Look into my eyes…

Chicken Staring at the Camera

Therapeutic use of hypnosis is perhaps most commonly associated with the archetypal psychoanalyst, using it to unlock memories and associations that might be inaccessible when people are fully conscious. This is one possible therapeutic use, but there are other areas where hypnosis is being trialled.

Which came first, the sleepiness or the culture? Is there more narcolepsy in Japan?

A capsule hotel I stayed in, in Tokyo.

I’ve been reacquainting myself with sleep-related issues of late, as half of my current placement is in a sleep disorders team. When looking into narcolepsy, I was intrigued to note that rates of narcolepsy are about four times higher in Japan according to self report than they tend to be elsewhere. This got me thinking… Continue reading Which came first, the sleepiness or the culture? Is there more narcolepsy in Japan?

Internal conflicts – on treating distress with electrodes

Operation - the brain surgery edition.

Part of my current placement involves working with children experiencing dystonia who are candidates for or who have had deep brain stimulation (DBS). Since I was relatively naive to the concepts, I have read up. DBS seems to be helpful to clients experiencing a range of motor-related physical problems, and is most commonly used with people experiencing Parkinson’s… Continue reading Internal conflicts – on treating distress with electrodes

On being uncertain in certain places

The summit of Mount Hakkoda, Aomori, Japan.Photo by Charlie Tyack

I recently started my specialist placement: children’s neurosciences incorporating paediatric sleep and a complex motor disorders service. It has been fascinating so far, working with new client groups and in a hospital setting, which is novel to me. It has also been a culture shock, hence the title of this post.

Thoughts on the CPF Social Materialist Manifesto Special

Street Art in Shoreditch - Photo by Charlie Tyack

A group of course-mates and I recently wrote a letter to the Clinical Psychology Forum in response to issue 256, which was itself a response to the Draft Manifesto for a Social Materialist Psychology of Distress, written by the Midlands Psychology Group. The letter was published in CPF 262. Continue reading for the letter.

Bridging which gap? Reflections on Clinical Psychology Forum 261

https://flic.kr/p/5vFmCs

This month’s CP forum special (PDF version at this link) has been quite evocative for me. It looks at the ongoing discussions about differences between clinical psychology and psychiatry.  I shall outline my thoughts about the special issue below.

Back to the blogosphere

Technicolour Aura - Light Painting by Charlie Tyack

Okay, so I’m back online. After a break of about 8 years, I have returned to the blogosphere. My last incarnation was as an assistant language teacher on the JET programme. Since then, a lot has changed. I am now a trainee clinical psychologist, training at Canterbury Christ Church University in Kent, UK and due to… Continue reading Back to the blogosphere