My Self Detective Account

A user’s guide to My Self Detective account

You are about to enter into a section of the website that allows you to interact with material as well as record and save work that will be personal to yourself and your own circumstances.

To start, simply click on a title of a section, for example "Starting up your own self detective agency".

You do not need to work through each topic in order, nor do you need to complete each and every unit in order to move on to the next one. In essence, you get to pick and mix your own learning. However, it may be useful to keep the following in mind:

The most useful areas of inquiry for you are likely to be the areas you least wish to go to

By this we mean that avoiding a topic is a good clue, suggesting you have come to a place that may require more attention. Similarly, if you get a bodily sensation while undertaking this work, this could also be a clue as to which direction you wish to take.

Please be aware that more units will be added throughout the year. If you want to be kept informed of SD activities, please click here to subscribe.

One hour at a time is plenty for your journey into self-discovery. There’s no need to rush. Better to let the insights sink in slowly than not at all.

Self Detective is a safe and nurturing environment in which to learn. However, if you are in a bad mood, if you are giving yourself a hard time, if you are having a wobbly moment, it might be best to take a break and do some self-care stuff instead.

Or it might be that you need to reach out and get some support from another person or from an organisation/helpline that is set up especially to help people who are having a tough time of it.

In order to be able to keep your recorded information safe, and allow you to be open and honest with yourself without worrying about any negative consequences, you may wish to consider some of the following points:

(i) when it comes to setting up your own username and password:
Q: How likely is it that someone will be able to know or guess what your access details are?
Q: Would it be useful to create an entirely new username and password for SD, for your own security and your own peace of mind?

(ii) My Self Detective accounts will automatically log out after 15 minutes of non-activity.

(iii) There is a quick exit button at the top right-hand corner of the screen at all times, just in case you need to use it. This will take you to the latest BBC news page.

(iv) If you are writing about other people and it feels a bit weird or uncomfortable to be recording your thoughts and feelings about them, you may wish to consider anonymising them. You can do this by giving them a different name, or you can use a code for each person, with numbers, letters, symbols, or a mixture of all three.

(v) If you are in an environment that is hostile to you becoming more aware of yourself:
Q: Are there ways to keep yourself safe?
Q: Are there times to access and use your account that are better than others?

(vi) In order to set up a Self Detective account, you will need to agree to our terms and conditions. We hope you take the time to read through them and reflect on what they say and mean.

(vii) We hope you like it and get something from it. If you do, please pass on the good will and let other people know about Self Detective. You may also consider attending a Self Detective workshop or Self Detective training.

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