From the category archives:

counselling services

Help Wanted: a Good Therapist

by Melinda Beck of the Wall Street Journal

Therese Borchard likens herself to Goldilocks of the mental-health world: She tried six psychiatrists before she found one that was “just right.” One learned she was a writer and asked for help with a book proposal. Another put her on sleeping pills, ignoring her history of substance abuse. One even wanted to try hypnotic regression by candlelight to address unresolved childhood issues.

 Finally, No. 7 diagnosed bipolar disorder, found medication that was effective, helped her to be less hard on herself and “salvaged the last crumb of my self-esteem,” says Ms. Borchard, who writes the popular “Beyond Blue” blog on Beliefnet.com.

The search for the right therapist can be baffling—and it comes at a time when would be patients are feeling most vulnerable.

(Image by Ryan Snook)

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Harnessing Creativity helps Bipolar Disorder.

by janette

Did you know that bipolar disorder is six times more common among people who are exceptionally creative?

Professor Greg Murray, of Swinbourne University suggests that it may have something to do with their changing moods, getting an insight when they are right down to their lowest level but being able to act when they move into their cycle of high or elevated mood. It also helps that these individuals have a strong drive to achieve. Continue Reading

Mental Health Month

by Janette Tombleson

What’s the difference between mental health and mental illness?. Many people stigmatize mental illness and avoid professional help  saying, “I’m not crazy, I don’t need to see anyone.” Mental health is something you can maintain.

If your life seems to be in shatters and still you uphold this belief of I’m OK, you could be doing yourself a disservice. You could rectify things in your life a lot quicker if you just have a chat with someone independently neutral. Gone are the days when you could stroll over to the village elder and smoke a pipe together for a yarn.

Mental Health Month in Australia  is this month of October, and psychologists and Allied health professionals are working hard to bring people’s awareness to the facilities available to promote well being. Continue Reading

Outrageous Orgasm

by Janette Tombleson

cognitive behaviour therapy - outrageous orgasm

In many eastern cultures, it is known that the physical body has many lines along which energy flows. These are called meridian lines and Acupuncturists and Acupressurists are working with that  knowledge. The web of intricate meridians link with your essential organs, such as your kidneys and  lungs. These are vital sources of energy for your whole body.

Eastern therapists/healers insert needles or apply pressure at key meridian points to stimulate and release the energy of particular organs. This action floods the network and restores any imbalance into your tired, ol’ body.

How can this information improve your sex life? Ms Margot Anand, author of the “Art of Sexual Magic” explains how you can tap into those subtle meridians, to channel sexual energy right up the wassu.  Interested? Click here to read more… Continue Reading

Stranger Danger myth or risk?

by Janette Tombleson

counselling northern beaches

“Parents are just bad at risk assessment” says author Christie Barnes and mother of four. In her book “The Paranoid Parents Guide”, she claims parents constantly overestimate rare dangers while underestimate common ones.

Well what is she referring to? Most parents feel strongly that they do make right choices and would feel very offended if questioned about their care. Those protective, instinctual urges rise up like hairs on the back of one’s neck.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the five things most likely to cause injury to children up to the age of 18 are : car accidents, homicide usually at the hands of someone they know, child abuse, suicide or drowning.

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Dalai Lama believes in the principals of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy

by Janette Tombleson

cognitive behaviour therapy - dalai lama

If you want an effective psychological treatment and you want results fast. If you are willing to commit to the work, then take a look at Cognitive Behaviour Therapy.

Research studies show that for evidence based treatments, Cognitive Behaviour Therapy wins hands down, as the treatment of choice for anxiety related problems and depression and many more clinical conditions. It is a common sense approach, sometimes seemingly so simple e.g. for obsessive-compulsive disorders (OCD) or very difficult to start, for people suffering from obsessive thinking and ritualizing.  But it works!

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Child and adolescent illness

by Janette Tombleson

adhd-cognitive behaviour therapyChildren suffer from all the illnesses of adulthood. I just returned from a workshop at the University of  Southern Queensland and was surprised to hear the guest Psychiatrist state she was normally against prescribing drugs for children. However ,  if there was a need, her motto was “Start low and go slow”.

That makes good common sense, children’s brains are still developing and there is insufficient research on the effects of drugs on these delicate organs.

Even for the most serious self harm incidents, for adolescents her recommendation was at least three months of psychotherapy. Cognitive Behaviour Therapy the evidence based treatment is considered an appropriate  first line option. Continue Reading

Psychologists in Manly treat Depression

by Janette Tombleson

depression-cognitive behaviour therapyMaybe you have less energy , can’t enjoy your favourite activities anymore, or maybe you can’t seem to finish anything you start .  If this is you, you may be experiencing some depression.  These are common complaints of people with depression.

Its easy to cut back on things you do in that state, and it may seem logical or necessary, but beware, this actually aggravates one’s symptoms. One can fall into that dreaded,  dark spiral of even further lack of interest in doing things, increased helplessness and lowered self esteem. Eventually coming to the point of thinking that one is incapable of solving problems.

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Adult Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder

by Janette Tombleson

cognitive behaviour therapy-ADHDBeing constantly on the go, which drives others crazy,  can make social outings complicated and can interfere with your work. If you have ADHD as an adult, you may have found that medication may help but just doesn’t do enough to completely control the situation.

A new study in the Journal of American Medical Association suggests that Cognitive Behaviour Therapy can be helpful for coping with symptoms of ADHD.  This form of counselling helps you identify thoughts and behaviours that are counterproductive, provides training in planning, problem solving, reducing distractions and thinking more in healthy ways.

The researchers found that those who received Cognitive Behaviour Therapy improved significantly by the end of 12 sessions.  Improvement was maintained well after 12months too. Continue Reading

Healing attends to the spirit

by Janette Tombleson

cognitive behaviour therapy-emotional healingFor those of you who know of people who have been in psychotherapy for years, yet still can’t get over their anger at their parents or find a healthy relationship. You may be asking “so why go to a Psychologist?” It may be useful to know what is happening in the realm of help and Cognitive behaviour therapy.

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