Social Anxiety is something that a lot of people feel, but is not something easily talked about. It affects adults, teenagers and even young children; it is, in fact, a very common mental health condition.
Read moreSome thoughts on the concept of resilience
If we were ever to question how resilient we actually are, I think that our response to the events of the last year can give us a lot of food for thought about how we respond during tough times.
Read moreSome Points about Anxiety
One of the things that I often explore with people in my private practice, is the whole topic of anxiety; the different ways in which it shows up for people, and also, how it might be managed more effectively. Of course it's not surprising that it appears regularly in my counselling room, when just a quick glance at Beyond Blue tells us that every year two million Australians suffer from anxiety.
Read moreFine-tuning your Mental Health Strategies
One of the things that I am noticing currently, is that people are really struggling with the confines of COVID 2nd wave. We here in Victoria are experiencing a feeling of being isolated from the rest of the country. More than that though, we are bored, we are moody, we are anxious, and some of us are depressed.
Read more6 Tips for Coping with COVID-19 Isolation
I know that there is a lot of information and ideas out there about how we negotiate this uncharted landscape of COVID-19 social distancing and isolation. These are the main things that are helping to keep me sane at the minute, and I am sharing them in case they are helpful to you too.
Read moreThe Challenge of Anxiety
As this weekend draws to a close, I find myself noticing that there seems to be a lot of anxiety around at the minute, related to upcoming events.
Read moreThe World of Books
So it's another Sunday, but this one has been great for a couple of reasons. Firstly I spent time with good friends, but secondly I was able to indulge in one of my favourite pastimes, which is to disappear into the world of books, and to be inspired by the words of others
Read moreDreaming of Spring
All I can think of is how cold it has been in the last few days! Spring is coming, I keep promising myself, but ... in the meantime, it's the time of resting, warm and cozy, in your bolthole, I think!
Read moreLife is Difficult
I often talk about how sometimes the steps that we think will be big, can sometimes not be as hard to take as we first thought, and how then the challenge becomes "How do I take the next step?”
Read moreSunday Funday
And here we are again, at Sunday night. For many of us, we are just planning another long week at work or study … whatever it is that makes up our daily lives. It’s not special in any way, and if you’re at all like me, there probably isn’t enough “playtime” planned.
Read moreSmall Steps
Sometimes it’s the small steps that we need to take, which are just as important in moving us closer to our dreams, as are those big leaps which are often a part of them too.
Read moreThe Wisdom of Old Age
I have often mentioned the joy that a little child can restore to us. Recently, I got the reverse, with the wisdom of old age.
Read more6 Funny Things about Life with an Assistance Animal
Many of you will know through meeting me, either professionally or personally, that I negotiate most places with an assistance animal, or specifically a Guide Dog.
Well some of my blog topics are on the serious side I know; so this time I wanted to share with you another aspect of my life, and at the same time maybe make you laugh with me, at some of the funny things that happen as I navigate the world with one of my dogs.
Read more6 Things to Do When a Friend Is Diagnosed
When we hear the words breast cancer or MS, brain tumour or melanoma, I think it's true they can strike fear into our hearts. When it's one of our nearest and dearest, the news can be crippling.
We are suddenly searching for the right words to say, wondering what it is going to mean for them and their once so easily imagined future, but also wondering what it's going to mean for us.
So, I wanted to share with you some tips for how to deal with a friend being diagnosed, that I have gleaned over my years of working in the chronic illness and disability arena.
Read moreResponding to Others Grief
Tonight, it hits me that in the last two months, several of my family members and friends have had parents die, and some of them are preparing for funerals this week.
And as I've heard the news, I've been aware of wanting to get the balance right in my response; have had the feeling that I'm sure we've all had at times, that words are just not enough. I know this topic is often talked about ... what do we say? How should we recognise someone else's grief? How do we get it out to them that we feel their pain if they are shattered, but that we are also not telling them what or how they should feel?
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