Eden Heights Psychology

30/10/2025

11/09/2025

20/08/2025

Our words are important. They have power!

As we previously discussed, they are the foundation for communication, allowing us to share ideas, express feelings, and grow connections. They have the power to re-wire our neurological pathways, shape our thoughts, affect our well-being, influence our emotions, and dictate our actions.

Not only do they impact others, but they also impact us.

When used carelessly, they can cause significant harm.

Choosing the right words is crucial as they can shift perceptions, impact relationships, and drive actions.

They can:

- Encourage, inspire, motivate (positive)

- Discourage, silence, hurt (negative)



A few words that don’t mean much to us, may stick with someone else for a lifetime. How much more should we therefore attend to the words we say and consider their impact before speaking?


“Your words have the power to hurt, to heal, open minds, open hearts and change the world. Never forget the responsibility you have over the words you speak” – Steven Aitchison

10/08/2025

Embrace Forgiveness

One of the most common unhelpful thinking styles we engage in as adults is disqualifying the positive but we not only do this in relation to throwing out our own successes or treating them as if they don't count for one reason or another, in some ways we also apply this to our relationships with others. There is a saying, ‘you’re only as good as your last mistake’ and sometimes this is how we treat our relationships. You may have someone in your life who has always been there to listen to or help you, perhaps even defended you to others in your absence, where the bulk of the relationship has been positive but at some point tarnished by a disagreement, situation, or even simply absence and suddenly the many positives are coloured by the one or few negatives. This is only because we allow them to be, we choose to discount those good elements because we feel offended and elect to hang onto this rather than embracing forgiveness in its entirety. Certainly each situation is different but in many cases it's likely worth letting go of the offence and holding onto the support. ‘Life is a journey …’ often a tough one and as we age true connections seem harder to come by. Having a solid support system professionally, familiarly, and personally holds value and improves our wellbeing. Don't lightly cast aside those who would care for you.

08/08/2025

Non-verbal – The way you say it and show it

Effective communication depends a lot more on our tone of voice and body language than the words we say. Saying that you love your spouse would mean a lot more to them if you said it while kissing their forehead, holding their hand or embracing them, rather than if you mumbled it under your breath while heading out the door.

Here are some tips on how to improve non-verbal communication:
• Be aware of your body language (postures and gestures). Non-verbal cues can either support or contradict what we are saying, which is why it’s so important to be aware of our body language.
- Try to keep an open and relaxed posture as this portrays a positive, open and friendly feel, for example open palms and leaning in slightly when speaking or listening and providing minimal encouragers such as nodding slightly in response to things they are saying.
- Avoid nervous or closed body language such as biting your lip or nails, crossing your arms, putting your hands on your hips, or tapping your foot impatiently.
- Practise mirroring their body language, for example, orienting your body similarly to theirs or if they appear tense, intentionally relaxing your posture, thereby hopefully encouraging them to relax and mirror your body language. This can create a sense of familiarity, comfort, connection and make them feel more at ease.

• Be mindful of facial expressions. Depending on the context and situation, it’s often good to keep a neutral, yet friendly expression unless you’re wanting to add an emotion to the words you’re speaking, as expressions like smiling, frowning, or raised eyebrows communicate a wide range of emotions.

• Maintain a good amount of eye contact. Research has shown that the right amount of eye contact can make interactions more meaningful and helps build connection, openness, fosters a sense of trust and shows that you are interested and invested in the conversation. The 50/70 rule suggests that it is ideal to maintain eye contact for approximately 50% of the time while speaking and 70% while listening.

“People may hear your words, but they feel your attitude.” — John C. Maxwell