A New Year – Renewed Focus on the need for balance
Happy New Year! It’s hard to believe that we are already coming towards the end of January. For many the last few weeks have been challenging.
10 Tips for coping with Christmas
Christmas can be a hard time. Here are some tips for coping. And remember, we are always here to help.
The importance of a secure attachment
Diana Divecha, Ph.D has an excellent blog called Developmental Science. I was particularly interested in an article from April where she talks about the importance of secure attachment in developing children, but also dispels a couple of myths that have come to us by way of the Attachment Parenting movement. Dr Divecha quotes research from
Child Abuse Report
The Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry recently published a report on the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. The report is damning in its criticism of the Catholic Church and its systemic cover-up of child abuse. For members and subscribers, here is the link. Non-subscribers can pay a small fee
Building awareness of dissociation
Dissociation is simply a "disruption of the normal integration of experience" (Chu 1998). It is something that everyone experiences as we organise and compartmentalise our experiences and memories. This can be a normal, healthy and useful process. As therapists, we use a form of dissociation to keep ourselves apart from the effects of other people's
Childhood Trauma, Stress and the Biology of Addiction
Gabor Maté's 2012 paper in the Journal of Restorative Medicine discusses the degree to which childhood trauma leads to addiction in later life. "Early trauma has consequences for how human beings respond to stress. Trauma in children, such as sexual, physical or emotional abuse or abandonment alter the child’s physical stress mechanisms and, as a
Intuitive eating – a common sense approach to food
Eat when you’re hungry. Stop when you’re full. Don’t see food as “good” or “bad.” Eat what you want, when you want. Does Intuitive Eating sound right for you?
How the marriage equality debate is affecting LGBTI Australians – a guide for health professionals
With marriage equality continuing to remain out of reach for many lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) Australians, ACON has produced a resource for health care providers, to assist services to support members of the LGBTI community through what may be a distressing time.
Art therapists stage Camperdown exhibition to raise awareness in mental health month
Awareness of the benefits of art therapy was raised recently with an groundbreaking exhibition of works.
The Psychology of Eating Disorders
Most of us at some time or another have been on a diet, or had concerns about our body image. In this western society, where a great deal of emphasis is placed on appearance, this is far more common than not. Dieting can become problematic, however, if it is taken too far. If you find yourself stuck in a cycle of dieting, and or out of control eating and a persistent feeling of dissatisfaction with your body, then you might have an eating disorder.