The Spark Blog
Category: couples and individuals
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6 Ways to Keep a New Year Resolution
January is probably most famous for New Year resolutions. It is also famous for something else: the complete failure of New Year resolutions before the end of the month. No matter whether your New Year resolution is to lose weight, keep date night with your spouse sacred or actually take a lunch hour, here are…
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![Barriers to Counselling]()
Barriers to Counselling
It is difficult to imagine going to counselling before making that first step. While we are starting to become more understanding about mental health issues and seeking professional help, there is still a lot of fear, doubt and confusion creating barriers to counselling. Through exploring some of the most common misconceptions and barriers to counselling,…
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![What makes you happy?]()
What makes you happy?
If you search “what makes you happy” Google will offer you roughly 2.5bn results to consider. A similar search on Amazon will offer up over 100,000 books and DVDs on the subject of being happy. On the basis of these two statistics alone, we can say with a degree of confidence that a lot of…
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![Body image and social media: a toxic mix?]()
Body image and social media: a toxic mix?
Imagine for a moment a smartphone app. The capabilities of this app are astonishing. After using it for a few weeks it has the power to give you body image issues. Would you download it? Probably not. What if I told you this app is so effective that it can convince you that you are…
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![Precious scars and the Japanese art of Kintsugi]()
Precious scars and the Japanese art of Kintsugi
This will probably be a familiar refrain to many of you: ‘Everything will be okay as long as I smile, think positively and forgive people who have done me wrong.’ Life can be very unfair and, when it is, suggestions to simply walk ‘on the sunny side of the street’ seem impossible and, dare we…
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![How to Be Happy – part 3]()
How to Be Happy – part 3
According to American pundit William Bennett, the pursuit of happiness can be thought of this way: ‘Happiness is like a cat, if you try to coax it or call it, it will avoid you; it will never come. But if you pay no attention to it and go about your business, you’ll find it rubbing…
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![Songs for Sound Minds #28 – Dixie Chicks]()
Songs for Sound Minds #28 – Dixie Chicks
Songs for Sound Minds are our picks of the best music that uplifts, inspires and boosts mental health. Songs written as an anthem to overcoming the storms of life. The songs that give hope in those times when we are struggling. Our latest pick could have been entitled ‘the hard way around’. The Long Way…
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![How FOMO is making us miss out]()
How FOMO is making us miss out
FOMO – fear of missing out – is a concept that could have been created for the social media age. Essentially, it captures that internal sense that other people are having a better time right now than you are. Partnered with its sibling FoBO – fear of a better option – their impact on our…
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![How to Be Happy – Part 2]()
How to Be Happy – Part 2
Picture the scene. A teenager opens their exam results: an A in Art, two Cs in English and French and an F in Maths. The response from their parent is likely to focus on either the good bits or the not so good bits. For example, their response might be: ‘An F in Maths. What…
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