Want to be a part of some exciting research?...

I've recently been listening to the book Dare to Lead by Brene Brown.  I do love me a good Audible book (no this isn't as ad!).

Have you read/listened to it?  Maybe you haven't yet as it's really only just come out, but maybe you've read some of her other work like Braving the Wilderness or Daring Greatly?

Anyway, one of the reasons I love the work of Brene, is because she's done the work.  I mean really done the work (or for other fans of Brene, she's been in the arena!)

You see she's done the research.  In other words she hasn't just sat on her bottom in her lounge and thought up, out of thin air, a series of opinions about the topics she likes to discuss, namely vulnerability and shame.

Brene Brown is, aside from being a qualified social worker, a US based academic.  In this capacity she's spent more than 20 years researching these fascinating facets of our human being-ness, and in turn impacted the lives of many as she's shared her valuable lessons which have come from the research.  From the data.

But why am I sharing this with you here today...so unlike APE you might be thinking.

Well, some of you reading this may not be aware of the fact that aside from being a Chartered Psychologist, I too am an academic, based in a UK University.

My area of interest is Change....how we do it, what stops us, what propels us forward, what inspires us, what hinders us, what stands in our way, what transforms our lives and helps to truly evolve us from the ground up.

------------

It just so happens that I am starting an important piece of research in which I'm going to look at this in detail.  In a way that's not been done before and to do that, I need YOUR help.

If you feel that there is something in your life that you have made a change in, then I would love to hear from you.  I'm going to be conducting interviews with people who have undergone change and compliling a study which will aim to unlock the process of change and in turn help us all in understanding it better.

Right now I am just in the process of making preparations for the study to begin, but I would be so grateful if you would, if you feel you fit the bill, to show your interest by opting in early to find out more.

All you have to do is click on the link below which just asks for your name and best contact details and I will be in touch in the coming months to provide more information about the next steps (you can opt-out at any time so don't worry).

CLICK HERE TO BE TAKEN THROUGH TO THE EARLY OPT-IN

That's all for this week, but please do forward this on to others who you think might be interested in participating.

The more the merrier and the more we will all be able to learn...

...remember, compelling, important work like this, and that of Brene's, can only happen with your help and input, so please consider stepping out of your comfort zones if it's not something you've done before.  I'd be forever grateful.

With many thanks... x

What to do when you feel like you've lost your way...

Have you ever felt like you've lost your way?

What was it that triggered that feeling?

Maybe you felt stuck in a job you'd fallen out of love with.  Maybe you literally felt like you'd fallen out of love with your partner or maybe you can't quite put your finger on what it was that had you feeling that way.

Maybe for you it's just that you've lost passion for what you're doing across the board and now you don't really know what the way forward even looks like any more.

In my work as a psychologist, I've yet to meet anyone who hasn't felt this at some stage in their life.  About some-thing.

Well this week we take a look at exactly this, feeling lost ,which often also results in feeling down, anxious and frustrated.   After all what can you even do about?...well here are some positive actions you can take to help you if you've ever experienced this...

To get this delivered straight into your in-box, along with some other behind the scenes snippets, then please CLICK HERE to sign up to our mailing list*

Til next week!

Happy Birthday to us!...APE MODEL turns 1!

Happy birthday to APE, Happy Birthday to APE, Happy Birthday tooooo Aaaa, aaa-pe.  Happy birthday to APE!

I think you get this gist?!

A year ago this week, APE Model Psychology started its journey into the world and into the lives of people like you.  Yes, you reading this right now.

I can tell you though, that it didn't just begin the night before the first blog post was launched.  No.  In fact I came up with the concept 3 years before, around the same time that I started another business altogether in fact**.  The only issue was that it didn't feel right to go ahead with APE at that time.  I wasn't completely sure why at the time, but I'm a big believer in trusting your gut and so that's what I did.

For those 3 years, while I worked on my other business, I did my APE work behind the scenes and trialled and tested concepts and parts of the model with the clients I was working with.

I can tell you now, with my hand on my heart that it was a good decision.  If not only for the fact that I think APE would be something really quite different had I launched it at that time but also I've grown and changed so much as a person over the last few years, that I'm more comfortable in my own skin and I think that you do your best work from a place of self-acceptance more than anything else.  The result if you don't do this, is a business that you create that looks and feels how you think it should, versus how you feel it should  Big mistake!

So today, in honour of our birthday I'm sharing with you a very, very different kind of video.

It's more of a behind the scenes snippet really and in it I'm telling you all about a period of change that Ive experienced recently and how this has impacted not just me, but my business.  I'm also sharing wth you what you can expect to see 'going forward' as they say; as inevitably this will impact what APE looks and feels like.

So, without further ado a little from behind the scenes in honour of us being 1 year old! Enjoy...

Well, would you like more from behind the scenes?

I'd love to know so tell me in the comments below, or come n over to Facebook and join in the chat.

Ans don't forget to get this delivered straight into your in-box, along with some other behind the scenes snippets, then please CLICK HERE to sign up to our mailing list*

Til next week!

****

** The other business was my Multi-passionate business for women...see HERE if you're feeling nosey!**

Ape Summer School Part IIII: Your daily slow practice...

This week...our final SLOW instalment.

Today we follow on from our previous videos which have all taken a little look into the world of slow living.

This week I focus how incorporating small daily practices into our daily lives means we can get closer to where we want to be.

So, if you've been around APE for any length of time, you'll know that I believe that change can happen in an instant.  However it's my experience that human beings are hard-wired to avoid change.  Especially when that change makes us feel uncomfortable.

Of course there are also changes that literally take time (for example you won't shift 3 stone of body weight over night unless you did something crazy drastic, but I digress).

So today we dig in on this one...what could you do every day to help you get one small step closer to where you want to be?

Get that pen and paper handy and let's take a look....

Til next week!

*To get this delivered straight into your in-box, along with some other behind the scenes snippets, then please CLICK HERE to sign up to our mailing list*

Ape Summer school Part III: Slow is your superpower!

Welcome back to our slow living series here at APE.

If you're new here, welcome!

This summer we've been taking a  look at the art of of doing things a little slower than usual.  Taking on a more realistic, reflective way of working and actually taking time to stop and smell the roses, dare I say it!

It's easy to get caught up in 'being busy' and rushing around for the sake of it.  Convincing ourselves that we are all the more important and that big things are getting done if we are chasing our tails!

Well, in my case, and in the case if so many of my clients, the world often has a funny way of slowing you down if you don't take the initiate and do it for yourself.

Don't get me wrong.  Inevitably we all have to dash about sometimes, tis the way of life...but I'm not talking about that.  I'm talking about those of us that have begun to equate busy with 'successful', or always being on the go with, I'm getting lots done!

It's often this way of being that leads to burn out, stress and actually, always rushing around means we often don't get to do our best work or sadly still, we don't stop for what's really important and forget why we're doing it all in the first place!...and that's exactly what we dive into today.

So without further ado, here is this week's little instalment.  Do have your pen and paper handy to jot down your ideas and as usual there is an exercise at the end...

..and don't forget to come back for the last video next week.

Til next week!

*To get this delivered straight into your in-box, along with some other behind the scenes snippets, then please CLICK HERE to sign up to our mailing list*

APE SUMMER SCHOOL PART II: The benefits of SLOW living..

Welcome back to week 2 in which we continue our dive into the Art of Slow Living...

Have you ever felt forced to slow down?

What was it that made you do it?

I know that for the clients I've worked with it's ranged from illness, conflict in their lives including family issues, burnout or even the death of a love one that has forced them to stop and take stock.

The lesson I've taken from working with people navigating through these experiences, as well as having experienced it myself, is that there is another way.

We don't, and really shouldn't wait for disaster to strike before we contemplate what we really want to do in our lives, or reevaluate how our lives could look.

So that's what we look at in this short video this week.

Get a pen and paper ready as there's a short exercise at the end that will help you to address the benefits of a slower pace of life.

Til next week!

*To get this delivered straight into your in-box, along with some other behind the scenes snippets, then please CLICK HERE to sign up to our mailing list*