The Spark Blog

  • Anxiety: 5 Ways to Cope Better

    Anxiety: 5 Ways to Cope Better

    Anxiety is one of the most common mental health issues in the UK. Research in 2013 indicated there were 8.2m diagnosed cases nationally. Anxiety can be debilitating but it can be managed, allowing sufferers to get back to enjoying life. Here are 5 practical ways to cope with anxiety1. 1. Get the jumble of thoughts…

    /

  • Who Cares for the Carers?

    Who Cares for the Carers?

    Despite being one of the richest countries in the world, the UK struggled to attend to the emotional and mental wellbeing of the long-term ill. Science and medicine have allowed us to make great strides in dealing with the physical symptoms of long-term illness. How we handle the mental and emotional health of patients has…

    /

  • 5 Ways to Be Happier at Work

    5 Ways to Be Happier at Work

    The research is in and being sick is the only thing that makes us more unhappy than work. Apologies if you are reading this at work as we have probably made your day that little bit harder. But fear not, we are offering up 5 ways to help make you feel happier at work. But…

    /

  • Parents & the Post-Summer Struggle

    Parents & the Post-Summer Struggle

    As Scottish schools head back for a new term and summer holidays end, many parents will be left with the same troubling question: after time off with my family, why do I feel further apart from my partner? This is a common query posed to our counsellors in the weeks after the school holidays. We…

    /

  • Why Did They Have an Affair?

    Why Did They Have an Affair?

    When an affair brings a couple to counselling, a common early indicator of problems is when one partner has taken intimate, emotional issues outside the relationship. Even if the emotional connection does not progress to sexual intimacy, severe damage can already have been done. The emotional cost of an affair Sharing your deepest thoughts and…

    /

  • Relationship Education Boosts Emotional Health in Children

    Relationship Education Boosts Emotional Health in Children

    Relationship education for children and young people is a significant part of the work undertaken by The Spark. Within primary and secondary schools across Scotland, our Children and Young People (CYP) team deliver interactive programmes. Each programme aims to help children and young people understand the importance of relationships and how to manage them, thus…

    /

  • Early Mental Health and Adulthood

    Early Mental Health and Adulthood

    If you are interested in ‘what makes people tick’ you cannot help but have noticed the mass of TV programmes focused on the development of humans from childhood to adulthood. From The Secret Lives of 4 Year Olds to Bringing up Baby they examine how early mental health in children shapes the adults they subsequently…

    /

  • Parents’ Guide to Exam Results Stress

    Parents’ Guide to Exam Results Stress

    The wait for Scottish high school exam results is likely to be almost as stressful for parents as it is for their children. In the second part of our exam results blog, we offer our advice for parents about coping with exam results stress. Looking for advice for young people receiving exam results? Read our…

    /

  • Exam Results – A Young Persons’ Guide

    Exam Results – A Young Persons’ Guide

    Thousands of young adults across Scotland are about to receive their high school exam results. Naturally, it is a time that often brings with it stress, anxiety and other negative emotions for youngsters and their parents. In the first of a two-part blog, we offer our advice and top tips for young adults about to…

    /

Need some support?

Make a counseling enquiry today and get the support you need.