I was recently asked about the possibility of partnering up with the brilliant ‘We are Hummingbird’. Hummingbird provide a platform for bands to create a playlist and talk a about their own experience in music and mental health. I initially didn’t understand the concept……bands make playlists…yes..then what? All this changed when I spoke with the founder. As I spoke with John I realised that such a simple message of fellowship and community within the framework of a shared love of music is probably the purest form of connection. Bands, tribes, tours, gigs and most of all MUSIC! How did I miss this! After my initial blindness to such a great idea I quickly reflected on my work as a therapist
This weekend I was invited to attend an NA open meeting in East London as a psychotherapist. I sat and listened to the gritty realism of the shares and was struck by the contrast between the ‘powerlessness’ of the fellows and the existential position I inhabit in the NHS. In my position for the NHS I work in a protocol which outlines a client’s sense of freedom, choice and agency in managing their own struggles. This sense of agency seemed in direct contrast with a popular NA prayer called ‘The powerlessness Prayer’, which reads; ‘God, I admit my powerlessness and the unmanageability of my life. Help me live with others as an equal, dependent upon you for direction and strength.’ From an exi
