The Spark Blog

Category: relationships

  • Songs For Sound Minds #5 – Emili Sandé

    Songs For Sound Minds #5 – Emili Sandé

    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. Pick number 5 comes from Scottish singer-songwriter Emeli Sandé and her modern anthem ‘Next…

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  • Why Christmas Might Not Make Things  Better

    Why Christmas Might Not Make Things Better

    For some couples the Christmas holidays will be considered a bit of a ‘make or break’ period for their relationship. We examine why it is better to seek professional counselling now than to place all your bets on a ‘perfect’ Christmas making things better. Christmas will make things better, right? TV, social media, shops and…

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  • Christmas, Money and Debt

    Christmas, Money and Debt

    Nearly half of all Scots surveyed in a recent YouGov poll are already in debt before they spend on Christmas. Nearly 20% said they were struggling to cope and feeling stressed by personal debt on credit cards and loans. Christmas debt and relationship breakdown Debt is a major cause of stress and relationship problems for…

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  • Songs For Sound Minds #3 – Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush

    Songs For Sound Minds #3 – Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush

    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. ‘Dont’ Give Up’ – Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush Peter Gabriel penned the track…

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  • Songs For Sound Minds #2 – McAlmont & Butler

    Songs For Sound Minds #2 – McAlmont & Butler

    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. Yes – David McAlmont & Bernard Butler Yes was the debut single from the…

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  • Teens, Relationships and Social Media

    Teens, Relationships and Social Media

    Before the advent of social media, parents had an easier time keeping track of the teenage celebrity crush. Celebrity crushes used to be someone from music, TV, sport or film. By virtue of their prominence in mainstream media, parents had a better chance of monitoring who their son or daughter adored. Plus those stars always…

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  • Why I Became a Counsellor

    Why I Became a Counsellor

    The Spark counsellor Josie tells us why she became a relationship counsellor in this week’s blog. I had spent most of my life living in Australia before moving to Scotland with my family. While I waited for my work permit I thought volunteering on a helpline would be a worthwhile thing to do. As part…

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  • Help! They are Becoming a Teenager!

    Help! They are Becoming a Teenager!

    Perhaps the only thing harder than being a teenager is being a parent to one. The highs of being a parent can be joyful: watching them develop, become their own person and start to achieve their own life goals. But on the flip side the lows can be intensely challenging: arguments, rebellion, bad behaviour and…

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  • 5 Ways to Improve your Relationship

    5 Ways to Improve your Relationship

    Relationships – particularly the one we have with our partner or spouse – are vitally important. But as they are familiar and constant, we often take them for granted. Amongst the busyness of life it often feels like there is no time to ‘improve your relationship’. The good news is that even small changes can…

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