Over the last fifty years the fabric of our society has been stretched, twisted and patched to the extent that not much remains of the organisational structure that defined the relationships of our parents and grandparents. When it comes to relationships- anything goes! »
There are two major approaches to play therapy that most orientations can be categorised in to. These are either directive approaches where the therapist assumes responsibility for guidance and interpretation of the play interactions or non-directive approaches where the therapist will tend to leave the responsibility and direction of the therapeutic process to the child (Rasmussen & Cunnigham... »
Communication breakdown in relationships has reached epidemic proportions. Couples are very busy. In most cases both partners work; they have children to raise; and family and friends to attend to. They are always in a hurry. In the Rush that has become their life, they find that they haven’t got the time to listen and to respond to each other. Before they know it they have stopped communicating a... »
Good relationships don't just happen. Many people have the attitude that, “If I have to work at it, then it can't be the right relationship.” This is not a true statement, any more than it's true that you don't have to work at good physical health through exercise, eating well, and stress reduction. There are choices you can make that will not only improve your relationship, but can turn a failing... »
Historically, researchers have argued that complicated grief is an expression of a major depressive disorder or an anxiety-based disorder that has been triggered by a specific loss. More recently, researchers have concluded that grief symptoms only partially overlap with symptoms of depression and other DSM-IV-TR categories, such as anxiety and post traumatic stress disorder, and that although the... »
Emotional Focused Therapy (EFT) is an integrative style of therapy drawing its theoretical framework from ideas on attachment, existentialism, systemic approaches and Gestalt perspectives (Elliott & Greenberg, 2007). EFT has a specific focus on the couple’s experience of emotions and the concept of wholeness as it relates to interpersonal relationships. »
Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder, or OCPD, is characterised by perfectionism and an excessive concern with maintaining order (Barlow & Durand, 2009). This perfectionism is often dysfunctional because such individuals are always careful not to make mistakes as such, check for minor details and errors. Because they are often preoccupied with trivial details, they use time poorly which can p... »
Whatever the circumstances of loss and grief, there are certain principles and procedures that contribute to the effectiveness of grief counselling. Some of the guidelines adapted from Worden (2005) are listed below. »
While interest in play as a therapeutic intervention has been around since the 1920's, professional interest has grown steadily over the past decade. This has been driven in part by the recognition of the number of children and adolescents who require effective help, counsellors becoming increasingly aware of the seriousness of emotional difficulties often experienced by children and their likely ... »
There are few constructs in psychology that are as misunderstood as those relating to dissociation. There are times when many of us have experienced the sensation of being away from ourselves – so engaged in a book or movie that we lose track of time, or driving somewhere and having no memory of the journey. This is a very basic understanding of the concept however does explain the basic element o... »
It is important that children are able to express and understand how they are feeling. Some children feel uncomfortable talking about their feelings, therefore combining discussion with an external activity will often help them open up about their feelings. It is important when working with children to remember to apply the strategies and techniques that work best with the child. For example, a to... »
There is a plethora of information available on the topic of bullying. There are many different types of bullying including; child or school based (schoolyard) bullying; workplace bullying; cyber bullying; military bullying and hazing. The purpose of this article is to focus on child or school-based bullying as opposed to any of the other types of bullying. »
Addiction is a plague that affects individuals and society in an adverse manner. It is a very costly illness that has worldwide prevalence. A study conducted in Australia found that $437m was lost in 2001 due to alcohol related absenteeism (Pidd, Berry & Roche, 2006). In the United Kingdom, a study conducted in 2001 found that alcohol related work absenteeism had an economic cost of an average £1.... »
Cognitive-behaviour therapy aims to help substance-dependent people abstain from using by applying the same learning processes that developed the substance dependence initially. In treating substance dependence, the goal of cognitive behaviour therapy is to teach the person to... »
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