Archives

Counselling Immigrants in Australia: Context and Clinical Considerations

If you are a counsellor, you will always be faced with the challenge of counselling someone who comes from a different culture. So, what do you do if you feel you are unequipped to take these clients on? Will it be too difficult to work with someone who speaks a different language, or who comes from a vastly different culture? How can you be sure that you are giving them the assistance they require? Should we avoid these clients, or refer them elsewhere?

Busting Common Myths About Anger

Because it is so multi-faceted, misperceptions about anger abound, and the question arises: how shall we regard anger? How do we advise the client to think about it? Folk wisdom often would say that the best thing to do is just let it all out, but is it? Clients complain that they cannot control it, that the tendency to be easily angered is inherited, but again, is there evidence for that? This article expores common myths people tend to hold about anger, and factual statements following them that you can use to clarify for the client why learning to deal with problem anger is time well spent.

Strategies for Creating (or Destroying) Habits

In a previous article, we defined habits, looked at how they are formed (through the lens of Duhigg’s and Clear’s models), and then outlined the science behind them. According to James Clear’s Four Laws of Behaviour Change (2018), there are four steps to establishing a habit: cue, craving, routine, reward (Clear, 2018). This article is about how we turn the above steps into practical actions/advice that can help clients not only alter the way they do things, but also make the changes stick.

Enhancing Wellbeing in the Workplace

The morning alarm jolts you awake, and you roll over to swat the snooze button – just like that, Monday has come again, along with another working week. You mourn the freedoms of the weekend and drag yourself out of bed whilst wondering why your alarm’s tone is so irritating. “I need coffee”, you think. […]

Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR): What the Research Shows

Read the first part of this article series here. Here’s a question: What therapy is fairly new to the scene, works in non-traditional ways, and is showing itself to be as effective as some gold standard therapies, but in less time? If you answered “EMDR” – Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing Therapy – you are right […]

Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR): Background, Structure and Applications

In this article, we explore what Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) is, how it works, which conditions are being treated with it, and what’s involved in each of its eight phases. A companion piece offers a snapshot of research conducted so far, outlines the main effects the therapy induces, and notes the requirements for […]

Take the Mindful Path to Self-Care

Imagine a self-care strategy which relies solely on you. It can be done in a quiet space or on-the-go; it can take place individually or with like-minded others; and it can be flexible to your needs and circumstances. Furthermore, in a time when uncertainty never feels too far away, it is unlikely to become a casualty of lockdown or physical distancing. Within a working context, if utilised properly, this self-care strategy can enable you to become a better helping professional, as well as inform and improve upon your interactions and practices with clients. Welcome to the world of mindfulness.

The Science Behind Habit Formation

Oh, here we go again! You’ve got a wonderful new smart phone – or maybe a computer – with all the bells and whistles, but how do you make it work? How do you get from one screen or one app to the next? Chances are, the first day will involve a bit of brainwork; you’ll notice what happens when you push this button or come to that screen and you may feel slightly clumsy working it, but after a day or two, you will be so used to the new device that you will forget how the old one operated. So, from the brain’s perspective, what just happened?

7 Powerful Strategies to Help Your Child Balance Their Brain Budget

This article has been republished with the permission of Superpower Kids. Superpower Kids develop fun, engaging social and emotional learning programs for children aged 5 to 10 years. You can find more informative articles like this at Superpower Kids Blog It never feels good to blow your budget and go into overdraft. Yet, going into […]

Emotionally Intelligent Leadership

Emotional intelligence (EI) has been a hot topic in business, personal development, relationships and the media for at least the past decade. While some see it as a touchy-feely or overly personal approach to leadership, many experts believe that it pays dividends in terms of productivity, performance, turnover, motivation and ultimately success. EI is the […]

Critical and Creative Thinking

In the 21st century, changes in society, economics, business, technology, science and the workforce are so rapid that many of the skills you learned in school or university will be obsolete shortly after you enter the workforce. Furthermore, unlike our parents who may have had two or three jobs in the same industry throughout their […]

Counselling and Racism: Stopping the Pandemic

For months, prior to this writing, the daily news feeds have been rife with grim updates on the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet it appears that there is a parallel pandemic occurring: that of racial discrimination unleashed because of COVID-19. Researchers at the Australian National University are inviting people to record their experiences of racism following on […]