One-To-One The Mind Clinic’s unique offer: onsite confidential 1-2-1 sessions with employees, where they are free to speak of their life issues in a safe, confidential and insightful setting. Safe Space where individuals do not have to edit or filter what they say. Where there is no fear of how others might react we can be more honest. Many have never experienced this and it can be liberating. Confidential Space nothing shared in the meeting goes anywhere else which differentiates it from most in house support and line management.Insightful Space with experienced Practitioners helping individuals to reflect with new eyes on their life experiences to help see themselves more clearly. This listening space is a gift to the staff by their employer, free at the point of delivery and a sign of the value the company places on them. As one employee said, “It’s great to work with a company who values us in this way.” We believe this offer is a significant factor in both recruitment and retention of staff. A Mind Clinic session is shaped by the needs of the client. There are no rules about how the meeting unfolds and no two are the same. Sometimes people bring a particular concern; at other times, they simply want to reflect on their life with someone neutral, someone outside their circle. ‘I don’t know where to begin’ is perhaps the most frequent opening line. Or, ‘I’ve never done this sort of thing before.’ But after twenty minutes the mascara may be running, because tears are OK as well, for men as well as women. Put simply, if it matters to you it matters to us, and the conversation will lead where it leads; there’s no template of approach. By the end, whatever else has happened, we’d hope the client has a better understanding of themselves and their circumstances. And perhaps feel less alone with their concerns. Do we give advice? We’re more likely to help you make decisions for yourself. Our role is to offer a truth mirror – a mirror in which you see yourself and your situation more clearly, helping you to make your own decisions, better decisions. We believe the best advice comes from you. Hopefully, greater understanding of who you are, your present circumstances and the inner resources you possess. One client recently tweeted: ‘Feeling lifted after my first @TheMindClinic session with Simon. Such a lovely team and a great company – learnt a lot about myself too!’ Another person opened a session with the words: ‘I’ve really just come here to check I’m not going mad.’ And it was good that they came, because they weren’t going mad; on the contrary, they were very well – just living through difficult days. But sometimes it helps to have an outside perspective, with no agenda but our situation. The aim of the sessions is the provision of safe, human space into which the individual can bring their whole self, unedited and unfiltered; and there discover resources to develop an authentic and happy life. Some will gain more than others, that is always the way. But it’s significant that with all the companies we serve, after the initial trial period, the Mind Clinic has always been asked to continue. People want us back. What’s success? It’s someone saying, as they did recently, ‘I wish I’d done this years a go.’ The conversation is confidential; the company receives no direct feedback from The Mind Clinic. If the employee wishes to speak of their experience to their employers, that’s entirely up to them. Exceptions to Confidentiality: We must pass on any information to the relevant authorities in cases where human safety is concerned including the following cases: If you threaten harm to yourself or to another person If we believe a child or protected adult is at risk of harm or abuse If the courts instruct us to give information If you share information about a proposed act of terrorism or other illegal act If the Practitioner thinks that either you or someone else is in danger or at risk of harm they would first endeavour to discuss with you the decision for breaking confidentiality. However, the Practitioner retains the right to break confidentiality without prior consultation should they consider that the urgency of the situation requires them to act immediately to safeguard the physical safety of yourself or others. No, not at all. In fact, we’re more concerned with preventing crises, by dealing with them before they escalate. Life is difficult and we all need to talk with someone sometimes. We’re not primarily set up to deal with people in crisis, although we might be a first port of call from where people can be sign posted to longer term help. Our Practitioners bring a wide variety of skills, insights and experience to the task: Simon Parke has written extensively on psychological wellbeing, including his ever popular ‘One-Minute Mindfulness’, ‘One Minute Meditation’ and ‘The Journey Home’. He leads retreats, teaches the Enneagram, and apart from his private practice, has been employed by both the NHS and ABN AMRO bank in staff support and development. Mark Godson’s professional training is as a psychotherapist in Mindfulness-Based Therapy, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Transactional Analysis. He has worked with the NHS, SMEs and private clients. He offers Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) training to individuals and groups. Dr Lisa Thorn consults as a senior lecturer in the psychology department at the University of Westminster, where alongside student support, she specialises in stress and psychophysiology. But what really qualifies someone to be a Practitioner for the Mind Clinic isn’t a long list of achievements but the ability to offer safe, human and insightful space – space in which the individual can reflect on their lives in a manner that leaves them empowered in their present circumstances, whatever those circumstances may be.