Self-Criticism: Does it Really Lead to Self-Improvement
If you are like many people, you can be deeply self-critical. It seems like we are always nagging at ourselves about things we would like to change. Whether it’s your
In the Garden of Your Life
There are many ways we can view our lives, and sometimes an analogy can be helpful. Though the use of analogy we can sometimes understand what’s going on in a
Change is Hope
So many of us lack hope. This can be something that affects us for large periods of our lives; or it might be something that we only occasionally feel. Experiencing
Overthinking It: Our Different Styles
Have you ever been told that you’re overthinking it? You might hear this from others; your partner, your friends or your colleagues. They might imply that thinking too much about
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
Too Much Self-Blame Does No-one Any Good
When people tell me their problems and we try to work out how things came to be this way, it usually boils down to the client feeling that their problems
Patience and the Pursuit of Change
Sometimes we know we need to change, but we doubt we can – and we don’t know how to do it even if it were possible. We feel that someone
Psychologically, You Are Only Born Twice
When we come into this world, we come in with a number of personality characteristics and traits that we inherit from our parents. These characteristics and traits, which we might
Resist Change!
We can often feel a great pressure from other people to change. For whatever reason, it can be hard to be accepted for who we are. We can find ourselves
Our Need to Interfere: Letting Others Be
Sometimes we just can’t help ourselves, and want to get involved in the lives of other people. We sometimes can’t resist our need to interfere and control even those closest to
The Seeds of Today Were Planted Yesterday
Life can be very tough. Many people find life difficult, with difficult work environments, unsatisfactory relationships, time and money pressures. We usually manage to keep our heads above water but
Using Shame as a Weapon: Does it Work?
Each of us has someone that we wish would change. We have tried being supportive, understanding, helpful and directive, but still they remain unchanged. It can be extremely frustrating and
Are We Prepared to Pay the Price of Honesty?
For many of us, it is important that the people around us are honest. We want to be able to trust what we hear. Conversely, when we are around people
The Burden of Being Perfect
We all strive to be better at what we do; this is part of the way that we improve our self-esteem. Accomplishing things makes us feel good, and the better
Soothing and Living with Your Inner Critic
Many of us have an inner critic that sits on our shoulder and judges all that we do. This constant stream of commentary and advice is undermining and can leave
Self-Confidence Lies Sleeping: It Needs Waking
‘I suffer from a lack of self-confidence’ is a statement that many might make to describe how they feel about their circumstances. Implicit in this is the belief that we
Everyday Misery and Illusion: What Will You Choose?
Freud once said that each of us needs to make the choice between a life of everyday misery and illusion. Even though he said this more than hundred years ago,
Letting Ourselves Down: A Matter of Perspective?
We can sometimes feel that we are letting ourselves down. We have ideals about the sorts of people we would like to be, and the way we want to live
The Three Things You Need to Have a Healthy Mental Life
When we sit down and really think about how different our lives are from how we would like them to be, the task of change starts to seem enormous. Relationships,