Complementary therapies to help cope with mental health problems

However, medication does not appear to be curing mental health problems and other holisitic healing methods of "Complementary therapies" are now at the forefront in both helping prevent and helping to rehabilitate those suffering from mental health problems. While by no means a large budget, NHS in Lewisham and (SLaM) South London and Maudsley have recently granted Family Services UK some funds for walks and trips to complement Mental Health therapies. Family Services UK Improving Mental Health has significantly developed new services of complementary therapies.

Complementary therapy has many forms which can include anything from regular counselling/psychotherapy/talking therapies, regular walks in woodland, to yoga and meditation, to canvas drawings and paintings to strenuous physical tasks such as gardening in the outdoors. The goal is to immerse participants in a natural environment in which the human mind is genetically predisposed to function and allow natural mind, body and spirit healing combined with traditional counselling.

Family Services UK improving mental health complementary therapies offer a range of themed programmes. This will be initially a pilot project that will draw on documented evidence

• Excercise (including simple excercise plus trips and walks)

• Relaxation (Using a relaxation exercise, Yoga)

• Mentor and counselling/talking therapies

Benefits

• Improved Mental Health in participants

• Reduction in the need for medication to treat mental health among participants

• Improved self help and self awareness