Helderberg Psychology

Thank you Dr. Carla Bezuidenhout, Opvoedkundige Sielkundige /Educational Psychologist for sharing these powerful images, helping to remind us that at times like these, our job is to protect our children more than ever.

This is such a valuable graphic explaining the difference between PTSD and Complex PTSD to clients.

May you know, that with either- healing is possible!

Graphic credit: Embodied Expressions

We have been feeling this.
Take time to have some compassion with yourself, know that if you are struggling now, you just lived through 2 years of pandemic life.

It's okay to recognise your trauma.

We Need Time to Rehabilitate from the Trauma of the Pandemic Just like with a physical injury, rushing the recovery might only make things worse.

SKAKEL IN
Op 729 AM waar Gerda Kriel met Liomee Vosloo gaan gesels!

Happy new year!

If you have decided that this is your year to go for therapy, just know it might not be exactly as it is on TV.

This is such a great article to highlight how TV sometimes gets therapy right ... And sometimes gets it horribly wrong!

Enjoy the read!
And if after, you want fo try some 'real-life' therapy, give us a call!

Analysis | From ‘Ted Lasso’ to ‘Insecure,’ TV’s therapists keep getting better (with a few exceptions) The harmful tropes of yore aren't gone completely, but many TV therapists on shows such as "Run the World" and "Mare of Easttown" have transcended them.

BREAST CANCER
This month, our word of the month is COURAGE,and who is more courageous than a patient battling and overcoming breast cancer!

You will easily see our offices this month, as we have donned our building signage in Pink for the month of October, in support of Pink Trees for Pauline !

If you have been touched by cancer, and need someone to talk to, know that we will also have a listening ear for you!

Its Monday again! Why does that excite us? Because Mondays give us the opportunity to set the tone for the rest of this brand new week...

"With mindfulness, you can establish yourself in the present in order to touch the wonders of life that are available in that moment." What a lovely reminder by Thich Nhat Hanh that inspires us to make today a !

What is your favourite practice? How does it affect the rest of your week?

LENTE is in die lug. En almal lyk gelukkig. Maar binne jou, worstel jy met Winter-emosies.

Lees gerus Gerda Kriel se artikel in Stylvol hierdie week, om jou eie geestesgesondheid te oorweeg.

https://stylvol.co.za/ses-tekens-om-jou-geestesgesondheid-aan-te-meet/

On this beautiful we want to remind you of the

C O U R A G E

that you already have inside of you. It's brought you this far, through the hard and times and the good.

Mindfulness is becoming aware of our own inner experiences without judgement and staying present in the moment. Sometimes we may feel scared and overwhelmed, and that's okay too. Courage is not an absence of fear of worry, it's continuing to live despite it. So when those feelings arise, just notice them. But at the end of everyday, also become aware of and notice the small acts of courage that carried you through the day. ALL of us have courage... so let's become mindful of everyday courage in ourselves and in others!

Even being willing to be mindful is courageous... "Practicing mindfulness involves a willingness to be touched by life, and that requires courage." - Ed Halliwell

May you be mindful of your own courage on this

Jomari de Beer
Clinical Psychologist

OCTOBER
As the tenth month rolls in (is it time to put up the Christmas tree yet?) we just really want to celebrate YOU.
The people who have lived and showed up with courage. The people who have the courage to deal with what happened to them, that show up in the face of adversity and that keep at it, every day.

May we display courage, may we call out the courage in others, and may we believe in better tomorrows, always.

With love, Gerda and Jomari

Kom kuier saam op Stylvol se Instagram live vanaand om 8pm!

We love this infographic by Dr. Carla Bezuidenhout, Opvoedkundige Sielkundige /Educational Psychologist !

Please take note: our kids need more sleep than we think!

Screen time boundaries should start from a young age. One of the benefits of applying boundaries to screen time, is better quality sleep for children. Screen time boundaries should be clear and consistent and shouldn’t be negotiable - you’re acting in the best interest of your child.

If you still feel unsure about mindfulness practices, let this article shed some light!

How mindfulness can help you become more efficient and effective Mindfulness is a powerful, science-backed tool. Are you using it to your advantage in your career growth?

We believe in Play as a magical way for children to rearrange their inner world and to make sense of the outer world.

During these trying times, don't forget that your kids (and perhaps you too) need play!

How every child can thrive by five "What if I was to tell you that a game of peek-a-boo could change the world?" asks seven-year-old Molly Wright, one of the youngest-ever TED speakers. Breaking down the research-backed ways parents and caregivers can support children's healthy brain development, Wright highlights the benefits of pla...

In this anxious age, perhaps you wilk also resonate with Janet Lansbury and her teachings.

How to Be a Less Anxious Parent and Enjoy Your Child - Janet Lansbury The intense performance pressure many of us feel as new parents combined with all the physical challenges — sleep deprivation, hormonal changes, recovery from the birth, etc. — can easily launch us into a cycle of anxiety. This is compounded in cases where our baby faces health complications, co...

Working with adults and children who experience trauma is the lifeblood of our work.

Reading through this article again highlights just how nuanced trauma can be, and urges care providers to always also consider the subtle, the hidden and the 'normalised' traumas children face.

Improved treatment for developmental trauma A growing body of research is leading many psychologists to call for the inclusion of complex childhood trauma in various classification systems. Learn about developmental trauma disorder (DTD) and complex post-traumatic stress disorder (cPTSD) and how they differ from PTSD.

If it sometimes feels like your child's needs are too much: be encouraged! We loved this post so much we had to share it here!

Some kids are more stirred up by the world around them through their sensory systems. They have an enhanced sensorium meaning the sensory signals can be heightened to varying degrees. Sensory overload is common with some sounds being too loud, smells too powerful, or even touch or pages too much to handle. They can have heightened reactions and emotions, and are often intense and passionate in how they express themself.

To download the infographic - https://macnamara.ca/downloads/

What sensitive kids would like you to know about them - https://macnamara.ca/portfolio/what-sensitive-kids-would-like-you-to-know-about-them/

ATTENTION ALL FOLLOWERS:

As we take confidentiality very serious in our practice, we welcome the introduction of the POPI Act 4, 2013.

However according to the new POPI Act which comes into effect 1 July 2021, we are required to ask the following set out questions:

1. Would you like to remain on this business page?

2. Do you agree not to disclose or use any of the members of this business pages’ personal information for any reason without their consent?

If your answer is YES to both questions, you can remain on our page.

However, if you decide NO, we ask kindly that you just unfollow/unlike our page to remove yourself from our page.

Thank you for understanding and your co-operation.

The Helderberg Psychology team

On this we face the first day of the return to lockdown Level 4 in South Africa. The pandemic and its' consequences have affected so many people and today we think of those who are struggling.

During difficult times mindfulness can help with regulating stress, managing overwhelming feelings, increasing self-compassion, and gaining perspective. Mindfulness meditation has been shown to be especially effective, so we'd like to share some resources to help you with this.

Below is a link that provides various mindfulness resources for difficult times, including short (and longer) guided mindful meditations. The Covid-19 specific resources are also helpful!

Which one of the mindfulness meditations would you like to try first?

https://www.blueskyminds.org/mindfulness-support-through-difficult-times

How about some Mindful parenting on this Mindful Monday?

Let us know how you find(and keep) your parenting Zen!

A Simple (but Powerful) Tip to Calm Your Child's Emotional Outbursts Inside: Learn the first and most important step for responding to a child's emotional outburst and a step by step guide to implement. Between my friends, clients in my therapy practice, and the Parents with

Op Jeugdag deel ons hierdie artikel deur Gerda Kriel geskryf vir Stylvol .

Ons tieners het ons nodig. Ons sien dit elke dag.

As jy self tieners het, met tieners werk of vriende met tieners het, lees hier: jy red dalk net ñ lewe.

Tieners se geestesgesondheid: vyf dinge om te weet - stylvol.co.za Mode.Skoonheid.Welwees Tieners se geestesgesondheid: vyf dinge om te weet

MY TEEN WON'T SPEAK TO ME
How do I know what is going on?

Swipe through this post to see seven tell-tale signs that your teen's emotional state maybe deteriorating.

And as always, if you are concerned, speak to a professional!

THIS IS FOR OUR TEENS
We see you.
We hear you.
You do not have to go at life alone.

We are taking some time to reflect on the tragic passing of another teenager, another life lost too soon.

And, as much as our hearts ache with her friends and family, our hearts also ache for all the countless teenagers that are battling with mental health issues.

The ones who get up and fight on daily.
The ones who come for therapy, the ones who don't.

As a clinician, I have been seeing more teenagers than ever, and I think it is time for us to talk openly about adolescent mental health issues.

Because no life deserves to be lost too soon.

For the next two weeks, this will be our focus on social media, so please tag a friend who teaches, parents, or works with teens. We'll be sharing resources and have talks with experts on the topic. Our heart is to equip family members who have teens so that they can support and help them in time.

Because .

SUNSHINE
We know Vitamin D improves your mood, but just in case you are feeling the winter chill already, and not keen to feel the sun on your skin, we just want to remind you that wearing bright, sunshiny colours can also boost your mood! So sunshine up, you really can take it with you wherever you go!

With mother's day so fresh in our minds, we would be neglectful if we didn't address such a key challenge for parents nowadays: having the pressure of being the 'best' parent.

To all parents trying their best, and feeling just barely good enough- well done: as Trauma Informed Parent reminds us here, good enough is really the best.

The Good Enough Parent Is the Best Parent If Goldilocks tried various parents, here’s the one she’d choose.

On this beautiful we will be using a specific sense to help us in our mindfulness practice. Engaging the senses is a key part of many mindfulness excercises, as it helps to focus the mind on the present moment and raises awareness of what is experienced in the here and now.

Today, let's harnass our hearing in this simple mindfulness activity.

Find a moment where you can sit comfortably and undisturbed while you listen to this 2 minute song: https://youtu.be/gk4FHO3ld6A

Close your eyes, and settle into your chair. As the song starts, breathe deeply, while you try to focus all of your attention on what you can hear. Listen intently to every note and sound as the different keys rise and fall. While breathing deeply, allow yourself to experience this moment fully, while you fully immerse yourself in what you are hearing.

"We can return to the experience of hearing when we find ourselves stressed, we can listen more deeply to loved ones, and we can tune in more deeply to the world around us. The intention of (mindfulness) practice is to see our experience clearly, and sounds are a part of our experience." - Matthew Sockolov

Keep an eye out for more practical mindfulness excercizes in the future that continue to engage the senses!

May your Monday be ! Happy listening!

REFUEL
We take our abilities and competence seriously, and one of the ways we refuel is through training and skills development.

Today we are grateful that .kriel and can be a part of training by on resource therapy.

This training invigorates us and really sharpens our tools and skills.

If you want to know more, contact us and we will share what we know!

Working with teens and kids of all ages, This is something we cannot STRESS ENOUGH! Kids, Pre-teens and teens do not actually need smartphones.

We have seen families do a complete 180 change, by removing (or massively minimising) tech from their kids' lives.

Try a tech-detox with them! You might be surpised with how good it feels!

MYTH: Eighth grade is the best age for a smartphone. Teens need social media because that is where all of their friends are and they will be social outcasts if they don’t have it.

FACT: In 2018 at the Digital Media and Developing Minds Congress, research was discussed regarding social media use in eighth graders. Studies show that mid-adolescence, specifically eighth grade, is a time of heightened vulnerability to risky and reckless behavior. Part of the reason for this is the increase in reward-seeking behavior fueled by the remodeling of the brain during this stage of brain development.

For example, in sixth grade, top Internet searches centered around the subject of animals, but in 8th grade, top searches were depression and relationships. When asked if they had ever made rude or mean comments in texts, 36% of 6th graders said they had. That increased to 45% in 7th graders and even more in 8th graders with 54% (more than half) saying they had sent mean texts. When asked if they had ever uploaded embarrassing photos of a friend, 6th graders came in at 7% while 8th graders were a staggering 35%.

The more time a teen spends on social media and games, the more time they are spending with their peers. With 24/7 online access your teen never really “comes home.” Studies confirm that peer-oriented kids do worse in all areas of life than parent-oriented kids. Teens are not equipped to lead teens like adults are supposed to. Teens need parents as their guide. When family attachment is stronger than peer attachment, teens have a healthier social life.

Social media doesn’t make stronger friendships. Tethered to their smartphones 24/7, teens admit to loving their phones more than their friends. Teens now perfer to go to their rooms so they can hang out on their phones in privacy. But are they really socializing or are they just becoming more lonely and depressed? Research says the latter. A 13-year-old girl explains to Twenge, “We didn’t have a choice to know any life without iPads or iPhones. I think we like our phones more than we like actual people.”

SOLUTION: More is not better when it comes to friends. Encourage your teen to build a few solid friendships rather than 400 shallow friends. Have their friends over to spend in-person, non-tech time with them. Get to know their friends and their friends’ parents. Teach your teen how to have a relationship by spending non-tech time with friends. Create family rituals, traditions and plenty of family time to enrich family connections and healthy friendships will follow.

Read more about solutions here: www.screenstrong.com/product/challenge