“When I can no longer proudly say ‘I am a mechanic’ my self-esteem gradually wastes away. I meet a stranger and admit that I am unemployed, perhaps have been for an extended period of time and I feel that my stature diminishes from the look in their eyes. I talk about what I used to […]
Archives
Sudden Unemployment: Personality Need Type Profile
This exercise explores further the type of person you are and your personality needs. Simply select either the left or right option, depending of which statement most reflects you, and follow the instructions below. Part A: Completing the Profile Do you consider yourself as being…? More Dominant ( ) More Passive ( ) More Gets […]
- February 25, 2008
- 0
- 7749
- Career Development, Counselling Theory & Process, Stress Management, Workplace Issues
- Read More
Sudden Unemployment: Reactions and Emotions
Every situation we encounter evokes a reaction and emotions. This usually only becomes a problem when the reactions and emotions we experience are unpleasant. In this post you will be focusing on your experience of being suddenly unemployed by addressing the following four points: Acknowledge that you are experiencing strong and sometimes unpleasant reactions and […]
- February 22, 2008
- 0
- 3029
- Career Development, Stress Management, Workplace Issues
- Read More
Series: Coping with Sudden Unemployment
Unfortunately ‘organisational restructuring’ and ‘downsizing’ are common events in today’s workplace. For those individuals who suddenly lose their job, financial pressures can be overwhelming. Most support individuals receive focus on supporting the individual financially. However even under the best conditions where someone has ample savings and decent job prospects, suddenly losing a job is an […]
- February 21, 2008
- 0
- 2886
- Career Development, Personal Effectiveness, Stress Management, Workplace Issues
- Read More
Counselling Dilemma: A Client Who Feels Depressed
Melody has come for counselling to deal with the death of her husband. You have been counselling her for four weeks and in that time Melody has reported that she feels “depressed”. In addition, she complains of being constantly tired and lacking motivation to do simple tasks such as showering and cooking for herself. As […]
- February 19, 2008
- 19
- 10708
- Clinical Mental Health, Counselling Dilemmas, Stress Management
- Read More
Steps to Improve Your Learning
“To be effective learners we must (1) perceive information, (2) reflect on how it will impact some aspect of our life, (3) compare how it fits into our own experiences, and (4) think about how this information offers new ways for us to act. Learning requires more than seeing, hearing, moving, or touching to learn. […]
- February 12, 2008
- 0
- 3054
- Career Development, Personal Effectiveness
- Read More
Counselling Case Study: Social Anxiety
Sasha is a 60 year old woman who has recently retired from a career in teaching. Working for many years in a secondary school environment, Sasha was confident, motivated and dedicated to her work, but at the same time looking forward to retirement so she and her husband could travel and spend more time with […]
- February 11, 2008
- 1
- 62010
- Case Studies, Clinical Mental Health, Stress Management
- Read More
Coping Effectively with Change: Carla’s Case Study
Carla is a 37 year old woman who works as a manager in a large engineering firm. She is married with two children a boy aged 10 (Carlos) and girl aged 8 (Anna). Her husband Rodrigo is great with the kids and very devoted and loving to Carla but he has recently been laid off […]
- February 8, 2008
- 0
- 3506
- Lifespan Development, Relationship & Families, Stress Management
- Read More
Coping Effectively with Change: Leisha’s Case Study
Leisha is a 17 year old girl who has a young infant daughter Tippa aged 15 months. Her partner left the relationship before Leisha had the baby and hasn’t been seen or heard of since. Leisha lives at home with her parents. Initially Leisha was very scared about having a baby, and although she went […]
- February 6, 2008
- 0
- 3388
- Children & Adolescents, Lifespan Development, Personal Effectiveness, Wellness
- Read More
Effective Options to Cope with Change
Experience and the literature inform us that transitions or changes in life are inevitable and you can fight them, flee from them or preferably accept that you need to prepare for and adapt to the changes in some way. Having confidence in being able to plan for and adapt to change, by having skills and […]
- February 5, 2008
- 1
- 3293
- Lifespan Development, Personal Effectiveness, Stress Management, Wellness
- Read More
Ineffective Options to Cope with Change
It is a bit difficult to define ineffective options simply because it is easier to describe those situations where people have ineffective options to react to change. Nonetheless some ineffective options may include: Denying that a change is occurring; Not being aware of one’s environment – of change that is emerging over time; Not planning […]
- February 4, 2008
- 1
- 2852
- Lifespan Development, Personal Effectiveness, Stress Management, Wellness
- Read More
Change: Understanding Feelings and Emotions
Obviously there may be many different feelings and emotions that a person could experience depending on the situation or circumstances. One person may fear change whilst another may revel in it and enjoy the challenges. A child about to enter early adolescence may also have a sense of fear or anxiety about what changes to […]
- January 29, 2008
- 0
- 7708
- Clinical Mental Health, Lifespan Development, Stress Management
- Read More
Positive Aspects of Change
People often avoid change; opting for predictability and control, rather than the more stoic, flowing style of embracing life’s challenges. But life is a dynamic balance of negatives and positives, and focusing on the positive aspects of change can be the difference between growing under duress and thriving in any environment, or experiencing continuing stress […]
- January 24, 2008
- 1
- 91604
- Lifespan Development, Personal Effectiveness, Wellness
- Read More
A Case of Using Logical Consequences
Richard is a 41-year-old plant operator in a heavy machinery company. He works long hours and must start very early each day. Twelve months ago he accepted a transfer from a country location to a capital city 250 kilometres away from his family. Due to financial obligations this was seen as a necessity. He travelled […]
- January 23, 2008
- 0
- 21422
- Case Studies, Relationship & Families
- Read More
Series: Coping with Transitions in Life
“It isn’t so much that hard times are coming; the change observed is mostly soft times going” ~ Groucho Marx (cited in The New International Websters Pocket Quotation Dictionary, 1997: 36) Transition is often seen as being synonymous with change. Transition as a term tends to have a more organic quality to it (as distinct […]
- January 22, 2008
- 1
- 5798
- Ageing Issues, Lifespan Development, Stress Management
- Read More