Services
Life Transitions
Many clients seeking therapy are undergoing different major life transitions. Individuals vary in many ways, e.g., age, ethnicity, family status, profession, or gender orientation. People share the common characteristic of undergoing a major life transition or transitions of some kind. For these people something foundational in their lives is “in transit”. Major Life Transitions are hugely varied and go through a wide variety of life transitions and may include: - Externally imposed change in career - Termination of relationship - Divorce - Discovery of betrayal or infidelity - Challenges related to sexual identity or orientation - Burnout in career or personal life - Serious personal illness or accident - Major disruptions in family relationships - Adoption-related crises in adults - Crises related to moving - Relocation or immigration - Crises related to retirement - Serious illness or death of a loved one - Major illness or disability of a child or significant other - Any of a huge range of other life-altering changes Major life transitions can be painful and disruptive. Individuals may feel disoriented. Everyday lifecan seem joyless and flavourless. The experience of crisis can often leave people feeling isolated and alone. To find out how we can help contact us.
Grief & Loss
Grief is a normal feeling that we experience as a response to loss. It is a powerful emotion, often accompanied by feelings of shock, anger, sadness, guilt, and remorse. Whilst grief is commonly associated with the loss of a loved one, we can experience grief after any form, for example miscarriage, loss of a home, or relationship breakdown. Grief has the capacity to create intense physical and emotional pain. Initially, it can be overwhelming and difficult to control. Individual response to loss may depend on the depth of a relationship with a person or any loss for which you are grieving. Grief is an individual experience. There is no right or wrong way to grieve, and the length and intensity of your grief will be unique. It is vital to acknowledge grief to start the process of working through it. We can assist you in working through the loss and towards acceptance so you can move forward with life.
Pet Loss
The loss of a pet can be like losing a close human. It can be difficult for others to understand and comprehend the loss felt. Losing a beloved pet is often an emotionally devastating experience. Yet, as a society, we do not generally recognize how painful pet loss can be and how much it can impair individual emotional and physical health. Symptoms of acute grief after the loss of a pet can last from one to two months, with symptoms of grief persisting up to a full year (on average). You may experience or have experienced “broken heart syndrome”—a condition in which the response to grief is so severe you experience symptoms that mimic a heart attack, including elevated hormone levels that can be up to 30 times greater than normal. Although grief over the loss of a cherished pet may be as intense and even as lengthy as when a significant person in our life dies, our process of mourning is quite different. Many of the societal mechanisms of social and community support are absent when a pet dies. Few of us ask our employers for time off to grieve a beloved pet due to the fear of being perceived as overly sentimental, lacking in maturity or being emotionally weak. Studies have found that social support is a crucial ingredient in recovering from grief of all kinds. Thus, we are not only robbed of invaluable support systems when our pet dies, but our own perceptions of our emotional responses are likely to add extra layers of distress. We may feel embarrassed and even ashamed about the severity of the heartbreak we feel and, consequently, hesitate to disclose our feelings to our loved ones. That additional shame complicates the process of recovery by making it lengthier and more complex than it should be. Please contact us if your loss ismadversely affecting your life.
Depression
Live for a Happier Future When experiencing sadness, at times all it takes is a quick pick-me-up or a diversion to make a person happy. If sadness persists and people no longer enjoy what they used to love, it could indicate depression. People who are sad and unable to manage can feel paralysed, unable to move forward and remain stuck in depression. They may experience any of these symptoms: - Sleep problems, ranging from insomnia or difficulty sleeping, to hypersomnia or over-sleeping. - Appetite problems such as binge eating, overeating, or loss of appetite. - Feeling not rested even after a good rest. - Loss of interest in previously enjoyed activities. - Withdrawal from friends and family. If you or someone you love is experiencing any or all of these symptoms for longer than two weeks, it might be beneficial to seek professional help. We are ready and able to assist you or someone you love overcome depression. We can help you regain a highly functional life. The struggle to get over depression is real. In fact, many are unable to recover from it. As a result, they fall deeper into their despair and lose hope. When this happens, some may turn to substance abuse to cope with the problem. However, this path can cause more significant issues. Remember, when left unchecked, depression can affect relationships and cause considerable stress at work. It may affect finances, lifestyle, and can be life threatening. We offer a multi-modal treatment plan to address depression. We can help you through depression by: - Identify the causes of depression and provide appropriate strategies to cope with each one. - Offer a caring, supportive environment facilitating safety in sharing problems. - Build resilience through a strengths-based approach. - Engagement facilitating connection when feeling isolated by depression. - Developing strategies to improve your thoughts. - Depression can immobilize. Break free of unending sadness and seek help as soon as possible. Aside from our training and implementation of proven therapies, we can increase a sense of comfort, safety, and support.
Anxiety
General Anxiety: Choose A Life Without Anxiety Nervousness, anxiety, and stress, along with fear are normal feelings experienced during certain situations. In general, these feelings would go away once the moment passes. Afterward a sense of relief is experienced. To some extent anxiety can create opportunities for learning and coping. However, it’s not always the case. The indicators of anxiety are manifested by mental and physical discomfort. Physical Symptoms of Anxiety: - Elevated heart rate, and heavy breathing - Body tremors - Dizziness and headaches - Upset stomach, possibly leading to Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) - You’re quickly frightened or surprised -Muscle tension preventing sleeping - Appetite may be affected. Mental Symptoms of Anxiety: - Confusion - Excessive worry, overthinking, and catastrophising - By anticipating the worst, you may experience panic - Thoughts become erroneous and deceptive leading to wrong conclusions - Along with these symptoms, behaviours may alter, including avoidance arising out of fear. We’re Here to Help You! We can help provide you with a definitive plan for your therapy. Skills4LifePsychology provides a range of psychological treatments like Mindfulness and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). We also offer Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT). Both apply to a variety of anxiety problems, and you can expect the following results: - Better understanding the causes of anxiety and how anxiety is activated. - By learning to understand how thoughts impact on the level of anxiety experienced,developing mindfulness, and relaxation strategies helping improve levels of calmness. - Ability to develop the ability of identifying immediate distress responses that in the past would have caused great anxiety. - Improved focus, concentration, and memory. Anxiety is normal. However, prolonged stress can adversely impact on quality of life. Remember, you don’t have to live in fear all the time. You have a choice. If you or someone you love suffers fromanxiety, contact us.
Pain Management
Chronic pain is a common experience in Australia: about one-third of people experience chronic pain, and for some, pain is constant. People may experience pain caused by injuries, surgery, and medical conditions like arthritis and back problems. Chronic pain can impact on all areas of our life and place strain on family members. Managing pain can involve using medication, physical and other therapies, as well as counselling. Good coping skills can help with chronic pain to get the most out of life. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy can help develop ways of thinking about pain, its impact on life, and how to manage pain. How we can help? We can help by teaching more effective ways to understand pain, reduce anxiety, and develop positive coping skills to learn to live with pain and continue with other aspects of life.
Couples Counselling
No relationship is perfect. Stress and conflict arising from any difficult situations can cause a rift in a relationship. Some of these may include: - You plan to start a family, or you and your partner are blending your families from previous relationships. - You have small children to raise. - Both or one of you is under a lot of pressure at work. - Your financial situation as a couple is stressing both of you. - One of you is dealing with anxiety, depression, or any other mental health issue. If left unchecked, these could lead to separation. Couples can look towards counselling to help them through their issues. We offer advice to couples who want to give their relationship a fighting chance. What Couple Counselling Can Do for You and Your Partner? At Skills4LifePSychology we understand that it’s not always easy for anyone to talk with a counsellor. It becomes even harder in couples counselling when one partner is reluctant to take part in the sessions. However, rest assured we can still help relationships get back on track. We will work together with you and your partner to create a treatment plan. Some of the topics that may be discussed in a session could include: - Looking at the problems that have affected your relationship in the past and examine what issues remain. - Establish healthier lines of communication between you and your partner. - Encourage both of you to let go of past hurts and move on as a couple. - Set team and individual goals for both of you to work on to help restore your mental connection as a couple to start working together as one. - Identify ways on how the two of you can reconnect with one another as a couple, and how to achieve harmony and restore balance in your relationship. - Practice stress management techniques to reduce existing and future conflicts. We can provide a safe and impartial setting for you and your partner to discuss issues confronting your relationship. We also offer support to the LGBT+ community. Relationships are worth saving when you genuinely love the person you’re with. Contact us.
Panic Attacks
What Are the Symptoms of and Treatments for Panic Attacks? Skills4LifePsychology can help you with concerns regarding panic attacks. We will communicate with you to guarantee that no matter how intense your panic attacks could get, you’ll have the support and power you need to work through it. We will work on changing how you see your fear and anxiety so it’s not as frightening. We understand that the cause of your panic attacks is unique and different from everybody else, that’s why our services are moulded to your personal needs. Regardless of the severity of your panic attacks, you’ll be taken care of if you work with us. You or your loved ones can move past the drawbacks of panic attacks. Let Us Help You Overcome Your Panic Attacks! Panic attacks can be frightening, but with our help you can start to lessen your attacks and start to live your life again. Book an appointment and start the journey on the road to recovery.
Self Esteem
Self-esteem and confidence relate to how we value, feel, and think about ourselves. Feeling good about ourselves is an essential part of our psychological wellbeing. Many people at different points in their life experience low self-esteem and confidence. Adolescence is a particularly crucial period in which we can form negative opinions of ourselves. We may also develop low self-esteem during times of great stress or times of failure and when things have not gone according to plan. It is important to remember that these judgments we make about ourselves are opinions and not facts. Symptoms of low self-esteem include: - Feeling depressed, guilty, or ashamed - Experiencing doubt and lack of confidence in yourself and your abilities - Frequently self-criticising, blaming, and putting yourself down, even if there is evidence to the contrary - Avoiding challenges, opportunities, and social interactions due to fear of failure - Having a pessimistic view on life, being highly self-conscious and sensitive towards criticism Regaining Self-Esteem and Confidence: Counselling focuses on uncovering areas of the development of negative feelings and the emotions associated with these negative feelings. In uncovering the source of the problem, counselling will help understand the reasons we feel in acertain way and assist in taking the necessary steps in forming a positive view and belief of self, facilitate the version of self you aim to become.
Anger Management
Getting angry is a normal reaction. Someone or anything can trigger anger. However, the problem lies in how anger is expressed. In general, anger responses are fleeting – once the frustration or annoyance is expressed, then anger ceases. If unable to control it could lead to any of the following: - Yelling, for example at a person or the object causing the anger. - Becoming verbally abusive towards others. - Becoming physical, starting to break things, or hitting someone or something to vent anger. - Withdrawing, keeping away from anyone or anything that triggered the anger. If left unchecked, anger issues can affect personal and professional relationships. If this is starting to show, then it’s in the best interest to seek help. Ways to Control Anger: Getting angry is natural. Moreover, it can be a healthy way to let off steam. Bottling up anger can adversely affect health, both physically and mentally. The ability to control emotions varies from one person to the next. At Skills4LifePsychology you will learn how to look at the causes of anger and the factors triggering it. Likewise, we will provide practical strategies to cope with these triggers. We In addition, we will teach techniques to help relax and minimize chances of extreme anger. Here are some tips that may help: - Practice counting to 10 slowly. This might sound childish and dated but rest assured it is useful. In the time it takes to reach 10, the anger might have subsided, reducing the risk of taking the anger out on those around. - Deep breathing has a calming effect and allows clear thinking. - Explore creativity. The ability to express oneself in different forms like music, painting, dancing, or writing can help relieve tension, minimizing angry feelings. - Exercise and self-care, such as getting physical, exploring different sports like swimming, running, or walking, meditation or yoga can do wonders for the mind and body. If possible, practice every day as exercise acts as stress release. Moreover, make sure you get enough sleep and avoid drugs or alcohol as these can aggravate anger
Insomnia
Insomnia refers to an inability to achieve an adequate amount or quality of sleep. Insomnia affects many people in different ways. Some people have difficulty falling asleep (onset insomnia) while others find themselves waking early and find it difficult to return to sleep (early morning insomnia). When we fail to get a good night’s sleep, we can become more susceptible to erratic mood swings, irritability, prolonged tiredness, and impaired concentration. Insomnia often occurs when we are stressed about things in our personal lives. This is usually just a short-term problem that typically resolves itself within a few days. However, for some insomnia can persist and develop into a more serious condition that negatively impacts an individual’s ability to enjoy a normal day-to-day quality of living. When insomnia begins to affect relationships, workplace performance, or general overall quality of life it’s important to seek help. Treatment for Insomnia Identifying, understanding, and resolving the underlying causes of insomnia are key steps in the process towards recovery from insomnia. At Skills4LifePsychology we understand the nature of insomnia and can help you to develop techniques for falling asleep and staying asleep. We also explore and address the underlying issues that may be contributing to sleep disturbance, such as anxiety or depression.
Workplace Issues & EAP
Work represents a major part of our lives. Work-related pressures, establishing and maintaining a healthy work-life balance is essential for mental health. Adverse group dynamics, workplace bullying, or other harassment can have serious negative effects. We can help develop improved techniques to deal with work-related issues and may be covered by Employee Assistance Programs. Contact us for a confidential discussion.