There are many occasions in our lives that have resulted in us feeling angry or hurt by the words and actions of others. These feelings may continue to arise within us as an automatic response to any behaviour that we have interpreted as insulting, demeaning, humiliating, or otherwise negative, and they may get in the…
October 5, 2015 Leave a Comment
September 29, 2015 2 Comments
How do you rate your Mental Health?
The month of October has been dedicated to mental health awareness, with World Mental Health Day being celebrated on October 10. The purpose of promoting mental health is to raise awareness of the importance of our thoughts and feelings, our self-image and self-worth. How we view ourselves impacts directly how we view others and how…
September 22, 2015 Leave a Comment
Tips for managing chronic illness
Living with chronic illness, whether it be of a physical or psychological nature, can be demoralising and at times bring us to the point of despair. The following tips are presented to assist you or those you care for in managing chronic illness. Accept your condition Accepting the changes to your life, along with the effects…
September 7, 2014 Leave a Comment
The Trauma of News
Vicarious trauma is a term that refers to stress responses that occur in a person as a result of witnessing or working with people’s traumatic experiences. It can be described as a secondary form of trauma that may occur when we carry or hold onto stories of the trauma of others, usually as a result…
July 29, 2014 1 Comment
Shocked into writing
The world events of the past week or so have spurred me back into writing. For some months, domestic affairs had focused my attention in other ways, but it’s now time to come out of writer’s hibernation. Who can remain unaffected by the shooting down of the passenger aircraft MH17, carrying citizens of so many…
April 2, 2014 Leave a Comment
No time to mourn, no time to mend
It was the 16th century English poet, John Donne, who wrote “He who has no time to mourn has no time to mend.” I have often used these words in grief training sessions with the emphasis being on the importance of grief work in order to acknowledge the depth of pain related to love lost….
December 4, 2013 Leave a Comment
How much news can we take?
As the end of the year draws to a close, and we enter the festive season, I am struck by the tragedies in people’s lives and I wonder how many can even begin to think about being festive. Then I am further struck by the amazing capacity of individuals to endure heartbreak, and their courage…
November 12, 2013 4 Comments
Remembering the dead
November is the month in which many cultures and religions remember the dead. The Day of the Dead, All Saints and All Souls Days, the Day of Remembrance and Veterans Day are some of the days when people in various parts of the world pause to remember and reflect on those who have died. As…
April 11, 2013 2 Comments
Love grows beyond death
I met Sue and David* soon after their baby had died. We sat outside their room at the accommodation centre in town and we talked about their baby boy who had died and also their other living son. After a while, David asked if I would write down some of the things that I had…
December 18, 2012 Leave a Comment
Planning for Christmas can help
From the SIDS and Kids Christmas Newsletter: The Christmas season can be a mixture of emotions for those who have faced the death of their child. If this is your first Christmas without your child, it may be a time of trepidation, wondering how on earth you can endure the “festive” season. The sense of…
