Yes, The leopard can change its spots – and you too can change your mind with the help of Brian Fleming at The Complementary Medicine Centre.
What is positive psychotherapy?
We’ve seen over the past few decades that psychology and psychotherapy has moved away from its roots and into a more optimistic and humanistic dynamic. As institutions change and develop over time, so does the individual.
In the days of the psychotherapy pioneers, men such as Freud Jung and Adler, were working primarily with sick people. As a result, their pioneering opinions and therapeutic methods often reflected a somewhat pessimistic view of the human mind and the human condition.
It was not until Abraham Maslow came along with his humanistic psychology, where Maslow – recognising growth and fulfilment as fundamental human drives – gave us a new perspective. This perspective, in simple terms, meant that Maslow recognised that each individual human being seeks for the tools necessary to continually grow and improve themselves. This formed the basis of his famous idea – the ‘hierarchy of needs‘
This drive towards therapeutic optimism was continued by Carl Rogers who, in the 1950s, created his own person-centred psychotherapy. Rogers maintained that therapists must have the three fundamental attributes of acceptance, caring and flexibility to be capable of presenting a growth changing milieu where people can be supported in their quest to become their true selves.
Another individual who significantly contributed to the positive Psychotherapeutic paradigm, was Martin Seligman. Seligman, in describing his positive psychology, maintained the importance of positive experiences and positive character traits – as well as devising tools for preventing pessimism and depression by building on the individual’s innate strengths and sense of well-being. Seligman maintained that, when we are experiencing positive emotions, we are likely to be finding personal fulfilment and that by helping other people and remaining flexible in our thinking, we will be more able to find solutions to our problems.
Other individuals have added to the positive therapeutic dynamic including Ronald A. Sandison – an English Jungian who, with his psycholytic therapy, gave us tools for dissolving and releasing tensions and conflicts in the human mind.
What is the ‘mind gym’?
At our mind gym, we take a multi- disciplinary approach in our mission to help people achieve their positive potential. Using various facets of the aforementioned approaches, used in conjunction with aspects of Astanga Yoga, Mindfulness, Hindu and Buddhist psychology – we can help you change your mind.
The Mind Gym work is facilitated by Brian Fleming who has fifty years experience of yoga, meditation and mindfulness and has been active in the therapeutic field since the 1980s. With his wife Ruth Chappell, he co-founded the Glasgow Complementary Medicine Centre and the Scottish College of Complementary Medicine, the latter body seeing more than a thousand people graduate from their training courses and go on to work as therapists in their own right.
Brian bases his yoga and meditation work on Vedavyasa, Patanjali, Ramanuga, Bhaktivinode and Bhaktivedanta. Brian also uses homoeopathy, CBT and hypnotherapy in his work.
How can I book a session?
If you’re interested in booking a session and exploring the positive benefit that working out your mind can have on your entire being – you can get in touch with us here. Contact Brian Fleming to begin your consultation.