Blog Category: Mental Health
Support & Inclusion Of Disadvantaged Children
Despite this great nation’s wealth and sustained economic growth, sadly in Australia there are children living in poverty and disadvantage. Research results showed confronting statistics that were presented to the Australian Government in the ACOSS report. The ACOSS Report showed: In Australia 1 in 6 children under 15 years of age are living in poverty…
How To Teach Kids that Boredom isn’t Boring
In Shauna Gallagher’s blog, ‘Boredom Isn’t Boring’ she gives some really good advice for equipping parents with tools for helping kids become productive when boredom strikes. How many times have you heard the words (in a whiney voice), “I’m bored” or “There’s nothing to do”? Those words can become our most dreaded words to hear…
Advice For Helping A Loved One With Depression
Mental health nurse, Shauna Gallagher gives advice for someone who wants to help a loved one who is suffering from depression. Many of you reading this won’t have a diagnosis of depression but will be wondering what you can do to help a loved one who does. You may even have been trying for many…
The Emotional Extremes of Borderline Personality Disorder
Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is a mental Illness. Those affected with BPD have difficulty relating to people
The Christian’s Mental Health Self-Care Kit
For those living with a mental health condition, self – care is particularly essential to help keep ourselves in the best of health, and hopefully to make our condition more manageable. What this looks like for each individual can differ from person to person based on varying factors such as genetics, mental health, location, and…
The Typical Counselling Room A Safe Place To Talk
Seeing a qualified counsellor for the first time without knowing what to expect can make us a little nervous. Lack of knowledge can also lead to misconceptions about counsellors, leading some to shun the counselling room for fear of judgement, or for concerns about breaches of confidentiality. What do trained counsellors do, what happens in…
Where To Find Emergency Counselling in Australia
Australians have free and confidential counselling services available over the phone, online as a chat and by email for those struggling with mental health issues, suicidal thoughts, personal problems, relationships or family problems. The types of calls received can range from urgent crisis calls to the less urgent matters. However all calls matter. Counselling services…
Are You Ok Dragging Those Burdens Around?
The tendency to hide our vulnerabilities when we’ve been emotionally wounded is instinctive for most of us. As an emotional teen, I thought crying was a sign of weakness. There was a time when a stranger spotted me crying. She asked, “Are you ok?” What a shock!
The Epic Fails Of 5 Prominent Bible Characters
When we make mistakes we shouldn’t be too hard on ourselves. Some mistakes can be avoided by being careful as we are never fully emotionally prepared to face the consequences following bad decisions. The consequences of our actions or our inaction can lead to pain, loss and brokenness or even death. Despite all of that we…
Debilitating Aspects Of Living With An Anxiety Disorder
Anxiety can be extremely debilitating and difficult to live with if left untreated. Psychologist, speaker and best selling author Harriet Lerner Ph.D. writes about the debilitating effects of anxiety in her article titled “The top 9 Reasons Why I hate Anxiety’
Counselling – A Healing Journey of Connection
Seeking counselling help doesn’t mean we no longer believe in Christ and the healing power of God. Many Christians interpret seeking help from external sources as “not having enough faith.” However, equipping ourselves and the church with knowledge is an act of grace for the relief of those needing emotional support. Knowledge can save lives. Hosea…
Menopause Can Affect A Woman’s Mental Health
Menopause brings about physical and hormonal changes to a woman’s body that can affect her mental health. Menopausal women often experience hot flushes, night sweats, insomnia, memory loss, mood swings, bloating, depression and irrational thinking. These changes can also affect relationships. Menopause Menopause marks the end of a woman’s child baring years and the end…
Effective Communication For Conflict Resolution
Communication skills can be used for building up relationships rather than tearing them down with our; anger, words and actions. Effective communication requires; respect, grace, empathy, active listening for adding value to the person being heard. The list below has a few dos and don’ts of effective communication for conflict resolution. WAIT FOR THE RIGHT…
13 Tips For Resolving Family Feuds
Do you miss out on family birthdays? Do you turn away and cringe when you see that family member on the other side of the room or do you avoid being where they are altogether? Is your family split in two because of disagreements? Or are you simply just not talking to someone in your…
Self Assessment for Depression
In Australia, one of the most attractive countries in the world to live in, it was reported as far back as 1988 that some 18% of the population had mental troubles. The majority were suffering from anxiety and depression. It’s estimated that 1 in 4 woman and 1 in 6 men are suffering from depressive…
18 Year Old Saving Lives With Her Suicide Prevention Efforts
An 18 year old girl from England is posting notes on a bridge in her local community in an attempt to save lives, where many jump to their deaths. Paige Hunter leaves notes all over the bridge to let others know they are loved, cared about, worth saving and that life is worth living. Many…
How I Defeated My Post-Natal Depression
When Hayley Solich suffered a bout of Post-Natal Depression (PND) after giving birth to her youngest child, she was a married 37 year old Christian woman with 4 children under the age of five. As a mother Hayley put all her efforts into an extremely busy life, taking care of her new business and the…
Despair, Depression & Brokenness Made Me Doubt My Faith
As a Christian, Melinda Vanry has lived with depression, bipolar disorder and social anxiety. It was through those trials that she began to doubt God, and through those very same trials she also uncovered a foundational truth that has strengthened her faith for years to come. “God can be glorified in and through a believer’s…
How A Lack Of Counselling Training Is Hurting The Church
Many of us feel a strong pull towards comforting those who are experiencing emotional turmoil. Even if we have a natural knack for counselling others, our empathy and listening skills might need fine tuning to help us reach a higher standard of counselling.
The Five Stages of Grief – A Journey
“Grief is the response to the loss of any significant object or person in our lives. The process of grief follows such losses as death, divorce, other broken relationships, financial loss, lost job, amputation, loss of health, ageing, and abandonment of significant life goals or dreams. It also includes the many subtle losses that affect…
Helping Families Break Free From Addiction & Co-dependency
Addiction and co-dependency in families are all too common. The Co-dependent becomes the enabler in the relationship in support of the addict.
Reasons Why Mental Health Matters To Christians
Having a disorder can be debilitating, affecting the way a person functions, the way they feel and think. Sadly, relationships and a person’s walk with God can be affected due to the state of their mental health. Thus, we can't afford to neglect our mental health.
Is Your Emotional Support Person A Narcissist?
We all want someone trustworthy to confide in. However, narcissists are not the kind of people we want to open up to. Here's how to tell if your emotional support person has NPD.
Marriage in Crisis
Men and Women are very different as if from two different planets. Unresolved issues can lead to major conflict and crisis within the marriage. Below is some sound advice on what we can do to get our marriage back on track. Common Roots In order to resolve any crisis in your marriage, you must examine…
