tov Blog
Nichole Howson Interview About Her Bipolar Disorder
In an interview with aifc, Nichole Howson tells us about how she coped with bipolar disorder when growing up with her family, how her bipolar affected her relationships and how managing her Bipolar Disorder with treatment and counselling has helped her immensely. Nichole is a Christian woman who manages her own business and runs ‘Defying…
BIPOLAR DISORDER – Message To A Young Girl
As we grow older and wiser we tend to think, “If we only knew then what we know now!” Nichole Howson addresses issues that young girls could be facing in the hope that she can help other young ones who are going through the same thing. Dear young girl, I know these times might be…
What I Wish You Knew About My Bipolar Disorder
The demand for mental health care in Australia has never been so great with Lifeline reporting a record breaking 1M calls to the service in 2015, according to news.com. Nichole Howson’s blog, ‘Dear unnamed’ helps shed some light on her Bipolar disorder. This is but one of many mental health conditions in the DSM-5. Dear…
Mentally Preparing Your Kids for the First Day of School
In the midst of new uniforms, checking booklists, filling the lunchboxes, and finally getting everybody to their classrooms, here is something to consider. Your child’s mindset is their most important asset. We all have a mindset. Which one we choose will determine how we cope with school and with life. A fixed mindset says, it’s…
Organising Those Dreaded Back To School Mornings
School morning multitasking can be a parent’s worst nightmare. We dash around the house juggling between making lunches, seeing that the kids have all the right stuff in their school bags and school uniforms on. Then there are the constant reminders to get their shoes on, comb their hair and brush their teeth so that…
Commencing The School Year
Starting a new school year can be an exciting time for many children, whilst others experience anxiety about the new school year or about leaving those they love. Although each of us have had to deal with separation at some stage in our lives, some children find this harder than others. For some of these…
Steve Poisat – Testimonial
“Studying with aifc gave me the pastoral counselling confidence and specialist skills that I needed to competently and compassionately engage with the members of my congregation and the community chaplaincy work that I was involved in. The biblically based framework that undergirds the courses allows students to integrate theology, psychology and practical spirituality in such…
What makes aifc different?
Our Christian bible based counselling courses attract men and women from all over Australia. aifc takes a comprehensive and balanced approach to counselling training that integrates psychology, theology and spirituality. Theology helps us know and grow in God’s ways and increases our understanding of our need for Him; psychology an awareness of self and spirituality…
Procrastination Could Be Robbing You Of Your Potential
We all have days when we want to put off task that need to be accomplished. At times we don’t care enough about the task ahead, however, there are times that we do care and still end up doing something other than what we are meant to do. Why do we do it? We have…
10 Key Areas We Can’t Afford To Ignore In Mental Health
We all want to be healthy and happy. Here are some tips to help optimise your health to make you look feel at your best. Regular exercise is great for the mind and body, but it’s also good for the spirit. We need to take a holistic approach in looking after ourselves to address all…
Be a Man
There are approx. 3.5 billion males on the planet at this very moment in time, yet there are far fewer men then there ought to be. Even if we were to not count all the boys 12 years and under, there are still far fewer men than there should be. Why is that? Because there…
Agree to Disagree, Comply or Conform?
People in close relationships often have disagreements with one another. Often, in order not to fight about their differences, people will come to terms with and accept the fact that neither party will budge from their own way of thinking. In order to respect and accept the other person’s individuality and opinion, they will agree…
School Is Finally Over – What To Do Now?
You have been working towards this day for what feels like your whole life – and here it is! You may have imagined what it would be like; waking up on that first morning – no rushing, the guilt-free feeling of removing those study notes from the walls, the stress slipping away and you can…
Chemical Dependency & The Power To Change
A powerful quote from Dr. Caroline Leaf, “The brain does not change itself. Our mind changes the brain!” shows that old patterns of thinking have to be put away and new ways have to be learned. People who believe that it’s impossible to change are adding a stumbling block to their own recovery. Without the mindset of hope they will not…
Drugs And The Addict: A Destructive Relationship
“There’s a phrase, “the elephant in the living room”, which purports to describe what it’s like to live with a drug addict, an alcoholic, an abuser. People outside such relationships will sometimes ask, “How could you let such a business go on for so many years? Didn’t you see the elephant in the living room?”…
Depression – Am I depressed or do I just have the blues?
We all have times when we feel down. It’s normal to feel sad when a relationship ends, a good friend moves away or someone we care about dies. The stress of a heavy study load, financial difficulties or unemployment also affects our mood. However, the gloomy feelings usually pass and we still experience happy times…
Active Listening – 5 Basic Steps To Unlock The Hidden Power
Have you ever had a conversation like this? “Hi! How are you?” “I’m ok, just got back from the doctor, had some blood tests done…”, “Oh yes, I need to go see my doctor again, you know he is so good – he was so quick to pick up that I have an iron deficiency,…
Do people listen when you speak?
Pastor Rick Warren explains that there are certain principals that we can learn to master in order to hold people’s attention when we speak. “Develop These 7 Skills When You Want People To Listen Most church conflict results from poor communication. Even your best ideas, plans, or suggestions are worthless if you can’t communicate them…
Mental health is a community issue. What can we do about it?
A big part of mental health issues are compounded by isolation (physical and emotional), leaving those around them unsure about what they can actually do to help. There are a number of different community projects that different places have put into place that have been found to be really effective and even bring tight-knit communities…
Equipping The Church With Bible Based Counselling Skills
Doctors, social workers and support group leaders will have had to study some sort of professional mental health program as part of their professional training. This mental health training is essential for their professional development to equip them to deal with various types of persons and situations that they might experience. Because church leaders have an influential…
A Place For Mindfulness In Christianity
Mindfulness is different from other forms of meditation. Mindfulness is about being aware of your surroundings and knowing what is going on around you, within you, and outside of you moment by moment. Mindfulness also helps you to observe your own thoughts and feelings. According to Psychology Today, when you’re mindful you observe your thoughts and…
What If I’m Diagnosed With A Mental Illness?
With all the promotion and education going around, a lot of us have a basic understanding of what mental illness is, though unless we have experienced it; it is generally on a factual basis. This is good, we need to know facts, and facts are powerful. Though what does it mean if I am diagnosed…
Anxiety – Are You Thriving Or Just Surviving?
When people ask me how I am, I normally respond with “good thanks, and you?” which I believe is a natural response that a lot of us have. The thing is, it removes the focus from us, straight onto the other person. Some days the answer is true and I am actually having a great…
aifc Student Testimonial –Tara Watkins
Tara Watkins tells us why she initially chose to study with aifc, describing how the course has helped to strengthen her marriage and build up her faith. Tara says that she understands herself better now and that the course has had a positive effect on all of her relationships. “Initially what appealed to me about…
