Archives

Lockdown Emergence: Integrating Our Various Selves

During the rage of COVID-19, few people have been able to continue, unmodified, the daily life schedule they employed before the pandemic. The months of “sheltering-in-place” incarceration have generated some wonderful humour (witness all the jokes about home schooling and weight gain!), and more than a little reflection on what truly matters — and what, […]

COVID-19, Fear and What Counsellors Can Do to Help

A member of our writing team related the following experience during these times of near-lockdown. She had gone out to do some essentials such as grocery shopping and getting prescriptions filled for her healthy but self-isolating husband. Returning home, she threw down her things, wailed, “It’s just awful”, and burst into tears. Her astonished husband […]

Setting Up Online Counselling: Not Just a Couple of Clicks

The purpose of counselling is generally to help people learn to live in happier, more effective ways, which more often than not means helping them learn how to come together better with other people. In these pandemic-permeated times, however, we are told by authorities that the most effective means of being with others is to […]

Living a Mindful Life: Mindfulness Program

For quite some time now, many of our readers and students have wanted a Mindfulness program that not only teaches them about Mindfulness, but progressively helps them integrate Mindfulness into their lives for enhanced wellbeing. Well, we listened, and now we’re delivering! The resultant program is Living a Mindful Life. Living a Mindful Life This was […]

Bushfire Crisis: Resources for Mental Health Professionals

The Australian bushfire crisis has impacted millions, putting individuals, families and entire communities at higher risk of trauma and psychological/emotional distress. In response, many mental health professionals across the country are putting their hands up to assist those impacted by the disaster. To support their efforts, Mental Health Academy created a collection of freely accessible educational resources […]

The Psychology of Bragging

You are asked at the cocktail party what you do. “Well,” you respond with enthusiasm, “I’m so excited right now. I just graduated with my degree in hospitality.” “Oh, a future barista,” says the other guest, swirling his drink. “I guess we can’t all get Ph.D.’s in science like I did.” You run into a […]

Counselling Courses: Choosing The Right Counselling Course

Counselling is one of the fastest growing occupations in Australia. According to the Australian government job site Job Outlook (1), the counselling profession is expected to grow by 18%; with around 22,000 job openings (4,400 per year for 5 years). This growth is driven largely by increasing consumer need. The statistics on the mental health […]

Dealing with Deception in Counselling

“You should always believe your clients,” said the counselling-training professor to the trainees, “and you should always disbelieve them”  It’s possible that that advice — confusing and impossible as it seems to be — is useful not only for therapists listening to clients, but to any of us listening to a fellow human being. Even […]

Lying: Life Skill or Lousy Habit?

Johnny sings a song to his mum and asks her how well she thought he sang. In reality, Mum likens Johnny’s voice to, as Simon Cowell once said of a talent show participant, “the sound a cat makes after it falls off the roof before it hits the ground”. Does Mum say this to Johnny, […]