Counselling is a useful support when you are experiencing difficulties that are impacting upon your ability to manage the demands of day to day life.
For example if you:
• persistently experience low mood or anxiety • experience family, friend or workplace conflict • feel socially isolated • are diagnosed with or suspect you have a mental health disorder
As an Accredited Mental Health Social Worker I am able to understand, assess your situation and offer effective treatment. Some of the treatments provided under Medicare include:
Mindfulness is the modern day use of an ancient type of meditation. It is a process, a skill and a philosophy of living that encourages the cultivation of wisdom, insight and happiness.
Mindfulness has a specific focus on being kind to ourselves and cultivating positive experiences. We can’t learn this from a book, only from the experience.
Mindfulness practice is particularly useful if you:
• find yourself thinking and worrying excessively about life's problems, issues and dramas • suffer from stress, depression or feelings of hopelessness • find it hard to let go of worries and unhelpful habits
Mindfulness practice supports you to develop:
• A calm, clear state of mind • Greater feelings of peace and relaxation • Ability to let go of worries and unhelpful habits • More control over reactions and emotions • Improved problem solving abilities
Mindfulness can be practiced daily at home and can be done anywhere and anytime, even if you only have five minutes to spare.
Expressive Therapies
A collection of techniques that are particularly useful for anyone seeking support in coping with complex mental and emotional trauma, vicarious trauma or for people that are committed to a journey personal growth and self discovery. Techniques include:
• Emotional Release Processing - a safe, supported means to release emotions and limiting beliefs related to grief such as anger, sadness, fear, self blame. These processes are structured to enable greater access over time to positive inner states such as peace, contentment and self worth.
• Expressive Art Therapy - used to identify, map and express inner states. This modality may used for awareness raising, transforming negative experiences and integrating new found positive inner states.
• Sand Play and Symbol Work - used to externalise and process inner conflicts and traumatic experience without the need for words. Involves the placing of figurines in a specially designed sand-tray. Assists in identifying and accessing strengths and positive qualities that were previously ignored or unrecognised. Also a powerful means of accessing the personal meaning held in dreams.
• Voice Dialogue - works sub-personalities that operate within the psyche, creating the opportunity to increase or decrease tendencies for particular patterns of interaction.
• Journal Work - recommend as a means to express thoughts and feelings that cannot be expressed safely in social settings. Also a useful tool for supporting inner growth and awareness.