One of the most difficult things we will ever do in life is be a part of a healthy relationship.

We are often left to just go out and do it without help or guidance. Couples often say they can work it out themselves, but this hardly ever happens. Relationship requires education, skills, commitment and a willingness to look at ourselves and the part we play in perpetuating the problems within our relationship.

Yes, good communication skills are essential. But when couples are facing problems, the cause is almost always much more profound than this. Often couples experience the same problems over and over. Or maybe a crisis has rocked the relationship and left both people at a loss on how to move forward.

Sometimes one partner does not want to come to counselling. This need not prevent you from seeking help yourself. A successful outcome is not always dependent on counselling two people together. Sometimes, too, one or both partners may not speak freely when their partner is in the room so I will counsel singly or as a couple.

The most common relationship problems that people seek help with include:

• Constant arguing and Inability to manage conflict which gradually erodes the relationship
• A breach of trust due to an affair or other betrayal
• Difficulties communicating leading to loss of intimacy and ability to manage difficult issues
• Differences in sexual desire
• The romance or spark is gone and loving feelings are lost or diminished
• Addictions, especially sexual addictions to pornography, chat rooms etc
• Feelings of disconnectedness and loneliness within the relationship

Counselling can help you recognise where your relationship is going wrong and whether or not you are able to recover from the damage that’s been caused and heal the relationship. It can also provide you with the tools to build a better relationship. Saving a relationship that is in crisis requires commitment from both parties but if two people are dedicated to the process it is possible for couples to emerge with a stronger, healthier more loving union.

Please contact me for help with your relationship by email or simply call me on 0412 466 426

Please note: I do not provide emergency care. Please ring Lifeline now on 13 1114 if you feel suicidal or are suffering from mental illness.

If we are lucky, grief is a rare event in our lives…

…But unfortunately, it is likely that we must all come to it sooner or later. It is a much misunderstood emotion in our society. It is not a matter of “getting over it”, not at all, and time is not always the great healer it is sometimes purported to be.

The loss of someone we love can be utterly overwhelming. And while grief is often the result of death, the same feelings can sometimes occur after the loss of health, or loss of a job, or the loss of a relationship.

Grief can make us feel as if we are going mad, and people often wonder if they may even survive it. Numbness, anger and despair are common. We are often forced to make major decisions and learn new skills at a time when even breathing seems to require effort.

There is no time-frame to grief. None. It is different for everyone. There is no fixed timeline and no right way to go about it. We are all individuals and every person needs to find their own way through it. Loneliness, sadness, rage and depression can threaten to overwhelm us. Those we are closest to may be struggling to cope themselves, or may be overwhelmed or confused by the intensity of your grief.

Having someone versed in grief counselling at times like this can be life-altering – and sometimes life-saving.

Please feel free to contact me for help by email or simply call me on 0412 466 426

Please note: I do not provide emergency care. Please ring Lifeline now on 13 1114 if you feel suicidal or are suffering from mental illness.

Depression can sometimes be a natural response to things that happen in our lives…

But not always. Sometimes our mood doesn’t lift, and the grey days seem to go on and on, without apparent cause. Friends and family tell us to “snap out of it” but this tends not to help, and may in fact make us feel either guilty or even more reclusive. Medication can help mask symptoms or we may self medicate with alcohol and drugs.

Irritability, sudden outbursts of anger, feelings of inadequacy, sleep and appetite disturbances – these can all be symptoms of depression. Sometimes even thoughts of self harm or suicide may result.

Panic attacks can sometimes be so severe that they are confused with heart attacks – shortness of breath, chest palpitations, trembling, sweating, nausea, feelings of suffocation – even fainting are common.

These symptoms can affect anyone of any age and any social background. They can seriously affect our relationships and our work, literally taking all the joy out of life.

It’s about slowing down so that life doesn’t pass us by.

Mindfulness is a way of living that focuses on turning our attention to what is happening around us and inside us so that we are more fully present to ourselves, the people in our lives and life itself. It’s about a shift from being absorbed and controlled by incessant thinking to an awareness that there is a deeper dimension inside us that offers peace of mind, freedom and joy.

When we practice Mindfulness we let go of the past and the stories and identities we have created about ourselves and others, so that we can just be, and allow others to do the same. Mindfulness skills are so simple, you can learn them in one session.

Benefits of Mindfulness Coaching include:

• Rising above fear, doubt and insecurity
• Reducing stress and worry
• Handling painful thoughts and feelings effectively
• Breaking old negative habits
• Developing resilience
• Improvement in work and sport performance
• Building deeper and more satisfying relationships
• Creating a rich, full and meaningful life
• Feeling better about yourself and the challenges that life brings