I received these lovely comments from a client today.  Always great to have great feedback.

‘ I started with Kerry when I was in a difficult place everything in my life seemed to be turned upside down.
She listened carefully to me, gave me time to reflect and respond on the things that were troubling me most.
It was hard to reach out when i felt like i was in deep water but i am glad to have had Kerry to help me explore the reasons i felt like that and gradually i felt more incontrol of my life which in turn, helped to bring me back to shore.
I am truely greatful for the support i have received. ‘
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Having spent 6 months in the UK working with young people especially affected by COVID, I am excited to be returning to Spain from January 2021 and will be working again face to face from my office in Velez Malaga and Fuengirola.  Having used EMDR with my clients in England, I am thrilled to bring amazing therapy back to Spain with me.  For more information about EDMR please client here.  In the meantime I continue to work online on zoom and whatsapp wiht clients all over the world.

There is often talk of the fight or flight reaction to stressful situations, but we often don’t talk about the freeze reaction, which is just as common a reaction, but less talked about.

Click here for a video of an impala freezing to get away from a cheetah.

This freeze reaction is very common in the animal kingdom and equally in the human brain. Watch how the impala reacts after the danger has passed and the reaction on its body as the adrenaline bleeds off, causing the deep breathing and shaking, before it gets up and runs off to safety.

However, what often happens in the human brain is that the event is not processed and we get frozen in the trauma. Where the impala instinctively and literally shakes it off the adrenaline surge, our rational brain takes over and the memory is trapped in the brain. Sometimes the memory is hidden completely and sometimes it gets ‘stuck’ in the brain. These memories can cause a myriad of mental health issues including depression, anxiety, stress to name but a few. These memories are stored in the amygdala almost for safe keeping until they can be processed fully.

One of the most effective treatments to access these memories and fully process them is EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) developed by Francine Shapiro. Bilateral stimulation (activating both sides of the brain at the same time) traditionally by eye movement, but more recently with tapping or audio stimulation, stimulates both sides of the brain at the same time. This stimulation creates new pathways in the brain, which help to process hidden — or not so hidden — memories and traumas. 

I confess that as I headed to my training weekend, I was very skeptical. Many of my counsellor colleagues had been raving about how successful it had been. I definitely needed convincing. So I volunteered to be the client as the trainer showed us how it works. We worked on an issue I have with food and a week after the session, my brain is still processing and the new thoughts installed in that session are still with me. I was not even aware of how my brain was working, but I do know that for me it worked.

So then after the training I do the first session on a client with PTSD. He has flashbacks to an event 7 years ago, which are severe, and whilst he feels that he has processed the trauma and moved on, the flashbacks suggest that he has not. We worked on that particular event in his life and by the end of the session, he is now thinking about the incident without any reaction. It becomes a memory, not a trauma. 

I am beyond convinced. Whilst I get the overall theory, I cannot explain exactly how the brain does it. But I have seen over and over again that it does work. The brain is an incredibly clever organ, that with the right help and stimulation can repair itself. I have seen this happen over and over again — with clients, with colleagues and with myself.

With these days of COVID, a question I get asked is can it be done over the internet. The answer is yes. I have worked with clients on zoom without any issues as have many of my colleagues. 
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I am proud to have added this amazing skill to my repertoire of resources. I have seen the power of this many times over. If you have something in your brain that you feel needs unblocking then please contact me at www.kestrelcounselling.com

I am always one for learning new skills, and do a significant amount of training each year.  Indeed the BACP requires us to do 30 hours of training as a minimum each year.  But I admit I was very skeptical about EMDR, whether it would work for me and my clients.  However, I attended the training, which is made up of 3 weekends with an open mind, but needing to be convinced - and I more than convinced - I am a complete convert.

​(Developed by Francine Shapiro, EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) was original developed to help people suffering with PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). Traumas get 'stuck' in a small part of the brain called the Amygdala and are not fully processed.  This can cause flashbacks, anxiety, depression and many other symptoms - both physical and mental.
With EMDR both sides of the brain are stimulated at the same time, either by eye movement, tapping alternate legs or palms or using buzzers to help clients process these traumas.  Kerry leaves the choice of which stimulation up to the client.  Kerry guides the client through the process to help clients process their unwanted traumas.
Since it's origins working with PTSD, EMDR has evolved and has been shown to be effective working through many issues for clients, including bereavement, addictions, unwanted behaviours, recent traumas to name a few.

YES!  I have had sessions myself to help with destructive behaviours, mainly around eating.  One session has already changed my behaviour.  
I have worked with several clients to process unwanted traumas and whilst I not going to even understand the details of what is going on in the brain, I have seen clients come in suffering with flashbacks, after one session leave having processed he memory so that it becomes a memory, not a trauma.  
So I have experienced the power of EMDR personally and also seen how much it can help my clients as part of our on going work together.  I have also delivered it on zoom remotely.
​To find out more about this exciting method of dealing with trauma and other conditions please contact Kerry

2020 is one year that I believe everyone will remember and not especially in a good way.  It was the year that the whole world was involved and affected by one single event.  For some people, it was less challenging, but for many the pandemic has been a massive challenge, especially for people separated from loved ones by lockdown and quarantines.  If these feelings are overwhelming for you, and you need help to work through them I am here to help and support you through these challenging times.  Please email me at kestrelcounselling@gmail.com for more information about how I can support you.

I am sure that many of you, like me, received a lot of pictures like this in the last 24 hours, on social media, messenger, whatsapp and many more.  But for many people this is a very lonely time of the year.  If you are suffering with any kind of issues then maybe it is time to make some changes and see how 2020 can be different from other year.  I have extensive experience working with all age groups and different issues.  I offer a safe place for you to explore your feelings and explore the changes that you want to make.  Contact me for more information.

Another year is coming to a close.  I am sure that many people will have their list of New Year's Resolutions ready.  But change can be tough.  Our brains can be programmed to repeat habits previously made.  It is up to us to make changes for a different life.  

Remember - if you always do what you have always done you will always get what you have always got.

Whilst change can be challenging it can also be rewarding.  

So if you need a bit of support to achieved your resolutions and make 2020 the year of change for you then contact me to see how we can work together to make the changes you want to make.

I am back after 1 year off to increase my already extensive training and very excited to get started again.  I have a brand new office in the centre of Velez Malaga for face 2 face clients that live in the area and also will work online via skype.  I am very excited to get started again in 2020.  So if you have not had the greatest 2019 and looking to make changes in 2020 why not contact me and arrange an appointment.  I am very flexible with hours and will always try to work to suit the client.  
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Kestrel counselling has spread it wings and moved into an office in the centre of Fuengirola.  For my skype clients the area has much more reliable and faster wifi so giving a much better connection.  For face to face clients it is in a centre of massage and other therapies and for me has a very peaceful feel to the place.  I am really loving the space and I am very excited for this next chapter in the life of the business.

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Mental illness is an illness the same as chicken pox, the flu and all the other illnesses that our bodies sometimes get. I feel the difference with mental illness is our attitudes.  I have suffered from anorexia and bulimia, needing professional help and support to aid my recovery.  I felt very alone and ashamed.  I now see that it was an illness and I am proud that I help others overcome mental illnesses, just as my local doctor helps me when I have a physical illness.
If some of life's challenges are getting too much then don't be afraid to reach out and ask for help.