Relationships

Relationships: Myths and Expectations

Separate to the issue of needs and wants, a counsellor may find that clients are expressing unrealistic notions about married life. Strong correlations have been found between certain unrealistic notions that are believed or maintained by married people and their levels of marital dissatisfaction (Tysoe, 1994). It is worth looking at some of these areas […]

Relationships: Needs and Wants

In 1972 Carl Rogers surveyed the changing marriage scene of his day and said “It is becoming increasingly clear that a man-woman relationship will have permanence only to the degree to which it satisfies the emotional, psychological, intellectual and physical needs of the partners”. He went on to quote the philosopher Soren Kierkegaard , saying […]

Styles and Approaches to Pre-Marriage Counselling

Relationships are necessarily complex. It will be helpful to a counsellor to align and govern their approach with a particular style. There are three usual styles of approach to pre-marital counselling: Instructive Pre marriage counselling has previously been very much the province of churches and religious groups. In this traditional approach there was a tendency […]

Series: Pre-Marriage Counselling

In Australia, over 40 per cent of all marriages end in divorce over a 30 year period, and marriage rates have dropped to the lowest rate they have been in one hundred years (ABS, 2007). Somewhere around one million people in Australia have experienced divorce. The costs associated with divorce, including social security payments and […]

Counselling Case Study: Learning to Let Go

Elizabeth came to counselling because she was experiencing intense anger, and was not coping with her life. She complained of failed relationships with her ex-husband, and with another man whom she left her husband to be with. Elizabeth cannot move on from the anger she feels about her failed relationships and she is feeling isolated […]

Losing a Loved One: Moving Forward

Together we have looked at your individual reactions and feelings after the death of your loved one. We have then explored ways of coping which range from relaxation techniques to journal writing and rituals. After that we have learnt how to assist those who are grieving including the different developmental ages of children. And lastly, […]

Losing a Loved One: Gender Differences

Men and women often grieve differently. Whilst this section may prove helpful in understanding the gender differences, it is important not to stereotype our views and recognise the uniqueness of each grieving individual. Unfortunately, many young boys are taught to be “strong” and to hide their emotions. Society has placed huge expectations on the roles […]

Losing a Loved One: Helping Others Grieve

You may be reading this series wondering how to help someone close to you, grieve the loss of their loved one. Some people have firm beliefs about the grieving process and what should and should not be done when assisting others. Generally speaking, there are some myths about grieving which should be considered when assisting […]

Losing a Loved One: Strategies to Cope

Whether the loss of your loved one was sudden or expected, the grief associated with the loss hurts. Sometimes we put ourselves through unnecessary pain by wishing for things like a better relationship or more time with the deceased, or the opportunity to say things we didn’t say when we were with the person. This […]

Losing a Loved One: Prior Losses

Some of us may feel we have encountered more than our fair share of losses in life. The emotion of grief is not restricted to the reaction to the death of a relative or close friend. It can be experienced in many situations including divorce, miscarriage, severe injury, loss of a job or pet, or […]