The following articles provide information about counselling and have been written by Helen from her Redlands base. Helen has been helping clients offering counselling services throughout Redland City for many years. Helen is now located at Mandala House in Cleveland. It’s a great location, near Raby Bay and a short walk from the Cleveland RSL and the local shopping strip.
What to do when you're triggered Even the best of us get triggered. The first step is noticing that your triggered which for some can be the hardest part. Noticing that you're less open, contracted, or you’ve suddenly had a change of mood /emotion to the person or situation you’ve been interacting with. For some of us, it can be severe where you drastically change as you may shut right down and go into your shell or become vocal and attacking of your partner. If you are feeling triggered there is some part of your body that is holding on to an … Read More
The Day My World Changed Dawn Parker-Jones, a mum's journey of loss and love, her adult child’s transition and her Empowered Marriage. What happens when, aged 52, your son informs you he’s entering the process of gender transition? This was the news that confronted Dawn, on Mother’s day 4 years ago. Meet Dawn Parker-Jones with many roles including a wife, mother, daughter, sister, friend and businesswoman from Its Personal Boutique Hair Lounge. A decision from her son upended her life and how she knew it to be. Dawn was forced to grapple with the knowledge that her son was transitioning into a … Read More
What's an Empowered Marriage? Love brought you together, but how you work as individuals can tear you apart. Empowerment is the key to living a fulfilling life. So how do you heal adversity and challenges? What exactly is empowerment and how do you build more of it in your marriage? During Season 4 of the Empowered Marriage Podcast, I am interviewing empowered individuals. I have inspiring conversations with individuals who know their happiness is their responsibility and change starts with them first. They share the adversity’s they have overcome exploring topics including love, loss, fear, resilience, change, addiction, tragedy, healing, trust, manifestation, … Read More
Change Starts with You Is any of this you? Stuck, overthinking, sad, bored and not living to your potential. You want to be more emotionally, physically, mentally and spiritually connected to yourself. You want to trust yourself more and your intuition. You know you're intuitive when you let go of your to-do list and you are being happy, but this is fleeting and short-lived. Fears of hurting your long-term partner by being honest. You want more me time, time to pursue your own hobbies and interests. Women, time to journal, meditate and discover yourself again. Tired of the heavy energy, heavy weight … Read More
Who wants a Spring Clean? Marriages can get boring, stagnant and resentment can begin to emerge. Sometimes we need a reset, a spring clean like we do our houses. Letting go of old ways of behaving and communicating can make such a big difference. Here are 5 important topics that are really beneficial to discuss as a couple to spring clean your relationship. Be a team A balance between positive and negative Being equal Letting go of the expectations Have your own identity Who wants a spring clean? 1. Be a team: A team around the parenting, around money around all the … Read More
The Number 1 difference between Men and Women There is one thing men love to do, it’s to fix things. If there’s a problem, he has a solution. If you have a problem, he wants to fix it. In fact, “just listening” and not doing anything, makes a man feel mighty uncomfortable. Women if you’re feeling sad or you're emotional, your man will feel like it’s his problem and must fix it. He will feel very uncomfortable with your unhappiness. Know that him wanting to fix it, isn’t that he doesn’t understand (or isn’t trying to), it’s that he wants to do … Read More
Let's discuss ways to create a connection with your partner. It’s extremely sad when couples stop trying and stop making their relationship a priority. They get inside their heads and hold onto resentment and worry about the future. What’s needed is to live in the present and to have a healthy dialogue regularly of what’s happening right here and now. Your intimate relationship is precious and taking responsibility for your part in it to be your best version in this partnership is crucial. We have a habit of projecting our own needs onto our partners and believe they are going to … Read More
Stop trying so hard to make your partner happy “I just want to make my partner happy” is a very common comment I hear in working in therapy with couples. Is it your responsibility to make your partner happy? What happens when you do everything you can, and your partner is still not happy? For example, make them dinner, earn a great income, be attentive and caring, mow the yard, take your partner on a holiday, do all the washing, plan the budget, stop drinking alcohol, stop taking drugs, play more with the children, ask less for sex and more and more … Read More
Top 5 Tips for women to be interested in sex again I’ve discovered over the years of working with couples that women are often the first to pull away from intimacy and ultimately the sexual relationship. The unravelling often begins when children come into the picture. A lot of changes in your intimate relationship and the pressure that this puts on you both and your sexual relationship is enormous. Did you know that sex encourages intimacy? Orgasms release oxytocin which is a feel-good bonding hormone. Sex helps you feel closer to your partner. You must check in with each other and understand … Read More
From feeling trapped to deep loving growth “I feel trapped, caged, controlled and stifled.” This is not an uncommon statement I hear in my room from couples I’m working with. I explain to be free of the relationship might help for a time but the best path to personal growth and self-empowerment is to stay with the one you love. When you are on your own it’s easy, however, there is no personal growth. You can control who you see, when and how much you want to be part of this. They say nice things and leave when you have had enough. … Read More
