More Tov Content Coming Soon
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.
Advice For New Students From aifc Students & Graduates
Before starting a course, advice and recommendations from current and former students is usually something most of us want to learn. So we recently asked on Facebook, “As a graduate or current student of aifc, what piece of advice would you give a new student?” Here are their responses. Shivon Barresi Persevere – you won’t…
Expressing Disappointment Constructively Within A Marriage
A friend recently asked me, ‘What’s the point of being married when all we do is fight?’ When arguing and disagreeing on just about everything, couples can be temporarily blinded by the tension causing them to lose sight of the very reason they were married in the first place. We go through Five different stages…
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.
In Loving Memory of Dr Bruce Litchfield
Dear aifc family and friends, If you have not heard the news it is with sadness I advise that husband, father and aifc founder Dr Bruce Litchfield (Bruce) died on July 2nd 2018 after battling a number of medical conditions in recent years. Because of the ups and downs of his health and multiple extended…
Our Graduates – Where Are They Now?
aifc posted this informal question to graduates on our Facebook page: “If you have graduated from aifc’s Christian counselling courses, let us know how you are using your counselling skills to make a difference?” Here’s what our aifc graduates had to say… AN Daugherty I was offered a full time job as a school counsellor…
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…
7 Different Types of Depression
All the various types of depression mostly share symptoms in common like; sadness, low mood & lack of interest in usual activities. However, the symptoms of depression can vary from one person to the next.
Symptoms, Diagnosis & Treatment Of Bipolar Disorder
When we think about Bipolar Disorder we tend to think of it as one type of mental illness when in fact there are a few variations. Bipolar disorders (manic-depressive disorders) are classified as a ‘chronic mental health condition’ characterised by periods of low mood such as depression as well as periods of mania, or extreme…
