I confess. Insisting instead that I am emulating my calm, happy panda face, all the while (through gritted teeth, flared nostrils and heavy breathing) – the red-faced tiger within, is fighting to be unleashed in self-defence. There are interesting insights in the book “The Anger Fallacy: Uncovering the irrationality of the angry mindset” by Steven Laurent and Ross G Menzies. Some of the takeaway messages from the book have been useful in understanding this often-misunderstood emotion. ‘Venting’ doesn’t help cleanse or purge angry feelings. It can aggravate and reinforce aggressive behaviour ..read more

All of us, have a story of grief and loss. Whilst these words are often linked to the traumatic death and dying of a loved one, there are many different experiences of grief and loss that relate to other life challenges: giving up something that carries meaning changes in work situation such as adjusting to retirement, retrenchment or becoming unemployed infertility struggles supporting children with special needs, a terminal illness or mental health challenges moving away or separation from close family or friends adjusting to an ‘empty nest’ when children leave home divorce or separation ..read more

At a stage now when my peers and I are in the thick of parenting, I forget, as I am trying to “adult,” that I was once a teenager.  In the past few years, in the company of teens in my work and in my personal life, I have found myself suddenly struck by euphemisms like “vintage” and “retro,” as if some-how I have entered into this age bracket of urban slang that suddenly fits me.  Am I “too old to be considered modern, but not old enough to be considered antique?”, or am I “retro,” recently out of style with potential to make a comeback?  As I look at my questionable outfit c ..read more

Mama, can you play with me?!!! Play with me! Play with me! Play with me!  When I was in undergraduate psychology, I found an ad for an Applied Behavioural Analysis (ABA) therapist for young children and infants with autism. A criteria was a desire to play and be enthusiastic with children. As a naive university student desperately searching for paid work experience, I thought I had snagged a gold ticket. Sure, I could almost pass as an expert at playing! I must have racked up hours of experience just playing as a kid!??! I got this.  Throughout the years in different therapist rol ..read more

With a plethora of mobile devices, apps and social media, we are constantly pulled to plug into whatever is interesting, available and convenient. This ease of shifting our attention and responding to the demands of our society is double edged. We can seemingly connect with others more easily and frequently via face time, twitter, messaging … but yet, the quality of the connection may be diminished by constant distractions. It becomes harder to focus our attention on one thing at a time. Quality of our attention can be easily lost and can impact on our relationships.  Remaining present ..read more

“I’m stressed!” is so much part of our everyday language that it’s socially acceptable that were sometimes moody and sleep deprived. BUT there is the tolerable stress that motivates and propels us to get stuff done – parenting, work deadlines, housework. And there is that insidious stress that subtly builds up, persisting over time that is harmful to our health and relationships. This chronic stress can spiral out of control and lead to serious problems like anxiety and depression if not recognised early. “These days, our stresses are measured not in moments with mountain lions, but in hours ..read more

The questions plaguing the words “mental health,” provokes clinical labels that reinforce stigma. Whereas, we’ve all had experiences of surviving tough times, and ultimately wanting to feel that we are “thriving.” This evokes a greater sense of well being, energy and growth. But, how do I thrive???! What do I do? Is there an app for this? There probably is. A key to thriving is helping different parts of our mind work well together in a coordinated and balanced way. Your brain is not fully developed until you reach your mid twenties and can be shaped and moulded even after then. Our min ..read more

For most people, the first time they see a psychologist can seem like a daunting experience. There is a sense of unpredictability and perhaps pre-formed beliefs and views about what counselling is like, how a psychologist looks or what they are expected to do. For others, they have been struggling with anxiety or depression for so long that they want to just rid of it completely. It often takes some trust that others can help them so that they are able to stick with therapy long enough to experience the therapeutic process more effectively. The quality of the therapeutic relationship between ..read more

“I’m stressed!” is so much part of our everyday language that it’s socially acceptable that were sometimes moody and sleep deprived ..read more

The questions plaguing the words “mental health,” provokes clinical labels that reinforce stigma ..read more