Counsellor Gives Podcasts a Rave Review

The most popular - Ep 17: Guided Relaxation and Visualisation - uses imagery of a beach to create a positive experience in your mind and body.

“I had a woman call me just recently, whose husband died over a year ago. She had been using the episode to get to sleep every night, and said it was amazing.”

Shireen says visualisation is about more than just imagining a happy place, it’s about taking you there. 

“Neuroscience studies show that if you think about an experience ‘as if you are actually doing it’ – the smells, the feelings, the tastes, the sights – the brain goes into the same state as if you are actually there.”

The guided relaxation and visualisation exercises are great for patients with feelings of anxiety or a busy mind, as well as people with COPD. And it’s a great way for whānau looking after a sick family member to prioritise their own mental wellbeing.

Shireen uses the visualisation technique herself, but her spiritual and emotional place is Lake Pukaki - the colour of the water, the feel of the rocks, the warmth from the earth.

“It’s important to remember to work on yourself first before you help others,” says Shireen.” (See the story in this newsletter on Ep 29: Carers - Looking After yourself for more information on our carer self-care podcasts).

Shireen and her Otago Community Hospice colleagues also direct their clients to the grief podcasts and any podcast that addresses a specific worry or concern a person might have.

“We find that information, understanding and preparedness help settle people.”

Shireen encourages those involved in counselling palliative care patients to listen to these episodes, as they may well have value for their patient population.