Counselling

Is Your Child Suffering, or are You?

by Melbourne Child Psychology & School Psychology Services

An interesting article in The Age recently brought up concerns regarding parents who may be unnecessarily anxious about their children’s health.

The article cited a recent survey that showed that 75 per cent of pediatric specialists said many of their referrals could have been handled exclusively by the referring GP.

The relevant issue at hand here is that parents are increasingly seeking out specialist support for normal issues in childhood development…

Common issues such as bed-wetting, constipation, and even concerns about their children’s height.

This speaks to an increasing anxiety among parents, and their quest to ensure their child is developing ‘normally’.

Understandably, this kind of pattern of anxious parenting comes up not only in the physical development of the child, but also their emotional and psychological development.

So how can we know when we’re self- or over-diagnosing our children?

What Do You Do if Your Child is the Bully?

by Melbourne Child Psychology & School Psychology Services

Bullying is likely to affect your child during some part of their young lives.

In fact, Government-funded research showed that one in four students will encounter bullying during their school years.

Yet the frequency with which bullying occurs doesn’t diminish the significance of its impact.

And as heartbreaking as it can be when your own child is the victim of bullying, learning that they may be the perpetrator can be an even bitterer pill to swallow.

But when it comes to bullying — on whichever side of the coin — it’s important to address the issues at hand, as soon as possible.

So what should we consider when we think our own child may be the bully?

R U OK? Signs of Depression in Children

by Melbourne Child Psychology & School Psychology Services

Thursday of last week was national “R U OK?” day — a day when we are inspired to meaningfully connect with the people around us who may be struggling.

“R U OK?” aims to support people suffering from mental health issues such as depression and anxiety by increasing awareness, encouraging friends and family to reach out, and teaching ways to help and support those around us.

45% of Australians will experience some form of mental illness in their lifetime, and one in seven will experience depression.

And while “R U OK?” has an emphasis on suicide prevention, it does bring up the important issue of being aware and open about mental health issues with those around us, and to take away the stigma from these increasingly common challenges.

So with that in mind, let’s take a look at some of the warning signs of depression in young people.

5 Ways For Parents to Keep Anger at Bay

by Melbourne Child Psychology & School Psychology Services

There’s no denying that with all the joys of parenthood there can also be a lot of stress and frustration.

Temper tantrums, complaints and demands… It’s understandable this would try any parent’s patience.

And sometimes the result is an angry outburst.

But unfortunately anger directed towards your child can have a very negative impact on your relationship with them and on their own temperament.

And it can also encourage more acting out or misbehaving.

So how can we better manage our own emotions when it comes to parenting challenges?

The Benefits of Mindfulness and Meditation For Kids and Adults Alike!

by Melbourne Child Psychology & School Psychology Services

Not too long ago meditation was thought of as some sort of mysterious ritual conducted in spiritual retreats, rather than at the doctor’s office or psychology clinic.

But in fact meditation and mindfulness are psychological processes and science has discovered many practical benefits to their practice.

Just like Cognitive Behavioural Therapy — one of the most extensively researched and practised psychological treatments — mindfulness addresses the connection between your thoughts, attitudes, behaviour and feelings.

And it can be particularly beneficial in the treatment of anxiety and depression.

So how do our psychologists use mindfulness and meditation in counselling sessions with children?

Helping Parents to Help Their Children Thrive

by Melbourne Child Psychology & School Psychology Services

Back in 1986, The Jamaica Test revealed some very interesting findings about the effect of parental attitudes on children’s behaviour.

Researchers divided the families of 129 children into two groups:

One group received weekly hour-long visits from a trained researcher, who encouraged the parents to spend more quality time with their children — reading, playing games and singing songs.

And the other group received nutritional supplements each week, without the parental coaching.

The results?

How a Child Psychologist Can Help Children Develop Lifelong Skills

by Melbourne Child Psychology & School Psychology Services

Parents often book in to see a child psychologist to address a pressing concern with their child.

For example, anxiety, separation, learning difficulties, or bullying in the school yard.

But seeing a psychologist — especially for kids — can also be great for prevention, instead of only being reactive when things are difficult.

And the benefits in terms of life skills learned, can be profound.

In a recent blog post we discussed the long-term benefits of early intervention in the treatment of anxiety.

But did you know that early intervention can also be very helpful for several other types of issues?

Here are three more important benefits to practical, solution-focused counselling for kids:

How Can a Psychologist Help Your Child When They Are Not a Parent Themselves?

by Melbourne Child Psychology & School Psychology Services

Here’s an interesting question we are occasionally asked:

How can a psychologist understand the difficulties of parenting children, and how to help them overcome emotional challenges, if they don’t have any children of their own?

The answer is simple:

Effective counselling does not depend on the counsellor’s direct personal experience with a particular issue.

So what does it depend on?

What is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)?

by Melbourne Child Psychology & School Psychology Services

If you’ve ever visited a psychologist, or even considered it, you’ve probably heard of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT).

And while the name might sound a little complex, it’s actually one of the most practical, simple, and commonly used approaches to dealing with many types of emotional, behavioural and psychiatric problems.

Plus there’s lots of scientific evidence to support its effectiveness.

But what is it, exactly?

What Can You Expect From Our Child Psychology Services?

by Melbourne Child Psychology & School Psychology Services

The first visit to a new psychologist can be a daunting experience. It’s completely natural to feel nervous about addressing your concerns head on with someone you’ve never met.

And this is especially true when it comes to a child psychologist who will be seeing your child or teenager.

But our clients typically find that taking that first step to come in for an initial 30 minute parent consultation is a very positive and productive step in the right direction.

And we’re here to make the experience as constructive and comfortable as possible.

So, what can you expect from a visit to our practice?

How can we help?

Book your initial parent consultation to get the right advice for your child's needs

Why have 2,866* parents chosen us?