Adam and Mark Reeves

Tribute to Vivienne Silver-Leigh

On June 14 Vivienne Silver-Leigh, our mother and regular contributor to Positive Health passed peacefully and gracefully into spirit. Vivienne meant so much to so many people, and we, as her sons, would like to share with PH readers something of her life and death.

Allan Rudolf

1997, Me and Body Therapy

What kind of a year was 1997 for me? To put it succinctly, it was a year where, thank God, there were only three hundred and sixty-five days!

Bert-Ola, My New Friend and Teacher

Werner Erhard, the founder of EST, once said that if you put a rat in a maze with cheese in the centre, the rat will keep trying various possibilities until it eventually figures out how to get the cheese; however, most human beings often will forever keep repeating patterns over and over again despite there being no cheese (a metaphor for happiness) at the end. I notice this with some clients.

Body Parts and Body Problems

Body Therapy, Ethics and Quantum Mechanics

A few months ago, I was having tea near St. James Park in London with friends who were far more knowledgeable about the politics of body therapy and alternative medicine. I'm certainly not naive about such matters but I was surprised at the extent of infighting, backbiting and name calling.

Bodywork and Baking Bread

I have a good friend named Donna (not her true name) who started studying body therapies about twenty years ago. The first therapy she learnt was a form of structural bodywork, an offshoot of Rolfing. She was a very serious student taking copious notes all the time.

Creating Creativity in Body Therapy

I've been involved in body therapy for about twenty-five years and although I have studied many systems and styles of body therapy my main practice has always been Rolfing. Being a Rolfer, doing the same thing for so long, can get boring. I place a high priority on keeping my work interesting to me. I have seen too many therapists suffer burn-out to ignore this issue; I find that when I start getting bored I start getting depressed.

Eulogy for a Book

Every once in a while I come across a book which is relatively unknown, possibly out of print, and which has an important influence on my bodywork practise.

For Back Pain Look to the Front of the Body Too

Bodyworkers can divide their clients loosely into two (not necessarily exclusive) groups. There are clients who want to relieve general stress and be more relaxed. And there are clients who are in pain. By far the most common type of pain is back pain. Moreover, it is the most common cause of worker absenteeism in industrial societies. You can make a difference as a bodyworker by being able to work more effectively on back pain.

Learning from the Masters

Allan studied with many of the originators and founders of bodywork systems. Among them was Ida Rolf, Moshe Feldenkrais and Lauren Berry. In this article he talks about some of their (surprising) life-styles.

Million Dollar Health Secrets – Standing Meditation

In my twenty-five years as a body therapist I have come across the words "million dollar health secret" three times. The term denotes a simple technique or practice which can easily make a major difference in a person's health.

My China Experience (Part One)

The question mark after 'Part One' is not a printer's error. It is there because the experience hasn't really been crystallised fully in me yet; it is still evolving.

My China Experience (Part Two)

My China story continues (see Positive Health January/ February 1997 for Part One). Let me recap very briefly before continuing. I went to China last year for a month to immerse myself in Taiji. My purpose in going was to learn Taiji in a concentrated way from a genuine master.

Psychotherapy and Bodywork

This month's column will be a special one, written by me and a friend and colleague who works in the related field of psychotherapy – Dr Sheldon Litt. Dr Litt trained with the founder of Gestalt Therapy, Dr Fritz Perls, and is the author of Humanistic Psychology and Gestalt Therapy (in Swedish). He is in private practice and offers seminars. This article discusses the crucial relationship between Dr Litt's work – the field of psychology – and mine – bodywork.

Reading and Misreading the Body

Therapists, whether they focus on the physical mental or spiritual can only be readily certain about the physical aspects of their clients; the body never lies.

Reading and Misreading the Body (part 2)

In my previous column I suggested there are too many pitfalls (at least for me) to make informed judgements about a client's psychological condition or spiritual state from their physical structure and I also pointed out that, in all likelihood, this type of body-reading will often lead to mistaken interpretations.

Remembering Dr Rolf

May 1996 marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of Dr Ida P Rolf, one of the leading contributors to body therapy in the 20th century, who was born in May 1896. Although Dr Rolf had a European demeanor about her, she was actually born in New York City.

Some myths about practice building

For most adults, their single most time-consuming activity is work. Yet unfortunately very few people find full satisfaction in theirs. I believe lack of satisfaction in work is a major problem in our society.

The Anatomy and Physiology of Sex, a Eulogy and other matters

What do sex and pain have in common? Each person can answer this in their own way; there are lots of possibilities. For me, they are both subjects on which so much has been written and so little known.

The neglect of the body in psychotherapy

This month's column continues on a theme discussed in a previous issue – the interactive aspects of Bodywork and Psychology.

Ann Crowther

Q10 – The Provider of Life

This column focuses on Ubiquinone Q10, a naturally occurring substance and a necessary part of the cells’ energy metabolism, without which the cells cannot produce the energy that is needed for the multitude of activities that take place within the body.

The Feel Good Factor

The author points out the prevalence of environmental toxins. In the seas and oceans there are high levels of man-made toxins in the waters, and in the plant and animal life – seaweeds, fish, shellfish. Atmospheric pollution generated by industry is absorbed by rain, which then enters the food-chain of plants and animals and thence to humans. We are directly affected by toxins such as toluene, found in everything from nail varnish to building materials and common household materials: paints, polishes, carpets etc.

Use It or Lose It

This article discusses the pelvic floor muscles and tissues, how they are designed to work as a complete unit and the benefits of Pilates on these muscles. According to the author Pilates not only gives a great body but also leads to substantially heightened sexual pleasure through a combination of exercises and a better acquaintance with the 'pubococcygeus' muscles.

Anthony Aurelius

Life Balance

The author asks: “Where are you in your life? ...  Are you feeling something is missing? … Or are you feeling excited, satisfied or balanced?” Then he explains that to feel fulfilled we need a feeling of wholeness in all areas of importance to us: health, wealth, relationships. And that Life Coaching is the way to bring out the best in people who want to achieve more in their lives. He stresses that Life Coaching isn’t counselling or therapy, but a series of procedures including simple exercises under the guidance of a trained coach.

Attilio D'Alberto

Eating Right for Your Climate

This column looks into the Diet Therapy offered by Chinese Medicine practitioners.

The Withering of Yin: A Mid-Life Crisis

In this column the author explains how Yin and Yang energy work in our daily lives – from diet, sleep and emotions to sex and our environment  – and how we can benefit for understanding these ancient Chinese concepts.

Barbara Payne

Appreciating Spring-Time and Its Uplifting Attributes

Spring is the time when we all can benefit from longer and lighter days, bird song, warmer temperatures.  Even in the city, we see flowering trees and shrubs in public areas.  If we have our own garden, our feelings are intensified, because it is our ‘territory’.  Even in densely populated areas, we can see squirrels, frogs, hedgehogs and the odd fox.

Are You Ready to Spring Forward?

Regular columnist and aromatherapist Barbara Payne reminds us that Spring is the time of year to nurture our integument system – the skin, nails and hair – which we have probably overlooked due to the extra clothing, harsh winds and cold, and central heating of winter. She gives us recommendations for natural remedies we can make to feed, heal and nurture our integument system at the winter’s end.

Autumn Gold to Winter Silver –

Aromatherapist Barbara Payne looks at the uplifting and reviving essential oils that reflect the vibrancy of the autumn season and which can help to ward off viruses.

Blossom Oils For Blooming Summer

With summer almost upon us, the author focuses on sweet summer fragrances such as rose blooms in the garden and aromatherapy oils. She says that through the sense of smell we can achieve a more relaxed and positive life by environmental fragrancing and making our own products to enhance a feeling of well-being.

Early Spring – Give Yourself The 'Gift' Of An Hour

Barbara Payne, a PH Expert Regular Columnist, encourages us to take just an hour of our time and use it in the garden. At this time of the year, she tells us, you can catch a glimpse of birds building their homes, early flowers bursting with colour and the beautiful fragrance of herbs.

Enjoy Winter With Plants and Aromatherapy

This column looks at plants and essential oils that help to dispel stress and create positive feelings.

Fennel, the Roman Candle of Autumn

Fennel is a fernlike hardy perennial that grows well in UK gardens from early spring to late autumn. It has been known about for centuries. Roman soldiers used to carry its seeds to nibble as a digestive and mild appetite suppressant when they needed to press on and had too little time to eat properly. As recently as the nineteenth century, its use as a cure for eye problems was celebrated by the American poet Longfellow, of Hiawatha fame:

Full of the Joys of spring

Barbara Payne discusses the value of Rosemary as one of the joys of spring. It makes one feel mentally and physically on top of the world. As an evergreen it remains unchanged throughout the year. Its flowers range from white, to pink to light or dark blue depending on the species. Rosemary is easy to grow either by seed or propagation.

Gift Ideas

Regular columnist Barbara Payne says that the days of November and December are ideal for making gifts from your garden and your stock of essential oils and herbs. She presents three ideas for such gifts.

High Summer – A Time to Recoup and Restore

Although we all look forward to warm summer days, we can various problems associated with the summer season. Aromatherapist Barbara Payne outlines some useful coping strategies to make life more enjoyable in the heat:

Lavender – Summer's Precious Jewel

Regular contributor, Barbara Payne, explores the benefits and uses of lavender. Lavender has been celebrated for thousands of years by various civilisations. There are different species and colours, all with a strong floral aroma, and it is easy to grow. Lavender is used medicinally, cosmetically, culinarily and aesthetically, either fresh, dried or as an oil.

Reaping the Bounties of Autumn

In this Expert Column the author offers some comforting solutions from garden blooms of fruits and herbs to please the senses as the days get shorter and cooler.

Spring – A Time of Regeneration and Rebirth

This article provides a stimulus for initiating change in our lives. Just as we nourish seeds and young plants in spring, we all need to learn how to nourish ourselves, regenerate our reserves, encourage restoration, and nurture inner peace.

Summer – And Its Aromatic Bounties

Barbara Payne describes the many different ways we can enjoy aromatic summer herbs, fruits and flowers, not simply by inhaling their beautiful aromas as they grow in our gardens or lighting scented candles, but by a variety of innovative ideas for foods, drinks, lotions and sprays to keep us feeling relaxed, refreshed and serene.

Use The Dark Days To Lighten Up

Barbara Payne points out how outside influences and emotional ups and downs create chemical changes within, which in turn affect the way we feel and ultimately define our health status. We are really affected by the seasons especially the shortened dark days of December.

Brian Isbell

Does Naturopathy have a place in Integrated Medicine?

In the Integrated Medicine column this month Dr Isbell looks at Naturopathy and what role it might have in the integration of complementary and conventional medicine.

Integrating Complementary Therapies into Mainstream Education

Over the past decade approximately ten universities in the UK have become involved in developing degree courses in complementary therapies.

The Importance of Professional Organizations in Integrated Medicine

For as long as there have been complementary therapists, there have been organisations formed by individuals or groups to promote that therapy. Frequently, early professional organisations were highly conservative and did little to bring together those practising a particular therapy, and little to promote educational and training standards.

Why develop degrees in Complementary Therapies?

By September 1998 at least ten Universities in the UK were enrolling students in degrees on Complementary Therapies. Some of the universities were offering places on up to six different courses. Most of the courses are in the more established therapies such as osteopathy, chiropractic, herbal medicine, acupuncture and homeopathy.

Carole Preen

Continuing Professional Development (CPD) – Is It Really Necessary?

The author looks into the importance of personal growth and development for alternative / complementary therapists / practitioners, and questions whether this Continuing Professional Development (CPD), as she refers to it, is really necessary.

More on Neuroskeletal Re-alignment Therapy (NSRT)

This is a follow-up to a recent expert column in Positive Health where Carole Preen discussed neuroskeletal re-alignment therapy (NSRT) and cited some case studies. In this article she expands on the treatment of postural damage in osteoporosis, spondyloliesthesis, strokes and brain injury and refers to the role of Deep Tissue Massage and Trigger Point Therapy.

Neuro-Skeletal Realignment Therapy

Carole Preen describes the benefits of Neuroskeletal Re-alignment Therapy. Having been a massage practitioner for many years, she was searching for an effective way of managing patients' back pain. She eventually trained in the therapy whilst in Australia. It is a very gentle non-invasive therapy, which can treat any musculo-skeletal/neurological condition. It can re-align muscle, tendon, ligament and bone through the central nervous system and can be used on people of all ages. She commonly helps conditions such as sciatica, arthritis, babies who have difficulty settling to sleep and even the joint problems of dogs.

Regulation of Group 2 Complementary Therapies

Carol Preen tackles the regulation of three Group 2 therapies which she practises, Aromatherapy, Massage and Reflexology, and how they will affect the business of these therapists. She contacted the Aromatherapy Consortium (AC), The General Council for Massage Therapy (GCMT) and The Reflexology Forum (RF), and provides an overview of their current position and progress below:

Using Remedial Massage with Neuroskeletal Re-Alignment Therapy

As a massage therapist the author got into Neuroskeletal Re-Alignment Therapy (NSRT) in 1997 (a technique which she has written about in an earlier issue of PH) because she found regular massage did not help clients with their back problems, joint pains, etc. With NSRT she can treat the muscles and get the body back into complete balance.

Voluntary Self-regulation of Complementary Therapies

This article discusses the issue of multi-disciplinary establishments that have sprung up over the past few years to cater to the concerns of multi-disciplinary therapists about having to register with several different regulatory bodies.

Clare Maxwell-Hudson

Nothing New Under The Sun

Dr James Mennel, Head of the Department of Massage at St Thomas’ Hospital (London) early in the last century, first brought out his book on massage in 1934. In this, her first column for Positive Health entitled ‘A Licence to Touch’, Clare Maxwell-Hudson, who runs her own massage school and is an acclaimed writer on massage, compares Mennel’s general rules of massage with the qualities that she has noticed amongst her own most successful students.

The Power Of Voluntary Work

Regular contributor Clare Maxwell-Hudson shows how voluntary work has been a valuable part of societies all over the world. A large study in Michigan found that those who did voluntary work had death rates two and a half times lower than those who did not.

David Taylor

A Fishy Tale and a Drop of Oil

As more and more people are becoming aware of the importance of diet and are sampling the plethora of supplements available in order to improve their health, David Taylor stresses the importance of dietary considerations in the prevention of illness, particularly during pregnancy, to ensure the good health and development of the newborn infant.

Are All Fish Oils Equal? – Part I

In this first in a series of articles on fish oils, the author focuses on Omega 3 and what to look for when buying this oil.

Learning Disabilities and Fatty Acids

The link between fatty acids and learning is currently generating considerable media interest as the result of a study recently completed in Durham. This is the first trial of its kind and involves administering a high-EPA marine oil and some evening primrose oil to a group of dyspraxic schoolchildren. This article looks at the evidence backing the trial and considers the preliminary findings.

Prevention or Cure: Are all Fish Oils Equal? Part II

In the second part of David Taylor's Expert Column about fish oils, he looks at how we should take fish oils, whether they contain any contaminants and finally how well they work.

Prevention or Cure: What's the Problem with Milk?

The author looks at milk and why, like other white dietary products – salt, sugar, white flour, white rice, and white pasta – it should be excluded from our diet. He explains that current research has linked Insulin-like Growth Factor (IGF), found in milk, to prostate cancer, pre-menopausal breast cancer and colon cancer, despite arguments that the increased risks of contracting these cancers may be programmed from early life. Authors like Professor Jane Plant, however, argue that all dairy should be cut from the diet entirely.

Tom's Story

In this case study David Taylor discusses Irlen (Scotopic Sensitivity) Syndrome and the effect it had on one particular child. Irlen Syndrome is complex condition, which often coexists with other learning difficulties such as dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia, dysphasia or hyperactivity.

Dorothy Rowe

A Balanced Life

Regular contributor Dorothy Rowe describes her experience of the Alexander Technique, having received her first Alexander lesson from her friend, Jeannie MacLean, an experienced teacher.

Being Listened To

Dr Dorothy Rowe looks at how the elderly and mentally ill are looked upon by would-be helpers and family members. She writes of her own experience of growing old. Although she feels she is the same person she has always been, she observes how those around her change their view of her and her abilities as she grows old.

Extreme Ideas

This article looks into extreme beliefs, which the author says allows no exceptions, no matter what the circumstances. They never reflect reality and always lead to suffering. Our fantasies about our future life always go to extremes.

Identity and Immunity

The author identifies that stressful situations like moving house or exams make one more likely to pick up every flu bug or cold. Research undertaken into the efficient functioning of the immune system indicated that a bereavement or period of depression can result in illness.

Our Best Drug

This article points up the difference between old and new methods of psychiatric drug research. Most important is the way new methods emphasize the importance of placebos, following their success in clinical trials, taking into account the status of the prescriber, the method of drug delivery, even colour of the pill. So a consultant is more likely to be believed than a nurse, an i/m injection of placebo is more effective than a placebo pill and a pinky red pill works better than a blue one.

Understanding Ourselves: Do You Deserve a Treat?

Fancy a cream cake? Could you buy one without feeling guilty? Should you have to establish first whether you deserve one? In this article, Dorothy Rowe relates our shiver of guilt at feeling undeserving and the Freudian concept of Ego, Superego and Id. Just as she draws a line back to childhood resentment at being told what to do, so she regards Freud's patients as children in whom the childlike Id is battling with the parent-like Superego while the poor Ego fails to control the other two.

What We Fear The Most

Clinical psychologist Dorothy Rowe, well known for her work on depression and her many books on the subject, explores our fears about ill health and dying.

Dr Angela Jones

A Barn Door Case

In her column this month Dr Jones looks at a case that was uncannily typical of the remedy that she needed.

A Case for Tarentula hispanica

GP and homeopath, Dr Angela Jones, looks closely here at the case of one of her patients whose serious mental condition was finally brought under control by the medicine, Tarentula hispanica. This medicine is made up of the venom of a poisonous spider whose bite causes delirium in its victims.

A Case of Apis mellifica

I would like to share a recent case which came to me a few months ago and which has proceeded elegantly and fascinatingly so far. It concerns a charming self-employed bodywork therapist by the name of Esther. She had been diagnosed as suffering from rheumatoid arthritis in May 1996, having had problems of pain and intermittent swelling and stiffness of the left index finger for many years.

A Case of Complete Exhaustion

As a general practitioner, I frequently have patients whose chief complaint is that they are tired all the time. As you can perhaps imagine, it is a symptom to strike horror into the heart of any busy GP, who instantly knows that this will not be a quick consultation.

A Toxic Cure for Fibromyalgia

This article presents a case study of a nurse who, in addition to degenerative arthritis of the spine as a result of a back injury which was being treated with pain management techniques, developed a persistent chest infection, leg cramps, food poisoning symptoms such as acute diarrhoea at night, subsequently diagnosed as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), sweats, burning indigestion, and burning and tingling in all the muscles of her body. The latter was diagnosed as fibromyalgia, and was alleviated by the application of heat. In addition, she suffered a general malaise and terrible bouts of restlessness.

Ailments from Grief

One of the great strengths of homeopathy as a therapeutic tool is that it is ideally suited to the treatment of problems which cannot be given a medical diagnosis.

An Unusual Case

This case, though not stunningly exciting, is none the less an important demonstration of how homeopathic treatment sometimes has to progress. One cannot always find THE REMEDY straight away for a patient, particularly in adults with chronic disease. Instead the prescription of a remedy at a medium potency for the symptoms that are surfacing at the time allows the case to unfold so that, slowly but surely, progress can be made.

Another Headache Solved With Homeopathy

Homeopath Angela Jones presents a case study of a woman suffering from long-standing migraine, illustrating that perseverance is sometimes needed in finding the perfect homeopathic treatment for a patient.

Another Urinary Dilemma

The patient in this case study had suffered from endometriosis and from bowel symptoms; however, it was her urinary symptoms that had brought her to seek the help of a homeopath.

Anxiety

Like the majority of my patients, Lisa came to me because she had found that her doctors could not help her any further with her problems. Her story began the previous year when she had been sent to a gynaecologist because her periods were getting heavier and heavier.

Anxiety

Anxiety afflicts us at all times. It is part of normal life, a natural sequel to caring and responsibility. Usually, we can overcome our anxieties and continue with our lives undaunted. However, for the unfortunate few, anxiety is a source of terrible disability. One such lady came to see me last year in the hope that homeopathy could once again restore her to health.

Aurum and Despair

In her Case Study this month Dr Jones looks at several different issues in the case of a woman who had had serious surgery in the past and had got through it relatively easily. She was now driven to absolute despair by much minor ailments and was convinced that she would be dead by Christmas.

Different Approach to Urinary Tract Infection

Melanie was a chronic cystitis sufferer. She had had bouts all her life, but, over the year prior to her first consultation with me, the situation had deteriorated significantly. In previous years, she had always found Cantharis 6c very effective. She had chosen this with the help of a complementary self help guide on the basis that her main symptom was severe burning. Cantharis is the Spanish fly and its bite results in terrible burning which in turn is characteristic of conditions which respond to Cantharis homeopathically.

Folliculinum in Prolonged Stress

Those of you who read this column regularly may remember the case of Colin, a middle aged man with arthritis in the neck. He was experiencing severe depression due to an ongoing situation with his ex-wife who is an alcoholic and whom he has to continuously bail out of horrendous situations due to her drinking.

Harnessing the power of a grain of sand – Case studies of silica

One of the fascinations of homoeopathy is the extraordinary power that is produced in otherwise inert and everyday substances, by the potentisation process.

Homeopathy and Hypertension

Hypertension (high blood pressure) is the result of a combination of factors, such as inherited predisposition, unsuitable diet, kidney disease, pregnancy problems and stress.

Homeopathy for School Phobia

The author describes how, through homeopathy, she successfully treated a nine-year-old girl, Julia, who was displaying the physical symptoms of school phobia: daily headaches, weekly right-sided migraines, irritable bowel problems and a dramatic increase in her epileptic fits, which had been previously well controlled. This was despite that fact that she loved her new school, had made lots of friends and was not the subject of bullying.

Homoeopathy and Grief

One of the problems with being a homoeopath is that, so often, patients approach you as a last resort. By the time they reach your door, they have explored many avenues both conventional and alternative and are desperate to find a solution to their problem. I find this aspect of my practice particularly stressful. However, the other side of the coin is the joy when homoeopathic treatment succeeds where all else has failed.

How can this be used as evidence?

Simon did not feel well. He found it difficult to describe, to explain or quantify; he just did not feel well. He had felt like this on and off for almost as long as he could remember, even as a child. He was now going through a particularly bad patch and was finding it increasingly difficult to cope at work where he was under considerable stress. When he felt well, the stress did not bother him – he thrived on it, in fact – but now he feared that he might lose his job through his inability to cope.

Isopathic Treatment of Rhinitis

This regular column by Dr Angela Jones describes the homeopathic treatment prescribed for a teenage boy with persistent rhinitis, which caused chronic nasal obstruction, bouts of sneezing and headaches above the eyes. He also suffered from acne, was very thin despite a good appetite, had a tendency towards constipation and suffered from very smelly, sweaty feet. Character-wise he was obstinate and prone to anxiety.

Lichen Planus Helped by Apis Mellifica

This is an amazing story of how a notoriously stubborn skin condition has responded to the homeopathic medicine derived from the bee, Apis mellifica. The patient in question, Sharon, came to see me with a two year history of this problem which consists of excruciatingly itchy patches, usually affecting the arms and legs. The patches, classically purplish brown in colour and slightly raised, are irritating and unsightly.

Never Well Since…

As a conventionally-trained doctor, the concept of "never well since" was one of the aspects of homeopathy that first appealed to me, and it remains, for me, one of the most valuable tools in the therapeutic process.

Not Simply a Sore throat

Among the most irritating and distressing of symptoms are those related to the ears, nose and throat (or ENT as they are known in the trade).

Nux vomica and Bowel Symptoms

Evelyn was referred to me by her general practitioner, who described, in his letter, a history of abdominal symptoms dating back over fifteen years. Furthermore, Evelyn and many members of her family suffer from the condition known as familial polyposis coli which predisposes to the development of bowel cancer. She has to undergo annual examinations of the bowel and, understandably, any bowel symptoms cause terrific anxiety which further exacerbates the bowel symptoms.

Poison Ivy Strikes Again

This article, by one of our regular feature writers, examines the case of Ann, who had been plagued by psoriasis for twenty years. Her body was marked by large, scaly patches of thickened and inflamed skin, on which all sorts of creams and 'miracle cures' had had little effect.

Polymyalgia rheumatica succumbs again!

Susan came to me eight months ago, more or less in despair. She had been diagnosed as suffering from polymyalgia rheumatica eighteen months beforehand. Her story started three years previously when her husband died. About a year later, she and her relatives noticed that she was steadily declining in health and certainly not functioning like the hale and hearty seventy-five year old that they knew and loved.

Success with Recurrent Viral Infections

One of the areas where homeopathy has a useful role is in the management of nonspecific ill health, where a person feels generally unwell and is often prone to recurrent viral infections. Furthermore, they tend to have difficulty shaking off these infections and feel more ill still for some time after them.

Take Another Dose of Salt

Ellen had a miserable time with endometriosis for many years. She had been treated with danazol, then had difficulty conceiving, but eventually achieved pregnancy with the help of fertility drugs. Now, ten years later, she was suffering from bouts of prolonged period-type pain, but lasting for up to two weeks before her period. She had no benefit from analgesia of any kind.

Tale of My Root Canal

Homeopath Angela Jones shares her own experiences of a painful infected root canal which, after initial dental drilling, washing out and dressing, she successfully treated herself with homeopathy.

The Challenges Posed by Homeless People

In her final column, Dr Angela Jones talks about her experiences working as a GP at a specialist GP practice for homeless people.

The Power of Constitutional Medicine

I have treated Elizabeth for over five years now, on an intermittent basis. She first came to see me for her arthritis, which was causing her absolute misery. It affected her chiefly in the neck and this was resulting in great difficulty because of her occupation.

Treating Alopecia Areata

Hair loss is one of the most distressing symptoms a patient can have, not because of its life-threatening nature, but because the fear of baldness, and its accompanying social stigma, is so great in our society.

Treating Children with Homoeopathy

Our children are our most treasured possessions, or should I say our most valued charges. It is the natural wish of a parent that their child should have the best of everything, including, and especially, health.

Treating Verrucas – to Burn or Not to Burn?

The author presents a homeopathic approach to treating the viral condition of verrucas, or plantar warts, as an alternative to conventional treatment with freezing, burning, cutting or applying caustic preparations.

Two Catarrhal Tales

I have always thought of catarrh as being extremely unglamorous, as well as somewhat boring, from the medical point-of-view. As a general practitioner, there is not a lot that one can do for the catarrh sufferer apart from handing out decongestant or steroid nasal sprays, antibiotics or sympathy (or a combination of the three!).

Two Intractable Complaints

I have just heard about the death of one of my patients. Even homeopathy cannot prevent this inevitable event. Sarah was seventy-five, alert and active. She suffered a massive heart attack while cooking Sunday lunch for her family, a characteristically homely task.

Dr Daniel Benor

Common Denominators Across Healing Modalities

This article discusses the elements common to the various alternative/complementary therapies. The author says between Acupuncture and Zen, one's problems may be addressed at many possible levels within the wholistic spectrum. Each modality has its unique characteristics and blends of elements to address our ills - through body, emotions, mind, relationships (with other people and environment) and spirit.

Self-Healing with WHEE™ – (The Wholistic Hybrid of EMDR and EFT)

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is an empowering, self-healing therapy that helps to release negative feelings and beliefs, no matter how intense, and transform them into positive ones, by stimulating the left and right sides of the body while mentally focusing and stating a problem. Dr Daniel Beror has found this technique highly effective on children with post-traumatic stress disorders and is open to teaching them how to practise it on themselves because they respond to this approach very quickly.

The Growth and Evolution of Spiritual Healers

Dr Daniel Benor looks at the gift of spiritual healing and discusses whether it is something natural and intuitive, or whether it can be practised and developed. Having spoken to hundreds of healers he concludes that it is very similar to musical or sporting ability. However natural the gift, it can be practised and improved upon.

The Healer as an Instrument for Wholistic Healing

Regular columnist Dr Daniel Benor looks at how many caregiver factors contribute to enhancing the effectiveness of clinical intervention. The effectiveness of caregiving can be enhanced with a wholistic approach. The author describes ways in which this can be done:

The Healing Potential in a Word – Part I

In the first of this two-part series on words, the author explains that the words we use shape our perceptions and our interactions with the world. Through words we are taught to label the myriads of stimuli that enter our sensory portal. The words and labels we learn to use come to identify who we are, what we do, how we do it, and how we relate to each other individually and collectively, and how we interact with to the environment.

The Healing Potential in a Word – Part II

In the final of this two-part series on words, the author discusses aggressive language in treatment and the world of matter and separate realms of the mind and spirit.

The Healing Potential in a Word – Part III

The author continues his series of articles on healing words by looking into the value of words in general as well as those related to therapies.

The Healing Potential in a Word – Part IV

The author continues his series of articles on healing words by focusing on the many terms that exist for those who offer treatments as well as those who seek them.

The healing Potential in a Word – Part V

The author continues his series of articles on healing in this issue by sharing his views on the meaning of Complementary / Alternative / Integrative, Holistic/Wholistic and Integrative Care. He also provides some insight into Abbreviations – by internet users and medical profession as a form of time-efficient communication.

The Inner Voice of Clinical Intuition

This column looks into intuition, an ability which the western world seems to value the least, and is often perceived as or accompanied by an inner uneasiness, which when responded to can often reward us with important messages and inspirations.

Wholistic Integrative Care

The author uses the word 'wholistic' to provide a single alternative to the many meanings of holistic and integrative care. He settles for the treatment of body, mind and spirit in a comprehensive programme which may include one or more complementary/alternative medicines (CAM), such as Acupuncture from Traditional Chinese Medicine or Homeopathy, Herbalism, Vegetarian diet and Fitness Programmes in the context of Naturopathic Medicine.

Working as a Doctor and as a Healer

Doctor and healer, Daniel Benor tells the story of his path from sceptical orthodox medicine to becoming a practitioner of spiritual healing.

Dr David Peters

A University Polyclinic at Westminster

On 14 May HRH the Prince of Wales opened the University of Westminster's new clinic of complementary therapies. Acupuncture, homeopathy, chiropractic, therapeutic bodywork, herbal medicine and nutritional therapy are all represented at the clinic.

The Challenge of Working and Learning Together

Complementary medicine is a relative newcomer to the NHS. CM works better for some problems (and for certain kinds of people) than it does for others and is most effective in the hands of practitioners with real knowledge and skill.

We have to educate to integrate

Integration is the new buzz-word: the argument being that non-conventional therapies are here to stay, so why not put them to work in the mainstream?

Why Research?

As we enter this hazardous age of 'Integration' (with a capital I) there's a great deal of ambivalence about what it might imply. We may be less alternative than we were, but wisely we remain unsure that we want to risk entangling with the complexity and stress of mainstream health care delivery!

Hannah McDonald

A Case of Soy too Much

The author presents a case study of a client suffering with constant bleeding and several months of perimenopausal symptoms, such as hot flushes, who wanted to avoid HRT, a progesterone coil or a surgical procedure as suggested by her doctor, to relieve her condition.

Colonic Hydrotherapy for Digestive Problems

This is a case history of a client with long-standing digestive problems including excessive gas, explosive bowel motions and lower abdominal gripes; also a sore, itchy and inflamed anus. Colonic Hydrotherapy treatments had failed to resolve the digestive problems, and anti-fungal treatment had not been successful for the anal inflamation. Coeliac disease had been eliminated; because of travel in India, he was being tested for Giardia.

Judith Price

A Common Dietary Problem: Inadequate Protein and Fats

Judith Price, a nutritionist also trained in hypnotherapy, describes the nutritional and dietary treatment given to a lady suffering from depression, fatigue, hormonal imbalance and irritable bowel syndrome largely due to inadequate protein and fats, which completely transformed not only her physical symptoms but also her appearance and outlook.

Julia Pendower

Avian Influenza: What Steps Can You Take?

In this article on Bird Flu or H5N1 Avian Influenza, the author sets the facts straight on this disease of birds by saying that this particular virus has shown that it can infect humans only when they are in close contact with infected birds.

Evolution of Nutritional and Pharmaceutical Science during the 20th Century

This column is one in a series to focus on some of the 'ground breaking' discoveries today in the field of nutrition and health.  Following ones will look at emerging sciences such as the field of nutrigenomics, and how these advances could revolutionize the role of the nutritional therapist in healthcare management in the years ahead.

Kate Neil

ADD or Iodine Deprivation?

Nutritionist Kate Neil relates the story of a 65-year-old woman who wished to improve her mental function, suspecting that she was suffering from attention deficit disorder (ADD).

Essentially Healthy but with Minor Ailments

Nutrition Practitioner Kate Neil recounts the case of Clare, ‘essentially healthy but with minor ailments’. Clare is a 28-year-old Marketing Director with a hectic work and social life who considers herself as fairly healthy and has eaten what she believed to be a reasonably balanced vegetarian diet.

Nutritional Support for Children with Autism

Regular contributor, Kate Neil, looks at the link between autism in children and nutrition. Autism rates in Britain have risen dramatically over the last 20 years, and 1 in 500 children in the UK is now diagnosed with the condition.

Primary Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome

Kate Neil looks at the causes, symptoms and nutritional treatment of primary polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), a common hormonal problem affecting menstruating women, using the specific case example of a 28-year-old woman who presented at her nutrition consultancy last year.

Pyrroluria – Vitamin B6 and Zinc Deficiency

Regular columnist, Kate Neil, describes the case history of Paula, a young woman of 33 who was having difficulties conceiving.

Lila Kirkland ND

Nutrition and Fertility

This article provides detailed information about appropriate nutrition for maximising fertility, for both women and men. 

Linda Lazarides BA

Chronic Inflammation

There are many names for diseases of chronic inflammation. Regular columnist and Nutritional Therapist Linda Lazarides lists 18 including allergies, hepatitis and rheumatoid arthritis. She has helped her own understanding of treatment for patients by looking at the processes of inflammation.

Folic Acid: A Matter of Common Sense?

Nutritional health expert Linda Lazarides questions why research into the deficiency of folic acid (a B Complex Vitamin), which causes devastating birth defects, is not resulting in more government action in the UK. Although pregnant women are now being prescribed folic acid supplements, due to pressure from some doctors, people with other problems caused by this deficiency are still at risk. She commends the American practice of fortifying bread with folic acid which she says could save countless lives in the UK and Scotland.

Not Just A Load Of Old Bones

This article focuses on recent research on Vitamin D, which suggests that it could be the key to food intolerances. It has been estimated that at least 30% of all patients who consult a family doctor suffer from symptoms of food intolerance, ranging from chronic sinusitis, glue ear, asthma, headaches, ADHD (hyperactivity), water retention and eczema, to arthritis (osteo- and rheumatoid) chronic fatigue, irritable bowel syndrome and colitis.

The 'G' Factor – The Benefits of a Gluten-free Diet

Detox diets are trendy. They avoid gluten like the allergenic protein it is. Found in wheat, rye, spelt, barley, oats, even in so-called gluten-free maize, it can cause headaches, irritable bowel syndrome, joint pains, skin problems, coeliac disease where it results in chronic diarrhoea and wasting; it has also been implicated in early-stage dementia, or Alzheimer's disease, schizophrenia and autism.

When Food Makes You Ill

Regular contributor Linda Lazarides looks at the problem of poor digestion. It is possible to lose the evolutionary ability to tolerate food and many people become so ill when they eat that they are on the verge of starvation.

Lisa Saffron

Dialogue

This column is the last I'll write for the foreseeable future. I've written fifteen columns with topics ranging from arsenic to xeno-oestrogens. But I've kept coming back to one topic - the health benefits of organic food, a fascinating topic not because of the facts but because of what it reveals about different approaches to risk taking.

Headlice control – unnecessary chemical warfare

Headlice are a frequent nuisance but cause no hazard to health beyond an itchy scalp. Yet they are treated with toxic pesticides, potentially capable of causing greater hazards to health and the environment than the lice themselves.

The Weight of Evidence

During the last year, I have been looking closely at the evidence behind the theory that food produced by intensive agriculture increases the risk of cancer and that people can reduce their risk by eating organic food.

Mario-Paul Cassar

The Application of Massage in Psychogenic Disorders

Cassar discusses the use of massage in psychogenic disorders. It is well known that massage relaxes us and can benefit us on emotional levels, but can it help with more complex behavioural and neurological dysfunctions? Recent research has been undertaken by The Touch Research Institutes at the University of Miami School of medicine and the Nova Southeastern University, Florida, headed by Dr Tiffany Field.

The Importance of Good Posture in Bodywork Part I

As part of his series on massage and bodywork, the author advices on the correct posture and handwork of practitioners in this article. Postural awareness is a combination of body position, body weight and direction of pressure. These components can be adapted to suit the therapist's own structure, the height and width of the treatment table and the therapist's own preferred massage methods.

The Importance of Good Posture in Bodywork Part II

Mari-Paul Cassar looks at the use of hands, thumbs and forearms in this 2nd part of his Bodywork piece aimed at practitioners. The palm and fingers are the fundamental tools for the palpatory skills that are essential to massage and bodywork. They are used to read the tissues, sense tension, tightness, fibrosis, oedema and adhesions.

The Importance of Good Posture in Bodywork Part III

In this the final of a 3-part series on bodywork, the author focuses on the importance of good posture in massage and bodywork and considers the benefits and indications of carrying out a treatment with the client lying sideways or sitting.

The Importance of Palpatory Skills

Mario-Paul Cassar is well established as a practitioner and teacher in Osteopathy, Bodywork, Clinical Massage and Sports Therapy. He has also written several article and books including the textbook Handbook of Clinical Massage. In bodywork he emphasizes palpatory skills which he maintains are vital to any massage therapy.

Mark Kane

Are You Qualified to Practise?

This question is perhaps not always asked out loud by patients but is certainly present when they first consult a practitioner of complementary therapies.

Complementary Therapies in the Next Decade: The Challenges

Never before have complementary therapies found so much favour. Patients are choosing and using complementary therapies in greater numbers than ever before.

Offering a Quality Service?

What makes the service you offer to your patients good quality? What is quality? By what standard do you want your work evaluated? Do you believe that what you offer is beyond compare? Complementary therapists see their work as highly individual and individualised.

Whose opinion counts, anyway?

Everyone has their own opinion about the effectiveness of complementary therapies. As a practitioner of complementary therapies I have to make choices and evaluate the therapies that I use day by day. The importance of this evaluation is most clear to me when I chose one therapy over another for a particular patient. As a multi-skilled practitioner I have a range of options that I can call on to treat specific problems.

Mary Martin

Empowering The Placebo

This article looks at the power of the placebo effect, which a House of Lords Science and Technology report in 2000 states "is not just an imagined experience but can positively improve objective biological measures of health".

Facilitating Positive Changes

The author presents two cases which demonstrate the power of the mind in the context of Reflexology. The average GP, she says, has no time to talk patients through their problems and get to the underlying cause. Despite studies in Psychoneuroimmunology which demonstrate the clinical importance of psychological factors, there is still little understanding of the significance of the mind/body relationship and of techniques by which GPs can boost a patient's immunity.

Mistletoe Therapy

Although Iscador is contraindicated for some types of cancer, the author herself was given Iscador injections prior to cancer surgery. With the additional help of a homeopathic remedy and self-administered hand reflexology, she made a quick recovery. A brief case study is also described of a woman with breast cancer who was unable to conceive and was helped by Iscador drops and reflexology.

Optimizing the Healing Potential

This column discusses the placebo effect which, the author says, can override psychological and physical conditions, and is the strongest, most comprehensive and most proven medicine available to GPs for optimizing one’s own healing potential.

Problems Affecting Muscles and Joints

Mary Martin demonstrates how Reflexology can be used to treat problems affecting muscles and joints.

Relief from Chronic Illness

Reflexology treats the whole person rather than a specific disorder in isolation and complements orthodox medicine when supporting people with chronic illnesses.

The Human Factor

Reflexologist Mary Martin focuses on how modern medicine has disregarded the psychological and emotional levels of health, how science has disconnected itself from the patient. Health, as the WHO definition reminds us, is influenced by many factors, including social environmental conditions and is not just the absence of disease and infirmity.

The Vital Link

By examining the scientific evidence of quantum physics and the findings of research into energy fields, this article provides support for the basic principles of reflexology and its success.

Tinnitus

This column focuses on the positive effect of Reflexology in treating tinnitus – a condition that can prevent one in 200 sufferers from living normal lives, while one in five is occasionally affected. At worst it can lead to insomnia and depression.

Touch as a Therapeutic Tool

Mary Martin discusses the value of touch as a therapeutic tool in cancer treatment. Western medicine is highly dependent on technology and has become a far less touching profession. Being diagnosed with cancer is a traumatizing experience and many of the conventional treatments are invasive and distressing. Touch therapies can provide vital support and reassurance to cancer patients.

Michael Levy

Be the Hero in Your Life

The author takes an unconventional approach in this column to explain personal well-being and the power of true self-esteem, by focusing on the heroes in the movies Scent of a Woman, Kitten and Life is Beautiful.

Clear Mind - Healthy Body

This column looks into positive and negative thoughts and the need to empty the mind of all thoughts for clearer thinking.

No More Soup

This column focuses on the deeper significance of an old folklore on the search for enlightenment and our ego-master who holds many negative emotions in its memory banks and sends us out into the world with anger, hatred, fear, jealousy, worry, anxiety, etc….

Surrogate Joy

In this issue Michael Levy looks at the concept of joy and how many of us are trying to find it in the wrong places. He points out that though people have more spiritual and medical information and are richer they seem to be unhappier than previous generations.

The Course Will Close Itself

Using the metaphor of a committee trying to decide on a rule for when a golf course should close, the author draws our attention to the value of attuning ourselves to the messages from our bodies.  The committee decided that the golf course would close itself:  when weather conditions made it impossible to play, it would be closed.

Montse Bradford

Food and Emotions

The author believes that food and emotions are linked together and the relationship begins at birth with mother's milk. During childhood, food is linked with treats which are given for good behaviour and withheld as punishment. As adults, the pattern becomes more complex, but the underlying principle remains, that certain foods are desirable because they create wellbeing. More often than not, what they also create is guilt, particularly when those foods are eaten to excess.

Our Inner Fire

The author suggests that we all sit quietly for a moment with our eyes shut. Imagine a flame inside us and decide on its shape, size, colour and intensity. Is it burning happily, very small or almost out of control? Our attitude to the quality of food, to having the right dishes at the appropriate time, she maintains, can affect that ‘Inner Fire’ and with it our vitality, strength and passion for living.

The Alchemy of Cooking

The author is Director of The School of Natural Cookery and Life Energetics, which offers weekend courses in wholefood cookery, natural lifestyle and food energetics. It is said to constitute a unique, holistic training programme. Fundamental to its philosophy is the idea that each season offers distinctive changes in energy which should be reflected in foods appropriate to the weather.

The Alchemy of Cooking: Our Children, Our World

This article looks at the importance of nutrition and correct supply of nutrients for the rapid growth and healthy development of children.

Thinking Globally, Cooking Locally

The author is an internationally renowned cooking teacher, author, emotional counsellor and healer. She is also the director of The School of Natural Cookery and Life Energetics, which offers weekend courses in Wholefood Cookery, Natural Lifestyle and Food Energetics. In this article she focuses on the need to know about good nutrition: what essential food groups we need in our diet and what foods to avoid, how to make a positive diet/lifestyle change and how to cook healthily, in a simple, practical way.

Nancy Blake

Dealing with Harm

This column focuses on how practitioners in health-enhancing professions can keep well, and use their skills to the best of their ability to help their clients without drowning in sympathy or distress over their situation.

Joy – That’s What It’s About, Isn’t It?

This column on NLP touches on experiences of joy – the joy of the seasons – and pain, which is nature’s way of letting us know that something needs to be done to ensure our survival. Suffering is explained as a messenger and not something that should define our lives.

Penny Crowther

Constipation, Gluten and Milk Allergies in Children

The theme of this article is constipation, gluten and milk allergies in children. The author approaches it via the case history of an eight-year-old girl who came to the clinic with a bloated and distended abdomen and chronic constipation.

Healthy Food for Children

Regular columnist Penny Crowther examines the results of a Mori poll (November 2002) that found that 200,000 children in England and Wales had eaten no fruit or vegetable in the past seven days. A report on school dinners by the Consumer's Association (October 2001) revealed that vitamins A and B2, folic acid, zinc, magnesium, calcium and potassium were commonly low in school children's diets. It also found that, although healthy options were available, pupils chose the unhealthy options that were still on the menu.

Nutritional Therapists: Food Police or Food Educators?

The representation of nutritionists as 'food police' is an obstacle that the author highlights we must overcome. Another obstacle when following diets can be a low mood, stemming from our emotional connection with the foods we have to give up. This can be overcome by using counselling, supportive healing treatments, meditation or mind-body exercise.

Polycystic Ovaries: Conception following Nutritional Programme

Despite the remarkable breakthrough that IVF (in-vitro fertilization) has made in the treatment of infertility, Penny Crowther points out that there are other more natural and less invasive options.

Probiotic Power: Are you Getting the Right Bugs?

This article focuses on probiotics, the beneficial lactic acid producing bacteria which inhabit our intestines. Milk, for one provides a good example, 'coz when soured it turns into a health giving, live culture by action of bacteria. It is important our intestines contain more of this bacteria than the disease causing one.

That Bloated Feeling...

A common cause of abdominal bloating is too many unfriendly bacteria in the gut, leading to a build-up of toxins, Gut flora imbalance can be influenced by stress, smoking, poor diet, drugs such as antibiotics and steroids, or long-term use of the contraceptive pill. The level of friendly bacteria can be increased by eating live yoghurt, which contains Acidophilus, or by taking a supplement of bacteria known as a probiotic.

The Pitfalls of a Vegetarian Diet

Vegetarianism is proven as a healthy way of eating. However, a poorly thought out vegetarian diet can have adverse effects, as Penny Crowther illustrates in her column using two case histories from her practice.

The Starch Connection

In this column on Irritable Bowel Syndrome, low starch diets seem to work wonders with the author’s patients who come to her with abdominal bloating and excess gas problems, despite following wholesome diets and even giving up dairy or wheat based foods.

What is a Healthy Balance Diet Anyway?

Penny Crowther discusses the need for nutritional advice and dispels the myth that it is only for those who rarely eat fruit and vegetables. She gives two relevant case studies.

Ruth White

Positive Health of Mind and Body

The author illustrates what she calls the “universal natural law that whatever we do in this life will eventually come back in exactly the same proportions” by relating the story of a poor Scottish farmer who rescued a nobleman’s son who was being sucked to certain death into a bog. The farmer wouldn’t accept any payment but agreed to the nobleman paying for his son’s education. The nobleman was Lord Randolph Churchill, father of Sir Winston, and the farmer’s son eventually became Sir Alexander Fleming, discoverer of penicillin.

Talk Back – From the Spine

Ruth White writes from the point of view of the backbone in the context of a case study of a woman called Christine. Christine suffered from terrible back pain and had her backbone pummeled, heated and drugged, which did not alleviate the pain. Yoga would have been a better alternative.

Unwind and Relax

Using examples of a student with acute psoriasis and her own problems with chronic back pain, regular columnist, yoga teacher Ruth White, describes how yoga was used to completely cure these problems.

Sheldon Litt, Ph.D.

Answers to Readers and Speculations on Space

I have had several responses to my recent article in Positive Health on Psychological Cloning (Positive Health Issue 20, June/July 1997). Most of these correspondents were curious about the Heaven's Gate suicide cult, and especially about the motives of the leader, Marshall Herff Applewhite.

Beauty

What is it about beauty that fascinates us? In fact, more basically, what is beauty? What are the criteria for judging something or someone as being beautiful?

Carl Jung (1875–1961)

It is now nearly 40 years since the death of one of the pioneers of psychotherapy, Carl Jung, Swiss founder of his own school of analytic psychology.

Carl Jung on Human Relations

In the last two issues of Positive Health, we discussed some of the primary ideas of Carl Jung, one of the early pioneers of the psychoanalytic movement, who broke with Freud to emerge a 'wise old man' archetype himself in his later years, making pronouncements on everything from the I Ching to flying saucers, to the future of mankind, although some considered him to be nothing more than a canny elderly fakir. In this column we will look at some of Jung's theories on human relationships.

Communication Styles

Working as a psychotherapist brings one into contact with various styles of speech patterns. Many of these are habitual ways of disturbed communicating.

Doctor of the Soul

I was in New York recently, where I had lunch with a former colleague, Harriet, who is now a high-flying industrial psychologist, whatever that is. I think she travels around giving courses to businessmen on how to use psychology to earn more profits. She is well paid for this service, compared with the meagre salary of a university teacher.

Doctor of the Soul

I was at a party last week, and sometime after a long conversation with a group of people, an unknown gentleman, well-dressed in a tweed jacket, broke in and suddenly inquired of me: "You're a doctor, what kind of doctor are you?" "I'm not a doctor," I said, "I'm a psychologist." His attitude showed a sliver of contempt, but he condescended enough to state that he was a physician and doesn't think much of mental healers.

Don Juan and Casanova

Psychology is often not the best source of wisdom concerning the passions of life. Probably better to turn to great literature and real life itself. This is especially true when discussing love and sex, those two perennials of the consultation room.

Dreams & Dreamwork

Man has speculated about the meaning of dreams since the beginning of time. Perhaps, back in the prehistoric caves, images appearing to people in dreams were the origin of the concept of the soul (i.e. in the world of the dreamer, dead people appear, therefore it could be speculated that they must be alive somewhere, in some afterlife...).

Dreams (II); Nightmares, Daydreams

A number of readers contacted me to ask about recurrent dreams and especially nightmares. In any discussion of dreams and related topics, I am often asked about daydreaming. These are some of the areas which will be under consideration here.

Encounters with Philosophers

Recently, I read in the newspapers about the current trend for people who are troubled to seek help through philosophy rather than visit the psychotherapist's office. The hope is that the philosopher, with his knowledge of the great ideas, can lead the disturbed patient to acceptance of life's difficulties and perhaps offer some time-tested logical solutions to conflicts and dilemmas.

Fate

I was involved recently in an academic discussion on the place of fate in human life. I was surprised that there were so many people there who defended the passive interpretation, claiming that a blind, or destiny controls their lives.

Frederick: A Sort of Love Story

Today I turn to a poignant and complicated issue: my friend Frederick and his 'lovesickness'. He suffers from one of the most painful forms of love distress – unrequited love. Oscar Wilde, always reliable in wit and love, summed it up as follows: "unrequited love lasts longest".

Fritz Perls and Gestalt Therapy

Gestalt therapy was originated about fifty years ago by Frederick 'Fritz' Perls (1893-1970) in collaboration with Paul Goodman.

How to be More Creative

In his column this month Sheldon Litt discusses some of the techniques that he has found to help people become more creative.

How to Make Decisions

Having trouble deciding to write about this month Dr Litt decided to write about making decisions.

Human Relations (Part II)

In the last issue of PH (31), we looked at a paradigm of different types of human relations based on the Gestalt Therapy method of Frederick "Fritz" Perls (1893-1970). The first two types, dependency and confluence (or what could be labelled "symbiosis", or in Perls' own terminology, "confluence") show a situation in which one or both of the partners involved have boundary problems.

Human Relationships

Gestalt therapy carries an existential message about human relationships. Perls' epigrammatic statement of his ethic of interaction is contained in this little verse:

I do my thing, and you do your thing.
I am not in this world to live up to your expectations
And you are not in this world to live up to mine.
You are you and I am I
And if by chance we find each other, it's beautiful.
If not, it can't be helped.

Identity Problems

This latest article from regular contributor, Sheldon Litt, discusses the issue of Existentialism in Psychotherapy and how such an approach can be of great value in the consulting room. Many patients, often young men, are confused by their own identity, but have no means of reconciling their conflict.

Laura Perls (1905–1990): Co-Founder of Gestalt Therapy

Sheldon Litt gives a fascinating insight here into the life and work of Laura Perls, one of the co-founders of Gestalt Therapy.

More on Existential Philosophy and Modern Psychotherapy

In an earlier issue of Positive Health (Issue 40, May 1999) the influence of existentialism on modern psychology was discussed. Here we will continue this discussion, looking at both the theory and practice of psychotherapy.

More on Jung

My last article dealt with Carl Jung, the famous analyst who developed a system that became one of the main rivals to Freud.

One Hundred Years of Sigmund Freud

As 1999 transforms into the year 2000, it is a good time to look back on the contribution of Sigmund Freud to the field of psychology. It was 100 years ago that Freud's first major book appeared on the world scene

Paths Through Life

In his column this month Sheldon Litt addresses the question of the path each of us takes through life.

Phobias and Fears

In his column Sheldon Litt looks at fears and phobias, the reasons for them, their treatment and the hidden issues that may lie behind them.

Psychological Cloning

Dolly the smiling sheep has her fetching photo on the front page of almost every newspaper I have seen recently, and the usual media pundits are discussing cloning everywhere I look. All this talk about the ethics and dangers of biological duplication are necessary and desirable; for myself, however, I am more inclined to ponder over the perhaps more pernicious and widespread phenomenon which could be called "psychological cloning".

Psychotherapy as a Humane Discipline (A paradigm for therapists)

Many psychotherapists are uncertain about their values and confused about the general values of psychotherapy.

Some Unwritten Laws of Psychology

The heavy psychology textbooks on my shelves contain some well-known laws: the law of effect, the Weber-Fechner law, the principle of just noticeable difference, etc. But here we will focus on those more obscure axioms that have not yet been inscribed in the scholarly literature.

The Impact of Existential Philosophy on Modern Psychology

It is now some 50 years since existentialism swept through the salons of European intellectual life. Jean-Paul Sartre (1905-1980) may be considered one of the leaders of the existential philosophy movement. Few philosophers today are interested in this approach, but for some psychologists the influence of existentialistic ideas has been profound.

The Psychologist's Fallacy - and other pitfalls

Today we will look at some common fallacies or misconstructions found in the general area of psychology/ psychotherapy. The most common myth, as I see it – and many are prone to this misconception today – is what American philosopher William James called (about 100 years ago) "the psychologist's fallacy."

The Psychology of Art (I)

Ever since Freud first ventured into the problems of creativity, psychoanalysis has stressed the darker, negative aspects of art.

The Psychology of Art (II)

Starting from the perspective of William Blake's "Energy is eternal delight", this article is a theoretical speculation on the origin of artistic creativity which expands psychological theory in a new direction.

The Psychology of Money

We're all very interested in money, but not many of us understand it. There are several new books on the market now trying to explain this complicated and highly emotional subject, but unfortunately they only lead to more confusion.

The Psychology of Money 2 – More on Money

I knew it, I expected it. My last article in Positive Health on money, that perennially popular topic, aroused lots of interest and responses from readers. People, as I suggested, are fascinated by money (who's not?). Even the so-called spiritual gurus who claim not to be at all interested in material wealth on this earth certainly do go out of their way to amass enormous piles of this "illusory" stuff.

The Use of The Past in Psychotherapy

In his column this month Sheldon Litt explores the use of the past in psychotherapy.

To Lie or not to Lie

Today's column comes from a discussion I had recently with an acquaintance, let's call him Herbert. Now Herb is very much in love with a wonderful woman, but despite that, he still seems to have an eye for the ladies.

What is 'gestalt' about Gestalt Therapy?

My article on Fritz Perls and Gestalt Therapy (P.H. 34, Nov. '98) raised questions from readers who wanted to know more about the origins of gestalt therapy and its relation to the earlier experimental school of Gestalt Psychology.

What's Normal?

One of the confusing elements surrounding the field of psychology is the concept of 'normal'. People ask themselves and others, "Am I normal? Are you normal?" The popular press has dozens of questionnaires every week which supposedly help the individual to determine his degree of normalcy.

What's Normal? Part II

The problem of normality in the field of psychology is a complicated one, diffused as it is with theories of health. The difficulty is that each practitioner has his own notion of what 'human nature' is, and what a healthy individual should look like. And these fundamental theories of what is normal may be explicit or, as is more often the case, implicit and unstated.

Why is Sex Important?

I'm at a party in New York. There's a lull in the conversation. A young woman next to me smiles with evil intent and asks – "Why do you psychologists think sex is so important?" I look at my watch.

Women – Why do they put up with abuse?

Although I have worked as a psychotherapist for more than 30 years, I must admit that there are many things about women that I just don't understand. Many of my patients are women caught in terrible, unhappy love stories. Some of these events I listen to as part of my job are totally incomprehensible to me.

Su Fox

Aftercare or Afterthought? What Happens at the End of the Massage Session

The column concludes that consultation, massage treatment, aftercare – at the beginning, during and after a session – have a valuable place in good holistic massage practice.

Don’t Pick up the Client’s Negative Energy: From White Light to Neuroscience

The author has always followed ‘white light protection’ practices, intended to protect the practitioner from a client’s ‘negativity’, but has had reservations – would these practices shut out positive energy as well?  Or make the practitioner less sensitive?

Susanna Dowie

Are You in Control?

In this column on stress and control, the author asks a small sample group of people what causes them stress and was surprised to discover that the one common thread running through their answers was the word ‘Control’.

Do I Really Need a Degree?

This article focuses on one woman who has recognized the importance of excellent credentials in the world of complementary therapies. Liz Jeannet, a Complementary and Alternative Medicine practitioner, returned to college in 2001 to study for a three-year, full-time BSc degree in Acupuncture. She opted to do this so that she could feel that she was trained to the same high level as the doctors that she works alongside on Harley Street.

Holism or Dualism: East or West

According to the author, a Chinese medicine doctor, living and trained in China, sees no distinction between the mind and body but just a pattern of energetic disharmony when treating a patient...

Vera Peiffer

Creating Your Future

“An unpleasant or difficult life situation would be made a lot easier to bear if someone could tell us reliably when it would end.” Vera Peiffer looks at this statement in the light of clairvoyancy, relating how an accurate prediction helped her to hang on in during a difficult house sale. She puzzles over the question: if the future can be predicted, is there any point in striving for goals?

Do You Recognize Your Own Success?

Using the example of a hypnotherapy client who had a fear of eating in public, Vera Peiffer illustrates how often we fail to recognize the progress we are making towards our goals, whether combating a phobia or trying to lose weight.

In Defence of Positive Thinking

As many have discovered from reading Vera's book Positive Thinking, adopting this attitude can help us to overcome problems and deal with difficult life situations in a more constructive way.

It Isn't Funny

Kinesiologist Vera Peiffer highlights the devastating effect that alopecia can have on sufferers, particularly in terms of fear, lack of self-confidence and feeling self-conscious, whether experiencing bald patches or suffering complete hair loss, sometimes overnight, and resorting to wearing a wig.

Stop Being Sensible All The Time!

Using a vivid illustration of her own daring but amazing first experience of paragliding, Vera Peiffer spotlights the fact that as we get older we often slip into the same old routines and set ourselves boundaries that stifle our creative side and the magic moments in life.

Subtle Energy - Myth or Reality?

The author, an analytical hypnotherapist and health kinesiologist, seeks to prove the existence and explain the mysteries of subtle energies.

The Spectre of Fear

Vera Peiffer, hypnotherapist and kinesiologist, offers a vivid illustration of the fine line between rational and irrational fear and damaging effects of fear on our health,