The Spark Blog
Category: couples and individuals
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Songs For Sound Minds #6 – Deacon Blue
Songs for Sound Minds are our picks of the best music that uplifts, inspires and boosts mental health. Songs written as an anthem to overcoming the storms of life. The songs that give hope in those times when we are struggling. Pick number 6 continues our Scottish theme with a track that many regard as…
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Why Do We Do What We Do?
Chances are that when we meet someone new one of the first questions we are asked is: ‘what do you do for a living?’ It breaks the ice, is a good starter for further conversation and helps build rapport. Here at The Spark a more important question is: ‘why do we do what we do?’ …
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Songs For Sound Minds #5 – Emili Sandé
Songs for Sound Minds are our picks of the best music that uplifts, inspires and boosts mental health. Songs written as an anthem to overcoming the storms of life. The songs that give hope in those times when we are struggling. Pick number 5 comes from Scottish singer-songwriter Emeli Sandé and her modern anthem ‘Next…
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Why Christmas Might Not Make Things Better
For some couples the Christmas holidays will be considered a bit of a ‘make or break’ period for their relationship. We examine why it is better to seek professional counselling now than to place all your bets on a ‘perfect’ Christmas making things better. Christmas will make things better, right? TV, social media, shops and…
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Christmas, Money and Debt
Nearly half of all Scots surveyed in a recent YouGov poll are already in debt before they spend on Christmas. Nearly 20% said they were struggling to cope and feeling stressed by personal debt on credit cards and loans. Christmas debt and relationship breakdown Debt is a major cause of stress and relationship problems for…
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3 Signs You’re Suffering from Stress
Stress is a part of life but too much of it can be very harmful to us mentally, emotionally and physically. Not only that, it has a way of creeping up on us whilst we are completely unaware. Thus we tend we tend not to be looking for help or finding ways to deal with…
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Why I Became a Counsellor
The Spark counsellor Josie tells us why she became a relationship counsellor in this week’s blog. I had spent most of my life living in Australia before moving to Scotland with my family. While I waited for my work permit I thought volunteering on a helpline would be a worthwhile thing to do. As part…
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5 Ways to Improve your Relationship
Relationships – particularly the one we have with our partner or spouse – are vitally important. But as they are familiar and constant, we often take them for granted. Amongst the busyness of life it often feels like there is no time to ‘improve your relationship’. The good news is that even small changes can…
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Anxiety: 5 Ways to Cope Better
Anxiety is one of the most common mental health issues in the UK. Research in 2013 indicated there were 8.2m diagnosed cases nationally. Anxiety can be debilitating but it can be managed, allowing sufferers to get back to enjoying life. Here are 5 practical ways to cope with anxiety1. 1. Get the jumble of thoughts…
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