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 […]

Multicultural Issues
Counselling and Racism: Raising Our Awareness
What would be your reaction if someone you knew and respected called you a racist? Would you be gobsmacked? Bewildered as to what you could have said or done that made you seem racist? Or perhaps infuriated that someone could think that you, in all probability a staunch promoter of social justice ideals, could actually […]
- July 14, 2020
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- Counselling Theory & Process, Ethics & Legal Issues, Multicultural Issues
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Narrative Therapy for Aboriginal Clients
At the heart of narrative therapy — and the crucial aspect distinguishing it from more empirically-based therapies (such as CBT) — is the question of how we can know reality. Empiricism tells us that there a single “truth” waiting for us to discover it. Narrative therapists, on the other hand, recognise that the operative word […]
- January 18, 2019
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- Counselling Therapies, Multicultural Issues, Spirituality & Religion
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Recognising Radicalisation Toward Extremism
If you’ve been a professional helper for a while, you have probably sensed that the fields we work in (counselling/psychotherapy, psychology, social work, etc.) have changed in recent years. As the world we live in becomes increasingly polarised, so too do the beliefs and values of people drawn to radicalisation toward extremism; for many of […]
- October 17, 2018
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- Ethics & Legal Issues, Multicultural Issues, Spirituality & Religion, Technology & Social Media
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The Dangers of Teen Sexting (And How to Help Their Parents Help Them)
You may have faced this scenario before: anguished parents turn up in your rooms and plead with you for help: their cherished teenager, they find, is now sending and/or receiving sexually explicit text messages, photos, or videos. Oh, what to do? Unfortunately, this phenomenon is now common and increasing in frequency, even as the average […]
- February 22, 2018
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- Children & Adolescents, Ethics & Legal Issues, Multicultural Issues, Relationship & Families, School Counselling, Technology & Social Media
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Tolerance and Social Inclusion: Calling All Individuals
November 16th is “International Day for Tolerance”, for which U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon declared: “I call on all people and governments to actively combat fear, hatred and extremism with dialogue, understanding and mutual respect. Let us advance against the forces of division and unite for our shared future.” November 21-29 is “Social Inclusion Week”, which […]
- November 9, 2015
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- LGBTI Issues, Multicultural Issues, Relationship & Families, Workplace Issues
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Psychologist Q&A: Counselling Indigenous Clients
Q. I am a non-Indigenous practitioner counselling Indigenous clients. Can I really do this effectively and what is the best way for a non-Indigenous therapist to counsel Indigenous clients? A. Many non-Indigenous practitioners “genuinely struggle” when working with Aboriginal people. They may lack the degree of cultural competence necessary to effectively counsel Indigenous clients (i.e. […]
- September 11, 2015
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- Counselling Theory & Process, Multicultural Issues, Relationship & Families
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WHO Report on Suicide Prevention
Every 40 seconds a person dies by suicide somewhere in the world. “Preventing suicide: a global imperative” is the first WHO report of its kind. It aims to increase awareness of the public health significance of suicide and suicide attempts, to make suicide prevention a higher priority on the global public health agenda, and to […]
- September 12, 2014
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- Clinical Mental Health, Multicultural Issues, Self-harming & Suicide
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Common Stages of Disaster Recovery
Disasters and mass disruptive events can be extremely unpredictable and chaotic. Even though that is a valid characterisation of catastrophe, disaster experts have discerned a general pattern or cycle of phases that a community and the individuals in it go through from the time of impact of a disaster to establishing a newly reconstructed life. […]
- May 26, 2014
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- Counselling Theory & Process, Loss & Grief, Multicultural Issues, Trauma & Disaster Mental Health
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Core Actions of Psychological First Aid
In the first video of this two-part series (Principles of Psychological First Aid), Richard Hill looked at the five principles that are the basis for all Psychological First Aid: that is, promoting safety, calmness, self-efficacy, connectedness, and hope. In this talk, Richard will be putting you into the field: that is, the explorations will take […]
- April 11, 2014
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- Counselling Theory & Process, Loss & Grief, Multicultural Issues, Stress Management, Trauma & Disaster Mental Health, Videos
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Principles of Psychological First Aid
Psychological First Aid is a means of providing psychosocial support to individuals and families immediately after a disaster, terrorist or traumatic event, or other emergency. It consists of a set of helping actions which are systematically undertaken in order to reduce initial post-trauma distress and to support short- and long-term adaptive functioning. Based on the […]
- April 4, 2014
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- Counselling Theory & Process, Loss & Grief, Multicultural Issues, Stress Management, Trauma & Disaster Mental Health, Videos
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How Should Psychologists Engage with the Consequences of Poverty?
According to the World Health Organization website, “approximately 1.2 billion people in the world live in extreme poverty (on less than one dollar per day)” (http://bit.ly/173Mwtu accessed 30 May 2013). According to the World Bank web site “2.4 billion live on less than US $2 a day, the average poverty line in developing countries” and […]
- August 1, 2013
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- Multicultural Issues, Stress Management
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Social Support Development Skills
The saying that “no man is an island” seems not truer anywhere than in the realm of resilience. Happiness author and business coach Alvah Parker lists ten traits of resilient, happy people. In the very first one she notes that resilient people “are strong people who realize the importance of having a good social support […]
- February 28, 2013
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- Multicultural Issues, Personal Effectiveness, Relationship & Families, Trauma & Disaster Mental Health
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What Causes School Bullying?
Bullying behaviour is a complex issue and research in the area does not identify the supremacy of any one cause of bullying. Below is a summary overview of key factors that are considered to contribute in various ways, to the likelihood of bullying behaviours. The information below is not a complete list of all factors. […]
- November 3, 2011
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- Children & Adolescents, Multicultural Issues, School Counselling
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Counselling Dilemma: A Multicultural Issue in a Relationship
An Asian couple has been referred to a counsellor for marriage guidance. The impact of migrating to Australia has taken its toll on their relationship. In the session, the husband seems quite controlled and reserved, whereas the wife cries often but says little. The counsellor is a novice in the area of multicultural difference, but […]
- September 12, 2007
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- Counselling Dilemmas, Ethics & Legal Issues, Multicultural Issues, Relationship & Families
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