a kingfisher downstream. Despite these difficult days, a moment of calm and peace washes over me like the babbling water music over the sandstone. All is well. Dr Susie Curtin curtin.susanna@gmail.com Nature writer and qualitative researcher rewildingjourneys.com 46
David Stanton IAC ICPT ISOCS ISSUP Senior Psychotherapist/Counsellor. Trainer and Mental Health Consultant. Individual and Group face to face sessions; also via video on WhatsApp, Skype, Messenger and Zoom. Clinical Supervisor to other Health Care workers. Counselling for Individuals, Groups, Couples, Children, Adolescents and Families. 40+ years experience; including working with Relate, the Samaritans, MIND, Turning Point, Action on Addiction, Emmaus, CAMHS. GP Surgeries. Schools, Universities, Youth Service, Prisons, Courts. HR Depts, Corporates. Depression, Anxiety, Trauma, Self Esteem, Relationship problems, Family Dynamics, Bereavement, Eating Disorders, Substance/Alcohol Abuse, Addictions. Isolation, Loneliness, PTSD, Bi-Polar, OCD, Sexual/Physical Abuse, Self Harming, Death Anxiety, Sex Issues. Lack of Meaning & Purpose, Anger, Phobias, Gender, Sexuality, Social Justice. Conflict Resolution. Crisis Management. Available for Mental Health and Emotional Wellness Workshops, Retreats, Seminars, Training and Talks. Emotional Intelligence and Awareness Educator to all Education Establishments and Businesses. CONFIDENTIALITY ASSURED.
Please contact through the websites www.tatvacenter.com www.edas-addictionservices.com Or telephone - David 07 584 711 488.
