Mind-Body Counselling

Mind-body counselling looks at the connections between emotional and physical wellbeing. The mind and body are connected in both directions - each effects the other:

• The body can effect the mind. For example the horrible experience of sea-sickness
• The mind can effect the body. For example the physical impacts of stress

When we are aware of the connections we can make allowances for this. But if we are not conscious of the connections we can get caught up in these problems. Probably all of us somatise at times, when our psychological distress shows up as physical symptoms.

Physical wellbeing

There is a growing list of health conditions where there is a recognised mind-body link. For instance chronic stress takes a big toll on the immune system, which in turn contributes to a wide range of illnesses. Such conditions include:

• stress & tension headaches, migraines
• sleep disorders & insomnia
• stomach upsets, indigestion & digestive conditions
• tiredness & chronic fatigue
• high blood pressure (hypertension)
• some allergies & skin conditions
• some autoimmune disorders (including irritable bowel syndrome)
• some sexual issues (including impotence or loss of sexual interest)
• ongoing poor health such as repeated colds and flu
• any other conditions where an emotional or psychological component is observed or suspected

Fears of illness

On the other hand sometimes people misidentify body-based emotions as physical illness. One common example is a panic attack being interpreted as a heart attack. Certainly, the surge of adrenalin causes distressing symptoms such as racing heart, sweating, and disorientation that are truly terrifying and that makes the mistake perfectly understandable. This is an example of somatisation.

Other examples are more subtle - anxiety, depression and grief can all cause physical symptoms which can be over-interpreted. It is not unusual to harbour secret fears of cancer or some other dreaded illness. Alternatively, we may fear we are a hypochondriac or going crazy. Often it is just the mind-body signals getting a bit muddled (like the sea-sickness or stress examples).

Causes of mind-body issues

Mind-body issues are often interwoven with anxiety or depression and associated with unprocessed grief, trauma, or abuse.

Such issues are perfectly understandable when we realise that many of us are brought up with limited understanding of the links between physical and emotional wellbeing. For instance, many children discovered that saying they had a sore tummy was better than saying they were scared of school.

Sometimes physical symptoms also even carry a symbolic message such as:

• My partner is a pain in the neck
• My job is such a headache
• I just can't stomach it any more
• I feel like I am dying inside
• My heart has gone out of it

How therapy can help

Therapy helps with mind-body issues by working with clients to understand and untangle the two-way connection between mind and body. It is a safe space to talk about and explore your experience so it can be made sense of. It is also a chance to look at any underlying issues that may have contributed to these problems. The goal is to help integrate mind and body through insight and understanding resulting in improved physical and psychological wellbeing.