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 […]
relationship
Motivational Interviewing Techniques
The fundamental approach to motivational interviewing interactions?contains the following four elements: Open-ended questions Affirmations Reflective listening Summaries Motivational interviewing creates an acronym OARS from this and the goal in using OARS is to assist the person to move forward, creating change talk and motivation from within. This change talk contains statements that the client may […]
- April 30, 2010
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- Counselling Theory & Process, Counselling Therapies
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The Value of Empathy in Counselling
A requirement for being an effective counsellor is being able to practice and impart the skill of empathy in the client-counsellor interaction. Being empathetic ensures you are listening and dealing with the clients concerns as they present them. You are not judging them. In this post we’ll look at how empathy can assist counsellors when […]
- April 27, 2010
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- Counselling Theory & Process
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Suicide: Impulsive vs Planned
Suicide is a serious health problem. The World Health Organization estimates that one suicide attempt occurs every three seconds and one completed suicide occurs approximately every minute (WHO, 2000). Each day, approximately 210 Australians attempt to end their life and each year over 2500 will commit suicide. Suicide in Australia kills 8.5 times more people […]
- April 8, 2010
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- Self-harming & Suicide
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Passionate About Helping Others
It’s rare these days to hear people talk about their work with true passion. You hear so many stories of people working to pay the bills; putting up with imperfect situations; and compromising on their true desires. That’s why it’s always so refreshing to hear regular stories from graduates living their dream to be a […]
- March 22, 2010
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- Counselling Theory & Process
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Grief Counselling through Questioning
Questioning is used for therapeutic assessment and to facilitate the client’s expression of emotion, which is a crucial part of the therapeutic process in complicated grief counselling. Examples of questions and their purposes are outlined below. Questions “Can you tell me about the death?” “What happened that day”? “Where were you when you found out […]
- March 16, 2010
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- Counselling Theory & Process, Loss & Grief
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Theoretical Principles of Narrative Therapy
A narrative approach to counselling examines the stories people have constructed to define their lives and identities. Using narrative techniques, the counsellor assists the client in modifying narratives (stories) that are unhelpful or ineffective. If, for example, I have a dominant narrative that says that I am simply no good at cooking, it is likely […]
- February 22, 2010
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- 25915
- Counselling Therapies
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Anxiety and Conditioning
Anxiety that is produced as a result of an actual situation (e.g. being in the dentist’s chair getting a tooth drilled) can become associated to events that surround the incident even when the component that originally activated the fear (a noisy drill that results in pain) is no longer present. For example, just sitting in […]
- February 18, 2010
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- Counselling Theory & Process, Stress Management
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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
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- Relationship & Families
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Challenges of Adolescence
While the definition of adolescent can differ from culture to culture, it is generally accepted that the time referred to as adolescence is the period between childhood and adulthood, a sort of “no man’s land.” Geldard and Geldard (2006) explain that adolescence is a time in a young person’s life where they move from dependency […]
- February 11, 2010
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- Children & Adolescents, Lifespan Development
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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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- 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
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- 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
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- 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
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- Relationship & Families
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What is Anxiety?
Anxiety is an adaptive reaction that everyone experiences from time to time, including animals. Anxiety alarms us of situations and circumstances that involve some threat of danger, and it enables our body to respond in ways that help keep us safe. This response is a useful survival mechanism, helping us to avoid or even prevent […]
- January 4, 2010
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- Clinical Mental Health, Stress Management, Trauma & Disaster Mental Health
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