“Mummy, God has made a really big mistake when making me. He was thinking girl and at the last minute made a boy.” Transgender refers to an individual whose gender identity (what they feel) does not match their assigned biological birth gender. When my son Sam said this to me, it was the moment I truly felt the enormity of despair …
Physical and Mental Health – The Connection Between Body and Mind In western society the Physical and Mental Health connection can easily be overlooked as it is a culture of endless quick fixes and we are for the most part solution driven. For every problem from a headache, weight loss and ageing to depression, anxiety and low self-esteem we are …
What is pornography addiction? Due to frequent and free-flowing access to sexualized imagery and ideaology via the internet, pornography has become normalized in contemporary society. It is easy therefore to assume that pornography addiction is a contemporary issue. However sexual fantasy and sexual curiosity are inherent to human nature and internet usage has only heightened their visibility. An almost unavoidable side effect …
What is PTSD? Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a medical/psychological condition that can occur in response to a traumatic event. Traumatic events are usually defined as unexpected, negative situations that are life threatening, or where an individual experiences a threat to their physical or psychological integrity, or witnesses a similar threat to another. Events that seriously threaten the safety of …
Marriage Counselling When problems develop in a relationship, it can be the cause of great distress. Most of us wish to have committed and fulfilling relationships and the breaking down of an important relationship can create feelings of anger, sadness, grief, and isolation. People going through a relationship breakdown are more likely to experience mental health problems (especially in the …
LGBTQI+ Relationships Not surprisingly, same sex couples and those in LGBTQI+ relationships struggle with the same challenges we all face on the path to love and being in relationship. Communication difficulties, sexual intimacy, financial problems, conflict over shared household tasks and responsibilities, differences in parenting styles, and extended family relationship conflicts and expectations. Positive, healthy and fulfilling relationships form the basis …
Many people seek out therapy for various challenges in life. The common thread that presents itself more often than not, is an underlying quest for self-acceptance. Learning how to come to terms with our imperfections, conflicting desires, and challenging emotions, is the journey of self-acceptance. Acceptance as a general concept is often confused with the condoning and approving of negative …
Are you separating from your partner? Separation and relationship breakdown can be one of the most difficult times in your life. A time when you need support as well as information and practical advice. What do I do now? What will happen to me and to my children? How do I get through the pain that I am experiencing? If …
In the past three decades we have seen a significant shift in community attitudes toward the existence of and effects of childhood sexual abuse. From the 1970’s where ignorance and denial of the problem was most prevalent to the current day where the community no longer appears as willing to accept the abuse of it’s children. This readiness on the …
Managing Stress Stress is an omnipresent force in our everyday lives, and it is the body’s way of responding to challenge in our environment. It is something that is part of normal life, and is experienced by everyone from time to time because of this effective stress management skills are vital for maintaining optimum health. Stress helps us cope with …
Adolescence is a challenging and often confusing time for parents and adolescents alike. The period of ‘adolescence’ falls roughly between the ages of 12 to 24 years old, and during this period of development, adolescents can often be misunderstood as ‘moody’ and ‘hormonal’ and that they really just need to ‘grow up’. Thankfully, there have been psychiatrists and psychologists conducting …
Relaxation is a helpful tool for refreshing the mind and body after periods of stress. It is also extremely useful for gaining control over anxiety. Relaxation is a state of mind in which our attention is drawn away from the outside world, and is focussed on our internal processes. This can be achieved by quietening the mind and directing our …
Shame is a normal human emotion. It relates to the inherent ‘quality’ of oneself, our sense of self or our identity, dignity and honour. Shame manifests in behaviours such as hiding one’s eyes, turning away one’s face, blushing, avoidance behaviours, blaming, over reacting, self-deprecation, apathy or cognitive freezing. Shame can be triggered by being criticised or humiliated, when we experience …
Transgender Counselling There is growing body of international and Australian research that outlines the mental health experiences of transgender people. The increasing number of studies undertaken within the transgender community, particularly in the past five years, has enabled us to better understand their possible future mental health-care needs. Our Australian studies provide a consistent picture of transgender adults mental health …
At some time in our lives we are likely to experience or witness an event which threatens our safety or life, or that of others around us. This could be a car accident or other serious accident, physical or sexual assault, a natural disaster such as fire, floods or cyclones or for some, the experience of war or torture. Some …
The trust we so keenly desire in our relationships is one of the oldest states or capacities we humans know of. It is the ‘glue’ that enables two people to come together in a sharing partnership that is enduring. It has its origins in our very early experiences of life. Why is trust so easy to lose and so hard …
Everyone has bothersome worries now and again. You may worry about a problem at work or school, about money, health, relationships or a family member. People with OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder), however become consumed by worry. These worries are not like those that people would normally expect to have; they are not worries about real life problems. The constant worry can …
How to Respond When Your Partner Won’t Attend Counselling Are you considering separation? Are you wanting to try couples counselling but your partner is reluctant to attend? The stress of relationship difficulties can sometimes result in a situation where one or both people feel that separating is the only answer. This is a big step to take and it is …
You may already know that Tinnitus or ‘ringing in the ear’ has many possible causes, such as exposure to loud music or sounds, unwanted side effects to medication, or earwax blockage. For other people, there are no obvious reasons. Although there are many possible causes, and many different types of sounds actually experienced by the individual with Tinnitus; there is …
Improving the personal effectiveness and career development of women The world of work is becoming more complex and the demands on women seeking a career and family life can be considerable. Many women are balancing the demands of their working life and family life and are looking for tools to do this in a healthy and effective way. Mentoring is …