1. Meaning is core to mental health and is held in our thoughts and perceptions of events. 2. Thoughts can be either dynamic, such as worrying or rumination, or passive thoughts that pop into our heads. 3. Our thoughts can take the form of internal dialogues or different "characters" that influence our perspectives and behaviors.

1. Attention
Presentation: Thinking about Meaning
Section 1 Theory
Section 2 Practice
Presentation that accompanies the thinking about meaning word document for PWPs

2. Meaning and Mental Health
Mental health is a condition of meaning. When people thinkfeel or act in ways
that theywe don’t believe they should then they can be said to have mental
distress. Meaning is held in how we think then derivatively in how we act.
Event, sthg
happened
Thoughts, Behaviour
Thoughts=>Emotions
Thoughts=>Behaviours=>Emotions
Thoughts
Emotions
Event, I did
sthg

3. Meaning containers
Meaning is held in thoughtsperception
To think or perceive we have to pay attention to something
Perception
Thoughts
Attention (Self awareness)

4. Attention: nature
We choose where we put our attention is our world
Where we put our attention has an effect
Our attention is meaningful and volitional
External
events
Internal
events
Attention

5. Attention: Motives
Our attention is motivated by
• Attentional Bias
• Prior experience
• Deliberate strategies
External
events
Internal
events
Attentional Bias (Mood)
Deliberate Strategy (Safety)
Prior experience (I look for things I know)

6. Attention: effects
Where we put our attention has an effect
Internal
/External
events
Attention
Effects:
Produces emotions
Tells me how the world is: gives me possibilities
Enhances effects

7. Thoughts : construction
What are thoughts made of?
Images
Language
Language
Used to
speak
Images
Used to
act/react
Speak/Listen ActsReacts

8. Thoughts: dynamicpassive
Thoughts can be mental events that we receive
Or
Dynamic acts that we do
Dynamic
Thoughts
Meta thought
Worry
Rumination
Passive Thoughts:
The thought popped
into my head
The meaning I have
for perception

9. Thoughts: content types
Areas we can think about and why
Present
Perceiving
Problem
solving
Judging
Past
Ruminating
Regretting
Reminiscing
Future
Worrying
Fantasising
D
Y
N
A
M
I
C
P
A
S
S
I
V
E
Past
Memory Future
ImaginationPresent
Desire

10. Thoughts: speech dialogic effects
Effects and activity of thoughts from language
Motives
Emotions on
outcomes
(Secondary
outcomes)
Emotions
from process
(Primary
emotions)
History
The characters
The relationship
Speaks
Listens

11. Thoughts : Characters of speech
The different characters that think
The
cynic
The
thinker
The
police
man The
gossip
The
protector

12. Clinical Utility
1. Meaning is core to mental health
2. Meaning is held in thoughtsperception
3. Thoughts can be dynamicpassive
4. Thoughts are communication
5. Communication can be between different characters
6. Attentional focus

13. Clinical Utility
1. Meaning is core to mental health
Its not what happens to us that causes problems but how we
understand it
Thoughts aren’t fact but beliefs
There are many different ways to look at the same event
Psycho education
Its not what happens to us that causes problems but how we understand it: take an
unpleasant event that you know about that a few people have been involved with, have
they all reacted the same, if not why not, for instance its raining.
Thoughts aren’t facts but beliefs: have you ever been wrong or changed your opinion?
How would you know what to believe?
Perspective: Take one event, friend walking on other side of the road doesn’t say hello,
then imagine them in different states and ask how they would understand it. Or ask when
you’re feeling angry do you see more things that piss you off

14. Clinical Utility
2. Meaning is held in thoughtsperception
Scenario: Client feels emotion and you ask what were they thinking
to help us understand their emotion, they say I don’t know.
Ask what the situation was like for them, if you can get them to
describe their experience, i.e. what they perceived, you will find out
what they were thinking.

15. Clinical Utility
3. Thoughts can be dynamicpassive
If a thought is dynamic, i.e. worry or rumination, then we can look at its effect
and ask if we want it.
If a thought is passive then mental distress can be caused if we think it is
dynamic, i.e. we chose it. For instance OCD
If you try to suppress passive thoughts, it creates more of them!

16. Clinical Utility
4. Thoughts are communication
Understand what the effects of types of thought are
from both sides of the conversation
Rumination
Self criticism
Understand the origin of this type of conversation
Dad used to talk to me this way. Doing this, gives you the
idea that things could be different, you didn’t like it then
so why do it now, and you can then also ask about other
more benign influences

17. Clinical Utility
5. Communication can be between different characters
Understand what all of the different experiences that contribute to a character=> this leads to being able to challenge beliefs, firstly as
when you see how something is created, you can see how it can be created differently and secondly as it reminds you of different ways you
could have acted in the original scene, so therefore different ways you can react now
Get to know the beliefsbehavioursemotions of a character so you can see when they are active
Doing this gives you a distance from yourself, and doing this enables you to choose differently. If you’re not aware of something you cant
change it so the first stage to change is awareness. What seems helpful is to also not see it as an essential part of me, as the former doesn't’
take responsibility, which again is the precursor to change.
When you start recognizing the characters, you can see what the relationships are like
As you recognise a character you can see how much effect they have in your life
Start to see the characters with lesser voices
This gives clients the option to build on marginalised parts of themselves, which in so doing, can reduce some of the unhelpful parts of
themselves

18. Clinical Utility
6. Attentional focus
Reasons why you might focus on things?
Trying to protect yourself
Effects of focussing on things?
Enhances effects=Health anxiety
itches, panic disorder symptoms
Makes it harder to do things=Social
anxiety (self attention)
Strengthens beliefs for instance world
is a scary place=Anxiety disorders
Treatment
PsychoeducationSocratic questioning
Mindfulness.
Attentional switching
techniques=Wells