Author: laura

Dealing with marital separation and divorce

The ‘D’ word…. It sure isn’t something that you would fathom when you decide to marry. Yet it happens so frequently. Many believe that marriage is forever and for some, it is quite stigmatising to end a committed relationship. It can be scary.  What will people think?  How will I rebuild?  Not only do you […]

Maintaining Motivation

Not motivated to exercise as the COVID-19 pandemic drags on? You’re not alone!  Most of us are having trouble sticking with healthy habits right now. There’s less structure in our lives and social events are cancelled or move online, as a result many of us are facing additional stress and anxiety due to social isolation, […]

The 5 Love Languages…More than Just a Gimmick?

Humans use language as a principal form of communicating with each other. Language allows us to convey our needs, wants, desires, demands and everything in between to be able to build interpersonal relationships and get by in the world. The language that we become most proficient in our lives is known as our primary language. […]

Managing Grief and Loss

Grief, in general, is a response to loss. Grief can occur after a death, divorce, sickness or other significant loss such as a miscarriage or changes to one’s employment status.  Grief often involves intense sadness, and sometimes feelings of shock, numbness or even denial and anger. Nonetheless, how people experience and manage grief can differ […]

Self-care This Holiday Season

It’s that time of year again….December! The new year is fast approaching and for many of us, December can be an extremely busy month, catching up with friends and family, and winding up with work for the year. For many, this time of year is associated with getaways and family holidays, however that may not […]

Adapting to Change

The one constant thing in our lives is change, as it is constant and inevitable. Change can come into our lives as a result of a crisis, as a result of choice or just by chance. In either situation, we are all faced with having to make a choice.  The reality is we cannot avoid […]

How to get a better nights’ sleep

We all have crummy sleep from time to time, so here’s what you need to do… (no, you don’t necessarily need to go to bed earlier!) For more information regarding sleep cycles, head here: https://www.howsleepworks.com/types_c… For other basic sleep hygiene ideas to improve sleep, check this sheet from the CCI website: https://www.cci.health.wa.gov.au/~/me…

Animal-assisted therapy at Your Mind Matters Psychology Services

Animal-assisted therapy, or AAT involves a situation where an animal is assisting a therapist to reach a specific goal with a client. Many animals can assist in a therapeutic environment, such as dogs, cats, horses, and even rabbits! Research has shown that there are many benefits to animal-assisted therapy. The most consistent improvements have been […]

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