Pregnancy and the early years of motherhood can be a time of joy, but they can also bring profound emotional challenges. Many women experience anxiety, depression or other mental health concerns during the perinatal period — and you are not alone. With the right psychological support, it is possible to feel like yourself again and … Read more
Pufferfish breathing, a technique inspired by the way pufferfish inflate and deflate, can be a simple and effective method for calming anxiety. These visually guided exercises for children (and adults) have been prepared by senior Clinical Psychologist at the READ Clinic, Dr Thomas Janovsky. How does Pufferfish Breathing work? By taking slow, deep breaths in … Read more
Distressing events like tragic events in your local area or affecting friends and family, or even disasters that happen far away, but are covered by the media, can cause significant upset and can affect daily life. As an adult, you may experience a range of emotions, from sadness, to anger, to overwhelm and perhaps numbness. … Read more
Like most parents, there are probably areas of your child’s behaviour you would like to change. Let’s look at the four main ways to do this. Behaviour Modification Methods Positive reinforcement – This technique consistently rewards good behaviour with specific praise, high fives or fist bumps, and letting the child earn things, such as a … Read more
Studies have shown that excessive screen time can cause negative effects on children’s physical, cognitive, and social-emotional development. Setting appropriate screen time limits for your children is challenging, but crucial. Here are some strategies recommended by psychologists to set appropriate screen time limits for children.
“Children spell love as: T-I-M-E” is a famous quote by Dr Anthony P Witham. Time is a concrete, measurable expression of love. When parents give their child the gift of time they are saying “I love you”; “I value you”; and “You are the most important person to me in the world”. During these Christmas … Read more
Children often develop intense bonds with their pet and may see their pet as a beloved member of the family. The death of a pet may be your child’s first experience of death. Some children may not even remember a time in their life when their loved companion wasn’t around. This may also be your … Read more
High intellectual potential does NOT automatically guarantee high performance. While the Ferrari brain hungers for intellectual stimulation and appropriate challenge, there are often many ‘road blocks’ in the way.
Below is a fantastic article written by Andrew Sozomenou, which was also featured in the local magazine Kids on the Coast. At some point every parent experiences that moment when the weight of being a parent really sinks in. We realise what an important job it is. That what we do as parents will influence … Read more
Ever felt a little frustrated with the new mothers amongst your friends or colleagues? Heather Irvine likes to tell it like it is when it comes to modern motherhood, and offers ten things many childless people would like to say to new parents. To keep things fair, she’ll also offer the ten things new mums … Read more
Dr John Irvine New Release Dr John Irvine’s most recent book-“Helping Young Worriers Beat the Worry Bug” is finally here! A Parents Handbook for the Worry Woos Series by Andi Green- this book offers practical and fun -filled ideas and activities to help you and your child navigate through the difficult area of anxiety.
Parents will often come to counselling and say that “consequences just don’t work”, that their child “doesn’t care” when they lose privileges. That they have tried everything to get their child to: do their homework; clean their room; stop fighting or hitting; or to stop arguing etc. Rewards and consequences programs can be a part … Read more
