Social Media – A Blessing Or A Curse? #SMday
Most households living in the digital era will have access to mobile phones and various types of computer technology used to connect to others on the internet. While the internet has opened up positive and negative possibilities that can sometimes be viewed as a Pandora’s box by some critics, social media has effectively reduced global…
When To Get Help For Kids & Teens
Dr John Townsend believes kids who have suffered trauma in the very early stages of childhood are more likely to have their personality affected by it, particularly during their adolescence. He encourages parents to have these children see a mental health professional as early as possible. Get Help If There Has Been Early Trouble by…
Emotional and Psychological Abuse
According to Lifeline Australia, there are many forms of abuse that fall under the category of Domestic and Family Violence. Emotional and Psychological abuse are non-physical forms of control used to isolate and manipulate a person that can be equally as traumatising as physical abuse. Family violence and abuse can happen to anyone irrespective of…
Could Air Pollution Be Affecting Our Mental Health?
We live in an industrial world that is constantly pumping out dangerous fumes and gases into the atmosphere. Natural events can also pollute our air with pollen, smoke from bushfires and the dust from windstorms. There are many other pollutants that can affect the quality of air we breathe impacting on our overall health, mental…
Why Youth Homelessness Matters
According to Homelessness Australia, there’s a staggering number of homeless young people in Australia. When we think about homeless youths we often think about street kids, drug addicts and runaways. But this is not always the case. Most of the homeless youth aren’t homeless by choice. Domestic issues and family violence and relationships or family…
14 New Disorders in the DSM-5
21st century living has contributed to the addition of 14 new Disorders in the DSM-5 The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) is the standard classification of mental disorders used by mental health professionals around the world. The manual is the guide by which mental health professionals base their diagnosis. Below is a…
Intentional Cruelty & The Psychological Effects Of Abuse
The psychological harm imposed on another human being by acts of cruelty can last many years if not a lifetime. Most of us avoid inflicting pain on anyone, sticking to the unspoken social golden rule to ‘hurt no-one.’ When we hurt another person, we typically begin to feel remorse, we apologise and express regret and sorrow.…
Finding The Right Christian Counsellor
Choosing the right counsellor can be a daunting experience if we don’t know what to look for. Just because a person can refer to themselves as a ‘counsellor’ doesn’t mean that the counsellor is trained. People who call themselves ‘A professional counsellor’ must possess the training, the skills & the accredited credentials. Most Christians go…
Celebrity Worship Syndrome – Why do people do it?
Jamie Foxx whose real name is Eric Marlon Bishop, recently became a hero after the news reported him to be quick on the scene to save the life of a 32 year old man whose car had flipped over & burst into flames after crashing outside of the actor’s home. The Hollywood star and comedian…
Attitudes For Christian Counselling Are Changing Within The Church
Author of, “The Purpose Driven Life” and mega church pastor Rick Warren who founded Saddleback Church with his wife Kay in 1980, told CNN that he hoped to reduce stigma about mental illness after the tragic death of their son. Matthew Warren, who reportedly had a personality disorder, sadly took his own life on April…
The Emotional side of Identity Theft
The Australian Government reported that identity fraud has become the most common, expensive and alarming crime to impact this nation. IDCARE reported 6500 calls in its first six months of operation relating to Identity theft. The majority of these were stolen driver’s licenses. However cyber-crime (criminal activities carried out by means of computers or the…
National Day of Prayer and Fasting in Australia
Today is the National Day of Prayer and Fasting. “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith.” Hebrews 12:2 In simple terms fasting is giving up things in the natural to birth things in the spiritual. It’s a period where we grow in our spiritual walk by denying the pleasures of flesh. Some…
The Connection Between Our Thoughts, Actions & Overall Health
Negative thoughts and actions have a negative impact on the whole of our being. Dr. Caroline Leaf is a cognitive neuroscientist with a Ph.D. in Communication Pathology specialising in Neuropsychology. In an excerpt from her article, The Perfect You: Wired for Health , she discusses how our thoughts and the choices we make have an…
The Impact Of Stress On The Mind & Body
Stress is linked with a series of physical problems that can come about after impacting on a person’s mental health and emotional wellbeing.
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…
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…
Social Media Trend & Technology Addiction
Information Technology has allowed modern day families to become more connected than ever before. We have become hi-tech households that carry smart phones everywhere we go. We use social networks to communicate and can instantly share our snap shots with one another. Technology has made communication faster, cheaper, readily available and has also increased the…
Mark McMinn talks about Integrating Christianity & Psychotherapy
In an interview with Ryan Howes Ph.D. Mark McMinn a Professor of Psychology at George Fox University in Newberg, Oregon and leading Christian psychologist answers a few questions on Psychology Today about how he integrates faith with psychotherapy. What is the role of religion or spirituality in your clinical practice? I have two responses to…
Volunteering For Community Connection & Social Inclusion
To Celebrate National Volunteer week run by Volunteering Australia who aim to thank all the volunteers who give their time and efforts unselfishly to others. Many events will be held around Australia for the general public and community participation. There are huge benefits to being part of a wider community. Human beings are capable of creating…
Protect Your Mental Health With A Healthy Diet
Eating fresh fruits and vegetables daily can benefit our mental health as recent evidence suggests. Studies have shown that increased depression and anxiety can be linked to high calorie foods that are usually processed, high in fat that offer low or no nutritional value. According to The Mental Health Foundation (UK) a number of mental health conditions could…
Fit Mum Healthy Mind
We can aspire to be the best we can be with the continuous & diligent pursuit of improving & maintaining our health & wellbeing with regular exercise. According to an article in Mum Daily “FIT MUM HEALTHY MIND” by Donna Davis, regular exercise can benefit our mental health. When you’re feeling low, exercise is often…
Enhance Your Pastoral Care Skills
I’m Peter, I’m a full time Public Servant and I’m studying with aifc. What inspires me most about counselling is that I get to help other people. I’d like to see healthy individuals, healthy families and ultimately,a healthy community. What I love most about studying with aifc is the support we receive from the tutors…
