Services

• Relationships

Relationship counselling – the most common reason for seeking out help.

Satisfying and supportive relationships with friends, family, or partners are associated with increased psychological wellbeing, and reduced levels of depression and stress. Functioning relationships are also good for your physical health. Social support has been found to have immune-boosting effects, and to protect against a range of health problems and disease.

However, relationships can be complex, and building satisfying and harmonious relationships can be difficult. It is not surprising, then, that relationship counselling is amongst the most common reasons for visiting a psychologist.

Some relationship difficulties that people seek help with include:

* Couple distress and conflict

* Recurrent patterns in relationships

* Relationship breakdown

* Marriage counseling

* Poor communication

* Infidelity

* Jealousy

* Difficulties with commitment

* Dating anxiety

* Difficulty establishing and maintaining relationships

* Sexual difficulties

* Beginning relationships

* Pre-marital counseling

* Difficulties in relationships with colleagues and/or bosses

* Difficulties in relationships with friends

* Difficulties in relationships with family members

Help is here for you,  either individually or as a couple or family, to work out what is driving and maintaining  the problems in your relationships. It is often difficult on your own to see clearly what is happening in your relationships, and to disentangle the different threads that run through your particular difficulties.

Relationship, marriage, and couple counselling all provide a supportive and neutral environment in which to constructively explore the causes of your unique problems. Together with a psychologist you develop insight, knowledge, skills, and approaches that allow you to change unhelpful relationship patterns, respond productively to relationship difficulties, and ultimately build healthier and more satisfying bonds.

• Anxiety

Anxiety

If you suffer from nervousness beyond the normal level, especially when it stops you doing things you love to do, then treatment can help you before this condition gets out of hand.

Anxiety can interfere with enjoying life, attaining goals and reaching your potential.

An anxiety disorder can stop you doing things you’d like to do, interfere with your work and career, and then affect your social and family relationships. Anxiety untreated can continuously undermine your confidence and leave you depressed.

You may feel that you are no longer able to enjoy yourself or are not progressing in your life because of this re-occurring distress.  Inability to work and earn only adds to your anxiety, when resources are low and health issues arise.

Beginning to break this cycle, eradicating self blame and recovering your self esteem can be the first step to eradicating such symptoms as:

* Excessive worry- out of proportion anxiety to the situation at hand

* Panic attacks – frozen in action, getting the sweats, stomach disorder

* Post traumatic reactions- past event grief or shock

* Fears and phobias- items, places, activities, people

* Obsessions and compulsions-repetitive actions that are needless or unhelpful, abnormal and unexplainable.

* Social anxiety including fear of public speaking

If you suffer any of the above symptoms, please contact:

Liz  on   0401 032 095

Email: contact@counsellingnorthernbeaches.com.au

• Panic attacks

Anxiety that leaves you overwhelmed, sometimes in a sweat, can be totally disabling especially when it interferes with your normal activities.

A panic attack is an anxiety disorder which can cause more distress than normal. The suffering becomes so intense and happens so frequently, that it disrupts your ability to function in your work, social life or in your studies. When attacks are easily activated, it can be as uncomfortable as it is inconvenient, especially in company.

Sometimes a big trauma or shock may have impacted on your fear levels.

In other cases it may also not be clear to you as yet as to what actually triggered such a reaction.

The intensity of the fear is felt as abnormal and it can bring you to the point of panic-  you may experience

- not being able to step outdoors

- no longer able to see people

- have a fear of crowds

- have unusually high levels of distress in normal encounters

- have difficulty  functioning  properly at work

- are unable  to catch a bus

- have a fear of heights

These simple ‘inactions’ can have a big impact on your life as a whole, resulting in isolation, relationship problems, and work loss.

It isn’t as much as ‘not wanting’ to do certain things as ‘not being able’ to do the things you have been used. This can be due to either an obvious or subliminal fear, which then results in you saying you don’t want to.

A program schedule may help to answer questions such as-

*How can I make others understand my behaviour and this excessive anxiety?

*Why do people not believe me when I say I can’t?

*How can I break this cycle of fear?

*How can I get back to normal?

*How do I manage my home life and work life with these experiences?

*Can therapy help without drugs?

*Does medication and therapy work together?

* How do I get back good eating and sleeping schedules?

* Why do I get physically ill with the mere thought of having to perform?

* What can I do to make changes as I feel alone in this experience?

If you suffer any of the above symptoms, please contact:

Liz  on   0401 032 095

Email: contact@counsellingnorthernbeaches.com.au

• Depression

Depression

It is often referred to as the “psychological common cold”, partly because depression is such a common psychological difficulty, with pervasive implications for mental health. Depression can also be recurrent and hard to shake, often hitting when our resources are low or our immune system is weakened.

The experience of depression can be very different for different people. Depression varies greatly in the feelings that it brings, its severity, and the effect that it has on a person.

For some people the main feelings involve being sad or blue or down. Depression may also bring feelings of hopelessness, pessimism, or despair. Other people experience depression more as a feeling of fatigue, and a lack of energy, motivation, interest or enjoyment. Still others may predominantly experience feelings of guilt or failure. Many people experience varying combinations of all these different feelings.

In its most severe forms depression can stop people from eating, washing, sleeping, or getting out of bed. For others it interferes in some areas of life, but they carry on with the essentials, such as work and domestic obligations. Others may carry on as normal, but go about their life with a certain sense of detachment, disinterest, or depleted energy and motivation.

Depression can even come on suddenly, bringing a marked change from a person’s previous life and outlook. Other times it builds gradually, growing steadily more intense over time. Alternatively it can linger for many years in a mild form, coming and going and fluctuating in intensity, but never too far away.

A period of depression is often triggered by difficult life events, or during a period of stress. Equally, it can come out of the blue, seeming to hit for no apparent reason.

Whatever form it takes, depression can have significant effects on mental health and wellbeing, relationships, work, and physical health. Not surprisingly, a great deal of research has gone into developing effective treatments and therapies for depression, both psychological and medical.

For some people psychological therapies by themselves are effective in resolving their depression. For others, a combination of therapy and medication is the most effective path. Together with your medical professionals, a psychologist can help you find the combination that is right for you.

Psychological therapies that have been found to be effective for depression include Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), Interpersonal Therapy (IPT), and Mindfulness-based therapies.

The approach that is right for you will depend on your own experience of depression, its causes, and your own individual preferences, personality, and priorities. Taking your particular situation into account, effective depression treatment gives you the knowledge, skills, and strategies that you need to regain your energy, confidence, optimism, and strength. Effective treatment for depression also helps you to rebuild areas of your life that may have suffered as a result of depression, such as your relationships, social life, leisure, family, and career.

As well as resolving current feelings of depression, successful treatment equips you with psychological skills and practices that promote lasting resilience to depression and long term mental health and wellbeing. Just as physical health involves diet and exercise, so mental health involves ongoing psychological self care.

In an environment of support and respect, a psychologist can help you to cultivate the lasting changes that will build your mental health and wellbeing for the long run.

To make an appointment to see a psychologist in your most convenient location, just contact Liz on 0401032095.

Email: contact@counsellingnorthernbeaches.com.au

• Insomnia /disturbed Sleep
• Problem Solving tailored to your unique individuality
• Pain Management
• Stress Management
• Sexual Abuse
• Eating disorders.
• Quit Smoking

Quit Smoking

Clinical Hypnotherapy has been  effective in the treatment of smoking addictions.  Successful programmes involve educating the individual about the known side effects and toxicity of nicotine, identifying the reasons for smoking, the pros and cons for the individual as well as installing different states to substitute the smoking habit. Quit smoke programmes involve relearning , relaxation and refocusing.

To make an appointment to see a psychologist in your most convenient location , just contact Liz on 0401032095.

Email contact@counsellingnorthernbeaches.com.au

• Grief
• Trauma

Trauma

The core experience is of disempowerment and disconnection from others. Recovery is therefore based on the empowerment of the survivor and the creation of new connections, which occurs only in relationships not isolation.

Help from a professional can get you through the crisis.

To make an appointment to see a psychologist in your most convenient location , just contact Liz on 0401032095.

Email: contact@counsellingnorthernbeaches.com.au

Face to face counselling or telephone counselling can be arranged for you if you live in remote country areas or unable to come in.