Sue and Tom lost their child Jill to leukaemia approximately one year ago. Tom suggested that Sue attend Professional Counselling because she still doesn’t seem to be able to cope with everyday living. For ease of writing the Professional Counsellor is abbreviated to C. A précis of the session is as follows In the first […]

Relationship & Families
Children and Emotional Development
A child’s earliest experiences with emotion most often occurs in the family setting. Consequently, the family plays an important role in the development of emotional understanding, particularly interactions between parents and children. For example, children who possess secure attachments with their parents show greater emotional understanding than those children who do not possess secure attachments […]
- August 23, 2010
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- 27633
- Children & Adolescents, Lifespan Development, Relationship & Families
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Counselling Dilemma: Supporting an Anxious Child
Charlotte is 11. She has been brought along to counselling by her mother, Fran. According to Fran, Charlotte has always been a “quiet and shy” girl. Fran remarks that she is not surprised by this as she too was a reserved and anxious child. In recent weeks however, Fran has noticed that Charlotte has become […]
- August 9, 2010
- 17
- 16445
- Children & Adolescents, Counselling Dilemmas, Relationship & Families
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7 Ways to Improve Intimacy in Your Relationship
Good relationships don’t just happen. Many people have the attitude that, “If I have to work at it, then it can’t be the right relationship.” This is not a true statement, any more than it’s true that you don’t have to work at good physical health through exercise, eating well, and stress reduction. There are […]
- July 7, 2010
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- 4379
- Relationship & Families, Wellness
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Attachment Theory
Attachment theory has emerged as a leading tool for understanding the deeper roots of the dynamics in a close relationship. Originally developed to explain attachments of children to their caregivers, this theory has been especially fruitful in couple therapy as it helps to explain how adults come to depend on one another. Attachment is viewed […]
- June 18, 2010
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- 11481
- Counselling Therapies, Relationship & Families
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Behaviour Couple Therapy
Behaviour couple therapy is concerned about how people learn and unlearn dysfunctional behaviours. The model relies on cognitive behaviour theory whereby the general assumption is that changing the cognitions of an individual is critical to help clients overcome their problematic behaviours and bring about change. The theory also believes that behaviour is maintained by its […]
- June 8, 2010
- 2
- 6156
- Counselling Therapies, Relationship & Families
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Psychological and Social Effects of Alcohol Abuse
“When the wine goes in, strange things come out.” ~ Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller, The Piccolomini, 1799 Alcohol consumption is part of our daily lives. It is used and enjoyed in most developed and developing countries around the world. Alcohol is a central nervous system depressant even though it is commonly mistaken to be […]
- May 21, 2010
- 2
- 46879
- Clinical Mental Health, Relationship & Families
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Romance, Intimacy and Conflict
Becoming a couple is one of the most complex relationships in adulthood. It is also well known that being a couple can contribute to personal growth and self awareness (Long & Young, 2007). Romantic couples are a unique type of relationship that is different from friendships and family bonds because it is based on romantic […]
- May 17, 2010
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- 5922
- Relationship & Families
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How Healthy Intimacy is Developed
Intimacy is one of the main ingredients of a successful, ‘ideal’ relationship along with passion and commitment (Hanna, 1991). Intimacy is a journey — it is not a tangible thing. It takes place over time, is ever-changing and is not stagnant. In fact, any kind of stagnation in a relationship may damage intimacy. It is […]
- February 16, 2010
- 1
- 9136
- Relationship & Families
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Three Steps For Better Verbal Intimacy
There are hundreds of personality traits and tendencies that make a person acceptable for a successful long-term relationship. But according to relationship expert, Dr. Neil Clark Warren, there is one trait that is more important than all others. “Mastering verbal intimacy is the most important indicator of whether a person is right for you and […]
- February 3, 2010
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- 2124
- Relationship & Families
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Strategic Therapy in Couple Counselling
Strategic therapy involves the therapist designing specific approaches to each of the presenting issues. Symptoms and problems are viewed as a couple’s dysfunctional way of communicating and specific strategies are used to alleviate these problems. The strategic therapist places great emphasis on the sequence of interactions between couples. Sequence of interactions refers to habitual ways […]
- February 1, 2010
- 0
- 12759
- Counselling Therapies, Relationship & Families
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How to Build Rapport with Parents
Parents can play the key role in initiating and generating behaviour change in their children. Parents have the potential to inspire their children directly (by applying reinforcers and other behaviour modification strategies) and indirectly (by providing a safe, supportive and encouraging environment). As counsellors, working with parents can enhance our potential to promote successful outcomes […]
- January 22, 2010
- 0
- 8850
- Children & Adolescents, Counselling Theory & Process, Relationship & Families
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Counsellors, Couples and Conflict
Conflict is part of any interpersonal relationship and occurs as a result of differences in opinions. People differ in values, dreams, desires and perceptions. Therefore, we are all bound to encounter conflict at some point in our lives (Long & Young, 2007). Conflict can range from less serious mild disagreements to more intensely heated arguments. […]
- January 14, 2010
- 1
- 1516
- Relationship & Families
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Parenting Styles in Counselling
Many parents who have come to the counselling session are prepared to speak with the counsellor to gain some insight into an issue or problem. But some parents do not understand why they need to be involved in the counselling sessions, and others know why, but do not want to be involved. Silent Some parents […]
- January 8, 2010
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- 1788
- Children & Adolescents, Relationship & Families
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Languages of Love
Gary Chapman (1995) in his benchmark book ‘The Five Languages of Love’, gives us a detailed look at how we may differ from our partner in the way we like to be shown that we are loved. Your love language probably differs from your spouse’s. Each of us speaks and understands one that makes it […]
- December 16, 2009
- 0
- 2081
- Relationship & Families
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