Willow Counselling & Psychotherapy Practice

The brokenhearted are the bravest among us. They had the courage to love.

If you've been feeling stressed and disconnected from your partner, you're not alone. Lockdown has put huge pressure on relationships. Gottman's blog has some great ideas to improve communication, affection and attunement. It's worth checking out!

Devote six hours per week to your relationship and notice an improvement in your communication, fondness and admiration, and attunement.

How you chose to split up your six hours a week is up to you, but we've provided a guide to help illustrate one way to integrate these six hours into your schedule.

Learn more on the blog: https://bit.ly/3k7mdcX

We've been quiet on social media. EXCITING NEWS - we are back! Online, in-person & on the phone in a BRAND NEW ROOM in Mornington.

We wanted to create a peaceful, grounding & safe space for you. Solidarity, change, inspiration & resilience has been all around us. While we have been working on our room & couldn't wait to share it with you, we also have a sense of heaviness.

New & existing hardships have impacted many of us, resulting in experiences of grief, loss, stress, anxiety & disconnection. You are not alone! If you are in financial hardship & need support please reach out to us. We will do our best to work with you to identify your goals & affordable support options based on a sliding scale.

Keep warm & safe, we are here if you need us 🤗

Emma Lowe - Psychotherapist - book an appointment Available for concession cardholders and for those with access to a mental health treatment plan, the out of pocket fee is similar to the rebate that would be available under medicare. Please note a referral is not required. No bulk billing services are available.

Willow Counselling & Psychotherapy Practice now takes appointments on their Page.

"Ms. Rubin suggested making a list of five priorities you can accomplish to give your holiday season purpose in a way that feels meaningful to you."

Yes, It’s O.K. to Be Sad During the Holidays Sometimes the holiday spirit just passes us by, and that’s perfectly normal.

A little resource for the holidays ☺️

Powerful relationship quality. It can also be empowering to be attuned to yourself too - your needs, your self-compassion, trust in yourself 💛

If you want to change your partner’s behavior towards you, start by changing your behavior towards them. Speaking with awareness can help your partner attune to you during conflict. Learn how: http://bit.ly/2phHDxl

Catastrophic fires in NSW & QLD. Heartbreaking. We can support frontline workers & animals injured by fires. The extraordinary people who battle to ensure the protection & safety of others, are truly amazing.
https://www.sbs.com.au/news/as-fires-rage-across-nsw-here-s-what-you-can-do-to-help-those-on-the-frontline

As fires rage across NSW, here's what you can do to help those on the frontline More than 850,000 hectares of New South Wales has already burned, with the Illawarra and Shoalhaven regions joining Greater Sydney and Greater Hunter is facing 'catastrophic' fire conditions.

"What happens when grief gets outlawed? Often, it doesn’t just disappear, it goes underground. It becomes a tectonic plate, storing energy, swaying, resisting movement, and then exploding in unanticipated and unpredictable ways. Have you seen this?"

Outlawed Grief The next time you come across someone who’s grieving a loss, remember that they probably don’t need a lecture or a pithy saying. They don’t need a cliche or a vapid truism. They certainly don’t need you to outlaw their grief.

Passion. Purpose. Perseverance.
Review your daily goals, practise gratitude, be your own mascot and ask yourself, Who can I connect with positively today? Caroline Miller suggests 'Getting Gritty' in our aspirations 👊

Made a promise for World Mental Health Day, you can too! "As we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same"
- Nelson Mandela

"When our body and mind experience safety, our social engagement system enables us to collaborate, listen, empathize, and connect".

Emotional Safety is Necessary for Emotional Connection Emotional safety enables us the freedom to collaborate, dream, be wildly creative, share bold ideas, feel increased compassion, and express ourselves freely with one another.

When it comes to building emotional longevity in your relationship, our research has shown that small, intentional moments hold more weight than occasional extravagant gestures. This discovery is the inspiration behind our motto, “small things often.” ❤️

Combating emotional exhaustion?
This article says that mindfulness, relaxation and setting a boundary between professional and personal life are all important in managing work-related stress.

Our best bet against burnout is self-care, just not the kind you think Burnout may seem impossible to beat. A specific type of self-care can make an important difference.

Be present. Identify your emotion, notice how your body feels & focus on your breath. These kids teach us great things about mindfulness, check it out 😊

Kindergarteners Talk About Mindfulness in "Just Breathe" Short Film - Mindful In the four-minute film, kindergarteners talk about coping with emotions and using meditation and breathing techniques.

Remember to make time to do something nurturing & rejuvenating for yourself when you can 😊

Go ahead, give it a spin.

(Image via PopSugar)

Nora speaks about her loss and how she lives with her experience day to day, really engaging and heartfelt.

We don't "move on" from grief. We move forward with it In a talk that's by turns heartbreaking and hilarious, writer and podcaster Nora McInerny shares her hard-earned wisdom about life and death. Her candid approach to something that will, let's face it, affect us all, is as liberating as it is gut-wrenching. Most powerfully, she encourages us to shift...

Morning! I would like to introduce myself to you all. I worked in community development before following my heart into a mental health career. I've completed a Master's in Counselling & Psychotherapy. I'm also passionate about social justice, strong coffee, (attempting) yoga & cuddling Duke (in this pic)
Thank you, Nette Wilde, for the lovely photography.

Where do you start when you want to talk with someone about their mental health? This article has great strategies and ideas to support YOU while you are supporting a loved one 💛

Helping someone who has a mental illness: for family and friends Someone who has been diagnosed with a mental health condition needs care and support – just like anyone with any other illness.

This is a great way for us to think about our mental health :)

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(Image via instagram.com/crazyheadcomics)

Hello!
My name is Emma & I am very excited to share my new practice with you. Willow is dedicated to you, providing a safe and collaborative therapeutic space for you to explore your experiences and emotions.
Please share the love and let me know if you have any questions, wishing everyone all the best. 😊