Anxiety is most often considered a problem if it occurs when there is no real threat or when the anxiety response is disproportionate to the threat being faced. However, when there is a real situation or stressor to deal with, the anxiety level might actually be appropriate. Appropriate levels of anxiety activate the organism to […]
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Ten Barriers to Ethical Decisions in Counselling
Coleman (n.d) suggests ten (10) barriers to the ethical problem solving process. They are: Lack of knowledge of Ethical Standards Financial Incentives Perfectionism Fear of Criticism/Scrutiny by Others High Affiliative Needs Personal and/or Professional Immaturity Counsellor Substance Abuse Lack of Personal Values Clarification Limitations of Codes of Ethics and Conduct Lack of a Decision Making […]
- August 2, 2010
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- Ethics & Legal Issues
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Study Stress: Keeping it in Perspective
Taking up further study can be a very exciting time as we take a step forward in our personal and professional lives. As we challenge ourselves to develop new skills and knowledge, a new framework to work from, and a new field to master, many of us embrace the role of student with both enthusiasm […]
- July 27, 2010
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- Personal Effectiveness, Stress Management
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Values and Conflict Resolution
Every person has distinctive viewpoints that are equally valid (from where they stand) as the other party involved in the conflict. Each person’s viewpoint makes a contribution to the whole and requires consideration and respect in order to form a complete solution. This wider view can open up the communication transaction possibilities. It may require […]
- July 19, 2010
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- Counselling Theory & Process, Personal Effectiveness, Workplace Issues
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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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- Relationship & Families, Wellness
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Treatment Steps in Behaviour Therapy
Behaviour therapy/counselling is used to help “clients acquire new coping skills, improve communication, or learn to break maladaptive habits and overcome self-defeating emotional conflicts” (Corsini & Wedding, 2000). The behavioural therapist/counsellor focuses on interpreting the client’s behaviour, emphasising a collaborative and positive relationship with the client and values the use of objectivity to assess and […]
- July 5, 2010
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- Counselling Theory & Process, Counselling Therapies
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Common Thinking Errors
Below is a list of descriptions that cognitive-behavioural counsellors can use to categorise automatic thoughts. These are descriptions of the common types of faulty thinking. All-or-nothing thinking: You see things in black and white categories. If your performance falls short of perfect, you see yourself as a total failure. Overgeneralisation: You see a single negative […]
- June 29, 2010
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- Personal Effectiveness, Stress Management
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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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- 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
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- 9296
- Counselling Therapies, Relationship & Families
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Book Review: Counseling Children and Adolescents
Vernon, Ann. 512 Pages. 2002, USA: Love Publishing Company Children and adolescents of the 21st century encounter challenges and difficulties that are indicative of contemporary society, thus it is important that as therapists we equip ourselves with the most pertinent up-to-date information available. Counseling children and adolescents (2009) by Ann Vernon acknowledges the changing face […]
- June 7, 2010
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- Book Reviews, Children & Adolescents
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Manifestations of Normal Grief
With a number of people undergoing grief, it is important to understand signs of normal grief. Worden (2005) identified four categories that demonstrate normal grief. This includes feelings, cognitions, physical sensations and behaviours. It is also important to remember that these signs of grief will vary from individual to individual. Feelings Sadness is a common […]
- June 2, 2010
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- Loss & Grief
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Temperament and Personality Disorders
Personality disorders are thought to result from a difficult temperament (as well as biological and social factors). Personality traits and temperaments are dimensional characteristics that are heritable and manifest early in life. These characteristics underlie or influence cognitive processes, interpersonal and social functions, emotional and affective states and biological stress systems (Howland, 2007; Shiner, 2005). […]
- June 1, 2010
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- Clinical Mental Health, Diagnosis & Treatment
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Personality and Disorders
Everyone has personality traits that characterise them as unique individuals. Such traits refer to the usual way in which a person thinks, feels and behaves. Specifically, personality refers to the pattern of thoughts, feelings and behaviours, consistently exhibited by an individual over a long period of time. Personality is a complex combination of traits and […]
- May 28, 2010
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- 2518
- Clinical Mental Health, Diagnosis & Treatment, Lifespan Development
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Book Review: The Myth of Sanity
The Myth of Sanity: Divided Consciousness and the Promise of Awareness. Stout, M. Ph.D, 208 Pages – 2002, USA: Penguin Books. The myth of sanity by Martha Stout is an engaging and interesting journey into the world of dissociation. It provides readers information relating to dissociation and dissociative disorders, doing so in a manner that […]
- May 25, 2010
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- Book Reviews
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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
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- Clinical Mental Health, Relationship & Families
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