At our recent coproduction conference, we asked all the attendees to write down some of the words that they felt were most important when considering coproduction (design of services in a way which allows equal input from the people who use those services as well as those who deliver, fund or facilitate them). The finished list was used by poet Adam Montgomery to inspire the following poem, which we're publishing
This week, June 28, will mark the 47th anniversary of the Stonewall riots, the event largely regarded as a catalyst for the LGBT movement for civil rights in the United States. The riots inspired LGBT people throughout the country to organize in support of gay rights, and within two years after the riots, gay rights groups had been started in nearly every major city in the United States. At the
To coincide with refugee week our colleague, Morteza H at IAPT has written about his experiences of being a refugee. Happy refugee week Having come to this country as a refugee, I feel obliged to acknowledge the Refugee Week with extra care; or perhaps the prosperous life I have established makes me feel proud to celebrate this special occasion as a way of thanks giving. Regardless, I am very proud
We asked some of the men who come to the Men’s Gym and Swimming Group organised by Touchstone Community Development service the question "How do you beat stress?". Here's what they had to say. “I love swimming, I feel relieved whenever I have the chance to swim. I also find that exercise, eating healthy and watching television helps me beat stress. Volunteering and helping other people gives me a sense
To celebrate Ramadhan our IAPT colleague Gul H has kindly written this piece to highlight the meaning and purpose of Ramadhan. The Blessed Month of Ramadhan Islam is the world's second largest religion after Christianity with more than one billion followers. Around one million worshippers from over 180 countries will make the pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia for Ramadan and Hajj, two of the most important periods in the Islamic calendar.
“…One of the most important aspects of the course was the fact that no one was ever put on the spot or made to feel uncomfortable..” Carole's story At the beginning of 2015 I had thoughts of harming myself had been regularly visiting my GP and was suffering from severe depression. I had low self-esteem, was suffering from daily panic attacks and could see no future. I had an IAPT
A guest blog from Val Hewison at Carers Leeds June 6th to the 12th is Carers Week. A week where we focus on the essential role that families and friends have in providing care and support to others who have an illness or disability. I often wonder why we need awareness days and weeks for a particular cause, if we have too many do they lose their impact? Should not
One of our brilliant volunteers explains how and why she got involved and the benefits that volunteering has had for her. Before I started my volunteering with Touchstone I just had my son and was unemployed and unaware of the direction I wanted to go in life. I lacked so much confidence due to having no academic qualifications and past experiences. I really did not know what I wanted
Lynne’s Story “Friends had noticed that I wasn’t ‘me’ … sadly many also identified with my feelings but had felt that it was just something that had to be ‘weathered’. I had no idea why I was feeling like I was; I was sad, crying, upset and generally very emotional. I tried on numerous occasions to ‘pull myself together’ but these negative feelings were so overpowering I decided to visit
Goal Setting In Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), setting goals is an important and helpful part of therapy but is something that you may be able to start before your therapy begins. Very often, when people first start to think about goals in therapy they may say things like: “I want to feel happy” “I want to get back to my old self” “I don’t want to fee anxious” Of course,