With everything that has gone on in the past year, it’s sometimes been hard to find that space to clear our minds of the stress, anxiety and uncertainty and just be β€˜in the moment’.

Worries about Covid-19, the impact of the pandemic on loved ones, the concerns about the changes and uncertainty in our lives; all these things probably creep in to our thoughts.

Counselling gives you a safe space to talk about your issues and concerns. A counsellor won’t judge you and will help you explore your thoughts, feelings and behaviours.

And on World Meditation Day, some of our members have also been telling us that meditation is one of the processes they may share with their clients.

β€œMeditation offers a way to reset, recharge, regroup, clear our minds, connect with our inner wisdom and (even with the fastest) check in with how we're doing in any given moment to connect with our resources and notice what we need in that moment,” says our member .

Our member says she’s seen an increase in clients asking about meditation since the start of the pandemic.

β€œI’ve seen a huge demand for it. It’s been a phenomenon.

β€œI’ll bring meditation in to therapy as a way to stabilise the neurosystem. In all the chaos it’s a way of feeling safe.

β€œI’ve found it can be really powerful in the counselling session.

β€œSome clients can be so fatigued, they don’t find they have the capacity to concentrate. Meditation can help with tolerance and concentration. It helps them feel that it’s ok to talk about their stuff.”

Our annual Public Perceptions Survey found that 10% of people were managing their own personal stress levels during the most recent coronavirus lockdown through meditation or yoga.

Eve says there are many reasons that she might talk to a client about meditation and that it has many benefits – improving mood, reducing rumination, reducing stress and anxiety and more.

She says that in her experience it’s helpful to therapists too.

"The more grounded and centred we are as therapists, the better able we can hold that space for our clients and supervisees. It can help us separate our own stuff from clients as we reflect during and after sessions," she adds.

Try a mindful minute

Eve says there are many meditations she loves but for simplicity she recommends starting with a mindful minute.

All you need to do is:

  • pause what you’re doing
  • make yourself comfortable
  • bring your awareness to your breath
  • notice how you’re breathing and if it works for you bringing that breath down as if breathing from the belly
  • notice if the inhalation is longer than the exhalation, or if they’re the other way around or if they’re evenly balanced
  • aim for a longer exhalation to help calm the system
  • keep bringing that awareness back to your breath for a minute
  • if you lose that connection, gently bring it back.

To find a counsellor or psychotherapist who can help you, visit our Therapist directory.