Health and Wellbeing

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:

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?

Is Your Child Experiencing Nightmares or Night Terrors?

by Melbourne Child Psychology & School Psychology Services

Nightmares occur during the dream (Rapid Eye Movement, REM) stages of sleep, usually very late at night or in the early in the morning.

After a nightmare, a child will usually be responsive, will know who you are and be reassured or soothed back to sleep.

The child may or may not remember the content of the dream, but if you ask them about it the next morning, they’ll usually remember that they had a nightmare.

Rethinking Childhood Disabilities – Happiness vs Healthiness

by Melbourne Child Psychology & School Psychology Services

This inspiring TED talk by Para-Olympian, Karni Liddell, has really got a lot of people thinking about how we look at disability.

She begins by drawing our attention to the conversations so many parents-to-be have when they are asked “What do you want to have – a boy or a girl?” and the socially-acceptable answer they tend to respond with: “All I want is a healthy baby”.

Nothing particularly shocking in that exchange, right?

But, Karni asks us to consider “Does a healthy baby necessary equal a happy baby?”.

The Importance of Being Grateful

by Deborah Jepsen

Today is Thanksgiving Day in the U.S. and this got me thinking about gratitude and how wonderful it feels to be thankful and appreciative, even for the small things we experience in everyday life.

And it turns out there is a growing body of research which shows there are many psychological benefits to being grateful, including feeling happier and lowering stress, depression and anxiety.

And of course feeling good about helping others feel good too!

Not only that, there is also scientific evidence that expressing genuine gratitude on a daily basis can improve physical health as well by improving quality of sleep, cardiovascular (heart) health and immune function.

Teenage Sleep Problems and How to Help Them Get Back on Track

by Melbourne Child Psychology & School Psychology Services

When we see adolescents for counselling, friendship or family issues, study skills or a range of other problems, it is unsurprising that many of them also report some kind of sleep difficulty.

Sleep problems often affect kids’ ability to concentrate in the classroom, to get up and get moving in the morning and to regulate moods.

It can sometimes be hard to understand where this is coming from and why so many teenagers have trouble controlling their sleep patterns. This post aims to shed some light on the subject for both parents and teenagers.

Reflections From Listening to Deepak Chopra

by Deborah Jepsen

There are a few interesting ideas that I am still processing since attending the “I Can Do It” conference and I thought I would share some of them here.

Deepak Chopra has written many books but it was nice to hear him talk in person and share what was on his mind. He introduced the notion that science, religion and philosophy are all systems of thought and we we need all three, but that you cannot fully appreciate reality through a system of thought.

He believes that you can only truly come to know reality through meditation that will take you beyond thought. He asked the rhetorical question, “What is awareness?” His response was that awareness is about becoming fully conscious and, in essence, it comes back to the question of “What am I?”

Waves of Positive Emotions

by Deborah Jepsen

I have been enjoying a morning run along the beach for the past few months now (well, I wouldn’t technically call it a run, more like a slow jog or shuffle!). It is such a great time for me to think about things and clear my mind. Something about being close to the water that gives me a real buzz (yes I run along the sand and sometimes my feet get wet!).

On my jogs this week I have been thinking about emotions, both positive and negative and how they tend to come upon us likes waves. I have started to wonder how much attention we pay to positive emotions?

In my work with kids, I love exploring emotions. I have a nice set of cards with both positive and negative emotions. The positive emotions include cards such as, inspired, motivated, joyful, awed, confident, hopeful, happy, respected, strong, secure, captivated, fascinated, powerful, appreciated and amazed, to name the key ones.

When I ask kids to explain what these positive emotions feel like and give an example, I am often stared at with a blank face! I have to define the positive emotion and then give an example myself before kids even understand what I am getting at! What is going on here?

Sleep Difficulties in School-Aged Children

by Melbourne Child Psychology & School Psychology Services

Did you know that an estimated 20-30% of school-age children experience a significant sleep disturbance at some point?

(The incidence is even higher for children with certain disorders, including AD/HD, Tourette’s Syndrome, Rett Syndrome, cerebral palsy and autism.)

Why is Sleep so Important for Children?

Put simply, sleep is required to function properly! Poor sleep directly affects physical and mental health.

In children, poor sleep has been linked to daytime behavioural problems and poor school performance (reduced attention span, difficulty with problem solving and completing tasks).

Lack of sleep is also related to daytime sleepiness, which results in irritability (as all parents know only too well!).

Why is Sleep so Important for Children?

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