Welcome to the Counselling Blog!

Family Awareness and Drug Support (FADS) in Penywaun Aberdare is looking for volunteer counsellors.  If you're intersted in finding out more contact Sheala Edwards on 01865814900 or email at Sheala.edwards@hotmail.co.uk

Bit of a problem this, I've been cooking this one for so long that I realise that I've not had it written down for years, I just remember what to do as I go along. So what will I forget?



1 Onion
2 Cloves Garlic
3 oz Mushrooms
3oz Chestnute
6 oz Rice
2oz Cheese
1Tb Tomato Pure
1 tsp Paprika
1 tsp Mixed Herbs
1 tsp Marmite

Saute the chopped onions and garlic in a little oil until the onion just starts to brown. Add the rice and mushrooms and cook for another couple of minutes. Stir in the Paprika and then add about half a pint of water. Add all other ingredients except for the chestnuts and the cheese, bring to the boil for a couple of minutes and then lower the heat to a simmer. When the rice is cooked boil off any excess liquid (you might well have had to add some water at some point if it starts to dry out) and then stir in the cheese - cut into 1cm cubes - and stir just enough for the cheese to start melting but not lose its shape, and then serve. If you've got any parmesan cheese handy then sprinke that over the top.

Serves 2

So what about the chestnuts? It depends on two things, whether they're fresh, precooked, or dried, and whether you're using brown rice or white rice. The key thing is that you don't want the chestnuts to disintegrate so you'll have to judge for yourself when its best to add them. It's not the end of the world if you haven't got any chestnuts, by the way, it still tastes good. It gets a bit dull if you haven't got any mushrooms either, and I speak from bitter experience there.

This is an easy everyday kind of meal, cheap to make, tasty and nourishing. Many years ago (1972 I reckon) I had this for Christmas dinner and felt pretty pleased with it. We knew how to have a good time in those days. Mind you, we had mustard and cress on top of it as well as parmesan cheese.

If you're reading this you're probably interested in counselling and, most likely, are a student on one of our counselling courses. If you are such a student you might also find paying an ocasional visit to the School blog worthwhile. You'll see the link down amongst the "General Links" on the right hand side of this page. One of the things you'll discover there is that we've started making DVDs of the Open Seminars that the school holds. One of these might be of particular interest to counselling students - "Self Help and Computerised Cognitive Behavioural Therapy". If you want to find out more just click on the link and have a look around the blog. You can speed things up a little when you get there if you put "DVD" or "Seminar" in the search box at the top of the page and hit return. You've got the same facility on this blog too, but the search box here is over on the left hand side.

Following on from my post (below) congratulating students who'd just completed the Postgraduate Diploma - here are a couple of pictures.

I'm conscious that anything taking place in Hereford might seem like a bit of a treck - it's just up the road for me - but I've been to one of these events before, and found it very interesting.

HEREFORDSHIRE PSYCHOANALYTIC  PSYCHOTHERAPY GROUP in conjunction with the Borderlines Film Festival present

WHAT MAKES MOVIES WORK?

UNCONSCIOUS  PROCESSES AND  COLLECTIVE CREATIVITY IN FILM-MAKING

2 – 4pm   Sunday 13th April 2008
Studio Theatre, Courtyard Centre for the Arts, Hereford
Speaker Christopher Hauke

The speaker will present work undertaken over the last two years towards the discovery and examination of the unconscious processes of creativity at work in making movies. Up till now, film scholarship from Jungians and psychoanalysts has focused on analyzing films as texts with an emphasis on how they impact on the viewer. Although many studies subscribe to the unconscious aspect of cinema experience, none have tackled how the unconscious may guide and affect film-makers themselves in both personal and collective aspects.

As a trained Jungian psychoanalyst, psychologist and cultural theorist with a previous background in professional performance, Christopher Hauke investigates this subject not only from an academic and clinical perspective, but also from a practical point of view. This extends to making his own films and noticing how the process of shooting and editing film – as well as writing – is rich with possibilities for individuation and discoveries about the self.

Christopher Hauke is a Jungian analyst in private practice in Central London, and also a writer, film-maker, broadcaster and lecturer at Goldsmiths College, University of London. His films include the short documentary 'One Colour Red', out on DVD, 'Green Ray' (doc. 45 min.) and 'Losing Dad' (45min.) all screened in London and Barcelona. Chris is fascinated by the interface between individuals and their collective culture, especially creative, unconscious processes in movie-making. His new short feature 'Again' is now in post-production. As a writer he has published with Routledge: Human Being Human: Culture and the Soul (2005); Jung and the Postmodern: The Interpretation of Realities (2000); and co-edited Jung and Film: Post-Jungian Takes on the Moving Image (2001). See www.christopherhauke.com and www.againthemovie.com

The presentation will include several movie clips from a wide range of film material from Hollywood to the experimental, including Chris Hauke’s own work.

Further details from: lindseycharris@hotmail.com
Cost of ticket £8 (no concessions)

Tickets available from mid-Feb at The Courtyard Centre for the Arts
Tel: 0870 11 22 330
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Very best wishes to everybody who's just completed the Diploma stage of the counselling programme - that's no mean feat, well done! Hopefully some of you will be moving on to the Masters stage and will be back with us in June, but for those of you who aren't taking that step at the moment I'll hope to see you on Graduation Day. Again, congratulations!