In December 2014I had the privilege of attending the Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) & Contextual and Behavioural Science (CBS) Conference and Workshops in Dublin.

ACT (spoken as a single word not A. C. T.) is part of the third wave in Cognitive and Behavioural therapy. This is the new generation of CBT therapies.

What came out of this for me other than depth of therapy skills, was how to present this to groups of patients so that more patients can benefit from this without compromising the level of the work that I can do on a one to one basis.

In addition to one on one, I will now be offering small group workshops. Working alongside others who have similar difficulties often help patients to see that they are not alone in their suffering. It creates a “we are all in this together” camaraderie which encourages them to help each other too.

One of the strengths of this therapy model is that it is far reaching in that it can be used for people with anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, stress, burnout, chronic pain, preparation for life changing events like retirement, to mention just a few.

In previous years I only offered this on a one to one basis, but this year, I will complete the initial consultations and assessments on a one to one basis and then if the patient is right for group work I will offer that to them.
I will do the teaching in the group personally.
I am hoping that this will make therapy more accessible to clients and more be helped.

I will continue to do one on one therapy too.

I make this soup often. There are not a lot of ingredients and is made in a really short time. Yet, it never ceases to impress friends.

You will need:
little bit of oil (I use olive oil)
1 small onion, chopped
3 courgettes (sliced) - about 1lb
450ml of chicken stock (veg stock if vegetarian)
175g of ready made hummous (the small tub in the supermarket)
Lemon juice to taste
Salt and pepper

Method:
Heat oil in pan. Fry onions until soft. Add the courgettes. Fry them a little bit, then add the stock and boil the vegetables until tender.
Remove some of the liquid (and keep) and blend/food processor the vegetables until smooth. Add the liquid back into the mixture. Stir in the tub of hummous. I normally then blend it for a further few seconds in order to incorporate the hummous with the rest of the soup.
Add lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste.

Variation: Sometimes I peel the courgette and the soup changes into a very pale soup.

Serve it on its own as a starter or with some pitta bread as a meal.

Use only the best dark chocolate you can buy with at least 70% (minimum) cocoa solids.

40g (1.5 oz) plain very dark chocolate
2 tablespoons hot water
4 tablespoons fromage frais
a handful of toasted chopped nuts

Melt the chocolate over a saucepan of boiling water. Simmer the water until the chocolate is melted. Stir in the water, making a thick paste. Allow to cool.
Stir in the fromage frais

Scoop into two espresso cups and chill in refrigerator.

Toast the nuts in a heavy bottomed pan for a few minutes. Just heat up the dry pan and toss nuts in it, adding no oil at all.
When chocolate is chilled, sprinkle some nuts on top and serve.

Directions
Heat 2 minced garlic cloves, 2 or 3 strips lemon zest and 3 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet over medium heat, 3 minutes. Meanwhile, cook 1 head broccoli florets and 1 sliced carrot in boiling salted water, 3 minutes. Drain and toss with the lemon oil, a squeeze of lemon juice, and salt and pepper.

Quick chicken and pepper stir fry

Green pepper x 1
Red onion(s) x 2
Red pepper x 1
Quinoa x 200 gram(s) (remember that this is a protein).
Yellow pepper x 1
Skinless chicken breast x 4 fillets
Cashews x 1 gram(s)
Sunflower oil x 1 tbsp
Soy sauce x 2 tspn
1. Cook the Quinoa according to the pack instructions.
2. While the Quinoa is cooking, heat the oil in a large pan or wok, and add the sliced onion and chicken, cooking for 5 min.
3. Add the remaining vegetables and cashew nuts to the pan and stir.
4. Add a little water and a dash of soy sauce to flavour.
5. Continue to stir until vegetables start to soften a little.
6. Drain the cooked quinoa and serve with the stir fry.

Oven Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Ingredients:
1 pound fresh Brussels sprouts
1/4 cup olive oil
2-4 cloves garlic - minced or chopped very finely
1 lemon - seeds removed, sliced thin
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F/ 190 degrees C.
Wash the Brussels sprouts, cut off the ends, and remove any discolored, outer leaves.
Cut smaller Brussels sprouts into halves and larger ones into quarters.
Place the Brussels sprouts into a large bowl and toss them with the olive oil and minced or finely chopped garlic.
Spread the Brussels sprouts onto a baking sheet and season with the salt and pepper.
Tuck the lemon slices in between the Brussels sprouts.
Bake for 40 minutes, or until the Brussels sprouts are cooked through, and begin to caramelize.

Adjust the amount of garlic, salt and pepper used in this recipe, according to personal taste.
For a slightly spicy version, toss in a bit of red pepper flakes, or a few shakes of hot pepper sauce, before placing the Brussels sprouts in the oven.

SPICY LENTIL SOUP

Ingredients
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground cumin
l litre (4 cups) vegetable stock
300g 1.5 cups red lentils
1 can chopped tomatoes
fresh corianderand plain low-fat yogurt to serve (optional)

Method

Put the onion, garlic and lentils in a pan. Sprinkle over the ground spices and stir to mix.
Pour over the hot stock, bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes.
Add the tomatoes and cook for a further 10-15 minutes, until the lentils have softened.
Blend the soup. If you wish, garnish with a swirl of yogurt and a scattering of fresh chopped corianderleaves on each bowl to serve.

Ingredients:

1/4 lb red split lentils
1 onion
2 cloves garlic
1 courgette
1 carrot
1 red pepper
1 tblsp tomato puree
1 can plum totatoes
1 tsp dried basil
1 tspn dried oregano
1 1/2 pints vegetable stock
Fresh basil to garnish.

Preparation method:

Prep: 10 mins
1. Chop onion, crush garlic and cook gently in enough water to cover the bottom of your pan.
2. Chop the tinned tomatoes and add to the onion and garlic.
3. Thinly slice the courgette, carrot and red pepper and add to the pan.
4. Add the dried herbs, lentils and tomato puree and mix well.
5. Turn the heat up until bubbling and add the stock.
6. Simmer for 45 mins.
7. Garnish with some basil leaves
8. Season and serve!

Makes six servings.

ngredients:

1 pound carrots, peeled and sliced
1 pound butternut squash, peeled and cut into cubes
1/4 cup orange juice
1/8 tsp nutmeg
Preparation:

Steam carrots and squash until tender, about 10-12 minutes. Transfer to a food processor. Add orange juice and nutmeg. Blend until smooth. Season with freshly ground pepper if desired.

This is a beauty to enhance any boring plate.