Some counsellors will be familiar with the work of Eric Berne and his seminal text: The Games People Play (1968) or I’m Ok, You’re Ok (Harris, 1967) and Staying Ok (Harris, 1985). Berne developed transactional analysis, based upon the ideas of Freud and Jung, but also developed an approach that is distinctly different, as he focussed on patients social ‘transactions’. Berne translated […]
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Counselling Theory & Process
Encouraging Emotional Intelligence in Counselling
For many people, emotional intelligence (EI) is an innate strength; some people can perceive, control, and evaluate their emotions with ease, while others require practice in this area. EI is something that everybody in our society ought to have; it’s the ability to manage emotions effectively and respond accordingly to various situations. This ability is […]
- August 8, 2023
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- Counselling Theory & Process, Neuroscience, Wellness
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Strategies for Career Counselling
As a counsellor, you will likely encounter clients who are anxious about career-related concerns. They may be kids, teenagers, or adults, and may come from any number of social or economic strata; vocational pressure effects people of all demographics, and there is a robust literature that suggests strategies that counsellors can use to attend to […]
- August 3, 2023
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- Career Development, Counselling Theory & Process, Counselling Therapies, Private Practice, Uncategorized
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Grounding for anxiety: evidence based practice and practice-based evidence
Clients can, and often do, present for counselling in a mildly, or even highly anxious state and counsellors frequently use ‘grounding techniques’ for the alleviation of both acute and chronic anxiety. Here, we explore the techniques seen as most effective from an evidence-based point of view but additionally consider the thoughts of counsellors in practice […]
- February 20, 2023
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- Clinical Mental Health, Counselling Theory & Process, Neuroscience, Private Practice, Uncategorized, Wellness
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How does being a counsellor affect your mental health?
Compassion Fatigue (CF), Secondary Traumatic Stress (STS) and Vicarious Trauma (VT) have all been highlighted in the research literature as risks for counsellors, psychologists, and other mental health professionals (Sutton, et al, 2022). In the current post-pandemic era, burnout amongst mental health workers is a subject more prevalent than ever and subsequently has been studied […]
An Introduction to Case Management
Many clients who access counselling have multiple services assisting them with their ongoing living, health, and social needs. In some cases, clients are supported by a case manager (or a case management service) who coordinates these services to make sure that clients’ needs and goals are met in an efficient and effective manner (Summers, 2016).
- February 6, 2023
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- Clinical Mental Health, Counselling Theory & Process, Counselling Therapies, Diagnosis & Treatment, Private Practice
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Self-Awareness, Emotional Regulation and Empathy
How accurately can you predict how you come across? Are you good at picking up how you are feeling and how this affects those around you? How well do you consciously know and understand yourself including your feelings, wants, goals, desires and motivations? Self-awareness is paramount to Emotional Intelligence (EI) and Emotional Regulation (ER) and […]
- October 17, 2022
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- Counselling Theory & Process, Stress Management, Uncategorized, Wellness
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An Introduction to Expressive Therapies
Expressive therapies involve the use of various creative arts techniques to facilitate the counselling process. While there are a range of different modalities encompassed under the umbrella of expressive therapies, in a nutshell, expressive therapies are those that use creative expression as a therapeutic device. Activities such as drawing, painting, sculpture, music, writing, creative movement, […]
- October 13, 2022
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- Counselling Theory & Process, Counselling Therapies, Uncategorized
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Understanding Trauma and its Impacts
To understand trauma, we must first consider: what does trauma mean? This article defines trauma and investigates its prevalence, impacts and associated risk factors.
- May 13, 2022
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- Counselling Theory & Process, Trauma & Disaster Mental Health
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Using Mindfulness Techniques in Counselling
Whether the approach is highly structured or not, and whether the practices are formal or informal, bringing mindfulness into helping roles has several general principles. This article explores these, along with some of the benefits, limitations and contraindications of mindfulness practices.
- May 3, 2022
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- Counselling Theory & Process, Counselling Therapies, Stress Management, Wellness
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What is Domestic and Family Violence?
Domestic and family violence is a pattern of abusive behaviour that involves one person seeking to control and dominate another person. It is not the same as conflict. In this article, we explore some definitions, common terms and statistics around this topic.
- April 1, 2022
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- Counselling Theory & Process, Relationship & Families, Trauma & Disaster Mental Health
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Nature’s Effect On Mental Health
If you’ve ever been stressed, anxious, or just feeling a little blue, you know that it can be tough to find the motivation to get out of the house and into nature. But several studies have found that being in nature for even short periods of time can have a positive effect on our mental health. How is this possible, and how can we most effectively reap the mental health benefits that nature offers?
- September 15, 2021
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- Counselling Theory & Process, Spirituality & Religion, Wellness
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Finding Meaning: Masculinity in Crisis
Many young men seek counselling because they feel lost. This happens especially in today’s world, where the boundaries of how a man is supposed to behave are shifting rapidly. This article articulates some causes and concepts that can assist counsellors in understanding masculinity, so they can help men find meaning in the modern world.
- August 12, 2021
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- Counselling Theory & Process, Multicultural Issues, Relationship & Families
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Anger Management: De-escalating Anger
Would you know what to say or do in order to de-escalate from a client – or anyone – threatening to harm you if they don’t get what they want? Would you know – if all else fails – how to keep yourself safe in a violent situation? In this article, we share with you a set of responses for dealing with an angry person – safely – at each of seven levels of anger.
- July 22, 2021
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- Counselling Theory & Process, Relationship & Families
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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.
- June 7, 2021
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- Counselling Theory & Process, Relationship & Families, Wellness
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