WPF Therapy - A safe place to talk

Nobody's life runs hiccup-free; times of stress, unhappiness and discouragement are a normal part of existence. But when these feelings persist, and have a negative impact on one's ability to function, it can be very difficult to move beyond them independently. The role of WPF Therapy is to help people experiencing all sorts of emotional, personal or relationship problems, such as anxiety, bereavement, eating disorders, lack of confidence, depression, and loneliness. By talking, exploring and reflecting, clients are helped to develop their awareness of the choices they have in their life and to see their way forward. Problems and distress in the present never stand in splendid isolation; there is always some cause or set of causes. Understanding what underlies one's difficulties can be the first step in personal growth. This is where a trained and non-judgemental counsellor or psychotherapist can help by acting as a catalyst in the process, through active listening and facilitative questioning and commenting.

Because one size doesn't fit all, a variety of treatment approaches are offered at WPF Therapy. These include short-term and open-ended counselling, cognitive behavioural therapy (which addresses thinking patterns and styles), group therapy, and more in-depth psychotherapy. A recommendation is made after the initial consultation as to which of these is most appropriate. In all cases, the sliding scale of payment ensures that everybody has access to a safe place to talk. Statistics show that every year in the UK, 91 million working days are lost to mental illness, and 4,000 people take their own lives. WPF Therapy works to reduce this shocking amount of human suffering by acceptance of each individual, empowering them to move forward from their place of struggle. What a great thing to do!

What does RTU do? - 4. Rural Development Programme

What can a woman do when her husband has died, she has young children to look after, no savings and no income? What alternative does she have to a life of poverty and dependence on charity?

In 26 rural villages in Southern India, she can join a self-help group of women in similar circumstances. Run by local people with the support of RTU, the groups empower the most desperate and needy in these communities to transform their lives. Through micro-finance schemes, women have access to small loans with nominal interest rates. This enables them to set up businesses without becoming entrapped in the cycle of debt associated with borrowing from local money-lenders, who can charge interest rates of 60% or more. The "businesses" I am talking about really are very small - perhaps growing vegetables or making clothes, to sell within the village - yet they can make the difference between misery and dignity.

The women in the self-help groups also meet regularly to offer mutual support. They can talk and share their concerns and successes. There are opportunities to learn about health issues and about women's rights. A very deep need is filled in this way; often for the first time, these women realise that each one is a respected and valued person who has a role in their community and in the world, and whose actions can influence the quality of their life. It is, more than anything, this empowerment which I find inspiring. Everywhere in the world, no-one should be denied the chance to construct a worthwhile and meaningful life for themselves and their families.

The first hurdle - no jumping allowed!

No jumping, no cycling, no swimming, and more to the point, no running allowed, for at least a week! Well, it just couldn't continue so smoothly really; where would the challenge have been? (Actually I think there might have been enough challenge, but that clearly reflects my lack of grit...)

When I came back from a run on Christmas Eve with some pain behind my knee, I decided to give it a rest for a couple of weeks as is my usual response to niggles. Unfortunately this niggle decided not to go away, so I took it to the doctor today to see if she could give it a good talking to. Happily, since all my ligaments seem to be in good nick and there is no tenderness or external sign of a problem, the probable cause is a simple muscle strain being aggravated by daily activity. That explains the total ban on exercise for the next little while! I've also got some anti-inflammatories to speed the healing process. The timing is not brilliant, with only three months and one week until the first marathon, but it could be worse (three days and one hour before, for example). So I'm being patient and optimistic, knowing that a few weeks' rest now will mean much more rapid progress later. Since my objective is to get round, at least I don't have to worry that I won't reach my target time! Anyone got a spare torch?

Needless to say, I will be shifting my focus to fundraising, fundraising and fundraising for the next little while. Today I have passed the halfway mark for both charities, which is really something to smile about. Hooray!

Happy New Year!

It's the third day of 2009 and a beautiful sunny one. Seeing a clear blue sky always generates in me a sense of optimism and confidence. Since I will need plenty of both over the next three and a half months, I'm praying for good weather! The countdown is really beginning now, with lots of training and fundraising still to do. I guess the New Year always makes us think about our prospects for the next 12 months, maybe more than ever this year with so many predictions of deep recession at home and abroad. It's not an easy time to be asking people for money. However, the financial insecurity I'm witnessing in so many people around me inspires me more than ever about the charities I've chosen. For the poor of Tamil Nadu served by Reaching the Unreached, need is not a fear but a daily, grinding reality which for most of us can cast a clear light onto our prosperity-based worries. Yet with jobs at risk and the combination of rising prices and falling income making established lifestyles untenable, many people in this country are at risk of crippling anxiety and depression. WPF Therapy's services, and particularly their reduced fees for those on low income, are likely to be more needed than ever.

Perhaps now is a good time to have a look at our own standard of living and whatever challenges we are facing in our lives, and to appreciate how lucky so many of us are. Of course, appreciation in a vacuum won't help the situation - so some redistribution of wealth could be considered! In that context I'd like to express my gratitude once more for the generosity you have all shown. It's wonderful to see the running totals rising - almost half way now! And so many promises and pledges. I'm looking forward, with blue-sky confidence, to seeing those promises being transformed into donations in the coming weeks. And you can look forward to me transforming good intentions into action, as I re-double my efforts to make this project a success.