How do I get my child to open up to me?
Raising resilient children who can tackle their own challenges is something we all strive for as parents. But how do we also ensure they seek our advice if they encounter a difficult problem or they feel anxious about something? Or, in their …
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 …
How Post-Separation Counselling Can Help you Separate well if you have Kids
Sometimes during couples counselling, the couple decide to separate. If the couple have children, they commonly ask the Couples Counsellor about ongoing counselling to help them separate well. This is called Post-Separation Counselling. It is different to mediation which is a dispute-resolution process …
I’m not attracted to my partner any more. My partner doesn’t seem to be attracted to me. What can we do?
If you are reading this blog you may be in a relationship which has gone a bit stale. You love your partner and perhaps enjoy the family you have created with them. But the sex is non-existent and worse still you are …
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 …
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 …
My partner had a miscarriage. What do I do?
While miscarriages are common, the first thing to realise is that your partner’s connection to her baby is unique. So irrespective of how far along the pregnancy was, and how many pregnancies (successful or not) have preceded this one, her experience of …