School refusal
As a Family Counsellor I work with a lot of families who have a child who is starting to avoid school or school refusing. Sometimes they have seen several other counsellors before they get to me. Some have been school refusing for …
ADHD medication – How do children describe it?
I am a Family Counsellor who works with a lot of parents and families affected by a child’s ADHD diagnosis. Many parents come to see me because they are not on the same parenting page with decisions about medication for their child. …
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 …
Adolescent Violence and Abuse in Families
There is a lot of discussion about violence between adult partners, but very little about teenagers who are violent and abusive towards other family members. As a Family Therapist I meet many parents who feel like they are “walking on eggshells” around …
How do I introduce my children to a new partner?
You have separated. Maybe just newly separated. And you have met somebody else. But your children don’t know. Your ex doesn’t know either. And you are not sure how to introduce your children to your new partner, or how you should involve …
Relationship Communication Skills – The effects of responding to your partner
The most effective way to reduce the frequency of conflict in your relationship is to build goodwill and positive sentiment; put simply, by having a good friendship. It’s very likely you have had a good friendship somewhere in the course of …
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 …
Why did my partner cheat on me?
At the Sydney Couple and Family Specialists we see many couples for marriage and relationship counselling – and probably one of the most common (and painful) presentations is when one person has betrayed the other. There are lots of different ways to …
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 …
What help is there for couples where there is a significant mental health diagnosis?
Some of you may remember a blog that Alex Ryder wrote back in May about the impact of mental health of a relationship – you can read his blog here. In couple and family counselling I frequently talk to people who …
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