“A woman is the full circle. Within her is the power to create, nurture and transform” – Diane Mariechild. It’s that time of the year again when women are celebrated worldwide but sadly the show lasts only for a day. What the world overlooks is that women need to be celebrated every day for not only who she is but also for everything that she does, but they never get noticed for it.For ages women have either been neglected or completely ignored by society, expecting them to act and behave in a particular way. When women did not meet the societal standard they were termed as ‘loud’, ‘ill-mannered’ and ‘uncultured’ but is that all there is to being a woman? Determining things just by the way she talks and presents herself? A woman is a reason for the emergence of life. She nurtures, cares and protects her ménage which in itself is a great responsibility, along with managing her household. Sometimes she also chooses to work outside contributing to the family’s finances. Yet, with all these qualities and contributions women are still considered weak, incapable and fragile. In most societies, women are expected to make all the sacrifices and adjustments without even being asked for their opinion. Discrimination against women is still high be it in the workplace, society or even in their own homes. So how does this justify celebrating her on one special day in a year? Praising her achievements on a particular day, pampering her with gifts and charms, and accommodating her just for a day aren’t enough. Focus on her mental well-being, ask her if she is happy with the life she is living. If not, what can you do to change it? Lend a helping hand whenever she needs it and not just when you feel like it. Research says most women lack nutrition that’s necessary for a healthy body. They tend to lose more lean muscle mass over time due to age and childbearing. Women are also at a higher risk of anemia, osteoporosis and other nutritional deficiencies. Ensure that she never skips a meal as this will help maintain her energy level throughout the day. With so much happening around them, most women do not have the luxury of spending some alone time. Stress and anxiety also drain her energy, hence accommodating her to make time for herself by exercising, listening to music or even talking to friends, this could be a blessing to her. Most of all they only need your understanding, a little support, wide respect and the recognition they deserve.Women! They are strong and hardworking, they look out for you, inspire and empower you. They are the ones who make sure that your life is running smoothly and steadily without any glitches. Hence, it is only fair that you celebrate them not just on one day but every single day, throughout their lifetime and throughout yours.Contributed by Clarin Simon BrownMental Health Practitioner, Carpediem EdPsych Consultancy LLP

It’s 2023, and a month has gone by already with many resolutions being broken, some barely making it to reality and some more just being a mere idea and nothing else. As February steps in no one needs a reminder of what the month signifies. Everyone talks about roses, chocolates, romantic dates, crushes and finding a partner to celebrate the special day with but when do we realize that more than all of that one needs to enjoy his own company, go on dates by themselves and most importantly love oneself first.Jean-Jacques Rousseau talks about ‘Amour de soi’ a concept in his philosophy that translates to Self-love i.e one's feelings for himself, without any care or concerns about how he is perceived by others. As humans it is quite natural to seek love from others but are we really ready to accept another human into our lives when we have failed to make efforts to understand and accept ourselves first, to completely let go of inhibitions and embrace our faults and flaws?. We want to be loved, accepted, understood and cared for by others but completely fail to do that with ourselves. Although the concept of self-love is becoming more relevant since the past few years, there is a large group of people who still do not know how to love themselves. It takes small steps, few minor changes and a large accepting heart to embrace ourselves the way we are. Let us start by doing things that makes us happy, stop worrying about others opinions of us or our choices, allowing ourselves to make mistakes, letting go of our stupid errors and  stale past, not setting up high standards for ourselves by comparing with others, accepting our body, skin tone and being comfortable the way we are, putting ourselves first in every situation, enjoying the pain and joy and the process that got us there and finally by not being afraid to let go of toxic people and relationships, no matter how close they are.Thus, we always need to remember that we are our first friend, trusting ourselves to make the choice that suits us the best and to always be kind to ourselves. Don’t wait for others to pat your back, to see how good you are and what you are capable of! Instead go ahead and give yourself a pat on the back, celebrate when you achieve a new height, take yourself on a fancy date, go on that solo trip you’ve been desiring to go for years and mostly stop thinking about what will “THEY” say? Only then will we be able to accept us with all our shortcomings and still love ourselves to the fullest because as Rupi Kaur says “How you love yourself is how you teach others to love you”.Contributed by Clarin Simon BrownMental Health Practitioner, Carpediem EdPsych Consultancy LLP

Music needs no introduction or explanation for its use in therapy, but musical experience does. It is the experience that music creates that is therapeutic for the mind and body. It is important to understand the basics of how music is used as therapy in its capacity to be inclusive, integrative and responsive to deal with physio-psycho-socio-educational issues of day-to-day life.Music Therapy in Holistic HealthcareIn a holistic approach towards health, our physical and emotional well-being are conceived as intertwined. The distress caused by emotional factors is always linked with a chemical imbalance in the brain and body. Medication is a way to treat the condition of neurochemical imbalance. However, its side effects on many occasions are difficult to rule out. Music therapy as an allied healthcare practice can act as an agent to intrinsically stabilize or change the mood and emotion causing distress to the body.A young man of early 20s who had been admitted in a palliative care unit of a renowned hospital in a city in India for his last phase of treatment and care, shared his experience of music therapy in an introspective report as “music therapy helped me to adapt with the disease, taught me to prioritize spiritual dimension of life, it soothed me, helped me to develop the realization…when nobody around, I have my music… I am ready to accept the inevitable.”Music Therapy- What does it serve?There are several misconceptions about the practice of music therapy. First of all, the client doesn’t need to have musical ability to benefit from music therapy. There is a difference between traditional music-based healing and music as therapy, which is a multidisciplinary field of allied health science. It refers to the clinical and evidenced-based practise of music as a medium of therapeutic intervention by a trained and certified professional music therapist. Music or its elements are implemented through carefully designed therapeutic techniques to give a therapeutically appropriate experience within an evolving relationship between client and therapist. The process in clinical context includes the stages of assessment, intervention and evaluation with clearly stated individualized therapeutic goals and objectives.Music therapy as an approach is integrative and inclusive in the context of health care, can get involved in interdisciplinary treatment planning, evaluations and follow up. It is often used to support or facilitate the process and outcomes of other therapies like speech therapy, occupational therapy, special education etc. Because of the flexibility and adaptability of music as a medium of communication in therapy, it easily gains the attention and acceptance of clients. In children, the unique music experience in an intentional and developmentally appropriate manner brings change to the behaviour, facilitates developmental skills and enhances the quality of life of the child and family.The other creative modalities, like dance and movements, arts, storytelling, role play, etc., are often integrated within the domain of music therapy practice, facilitate multisensory experiences. Music in the form of responsive therapy- medically, psychologically and socio-culturally, structured and adapted through musical elements, helps to build and strengthen the mutually responsive connection between therapist and client.Effects of Music Therapy on ChildrenIn my experience of practicing music therapy with children with special needs- music gives personal direct access to their World, facilitates unconditional acceptance by children, helps to form emotional bonding and secure attachment faster than any other medium. The overall positivity associated with the process of music-making in therapy accelerates the achievement of therapeutic goals and objectives.Often received comments from parents like -“my child waits for this session through the week” “my child is better adjusted in school.”“my child’s mathematical ability has increased after joining music therapy.” “There are lots of changes in mood and behaviour that helped my child to adjust with other therapies.”“ Music helped me to get involved more with the interventions that my son is going through..… I feel much secure now.” “I observe an overall positive change in my daughter in all aspects…I think it is due to the effects of music.”  Advantages of Music TherapySome of the unique features and advantages of music therapy for children suffering from any disability or emotional or behavioural problems includeEnhances imagination and creativity by giving space for creative self-expression at their level.Gives multisensory experiences as the brain as a whole receives and responds to music.Gives stability to gross and fine motor movements; body posture and balance.Encourages flexibility of thoughts and behaviours.Facilitates verbal and non-verbal communication skills in a unique manner.Develops awareness of the environment in a unique manner.Teaches utilization of space in social interaction.Indulges freedom as well as a sense of security in a musical context.Helps to develop emotional regulation.Helps to develop self-regulation.Boosts self-esteem.The melody and rhythm of music bind the child- therapist, child- family, child- peers through uniquely created musical experiences.Explores the cause behind a clinical symptom in a psychosocial context.Safely be used with children for the diagnosis of a problem.Music has no side effects! Directly linked to overall enhancement and upliftment of life and related conditions.The positive impact of music in people  lives encompassing a wide range of conditions and circumstances are well documented through research evidence.Music Therapy is a lot more than relaxation…. Music therapy functions at three levels- restoration, maintenance and improvement of physical and mental health. The therapeutic properties and applications of music can do much more than what we believe or simply associate with relaxation or unwinding emotions. Music therapy practice can be employed and integrated at a variety of places, including psychiatric hospitals, rehabilitation centres, medical hospitals, outpatient clinics, day care treatment centres, agencies serving developmentally disabled persons, community mental health centres, drug and alcohol programs, old age homes, nursing homes, hospice programs, correctional facilities, halfway houses, schools, and even in private practices.

Published in: Purdue Today

The National Council for Mental Well-being states that friendship is something that individuals never outgrow, and no matter the age or what is happening, close, healthy friendships encourage positive mental health and well-being. Other mental health organizations also support this belief, and studies have shown that “those who enjoy close friendships over their teenage years have a lower rate of depression or anxiety later in life.”  (Image Credit : Image by pikisuperstar on Freepik)

Published in: Greater Kashmir

Inclusive education refers to an educational practice, wherein child with special needs will be fully included in the mainstream classroom with same age peers(Image Credit - Image by storyset on Freepik)

Published in: American Psychological Association

Demand for substance use treatment up, requests for anxiety and depression treatment remain high, survey finds(Image by <a href="https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/illustration-people-with-mental-health-problems_16922697.htm#query=mental%20health%20issues&position=10&from_view=search&track=ais">Freepik</a>)