0414 240 141
Areas of focus: Anxiety Treatment, Depression, Life Transitions, Trauma, Relationship & Family Therapy
effortless life balance
Anxiety Treatment
Anxiety is an important feeling for everyone. It helps us get around safely in the world and avoid danger. For some people, anxious feelings don’t go away and they feel highly vigilant all the time. They can see situations as much worse than they really are, and their anxiety affects their ability to concentrate, sleep and carry out ordinary tasks.
Anxiety disorders occur when these feelings interfere with a person's normal functioning or ability to sleep, and when the reaction is disproportionate with the event or situation faced. These conditions affect how you feel and behave, and can manifest as real physical symptoms.
Anxiety is the most common mental condition in Australia. 1 in 3 women and 1 in 5 men will experience anxiety, and as with most conditions, the severity varies from person to person. Anxiety affects not only the individual but also their relationships with family, friends, intimate partners and work colleagues.
Therapy addresses the psychological and psychosocial aspects of Anxiety. Most anxiety disorders are treatable. A thorough assessment will determine the most effective form of treatment to bring you back to an effortless life balance.
Depression
When problems overwhelm a person, he/she can usually brush the sadness away. However, when a person with depression encounters problems, they may find it hard to remove the despair and feelings of hopelessness. This is one off the main differences between being sad and being depressed. Depression is a pervasive and relentless feeling of sadness that is not fleeting. Feeling sad is a part of everyday life – but depression days are much more intense.
Depression is a term that is usually used to describe how a person feels after a bad week or when stressful things happen. But it is much more than that. A person may be depressed if for more than two weeks they have felt sad, down or miserable most of the time. Depression is something that creeps into a person's mind. It can change how you see life in general. It can feel as though it is always cloudy and stormy, even on a bright sunny day.
Therapy addresses the psychological and psychosocial aspects of depression. This is vitally important for recovery. Therapy also identifies and helps you understand the emotions, behaviours and thinking that contributes to depression. Locating the life problems or events that sit behind it allows us to solve, improve and heal, bringing balance back into our lives
Life Transitions
Change is a constant in life. Of course, we all know this, and it’s something we can take on board rationally. Yet in practice, accepting and coping with major change is challenging.
Life transitions can leave us feeling like we are not in control; overwhelmed or even devastated, even when the transitions were ones we planned for ourselves. Transitions that may look like positives in a person’s life, such as buying a house, getting married or going on holidays, can cause anxiety. In fact all life transitions can be hugely stressful and hard to come to terms with.
Some life changes can be very difficult when we have no control, such as being retrenched from work, bullied by a co-worker or manager, death of a loved one, or a major health crisis.
There may be a period of grieving, letting go and deep inner adjustment. When these feelings are recognised, allowed to be present and then processed therapeutically, such feelings can help us let go of an old lifestyle and identity.
Therapy for life transitions can provide a safe space in which to explore and express both positive and negative emotions about life transitions. During therapy, clients learn skills to manage and even enjoy life transitions. When we are present, not overwhelmed by feelings about the past or the future, we can truly enjoy our lives.
Trauma
Trauma can be triggered when there is a significant threat to our physical or psychological wellbeing. Our sense of security and safety is shattered, making us feel vulnerable and helpless. Trauma affects us psychological and physiologically.
Examples of situations that can cause trauma include: natural disasters (bush fires, floods), war, rape, child abuse, armed robbery, physical assault, illness, sports injury, chronic pain, difficult childbirth, domestic violence, the discovery of a life-threatening illness or disabling condition, suicide or death of a family member or friend (including pets), or a serious workplace or motor vehicle accident.
Therapy for trauma needs to be at your pace and with someone who is able to be comfortable with certainty in the face of your uncertainty. I have specialist trauma training that includes Reframing techniques and Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR). Because trauma affects your sense of safety and trust, the reestablishment of a trusting relationship with at least one person is a vitally important step in your treatment and healing.
Relationship Therapy
Relationship Therapy can take many forms: couples, family of origin, workplace relations, friends and relationship to self. Relationship Therapy can address a range of issues. When working with issues in a couple's relationship the focus may be to determine whether to stay and repair and enhance a relationship or separate amicably.
Specific examples of issues addressed in Relationship Therapy include: communication and conflict patterns, power dynamics, difficulties with emotional and sexual intimacy, parenting and or managing blended or step-family situations and extended family, recovery from infidelity.
With couples, Dr John Gottman studied the communication patterns of thousands of couples in Seattle, USA. He found specific observations of the frequency with which couples use “criticism”, “contempt”, “defensiveness” and “stonewalling” and was able to predict whether a newlywed couple will divorce with 91% accuracy. I work with couples to develop better communication strategies and avoid the toxic behaviour patterns that Gottman refers to in his study.
The focus of counselling in Relationship Therapy is how to assist you to better understand your own ways of relating to self and others: what patterns you repeat, and what roles, needs and desires you are trying to get fulfilled. With awareness then comes emotional, cognitive, and behavioural skill building to replace old ways of relating with more effective and healthy alternatives.
Family Therapy
The aim of Family Therapy is to alleviate the problems that led to the disorder in the identified member, rather than to achieve some ideal state of a perfect family. Its principal use is in the treatment of childhood and adolescent difficulties that affect the other members of the family. Family Reunions are devised to allow members of a family or other social group who have been in conflict, to reunite with each other with peace and love.
In Family Therapy, several family members may take part. Both parents are involved, together with one of the children whose problems brought the family to treatment in the first place. Other children in the family, or even grandparents may join in therapy if appropriate.
Family of origin exploration using family constellation theory may be appropriate for individual counselling. Family of origin theories help to understand patterns of behaviour and how our families of origin impact our current relationships. With understanding, healing can take place.
Working with the symmetry of our family of origin can help us balance with understanding and to make gentle redirections using family constellation work.