What Is Postnatal Depression and How Can Counselling Help to Alleviate It ?

While the arrival of a baby is regarded as a joyful occasion, sometimes it can peculiarly trigger bouts of depression and gloominess in the mother. Although it is quite rare, one in every seven women can suffer from postnatal depression. The most common symptoms include feelings of guilt and anxiety, which are often accompanied by chronic insomnia and loss of appetite. Some mothers may even feel emotionally drained and inefficient.

Postnatal depression can set in at any time, even after the baby is days, weeks or months old. It is significantly distinct from antenatal depression or the “baby blues”, which affects about 10 percent of expectant mothers and occurs mainly because of hormonal changes taking place during pregnancy. In Australia, physicians and psychologists are of the opinion that one in every 16 new mothers suffer from postnatal depression. These women may feel unprepared to meet with the demands of their newly achieved motherhood, and the expectations of people around them. At times, even a feeling of lost identity can prevail and make the sufferer seem unconnected with the world. Some women even tend to withdraw themselves from their loved ones, including their spouse and child. This can further worsen the situation by souring the relationship between couples, and increase emotional tension amidst already tough circumstances.

Although no conspicuous influencing factor has been found so far, many experts believe that postnatal depression may result due to the hormonal changes which take place during pregnancy as well as childbirth. Moreover, the duties that are thrusted onto a woman when she enters motherhood can also be responsible. According to latest research and studies, it has been found that women going through unexpected pregnancies are more likely to suffer from postnatal depression.

If a woman is suffering from postnatal depression, there are several ways by which she can be treated effectively. The most popular treatment methods are support counselling and talking therapies. Both of them can be very helpful in cases of mild to severe postnatal depression. Such treatments usually make use of many different techniques for identifying and managing the associated negative thoughts, behaviours and feelings. This is done by allowing the patient to share her personal experiences that may help her to feel understood and supported.

Jade Couquax is a reputed French psychologist practising in Bondi Beach. She uses her expertise in the fields of counselling, mental health & women’s health for treating a wide range of psychological disorders. If you are suffering from postnatal depression, book an appointment with Jade today.

Counselling Helped Me to Chase Away Hopelessness

After starting my fourth year in high school, I often use to have a feeling of something being amiss. But it was not until several weeks that I became quite cognizant of what was actually going on. I started becoming extremely fatigued during the day, and shunned away from society as often as possible. It was so hard to control the expression that my lachrymose face revealed in front of people.

Although I really missed my amazing friends and the school during vacations, I could not fathom the reason why all of this faded away when I went back. I told my parents about the unusual mental problems I had been experiencing and they tried desperately to help. But all their efforts were simply in vain. Even my friends were perplexed and saddened by the strange behaviour I was exhibiting.

It was not that I disliked my studies or hated my students or teachers. Neither could I comprehend nor explain to others what the actual problem was. I was lost and desperately trying to get rid of the feeling of hopelessness gripping onto me day by day. When the first term began to slip away from my hand and my teachers called in my parents to report about my poor performance in the class tests, I decided to help myself by seeking the help of a counsellor.

One of my aunts told me about Jade Couquax, a French psychologist in Bondi who was renowned for her exceptional counselling skills. I wasted no time and immediately booked an appointment with her. During my first visit, she contracted me for 5 sessions. But soon after we started to discuss about my persistent psychological problems, she realised that my treatment would require more follow-ups. There was something very relaxing in the way she interrogated me, and I did not feel any kind of intimidation while confronting and answering her questions.

As time passed by, I started feeling more and more confident about myself. The conversations I had with Jade helped me to relax and have better thoughts. My condition kept improving significantly and I was able to concentrate on my studies better. I no longer felt the need to run away from people and my parents and friends were more than happy with my positive change. I still remember my last session with Jade, how she made me feel like she would always be there to help me. She said her doors would remain open for me, if my demons tried to come back ever again.

Guest Author: I, Katherine Saavedra, 18, am presently studying in the fifth year of high school. I love reading books, listening to music, playing guitar and watching movies.

Facts About Depression In Women

The rate of depression in women is more than men. When women feel depressed they generally use friends, food and love to self-medicate. To know more about depression in women, have a look at this slideshare. 

Psychologist - counselling in bondi from Counselling Bondi

Low Self-Esteem and Counselling

Self-esteem may be defined as the way a person feels and thinks about himself or herself, which can be positive or negative, or even a combination of both. It plays an important role in deciding the way one lives their life, the choices they make and the perspective with which they view others. In today’s world, people have become used to comparing themselves with others. This gives rise to insecurities, feelings of negativity about oneself, dissatisfaction and depression.

There are a number of symptoms which can indicate low self-esteem in an individual. Some of the most common ones are as follows:

• feeling unworthy
• not being able to recognise one’s own abilities and competency
• feeling deprived of love
• contemplating over negative thoughts and fear
• feeling impractical about goals
• getting pulled into devastating relations
• fearing change
• holding distorted views about oneself as well as others

The esteem in every individual initiates right from birth and develops slowly over time. Strong bonds and positive experiences nourish it, whereas troubled relations and bad experiences obstruct its development. When children feel that they are understood and valued and their worries can be chased away, they start to realise their own value and regard the world as a safe place. In time, they become capable enough to recognise stressful situations and negative relations and use their instincts for protecting themselves. They learn to handle tough times without getting damaged and be careful so as to avoid encountering too many problems in life. Negative experiences, on the other hand, can significantly decrease self-esteem in those people who are not strong enough to hold themselves up against difficulties. They may even become fearful or unrealistic about risks and goals, which may further hamper their self-image. However, providing them with some external source of strength such as counselling can help them greatly to change for the better.

Consulting a counsellor who is supportive can help a person with low self-esteem to take a tough look at himself or herself, and feel strong enough to alter things that give rise to negative thoughts and feelings. There are several ways by which counselling can improve low self-esteem. Transactional analysis and cognitive behavioural therapy can help to check negative self-beliefs, pessimistic assumptions and faulty thoughts, especially those things that can make the patient feel trapped all the time.

Jade Couquaux is a renowned French psychologist practising in Bondi. Book an appointment with her today to get rid of problems associated with low self-esteem.

Counseling What is it and What are its Various Therapy Formats

Counseling What is it and What are its Various Therapy Formats from counsellingbondi

Counselling Bondi offers women & couple counseling in Bondi. Here the psychologist in Bondi does relationship counseling, counselling for depressed women & more.

Causes of Work-Related Depression in Women

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Women offer suffer from work-related depression. It has become a growing problem all over the world. It affects not only the health & well-being of the working women but even the productivity of the organisations. It is after all the second most common compensated injury/illness in Bondi Junction, NSW after musculoskeletal disorders. 

A woman may experience work-related depression die to many reasons. It is said that work-related depression in woman generally arises when there is too much of workload and pressure with deadlines as well as overtime, unsupportive work environment, bullying & harassment, lack of job security or job satisfaction, redundancies, problems with office colleagues, personal problems or too much of responsibility beyond the job level. 

Many people think that it is actually the heap of unfinished work that causes depression in women at work. But that's not the main reason. A lot of studies have been conducted on this and it has been found out that heavy workload has no such effect on employees who get depressed. It is basically the work environment & feeling of being ill-treated by the boss or management, which has the greatest impact on the mood of the employees. 

However, one thing needs to be kept in mind that what one woman may consider as stressful and depressive, another may view that same thing as challenging. So, whether a woman actually suffers from work-related depression depends on the nature of the job, the psychological make-up of the woman and such other factors. 

Given below are  some internal as well as external causes of work-related depression in a woman. Have a look at them: 

Internal causes :

• wrong-fit role 
• mismatch between personal values and company values 
• working parent guilt 
• interpersonal discomfort 
• work/life imbalance 
• extrovert/introvert stress 
• financial struggles 
• feeling trapped 

External causes :

• unreasonable demands from the management 
• unclear guidance at workplace 
• bullying behaviours faced at work-related
• poor project practices
• low engagement or low morale at work 
• poor working conditions 

Are you a woman who is facing work-related depression? Try talking to your boss or human resources manager at your workplace. If you want, you can also take the help of your doctor or a psychologist in Bondi to deal with your depression. 

When to Seek Psychological Counselling?

Maintaining a proper and sound mental health is as important as caring for physical fitness of the body. For having a healthy mind, a person must be free from anxiety, depression, excessive stress, addictions and various other psychological issues. But it is not always easy to keep oneself away from these problems, especially in the modern times when our lives are filled with busy schedules and hecticness. Therefore, it is important to understand when to seek psychological counselling. 

Some of the conditions that require mental health counselling are as follows:

Suicidal Thoughts and Tendencies :

Individuals contemplating on suicide or harming themselves must be administered with professional psychological counselling. Their safety should be secured properly and steps should be taken to determine if they are a potential danger to the safety of others. After a suicidal individual receives the first evaluation, appointment must be set for a session in future.

Signs of Depression :

Talking therapy can help to curb down the symptoms of acute depression such as feelings of despair and hopelessness, loss of interest in favourite activities, anxiety, weight loss or gain, and changed sleeping habits. Physicians can administer screening for the signs of depression and also refer the patient to some reputed psychologist or therapist.

Dramatic Mood Fluctuations :

Irregular mood fluctuations during puberty, menopause, pregnancy, etc. can also be an indication that the person requires counselling. Sometimes the cause can be due to hormonal imbalances, which must be confirmed with a physician. Duration, times and frequency of the mood swings must be noted down carefully so as to report the counsellor about them later on.

Substance Abuse :

People with addiction problems also require psychological counselling. In most cases, it plays an important role throughout the rehabilitation process. After doctors detect medical stabilisation, therapeutic counselling for improving mental health can be essential to overcome the addiction.

Post-Traumatic Stress :
Individuals recovering from the after-effects of traumatic events can significantly benefit from talking therapy sessions. Many people often find it difficult to manage post-traumatic stress without the help of a mental health therapist after incidents like car accidents, abuse, loss of someone dear, sexual assault, etc. Talking to a counsellor about the emotional difficulties can make it easier for them to cope up with the situation more effectively.

If you are experiencing any of the above mentioned psychological problems, you can book an appointment with the French psychologist Jade Couquaux. She is a renowned counsellor who works with individuals as well as couples in Bondi Junction.

Body Image Issues in Women

Body image may be defined as the way how a person actually feels about his or her body. Due to increased focus on looks in our society, body image issues are becoming very common particularly in women. In Australia, dissatisfaction with body has grown considerably during the last few decades and is currently considered as a major concern among teenage girls and women alike. The way a woman feels about the shape of her figure can be influenced by that which they hear and see in media and also how their family, friends and acquaintances treat them.

Feelings of discomfort with one’s shape of figure can also lead to eating disorders and severely affect self-esteem as well as relationships, self-medication, unhealthy patterns of exercise and self-harm. According to extensive research, almost half of the women among Kiwis are under the impression that they are overweight. Most of them obsess themselves over perceived imperfections, desperate ways of losing weight, spending hours grooming themselves and hating almost every part of their own frame. The discomforts can even cause a certain mental sickness known as body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), which may cause a woman to believe objectively false things about her body.

People who do not suffer from such issues often tend to dismiss the victims. Body image is not a superficial problem. Issues with self-confidence can cause a myriad of other medical conditions, commonly eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia. Unfortunately, almost 10 per cent of the people struggling with such afflictions ultimately die. Depression is another associated problem.

There are several factors which can collectively cause one to develop negative feeling about one’s own shape of figure.

• Excessive exposure to media such as fashion mags, commercials, billboards, etc.
• Health problems
• History of trauma, abuse or eating disorder
• Sudden alterations in appearance, such as women gaining weight right after pregnancy
• Domestic violence
• Past mental illness
• Addiction

Counselling and therapy can significantly help in uncovering the primary causes of body image problems. In most scenarios, multiple factors can combine for destroying a woman’s self-esteem. Pessimistic thoughts about one’s figure can have disastrously unhealthy influences, but proper counselling can successfully determine those thoughts and replace them with strategies for alleviating the issues. Breaking away from the negative behaviours and thoughts is one of the main factors to achieve a healthy image. No matter what, it is essential to consult a reputed psychologist in Bondi immediately if one is experiencing such issues.

Causes of Anxiety in Women and How to Alleviate Them?

In the modern times, anxiety has become more common among women than men in Bondi Junction, NSW. While some anxiety issues rise from societal and cultural expectations, others may also be triggered by hormonal imbalances occurring in the body, the former being the primary cause.

Stress At Workplace :

While this can be the cause of stress for most people, the workplace of a woman is more likely of including discrimination and harassment, as well as work pressure. All of these can be quite difficult to combat with, because it is often subtle and easy for miscreants to deny or disguise their wrongful deeds. Besides that, work pressure can also take tolls on a woman trying to maintain balance between office and home.

Overload of Domestic Responsibility :

Women are usually expected to perform the duties of two or more members within a household. Most men are culturally brought up or trained to regard that women bear the primary responsibility of conducting domestic tasks like cleaning, cooking, and attending children. Such a situation can be extremely stressful for a woman who also has to work outside home.

Sexist Demeanors from Family :

Besides being assigned with additional domestic responsibilities, women are often pressured by their family members to pursue specific goals like getting married, bearing children, or doing jobs with low pay so that it does not overawe a spouse. Such pressure can be very stressful for a woman because it becomes very difficult to maintain a positive connection with those family members.

Hormonal Changes :

During the course of her life, a woman will often find her hormones thrown off from balance quite often. Most of the times, it can adversely affect her physically as well as emotionally. Hormonal imbalances can have many symptoms that trigger anxiety, like cramps, irregular growth of hair, hot flashes and sleep disorders. Some of the common natural causes for hormonal imbalances include -

• Menstrual cycle
• Pregnancy
• Lactation
• Menopause
• Thyroid dysfunction

Besides these natural factors, hormonal imbalances may also be caused by some unnatural causes, such as -

• Obesity
• Contraceptive pills
• Consumption of animal products that are non-organic
• Overuse of cosmetics

Ways to Alleviate Anxiety :

No matter what the cause maybe, anxiety can be successfully coped up with and also alleviated by following certain measures. Domestic responsibilities can be shared equally with other members in the family. If one or more family members are pressurising to do something, a respectful explanation should be provided about the resulting discomfort. To maintain an equilibrium between home and work, your daily tasks and responsibilities should be analysed or help from a reputed counsellor in Bondi Junction must be taken. Adequate amount of sleep and a properly balanced diet are necessary as well. Oriental and holistic treatments or therapies can also help to combat stress. 

Why and When Should You Seek Couple Counselling?

While most statistical records show that around 50 per cent of first wedlocks in Bondi end in separation, the matter of major concern is that this figure has been constant for the last three decades. All these prove that the rates of marriage are supposedly on the slump. 

Divorce rates vary with couples’ level of education and several other influencing factors. But the consequences of divorce are harsh on couples and their children. Children involved in the divorce may also experience adverse effects like denial, aggression, guilt, blame, and feelings of abdication. 

Divorce is not always the best solution and can turn things upside down for many people. A couple encountering marriage problems should thus seek always counselling for many reasons before taking the decision of divorce. 

Negative Communication :

If communication between couples starts deteriorating, it can often be very difficult to put things back in order. Negative communication may make partners feel depressed, disregarded and insecure, and keep them from having amiable conversations with their spouse. Sometimes, it may even lead to physical and mental abuse.

Extra-marital Affairs :

If one of the partners has had an extra-marital affair, it can be very difficult for the other one to recover from the shock. It takes a great deal of will power to forgive as well as move forward. Couple counselling can help a lot in salvaging such marriages and determining ways for both partners to take things in the right direction.

Inability to Resolve Differences :

Sometimes couples who are experiencing problems in their married life might be trying to sort out the differences, but are just not being able to find the right ways to do it. They are aware of the discord, and struggling to put an end to it. In such cases, involving a third party can be a wise decision. A skilled counsellor may be able to help them resolve their differences.

When Children are The Only Reason for a Couple To Stay Together :

It may so happen that couples emotionally distant from each other are staying together only for the sake of their children. But sometimes this can have a negative impact on the kids. Usually they can detect the fake happiness exhibited by their parents. Seeking couple counselling in Bondi can help to find ways for bridging the emotional gap between such partners, which in turn is definitely beneficial for the children involved as well. 

Depression During Pregnancy and Ways to Tackle it

Most of us might think that pregnancy is a time of cheerfulness, but this is not the case always, and also not for all women. Around 1 in every 10 women suffer from prolonged periods of depression when they are pregnant. You may feel like it is just a part of your normal mood fluctuations, but at times it can be more than a mere feeling of sadness. If not addressed to properly at the right time, it can turn into a serious issue.

There are several symptoms of pregnancy depression, and they vary from one person to another. Some women tend to experience low mood most of the time, while others feel sorrowful and irritable, or unworthy and may want to give up on themselves. Here are some of the commonly prevalent symptoms:

• concentration problems
• restlessness and bad temper
• insomnia
• acute and extreme fatigue
• consistent negative thoughts
• insatiable hunger or total loss of appetite
• low spirits
• helplessness and tearful

Depression during pregnancy can be the outcome of several factors, the most common being stressful events of daily life, physical problems such as morning sickness or heartburns, past experiences with childbirth complications, past infertility problems, emotional abuse or personal depression history.

Fortunately, there are certain effective and prudent solutions that you can follow if you are experiencing depression during pregnancy.

• Try to talk about your problems with your midwife. Explain your condition and how you have been feeling.
• Don’t let the sudden change in your life majorly affect your regular style of living. Give yourself adequate amount of priority. Read books, meet up with friends or go for short evening walks. 
• Try some exercise to improve your mood. Swimming, pregnancy yoga, aquanatal classes and walking are some ideal options.
• Instead of trying to withdraw from everyone, discuss your problems with your partner, friends and family. Their support can often work wonders and help you get rid of acute feelings of uselessness and undeserving.
• Support groups and group therapy are also quite beneficial and may help you to break out from the repetitive cycle of pessimistic contemplation.
• Share your experiences and feelings with others who might be going through the same problems as you. You can also learn how they are tackling their depression, and use those methods to cope with your own.

If none of the above methods seem to working out for you, then it is time for you to get some professional help. Book an appointment with the French psychologist Jade Couquaux, and get relief from your depression with her profound counselling and careful guidance.

Relationship Advice for Couples

A healthy and a strong relationship can be the best support in your life. A good relationship can always strengthen your health, improve different aspects of your life, boost up your mood and help keep good connections with others who have value in your life. 

But if your relationship is not working, it can be an enormous drain. Relationships, after all, are like an investment. More you will put in, more you will get back. Here are some advice for couples who are having a tough time with their spouse in maintaining a good relationship. Read this out to know how to strengthen your relationship. 

Resolve conflict wisely :

It is natural for couples to fight but the way it is done is important. Some couples discuss things out quietly while there are some who raise their voices. No matter how you do it, the main point is you should not be fearful in expressing things that bother you and must be able to resolve conflict without humiliating your partner or insisting on the fact that you are always right. 

Keep outside relationships & interests alive :

Never expect everything from one person. That person won't be able to fulfil all your needs and expectations. If you do, you are simply putting unhealthy pressure on the relationship, which is not needed at all. Have friends and outside interests. This would not only strengthen your social network but also bring new insights & stimulation to your relation. 

Don't stop communicating :

Communication is one of the main ingredients of a strong relationship. It is very essential for couples to communicate their feelings, their needs, fears as well as desires because that strengthens the trust and bonds. Nowadays, there is lack of communication in many couples and that triggers a relationship  to go through most problems. 

Be intimate physically :

Getting physically involved and keeping the intimacy alive is the cornerstone of a relationship. Having sex is not only the method of physical intimacy. Affectionate touch on a regular basis like hugging, holding hands or kissing is important as well. While touch is an important part of maintaining a healthy relationship, it is even important to know what your spouse actually likes. Inappropriate overtures or unwanted touching may make your partner tense up & retreat, which you would definitely not want. 

If you are looking for more relationship advice, then you can visit a counsellor who offers relationship counselling in Bondi Junction. Some couples even benefit from the spiritual advices given by religious figures.