“Virgin’s Flying Without Fear day could be the best gift you ever gave anyone.” (Financial Times)

We want to reassure you that you are not alone in your fear of flying, millions of people suffer similar anxieties. This course has been designed to help you conquer your fears of flying. Our aim is for you to take that holiday or business trip and actually enjoy it. Fear of flying is a phobia that many never, ever face. Now that you are here, we are the best people to help you to get rid of your fear.

Read my review about the College of Medicine Foundation Course and join the conversation…

So this 2 day course was like a breath of fresh air. It brought together a group of like minded individuals from the fields of medicine and complementary therapies to learn from each other. The speakers were some of the best in their fields and the energy in the room was one of mutual support and learning. We all came away with new tools whether it was use of a trigger point to relieve neck and back pain, or grating root ginger and Sri Lankan cinnamon as an infusion to ward off infection, self hypnosis or watching a traumatic memory disappear in a matter of seconds with Psy Tap.

I am mindful of the importance as a doctor of “first do no harm” but unfortunately as an NHS GP I have become more and more bound by evidence based medicine and NICE guidelines and over investigation through defensive medicine in a litigation minded society.

The NHS in it’s present form is clearly unsustainable and we need to find new ways or working. I feel the key is in empowering patients, in educating them about nutrition and exercise and getting them to take ownership of their health. The idea of social prescribing discussed by Dr Mike Dixon on day 2 has to be a way forward. Support is the key to health and has been demonstrated by the longevity of people in communities such as Japan, Greece, California, Costa Rica who do not always have access to health care but who have a holistic approach to community support, nutrition and prevention of disease.

Thank you to all the speakers and fellow delegates for an inspiring experience and lots of new learning.Thank you to the College of Medicine not only for recognising a need for truly integrated healthcare  but for recognising that the medical profession itself needs help and support.

I am looking forward to attending the conference on Sustainable Healthcare next week in seeking out a new model for high quality patient care.

There’s an old expression that “there are some things you just cannot unsee.” While that may be true, there is clear evidence that with the assistance of a practitioner of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) — an integrative therapeutic approach for dealing with distressing memories — cops can put much of that trauma behind them.

Whether it is bearing witness to the death of a child or of a fellow police officer — or some other heinous tragedy — cops frequently are exposed to incidents and images that haunt them for a long time to come. Having experienced either a one-time traumatic event, or by having seen multiple traumatic things over time, some individuals can suffer from nightmares, flashbacks, and other symptoms of PTSD. And sometimes, a traumatic memory can become frozen — stuck — in the brain, where it can continue to be triggered by reminders.

According to one retired police officer who experienced a traumatic event and the doctor who treated him, EMDR can help.

To read Doug Wyllie’s full article relating to EMDR, please click here.

If you would like to know more about how I could help you as a qualified EMDR practitioner then please contact me here.

The Right Kind of Communication Training For Registrars

Because I’m a GP with over 20 years of experience I can really appreciate that training to be a doctor, consultant or any position within the medical field is a tough journey and hard work at best. As a trainer I can draw on my own experience and really empathise with the delegates. So when the West Midlands Deanery contacted me and asked me to run a training course for registrars to help them to “feel good” I gladly stepped up the challenge.

For me it’s not just about making people “feel good”. It’s also about teaching and coaching them to have real strategies and develop useful work-life skills.

Training Approaches to Boost Confidence and Communication Skills

Throughout the course I incorporated aspects of NLP training along with my unique Mind Solutions approach to focus on:

• Boosting morale
• Exam techniques for better performance
• Rapport building
• Setting and realising goals
• Positive state management
• Communication Skills
• Building confidence
• Having fun (this is really important!)

The Benefits of Training for Registrars

The proof is in the pudding and the feedback from one of the delegates really sums it up:

“This is the first time I’ve sat and laughed, and had a chance to talk to colleagues in as long as I can remember”.

Feedback was great and many of the exercises produced a real attitude shift in the delegates at the training course. How people feel will contribute to their success or failure in an exam situation and shifting the attitudes and confidence in a positive way has really helped these registrars to prepare for their exams and ongoing personal development. I’m already looking forward to the next “Gym and Tonic for The Brain” session. Which reminds me about a story to do with 2 glasses of wine!