religion – Iain Douglas Stewart

Don’t invite disease into your mind.

By Iain 27 January 2023ReflectionsNo Comments

Considering the circumstances of the universe, each and every one of you reading this is amazingly lucky to be alive and exist in this world. In this world there are unlimited great experiences, beautiful things, challenges and opportunities that you couldn't even begin to imagine in your wildest dreams. Seek out those instead of looking into the deep catacombs of…

L3CiCS Reflective Diary – 13th March 2020

By Iain 13 March 2020Qualifications courseworkNo Comments

This week, just like last week, we split up into small groups to discuss case studies in a simulation of a peer-supervision group. I presented my second case study this week, a female in her mid-thirties, who came to counselling because she was feeling regret at not having settled down and felt she had focused on her career for too…

L3CiCS Learning Log – 8th November 2019

By Iain 8 November 2019Qualifications courseworkNo Comments

In terms of discovering the range of ways in which people experience discrimination, I think firstly I should explain that discrimination is the act of treating someone unfairly or differently because of who they are, due to certain beliefs or because they possess certain characteristics. There are many forms of discrimination and sadly, despite the Equality Act 2010 and the…

L3CiCS Reflective Diary – 8th November 2019

By Iain 8 November 2019Qualifications courseworkNo Comments

We were still working on diversity, discrimination and prejudice this week. Our tutor asked us to discover all the ways (both positive and negative) in which diversity can impact on the counselling relationship, which allowed us to consider how to take diversity issues into account when developing a counselling relationship. The most obvious negative one is a counsellor being unable…

L3CiCS Reflective Diary – 11th October 2019

By Iain 11 October 2019Qualifications courseworkNo Comments

This week we looked at what we feel and think are necessary to developing an effective working relationship with clients. I think the most important one, one that Carl Rogers outlined many years ago, is a core condition of the therapeutic counselling relationship – Unconditional Positive Regard. UPR is a non-judgemental point of view and an accepting attitude toward the…

Space

By Iain 21 October 2018Free-writingNo Comments

This is the latest entry in my themed series of blog posts in which (as part of my ongoing quest for greater self awareness and my continued personal and professional development), I pick a key word and write about it for a set amount of time. Leave a comment on here with a new word for me to write about,…

L2CiCS: Learning Log – 2nd May 2018

By Iain 2 May 2018Qualifications courseworkNo Comments

This week we were exploring the features of safe practise, using the BACP’s Ethical Framework for the Counselling Professions. The BACP’s Ethical framework is necessary to maintain the integrity of the counselling and psychotherapy professions. Everything in the framework protects the entirety of both the client and practitioner, and allows the provision of a safe working environment in which the…

L2CiCS: Workshop Learning Log – 10th February 2018

By Iain 10 February 2018Qualifications courseworkNo Comments

Today our group had a Personal Development weekend and we learned about the Johari Window. The Johari’s Window model is a psychological tool for people to better understand themselves, their relationships and other people. It was developed in 1955 by Joseph Luft and Harry Ingham and has been proven to help with self-awareness, personal development, improving communication, interpersonal relationships, group…

L2CiCS: Learning Log – 24th January 2018

By Iain 24 January 2018Qualifications courseworkNo Comments

This week we reflected on our own patterns of relating, and how that increases our self-awareness. In particular, we looked at Relationships and what they are. Taking into consideration the connotation which is relevant to our studies, relationships are, essentially, descriptors of the connection between two or more people. There are numerous types of relationship, and they can be roughly…

L2CiCS: Learning Log – 1st November 2017

By Iain 1 November 2017Qualifications courseworkNo Comments

This week we explored prejudices further with two questions. The first is: Why do we judge? Judging can be seen, at its most basic level, as a survival mechanism. It allows people to quickly gain a working understanding of new situations and new people. It highlights any physical or abstract differences in someone or something in the judging person’s mind,…