Vicarious trauma refers to the impact of repetitive encounters with indirect trauma while working as a helping professional. Most clients who attend psychotherapy will share their history of trauma that has impacted their mental health, relationships, and working lives (Sawicki, 2019). The emotional impact of empathizing with trauma survivors increases therapists’ risk of vicarious trauma, […]

In the short term, a lack of sleep can leave us stressed and grumpy, unwilling, or unable to take on what is needed or expected of us. A prolonged reduction in sleep, referred to as sleep deprivation, results in a range of physical and mental health conditions, damaging our ability to perform or experience wellness

When boundaries are unclear, particularly in families, relationships can become overbearing, with individuals experiencing a diminished sense of self (Bacon & Conway, 2023). In such situations, our clients can be confused over their separateness, indicating what psychologists call ‘enmeshment’ (Bacon & Conway, 2023). While ‘enmeshed’ families benefit from high levels of communication, they also suffer

As we face the worrying increase of environmental events, pandemics, and wars across the globe, the topic of trauma is extremely relevant across various contexts. It can potentially result in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or complex post-traumatic stress disorder (CPTSD). In a therapeutic context, we’re seeing more and more people in our practices who have

No individual needs to be defined by the actions or behavior of their parents. However, the attachment strategies we form early in our lives for dealing with our parents and caregivers can significantly shape how we relate to ourselves, others, and our environments (Levy & Orlans, 2014). Infants who continuously experience fear and trauma from

Childhood trauma is a difficult topic to navigate. We don’t like to think, or talk, about children being hurt. But if we’re working with clients who may have been traumatized, we really need to understand it—what it means, how it manifests, and how to identify it. Accurate childhood trauma tests are an important part of

Circadian rhythms are the daily cycles of our bodily processes, such as sleep, appetite, and alertness. In a sense, we all know about them because we all experience them. We feel more alert at some points in the day and tired at others. But we may not understand just how our internal clock works, how

Childhood trauma casts a long shadow, shaping the lives of individuals long after the events themselves have passed. As therapists, understanding the profound impacts of childhood trauma is essential for providing effective support and intervention for those who have experienced it. In this article, we delve into the intricate landscape of childhood trauma, exploring its

Alongside Sigmund Freud, the Swiss psychiatrist and psychoanalyst Carl Gustav Jung (1875–1961) is one of the most important innovators in the field of modern depth psychology. Jungian psychology, also known as analytical psychology, offers ground-breaking theories of the human psyche that are rooted in theories of the unconscious. Originally a collaborator of Freud’s, Jung eventually

Early detection through regular screening is key to preventing and treating many diseases. Despite this fact, participation in screening tends to be low. In Australia, only 40% of adults opted for screening for bowel cancer in 2021, 3% lower than the previous year (AIHW, 2023). Why do people decide not to participate in a low-risk