Too Many Regrets: Living With Your Past
Many of us live our lives with strong regrets. We think about the things we could have done and didn’t do; we think about the things we did and wish
After Death: What We Know and What We Don’t
Death has mystified people since the beginning of recorded history. A great many cultures and religions have traditions about what happens to us after death. Many of these traditions include
Four Practical Ways to Help Someone Grieve
Mostly, our relationships with the people we are close to are full of good times. They are usually about pleasant occasions and enjoying each other’s company. However, sometimes there is
It Takes Time to Heal But Time Is Not a Healer
One of the enduring myths that we have about mental health is that if we leave it long enough, time will eventually wear down our problems and heal our wounds.
Why Am I Always Thinking About The Past?
People tend to be quite different in the things they think about. Some people are always thinking about the future, and the good and bad things that might happen to
Our Common Misconceptions About Grief and Loss
Grief is something that touches each of us, and when it does, it affects us very powerfully. Yet we don’t seem to know much about grief, so when it happens
Recognising and Respecting Our Unacknowledged Losses
When we think of the words ‘loss’ and ‘grief’ we often think of the death of a loved one, and the acute and painful suffering that results. There is no
Surviving and Thriving at Christmas
Many people like Christmas and the celebrations that it brings; it gives us a chance to catch up with family and friends we don’t see often enough and perhaps to
Stigmatisation and Discrimination
The prevalence of mental health problems in Australia is high – currently, about one in four people a year experience clinical levels of anxiety and depression. Those affected often have
The Choice After Trauma: Remember or Enact
We have all have had things in our past that we wish had not happened to us. When this is true, it is a temptation for us to actively not
Why Hurt People Lash out at Their Helpers
When we see people suffering with powerful sadness or grief, we can be quite strongly affected. When we experience this, it’s natural to want to help; to treat them gently,
The Myth of the Good Experience
One of the most enduring ideas we have is that if we have bad experiences, then we only need a good experience to counteract them. But we can end up
When Some Things Can’t be Changed
When we think of counselling or psychotherapy, we think of things that we would like to change about ourselves; we wonder how we might be different after these changes. But
Secrets: In Time, Truth Will Out
Difficult things happen to all of us. Sometimes when this happens we often protect ourselves from these traumatic memories by removing them from our conscious — effectively, forgetting them. This
ANZAC Day: They Were So Very Young
We all have our difficulties; at times they overwhelm us and leave us feeling hopeless and in despair. These difficulties are very real, and consume us. And yet on a
The Lonely Pain of Common Grief and Loss
Once in a while we suffer a singular, difficult experience that causes us to question the life we live. Things can be motoring on well until this one event –