News

Courses

Bookings are now being taken for the next ME Recovery System courses for private clients, 23rd-25th May in Exeter at The Innovation Centre University of Exeter.

Please enquire about the next course in Northern Ireland at Blackthorn Cottage Ballymena.

Information sheet

July 2010 The July edition of ME/CFS Information is now available to download. Read about Nickie's recovery.

ME Awareness Day

May 2010 The following article appeared in the Express and Echo on May 12th, ME Awareness Day, raising the awareness that people can and do recover from the illness. ME Victims Taught how To Recover

ME Awareness Day

May 2010 Watch out for articles in the press about ME Awareness Day. May 12th is the date chosen because it was the birthday of Florence Nightingale who was believed to have been bedbound for 10 years by ME/CFS. It is an opportunity for people to find out more about the reality of the illness and the route to recovery.

Out of Office

April 2010 We will be out of the office from April 6th-9th. All email and telephone messages will be responded to as usual.

Article

March 2010 Read an article by Vanessa Cecil about ME/CFS published on the Superliving website.

Change4Life

February 2010 The Therapeutic Training Company has partnered with Change4Life the NHS initiative to help us all to Eat Well, Move More, Live Longer. Their website has information about diet - with recipes and tips - and exercise with links to local organisations, schemes, classes and sports facilities. Whether you want to meet others to go walking, work-out in a gym or learn to tap dance you'll find the information to get you started. Now!

New Training Venue

February 2010 From the beginning of May The Therapeutic Training Company will run courses at the Innovation Centre to be found on Exeter University's campus not far from the city centre. There will be reserved parking spaces and a ground floor training room with a disabled WC close by. All that and the lovely landscaped campus to enjoy.

Christmas

December 2009 The office will be closed over the Christmas period from 24th December, returning on 4th January when all email and telephone messages will be answered. Happy Christmas to all clients!

December 2009

Emma McKillop writes with an update: I attended the course at the end of August 2009. In my old life I had health problems; I just managed to work full time as long as I didn’t do much else. I was living at home with my parents looking after me and this enabled me to go to work and then sleep the rest of the time. On a “good” month I would have gone on one night out with my friends.

Now three months on my life could not be more different and it has all been as a result of my current great health! Three and a half weeks after my course I was offered a place to do a Masters at Strathclyde University in Glasgow. I was delighted to accept the offer as I now feel fantastic. The Masters course is very challenging with a lot of work but I also have a part-time job and I have never missed any nights out. My life has totally changed – I now feel in control of my life again and am enjoying doing everything I want to do!

I am travelling home to Northern Ireland next week for Christmas and I can’t wait to enjoy a happy, healthy and energetic Christmas with all my family and friends. The course has truly been a life changing experience!

Office move

December 2009 The Therapeutic Training Company has relocated to the Inovation Centre on Exeter University's leafy green campus. We are delighted to be part of the community of knowledge-based organisations undertaking research and development and to have the opportunity to liaise with the University's Department of Psychology.

Grants for SMEs to improve employees' health

November 2009 The Department of Work and Pensions has announced £4m grant scheme for businesses with fewer than 249 employees to be used on initiatives to improve employee health. With up to £50,000 available at a time, projects to improve mental wellbeing are given priority. The closing date for the first year's funds is 31st December so small and medium sized businesses, and partnerships such as trade unions, are advised to submit their applications quickly. http://www.workingforhealth.gov.uk/initiatives/ChallengeFund/about/Default.aspx

Mindful Employer celebrates 5 years

October 2009 Mindful Employer, of the Devon Partnership NHS trust which promotes awareness of stress and ill health in the workplace, started as an initiative in Exeter and in 5 years has become a nationwide organisation with over 500 signatories. Employers, large or small, are encouraged to sign a voluntary charter and to work towards good practice to recruit, support and retain staff with current, or a history of, mental, psychological or stress-related issues. www.mindfulemployer.net

Clinic Move

Southernhay Clinic has moved to a few buildings along Barnfield Crescent to lovely new premises at number 4. With more space, reception and waiting areas, and views of distant hills from some of the rooms the clinic has expanded to provide an even nicer environment for clients to visit. www.southernhayclinic.co.uk

Away

The office will be closed from 14th-21st September while I am away on study leave for Continuous Professional Devleopment. All emails and phone calls will be answered when I return so do please leave a message.

Mindful Employer

September 2009 The Therapeutic Training Company is pleased to be recognised by Mindful Employer of the Devon Partnership NHS trust which promotes awareness of stress and ill health in the workplace. Employers, large or small, are encouraged to sign a voluntary charter and to work towards good practice to recruit, support and retain staff with current, or a history of, mental, psychological or stress-related issues. www.mindfulemployer.net

 

The role of work stress in Rheumatoid Arthritis

September 2009 Swedish researchers investigate the link between work stress and the development of arthritis. www.sciencedaily.com

 

Staff stress ignored

August 2009 HR magazine reports that 91% of employees are suffering stress but only 7% saw measures taken to improve their situation, according to research carried out by Badenoch and Clark.http://www.hrmagazine.co.uk/channel/news/article/927980/Staff-stress-problems-largely-ignored-managers/

Swine Flu

July 2009 During the current prevalence of Swine Flu it will be helpful if course participants take a few preventative health measures before, during and after the course. The standard advice is to:

• cover mouth and nose when sneezing or coughing, using a tissue.

• Dispose of tissue in a bin.

• Wash hands regularly with hot water and soap

• If you do develop flu-like symptoms to stay at home, limit contact with others and contact the helpline or website for a diagnosis: 0800 1 513 100 http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/groups/dg_digitalassets/@dg/@en/documents/digitalasset/dg_178842.htm

If you develop symptoms, or are in contact with someone with flu before the course, please contact us to discuss this. Similarly if you should develop symptoms in the week after the course please let us know.

 

The Recession and Stress at Work

July 2009. Publicnet reports that work-related stress doubled between 1990 and 2007 and is now the second biggest cause of employee absence behind musculoskeletal conditions. This picture is likely to get worse as a result of the recession with the World Health Organisation predicting soaring levels of stress and other mental health problems in the next few years. A CIPD survey of 3,000 employees published last month shows that about half have seen an increase in stress at work as a result of the downturn.

Long-term exposure to stress is linked to conditions such as anxiety and depression, as well as physical conditions such as heart disease, back pain and headaches.

Guidance on stress management LINE MANAGEMENT BEHAVIOUR AND STRESS AT WORK is available from CIPD.

http://www.publicnet.co.uk/abstracts/2009/07/20/stress-management-more-important-in-recession/

June 2009. Research from the University of Warwick concludes that work-related stress today costs the economy around 13.5 million person days and yet more days are lost by people leaving the labour force completely. Furthermore the economic cost of presenteeism – people going to work when ill when they should be at home – might be twice the costs of short-term absenteeism.

Bernard Casey of the university’s Institute for Employment Research says “The current recession is likely to intensify stress at work. Uncertainty, itself, breeds stress. Many organisations trying to survive by raising productivity will be putting their employees under increasing pressure. Moreover, fearing for their jobs, people who ought to be absent might choose, instead, to be “present”.

http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/newsandevents/pressreleases/research_says_modern