Psychotherapy and creativity are not often seen in the same sentence yet both go hand in hand. The common perception is often that psychotherapy is about what troubles us. True, but only partly so.

Psychotherapy is one of a range of options people consider when they are troubled by something and in need of professional support. Part of the human condition is our wonderful capacity to function in the face of internal distress or discomfort. We are generally quite skilled at filing away our discomfort into the recesses of our mind. It works a bit like our computers - we have lots of stuff filed away that we rarely take the time to have a look at.

When we decide to engage in psychotherapy we are choosing to look beneath the surface at what we have filed away in our inner personal folders. What we will find there is a treasure trove of all that we put aside while busy getting on with the proces of living. The range of material we find, if we take the time to look, can often be very useful and interesting and sometimes even quite amazing.

We can expect to find files of experiences that have left us feeling hurt and pained. The sad thing is that many of us believe that there is nothing else filed away. When we dismiss any part of our experience in order to keep on top of our daily commitments we dismiss the full range of our experience - while that includes hurt and pain it also includes joy and creativity.

It is not unusual when people explore what they are upset about that they also become aware of what gives them great joy. By allowing the truth about our inner selves to emerge it is possible to rediscover the things that brought us great joy at another time in our lives. What is often a great surprise is that they can still have the power to enchant us. Many times these activities are things first experienced in childhood - for example, walking barefoot on the beach, singing, dancing, skipping, cycling, swimming, storytelling, fishing, playing with conkers, cartoons, comics, going to the zoo, the cinema, reading, birdwatching... the list is endless. Maybe take a few minutes here to write down what you enjoyed?

One characteristic from the few examples quoted is that the activities are often readily accessible and cost nothing or very little. The only thing that really stops us from still enjoying these activities is some belief that we are all grown up now and that it would be silly to be seen freewheeling down a hill on a bike at 60 years of age! Allowing ourselves to experience the energy of what moves us from inside is the first step to letting our creative energy see the light of day. Call me on 353 86 8545407 if you are interested in engaging some professional support with any aspect of your creativity.

I encourage you not to believe a word I say but to treat yourself to an experiment over the summer. What about trying out some activity you used to enjoy but haven't done in recent times and see what you discover? I welcome your feedback, comments or questions in confidence to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it