Are value differences a deal-breaker for couples?
Many couples in the early stages of their relationship push aside value differences, hoping everything will work out, only to find these differences cause big problems down the track. Differences in values can cause deep resentment between couples and even lead to …
Is your child refusing to go to school? Here’s what you can do about it.
Many people approach the Sydney Couple and Family Specialists for help for school refusal. Typically, this happens after a child or teen has been school refusing for a couple of months and they have not been able to get anywhere with individual counselling. …
How to manage your anxiety with the coronavirus – COVID-19 situation
All week in therapy sessions, I have witnessed stress, fear and anxiety brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Many of my clients have begun their session with, “I’m not doing very well”. At this time it is normal to feel anxious and …
How do I talk to my teen about self-harm and why it is important to get the right help.
Parents are rightly shocked when they discover their child is self-harming. A common response is to avoid the topic because they don’t know what to say, or to take drastic action to try to stop the behaviour immediately. Sometimes self-harm is dismissed …
“My Husband or Wife is always angry” – How to Deal with an Angry Partner
In this article I discuss anger that shows up in a relationship. Typically, there is a complaint by one partner that the other partner is angry all of the time. The ‘anger’ we are talking about here is not violence or abuse …
Should Step-Parents Discipline?
One of the hardest parenting gigs is being a step-parent. They often find themselves expected to do parenting chores such as running kids to soccer or enduring kid-friendly dinners. They may be expected to put up with attitude from teenagers and share the …
My family doesn’t believe I was sexually abused
There are many different types of sexual abuse and assault. But every single act of sexual abuse or assault leaves an imprint on the brain, and every survivor is left with ongoing trauma. There is further trauma when the abuse has occurred …
When is controlling behaviour from a partner toxic or abusive?
Many people can appear controlling in a relationship and I certainly see many examples of it in couples counselling. Often controlling behaviours show up because the person is feeling insecure or highly anxious. Anxiety fuels controlling behaviours in relationships. But there …
Worried about Christmas and holiday conflict?
Whilst Sydney (and Australia for that matter) is a beautiful place to be during Summer, Christmas and the holiday season can be a challenging time for couples. The feeling of needing to conform to your family’s expectations during the Christmas break can …
How do you know if alcohol is ruining your relationship? And what can you do if it is?
Couples counselling brings in a lot of successful people – many of them high achievers, big money earners, or simply people are who are highly-regarded and high-functioning at work. But that success often comes with big jobs, long hours, huge mortgages, frequent …
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