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Showing posts from October, 2016

Busting the myths about grief: By Gina Bennett

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https://www.sane.org/media-centre/the-sane-blog/1783-busting-the-myths-about-grief

A chapter on the myths of death and the afterlife from around the world in honour of Samhain from my upcoming book,"Circle Of Genuine Meaning": - Mairead Ashcroft 31/10/16

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Death   "For centuries, artists produced 'memeto mori', works of art that would remind their viewers of death and usually featured a skull and hourglass.The point of these works wasn't to make people dispair but to help them use their thought of death to focus on the real priorities. Vivid reminders of mortality and the transient nature of life put our prosaic obsessions to question. When measured against the finality of death, the true insignificance of some of our worries is emphasised and we're given an opportunity to feel a little braver about what we really want to feel...." (The Book of Knowlege) Heavenly Bodies and Empire of Death by Artist Paul Koudounaris Is it the dread of the absence of life, the only state of being that most of us has ever known, that creates our angst around death or is it possibly the fear of the most allusive, the unknowing of what may lie ahead, that promotes the idea of life after death? Buddhist and Hindu rel...

In celebration of Samhain / All Hallow's Eve / Halloween : Stories of Samhain ✤ Softly Spoken Irish Tales ✤ ASMR

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Nonduality and the Consciousness of 'Things' - Thich Nhat Hanh

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6 Of The Most Distinctive Sensory Stories: Great Big Reel

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Halloween attractions use mental illness to scare us and advocates say it must stop: By Colby Itkowitz

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http://news.nationalpost.com/health/halloween-attractions-use-mental-illness-to-scare-us-and-advocates-say-it-must-stop?__lsa=2172-c191

The hidden meanings of yin and yang - John Bellaimey

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My 'Lack of Motivation' Doesn't Mean I'm Being Lazy: Lily-Rose Phillips

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https://themighty.com/2016/10/lack-of-motivation-of-a-symptom-of-depression-not-laziness/

Creative Forces: NEA Military Healing Arts Network

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These Incredible Stories Remind Us of Our Better Selves: ' WhoWeAre ' is a campaign to share the stories of people whose actions show us compassion and to send a message of empathy, hope and optimism.

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http://www.filmsforaction.org/watch/these-incredible-stories-remind-us-of-our-better-selves/

Doctor studying sexual abuse says we need to change our social response to perpetrators

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 This new story seems to have stirred up a great deal of anger on today's social media and I can understand why. It seems difficult for "normal" society to condone research that might appear to support a violent/sexual child perpetrator. It would seem that many seem to believe that to support a perpetrator is to go against a victim. Can it be possible to solve this most terrifying communal experience by showing compassion, empathy and support for all people involved in this most terrible crime? I  am a counsellor and I believe that people who have committed this and other crimes can change their behaviours under the right circumstances. Unfortunately,society fails us all. I was a victim of CSA from the age of 8 to 11 and although I still carry some deep and frightening scars, I also carry the hope that we might change as a society to create better parents and communities so that we stop producing the ongoing developmental torture that creates such crimes in...

Four Ways to Overcome Self-Defeating Thoughts: Self-criticism and low self-worth can hold us back. Here’s how to start banishing those negative beliefs. By Tchiki Davis

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http://www.mindful.org/four-ways-overcome-self-defeating-thoughts/

Can Art Be Medicine?

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Touch the One You Love: The research is conclusive: Physical contact is good for both mind and body. By Cheryl Fraser

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http://www.mindful.org/touch-one-love/

Overcoming Bad Inner Voices

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Foundation launches million-dollar plan to record Australia's songlines

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http://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2016-10-19/race-to-save-indigenous-languages-as-they-fade-away/7946006?pfmredir=sm Stanley 'Gawurra' Gaykamangu knows seven Indigenous languages.

Supporting someone with substance abuse: ByMelissa Wilson

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https://www.sane.org/media-centre/the-sane-blog/1717-supporting-someone-with-substance-abuse-and-mental-health-issues

What’s the difference between life coaching and psychotherapy? By Life Coach Julia Stewart - "Coaching does NOT focus on dysfunction, diagnosis, symptoms or the past. It’s about healthy people being their very best. Being responsible is way easier when you're at your best."

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http://www.schoolofcoachingmastery.com/coaching-blog/life-coaching-vs.-psychotherapy-whats-the-real-difference

One Stroke Painting: How To Use the Angle Brush. This beautiful work by April Numamoto looks very easy but like most things worth doing in life, may take some time to master. Mindfulness is all about your experience of the process in the moment of creativity. I encourage you to play around with any creative process that you wish to try. There is no right and wrong in creativity, only the joy of being and doing.

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How essential is it to disclose a mental illness to someone you are dating? By Linda Moon Original study By : PsychGuides.com

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http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/life-and-relationships/real-life/how-essential-is-it-to-disclose-a-mental-illness-to-someone-you-are-dating-20161014-gs2o4o.html http://www.psychguides.com/interact/love-and-mental-illness/ Original study By : PsychGuides.com

Sesame Street: Mark Ruffalo: Empathy

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5 Powerful Self-Care Tips for Abuse and Trauma Survivors

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https://selfcarehaven.wordpress.com/2016/03/19/5-powerful-self-care-tips-for-abuse-and-trauma-survivors/

The power of storytelling: " We can't always choose the story that we have in our lives but if we take a risk and show that we are vulnerable, that is where the best stories lie." Andrea Gibbs

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Frida Kahlo-Inspired Cartoon: Frida Kahlo is the poster child for unibrows, and illustrator Gavin Aung Than perfectly captured why her refusal to give in to society’s norms about beauty is so important. By Yara Simón

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http://remezcla.com/culture/this-frida-kahlo-inspired-cartoon-will-get-you-through-hump-day/

Let Go of Being the Ideal Role Model: Our thoughts and images of what an ideal parent or lover or leader should be can get in the way of just being the best we can be in any given moment. By Mark Bertin

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http://www.mindful.org/let-go-ideal-role-model/

Music - Anilah - Medicine Chant

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Van Gogh's Starry Night painted on dark water by Garip Ay

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HAVOCA – Help for Adult Victims Of Child Abuse HAVOCA is run by survivors for adult survivors of child abuse. We provide support, friendship and advice for any adult whose life has been affected by childhood abuse.

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https://www.havoca.org/every-survivor-has-the-right-to-become-a-thriver/contact-us/

What to say when someone is dying; tips from a master in her field. By Heather Wiseman

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http://palliativecare.org.au/palliative-matters/what-to-say-and-do-when-someone-is-dying-tips-from-a-master-in-her-field/

Bias prejudice perpetuating the great divides in humanity. Mairead Ashcroft 15/10/16

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There are a lot of myths and preconceived notions about race, gender, sexuallity, physical and mental health, body size and weight, social status, and a multitude of other life elements. As individuals we may be somewhat limited to different aspects of another person's life experience due to our lack of exposure. I am a middle class, white, educated, middle aged woman living in Australia. I have no idea what life is like to exist in the body of a middle class, black, educated, teenaged young man living in England for example. I can imagine what it may be like but I am limited by my exposure to such a person, concepts portrayed in the media and general conversation which I am exposed to in my limited social circle. If I was a person who did not question the perceptions and biases that I am exposed to, I may believe all that I have seen and heard, both positive and negative and take it as fact. Human nature often leads us to search for evidence to back up our ideas, so it is possible...

10 Signs Of Depression In Men A SANE conversation about men's mental health issues

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http://www.triplem.com.au/melbourne/stuff/the-mens-room/2016/10-signs-of-depression-in-men/

Why Cultural Diversity Is as Essential to Human Survival as Biological Diversity Just as we recognize the importance of biodiversity for the survival of the planet, so we must preserve the diverse ways of knowing that exist among humanity. By Budd Hall and Rajesh Tandon

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http://www.filmsforaction.org/articles/knowledge-democracy/

Renate Hiller - "On Handwork"

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Excessive Attention Seeking and Drama Addiction Portrait of neglect: By Billi Gordon

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https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/obesely-speaking/201411/excessive-attention-seeking-and-drama-addiction

What Really Happens in a Therapy Session No, you don't have to talk about your mother (unless you want to). By Suzanne Gelb

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https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/all-grown/201512/what-really-happens-in-therapy-session?utm_source=FacebookPost&utm_medium=FBPost&utm_campaign=FBPost

Fact vs myth: treatment & recovery

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https://www.sane.org/mental-health-and-illness/facts-and-guides/fvm-treatment-and-recovery

Man, that's amazing work--You are badass... Gretchen Schmelzer

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http://gretchenschmelzer.com/blog-1/2015/3/1/rerun-man-thats-amazing-work-you-are-badass

Art Isn't Just Good For The Mind, It's Good For The Body Too And the two are more interconnected than you think.By Priscilla Frank

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http://www.huffingtonpost.com.au/entry/art-isnt-just-good-for-the-mind-its-good-for-the-body-too_us_5683094ae4b0b958f65ab92a

Susan Boyle (subtitled) ~ There’s Something About Susan ~ coping with Asperger’s in 1st-ever Concert. The fascinating documentary goes behind-the-scenes of Susan’s first solo tour, which saw her perform across her beloved Scotland in the summer of 2013. Her bravery will inspire you.

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Psychotherapy

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Music - Buddhist Zen Meditation | Zither Music

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Brain Overload Restless, impulsive, distracted, forgetful: we all experience those things. But for 16 million Americans, this cocktail of brain struggles can do real harm. What is ADHD? Do you have it? What can be done? By Katherine Ellison

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http://www.mindful.org/brain-overload/

I See Dead People: Dreams and Visions of the Dying by Dr. Christopher Kerr

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What would happen if you didn’t sleep?

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People are often confused when I say that I am an Art Therapist. Here is a short article that explains a little of what it is that I do. I am also an Holistic counsellor so my methodology is somewhat expanded but this may offer you the general idea of what to expect from a session with me

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http://savor.jardinlabs.com/blog/2016/09/28/art-therapy/

Artists With 'Invisible' Disabilities Use Tattoos To Talk About Health, because pain may be unseen, but it should not be unspoken. By Priscilla Frank: As someone who proudly dons my own tattoo to signify my recovery from trauma, I can say that tattoos can be cathartic and wonderful reminder of ones inner strengths at times when resolve may be challenging.

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http://www.huffingtonpost.com/author/priscilla-frank

I was once again asked to be part of the Very Special Kids art therapy team, this time for the School Holiday Program: We created a large Dreamtime artistic piece! Thank you to Svett from @theartcabriolet and Amy our onsite Musical Therapist for making the School Holiday Program an amazing interactive and creative experience.

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https://www.instagram.com/veryspecialkids/

Dan Siegel - "Being" Versus "Doing" With Your Child.

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What can you learn from Shakespeare’s heroines? By Emma Thelwell

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http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-37562329

Can Attachment Theory Explain All Our Relationships? The most important parenting you’ll ever do happens before your child turns one — and may affect her for the rest of her life. One mother’s journey through the science of attachment. By Bethany Saltman

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http://nymag.com/thecut/2016/06/attachment-theory-motherhood-c-v-r.html?mid=fb-share-thecut Honouring Children’s Rights

The Limbic System: we can think of the limbic system as the centre for emotional responsiveness, motivation, memory formation and integration, olfaction, and the mechanisms to keep ourselves safe.

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http://www.neuropsychotherapist.com/bwl-knowledge-base/the-limbic-system/

How Do I Bring More Mindfulness into My Life? How to create a formal or casual mindfulness practice, and the habits of mind you'll encounter along the way. By Jeffrey Brantley

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http://www.mindful.org/how-do-i-bring-more-mindfulness-into-my-life/

Music: 1 Hour of Russian Music and Slavic Music

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Term 4 of my new Adult Creative Arts Therapy workshops begin this Wednesday, 5/9/16. I invite you to take the time for some personal relaxation, fun and self discovery.

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http://www.ljac.com.au/

5 Differences Between Religion and Spirituality: By Sofo Archon

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http://theunboundedspirit.com/religion-spirituality/

The paradox of trauma-informed care. Vicky Kelly

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Experts Say Knitting And Crocheting Can Have A Surprising Impact On Your Health : Knitting and crocheting might seem like crafts of the past, but they’re not at all. In fact, knitting has experienced an uptick in popularity among people of all ages. But besides being a useful skill, what else is knitting doing for you? By Laura Caseley

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http://www.littlethings.com/how-knitting-boosts-your-health/?utm_source=ftap&utm_campaign=healthy&utm_medium=Facebook