The birth of a child can be a very exciting event. With all the happiness that comes after waiting all those months for them to arrive. In some women this birth can trigger some very powerful emotions ranging from happiness to anxiety/depression. Some women have mood swings and milder symptoms but others experience depression in […]
Anger can kill romance, screw up aspects of work, eat away at relationships, be used as a tool to gain more power or release pent up feelings. Anger can also be a useful way to communicate when done in an appropriate way. Men in particular often have difficulties with anger. Western societies teach men that […]
Many of the basic techniques for effective communication may be successfully applied in the home. Two of the key skills are listening and non-verbal communication. Teaching yourself and each of your family members how to build their listening and non-verbal communication skills is important for creating a strong foundation for successful communication in the family. […]
Conflict is a very normal and common part of human interaction. Put two personalities in the same room for long enough and you will begin to see some unique dynamics between them. Alignment of perspectives is not always possible and sometimes conflict is the result. Conflict may occur in your relationship with your spouse or […]
For some, the holidays are filled with many emotions other than the joy peace and love they promote. Perhaps the thought of bringing a partner home for the traditional family meal is triggering some anxiety. Or, you may be dreading going home because your family seems to go back to the same dynamics as when […]
Anger is one of the most commonly experienced emotions and in many cases it is a perfectly healthy and progressive emotion. Everyone feels angry at one time or another. Feeling angry is a good sign that something is happening that is not right or feels unjust. Anger kicks your defence system into action and allows […]
The following is an excerpt from Irwin Krieger’s book ‘Helping Your Transgender Teen – A Guide for Parents’. “Telling the extended family and friends of the family is a stressful experience for most parents of transsexual teens. Fear of rejection and criticism, or fear of causing unmanageable distress for older family members is common. Many […]
Having a parent who is struggling with depression can be a very tricky situation. You may find that your mum or dad just don’t seem to have any energy, they cry a lot, seem to be irritable and snap at you often. Maybe he/she just seems ‘absent’ and ‘far away’. It is really difficult to […]
No one understands what it takes to be a mother until they become one. On a theoretical level we understand that mothers will “do anything” for their children and their family. We understand that they experience unconditional love and a deep yearning to nurture and protect. Just how does this translate into practice? Most moms […]
Many people dabble in drug use in our community and a smaller number of these people go on to develop serious problems with drugs and addiction. The problem of addiction has obvious health and psychological consequences for the user. Nevertheless, an often under recognised problem is the impact that drug users have on families and […]