Counselling Conversations with Julie

In this podcast, I highlight a therapeutic approach called the Emotional Freedom Technique EFT, also known as tapping. Life can be stressful and in these challenging times, the need for emotional resilience is paramount. When our emotional and physical systems are challenged and possibly compromised, we may feel out of balance, physically ill and overwhelmed with emotional turmoil. Unprocessed emo...

Are you in a rut, feeling like you are going through the same routine day in and day out, no spark in your relationship and you feel taken for granted? Sometimes the idea of changing something different or trying something different in your relationship can seem daunting. Doing things differently will not only keep your relationship healthy but will also feed your mind, body and soul. Couples who...

Careers with Independence Australia Here in the Southern Hemisphere, we experienced the Winter Solstice on Friday the 21st of June, the shortest day and longest night of the year; days grow colder and the nights longer. The arrival of the solstice and the change of season may bring us different sensory feelings that may remind us of past experiences, activating our responses in unexpected ways. Le...

All behaviour is communication. It is how we act or behave in a situation or under certain conditions. We all communicate through our behaviour in different ways depending on the context. When observing behaviour it is beneficial to remember that we need to look beyond the surface of what the person is doing. Behaviour communication involves the interaction between the person, their specific situa...

Australia has approximately 4.2 million people aged 65 and over. The world's population is ageing fast, in 2020, 1 billion people are 60 years or over (WHO). Older adults come from a diverse range of ages, socioeconomic, life experiences, and lifestyle backgrounds. These factors all influence the aging process and affect health and wellbeing. References https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports-data/populat...

Early life experiences are the foundation on which our attachment, connection, learning how to self-soothe, love, emotional nourishment, nurturing, nutrition, health care and security in our caregivers, the environment and ourselves are built. If there is a disruption in our early-life experiences, past hurts, comments, and unmet needs are internalised to later play out in our adult lives, often i...

Tell me a story, parents, grandparents, carers, teachers, brothers, sisters, babysitters how many times have you heard that request? Long before printed books, our ancestors began to tell their stories by painting walls of caves, chiseling symbols into stone and elders have passed on oral stories to younger people. These stories communicated to the younger generation messages about beliefs, values...

Much has been researched about the effects on physical and mental health and the power of positive psychology. So, what is positive psychology? Positive psychology explores how you can experience more happiness and satisfaction in your life. Doing things that make your life satisfying, meaningful moments that are filled with meaning, pleasure, positive thoughts, love and all the good feeling vibes...

Motivations for exploring other relationships are an individual's thoughts that sometimes may cause an internal struggle. An internal struggle that ultimately impacts the relationship if not discussed in an honest and open conversation with their partner. There are many motivations for an individual to start thinking about exploring relationships with others whilst remaining in a healthy and mutua...

In Australia, there have been significant improvements in becoming mentally healthy at work, however, we have more work to do. The average person will spend approximately one-third of their life at work. The Australian Bureau of Statistics found that 1 in 5 Australians experience poor mental ill health over a 12 period. Mental ill health can affect anyone, of any age and background. However, with...

Being a parent is one of the most difficult jobs, it brings out the most intense and powerful emotions from sheer exhilaration to frustration, exhaustion, and anguish. It is like riding an emotional roller coaster, one moment all is going well and the next it is chaos. We question ourselves about the job we are doing. Today’s podcast focuses on some tips and strategies that may be usual in stressf...

Have you ever had someone you care about die or know someone who has experienced the death of a loved one? Did you feel uncomfortable, not knowing what to say or do to help someone who is grieving? No one is immune from grief. Everyone at some time in their life will experience grief. Experiencing being uncomfortable in grief or being a friend or family member of someone who is grieving can be emo...

Much has been written and reported about the effect on our social and brain function when using digital technology, particularly social media. From developmental stages from early childhood development to older adults, the research demonstrates there are both positive and negative benefits. Thank you for joining me today. For more information please click the link to check out more of what we are...

The real world has changed for our boys and young men and in its place, a virtual world now exists. A world where their internet connections are simulated life experiences, social connection, learning, online games and sex education. A world where our young boys and men are exposed to narrow versions of masculinity, robbing them of connected, fulfilling lives. By standing together to change the na...

Historical literature tells us that women have come together from ancient times to share their knowledge, experiences, and connections. Often these celebrations of sisterhood are called Sharing Circles. Each Sharing Circle is unique and individual as the women who attend. These sharing experiences have been researched to inform wellbeing practices for women. References https://www.abc.net.au/news/...

We often carry a metaphorical suitcase of problems, worries, issues, and challenges. These thoughts and feelings may be related to many challenges in your life. Some days it is easier than others to manage these thoughts and feelings. Controlling and reasoning to problem-solve these emotions and thoughts can be difficult, especially when the day ahead is busy. This podcast will provide you with a...

Communication is the key to any successful relationship be it romantic, friend, work, or parental relationship. But have you ever wondered why conversations have not been successful? In your opinion you said the right thing and did the right thing, how did it go so wrong you ask yourself? Our verbal communication is only one of the aspects of communication. Thank you for joining me today. For more...

Animal-assisted therapy is being more widely used in therapeutic settings and other environments, such as schools, aged care facilities, hospitals, therapeutic offices, military veterans and companion animals for both children and adults.  Individuals and groups have found that therapeutic experiences with animals assist in helping them cope with and recover from some mental and physical health co...

Your shadow self is a Jungian psychoanalytic concept model founded by Carl Jung, a Swiss psychologist and psychiatrist. He founded analytic psychology and proposed and developed the concepts of extraverted and introverted personality, archetypes, and collective unconscious. The shadow is the form taken by some aspects of ourselves that we dislike, the parts of ourselves that we are ashamed of, tha...

How much do our attachment styles impact our relationships with partners? According to British psychologist John Bowlby, who was the first attachment theorist, he said that attachment styles are a ‘lasting psychological connectedness between human beings’. 'Our earliest attachment bonds formed in childhood have a tremendous impact that continues throughout life'. Let’s just sit with that thought,...

Psychological stress is an effect in the mind; related to the mental, physical and emotional state of an individual. Psychological stress occurs when we are under pressure and have difficulty coping with a situation, experience, people or environment that may arouse negative thoughts, feelings, self-talk, and emotional responses. Thank you for joining me today. For more information please click th...

Many people have experienced grief in their lives. At this time, you may have loving supportive people around you, to help and guide you through the hard times or you may be doing this alone. It appears in our society an unwritten rule that a person who is grieving has a certain timeframe and then the grieving must end and it’s time to ‘get on with it’ or ‘move on’. There is no timeframe or set pa...

We have all had those times when we feel unmotivated. We may find ourselves scrolling social media, binge-watching, texting, reading, cleaning, going out for lunch, online shopping and the list goes on. Doing everything except what we either need or must achieve or delaying an important task. The habit of delaying important tasks to focus on less urgent, more enjoyable, and easier tasks differs fr...

Safety is a fundamental human need essential for our mental and physical wellbeing. A sense of safety is paramount for our minds and body to feel secure and anxiety-free. The loss of safety directly impacts our stress response. This ultimately affects our health, relationships and quality of life.

Have you met that person who seems to be full of their importance, loves attention and wants people to notice and admire them, they are the people who take up the room. They have an unreasonably high sense of their importance. They often put others down as they do not consider them worthy of their attention. Well, you may have met a narcissist. Thank you for joining me today. For more information...