The Nuanced Divide: Unpacking Psychotherapy vs. Counseling As a practising therapist and supervisor, I’m frequently asked to clarify the distinction between psychotherapy and counselling. While the terms are sometimes used interchangeably, there are distinct differences in each approach’s training, theoretical foundations, and overarching aims. At their core, counselling and psychotherapy both involve a trained professional … read more

The Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research was recently discussed in articles published by the Guardian and the SMH. The report, which will be released today, will include the views of 34 survivors discussing the justice system in NSW. RMIT questioned victims of sexual assault about what they realised after or during discussing the incident … read more

https://www.bodyandsoul.com.au/wellness/mental-health/10-subtle-signs-you-may-have-unresolved-childhood-trauma/news-story/dbdc8b8c53f8270200ea062eed49422d

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/nov/18/how-to-deal-with-the-trauma-of-the-medibank-cyber-breach

http://www.childhoodtrauma.org.au/2015/august/practicing-shame-resilience Shame is not easy to talk about. It is a powerful emotion and can have trans-generational effects if it is not talked about and processed (Bradshaw, 1988). In order to develop a sense of worth, we need to have a parental figure giving our experience value. (Meares, 2005). If this is lacking, we believe … read more

On the Labour Day weekend just gone, I attended the 30th anniversary conference of ANZAP, the Australian and New Zealand Association of Psychotherapy. While there was a strong sense of celebration at our collective achievements, and we were encouraged at the continuing success of the Conversational Model of Psychotherapy, we were also keenly aware that our … read more

Human memory is a sensory experience, says psychiatrist Bessel van der Kolk. Through his longtime research in trauma treatment, he shares what he’s learning about how bodywork like yoga or eye movement therapy can restore a sense of goodness and safety. Source: Bessel van der Kolk — Restoring the Body: Yoga, EMDR, and Treating Trauma

EMDR is a trauma treatment. It stands for Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing. Quite different from the talk therapies. This short report can explain and demonstrate for you how it works. I successfully used EMDR and other brain-based treatment like Brainspotting in the treatment of trauma. If you have been suffering and have not tried these … read more

This is the second part of trauma education by my friend and colleague and fellow Somatic Experiencing® Practitioner: Barbara Schmidt check out her website:  www.counsellingsomatic.com.au. When someone is stressed out & irrational it makes sense to explore negative thinking and to help that person to return to rational thinking (CBT). In Trauma however the frontal … read more

  This is a great article by a good friend and colleague: Barbara  Schmidt www.counsellingsomatic.com.au Most people have heard about fight and flight: It’s a survival mechanism that kicks into place when we are in danger and chatting and smiling don’t work anymore. The new situation requires us to do something different: We now need to … read more

Twitter handles: @MindfulWomen and @BraveTherapy About the Childhood Trauma Conference via The Australia Childhood Foundation “In the brain, the collective actions of individual nerve cells connect in intricate networks to shape behaviour, form and retrieve memories, evoke emotions, react to danger and build relationships with others. Knowledge about brain-body science has challenged and resourced exciting … read more

Great opportunity to learn about how trauma affects the brain, presented by Michele Rosenthal Do you have symptoms like: Trouble concentrating Disrupted sleep Inability to remember both short and long-term ideas, facts or events Feeling like you’re in danger even when you know you’re completely safe Unable to control your emotions Unable to feel Unable … read more

  The 6 Quantum Secrets to an Amazing LIFE  by Maureen Kitchur    This book is my current favorite. It is a self-help book that takes a slightly satirical look at self-help books J The ideas and techniques are clearly presented, and the explanations with short case studies are really useful and flexible. Maureen Kitchur … read more

FAQ: What is EMDR? And how can it help me?     EMDR is short for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. EMDR is a simple, well-researched technique that has been proven to help many people overcome the barriers associated with certain fears or traumatic experiences. For example, a professional golfer with the ‘yips’ can benefit … read more