MC Counselling

24/12/2025

This Christmas, MC Counselling pauses to reflect on a year that has stretched hearts across the world. It has been a year marked by deep sorrow and shock, including acts of hatred such as the antisemitic shooting in Bondi, alongside many other global tragedies that have left individuals, families, and communities carrying heavy grief.

At the same time, this year has also revealed something enduring. In the face of fear and loss, people have shown extraordinary courage, compassion, and solidarity. We have witnessed communities coming together, voices speaking out against hatred, and countless quiet acts of care that rarely make headlines but change lives every day.

Christmas invites us to hold both truths at once. The pain is real and deserves to be acknowledged. So does the resilience that allows people to keep going, to reach for support, and to choose kindness even when the world feels overwhelming.

At MC Counselling, we are grateful to walk alongside those who have trusted us with their stories this year. Seeking support, offering empathy, and creating space for healing are acts of strength, especially in times like these.

As we move into the holiday season, we hold hope for safety, understanding, and peace. May this Christmas offer moments of rest, connection, and light, even if only in small ways. Wishing you a gentle and meaningful Christmas, and a new year guided by compassion and care.

Much love,

Mikey ###

22/12/2025

Returning to the same place for Christmas carries a quiet kind of magic. The streets look familiar, the air feels softer, and time seems to fold in on itself as memories meet the present. What once felt ordinary now feels grounding, like the world briefly pressing pause.

There’s comfort in knowing where the light falls in the afternoon, which door creaks, and how the evenings settle in. Traditions don’t need to be new to feel meaningful; sometimes their power comes from being repeated, year after year, unchanged and steady.

This season isn’t about chasing something different. It’s about noticing how you have changed while the place stayed the same, and letting that contrast feel like home.

Sometimes the greatest gift of Christmas is returning, remembering, and feeling rooted again.

19/12/2025

In a world that’s always online, choosing to unplug is a powerful form of self-care. A digital detox isn’t about disconnecting from life—it’s about reconnecting with it. Unplugged holidays create space for deeper rest, clearer thinking, and more meaningful moments.

When notifications stop, presence begins. Mornings feel slower, conversations feel richer, and memories feel more real. Traveling without constant screen time allows you to fully experience new places, connect genuinely with people, and return home feeling refreshed instead of overstimulated.

Taking a break from digital noise helps reduce stress, improve sleep, and restore creativity. Sometimes the most valuable signal is the one you find within—no Wi‑Fi required.

Step away from the screen. Step into the moment.

17/12/2025

15/12/2025

A Community Stopped in Its Tracks

On Sunday, Bondi changed. A place defined by light, movement, and everyday rituals was interrupted by violence that no one expects and no one prepares for. What unfolded was not just an attack on individuals, but a rupture in the sense of safety that quietly underpins ordinary life.

For many, the shock came not only from the act itself, but from where it happened. Bondi is familiar. It is routine. It is where people walk, work, meet friends, and pass strangers without fear. That familiarity makes the events of Sunday harder to absorb.

Holding Space for the Victims

At the centre of this tragedy are the people who were killed, injured, and traumatised, and the families whose lives have been irrevocably altered. Their names, stories, and futures matter more than any headline or detail replayed in the news cycle.

Grief does not move in straight lines. Some will feel it immediately, others later. Some will feel it personally, others as a dull unease that lingers in the background. All of it is valid.

The Weight of Witnessing

Many who were not directly harmed still carry the weight of what they saw, heard, or narrowly avoided. Witnessing violence leaves marks that are often invisible but deeply real. The shock, confusion, and lingering anxiety are part of the aftermath, even for those who walked away physically unharmed.

This is a moment to recognise that trauma does not require proximity to be legitimate.

Standing Together, Quietly and Firmly

In moments like this, unity does not need slogans or grand gestures. It shows up in quieter ways: checking on friends, giving people time, respecting grief, and refusing to let fear define shared spaces.

Bondi will continue to be a place of life and movement, but it will also carry this memory. How the community holds it matters.

Moving Forward With Care

There is no single lesson or neat conclusion to draw from Sunday. There is only the responsibility to remember, to support those affected, and to approach one another with patience and humanity in the days ahead.

Violence seeks to fracture. Community responds by holding together.

14/12/2025

Creating Boundaries Over the Festive Season

The end of the year doesn’t need to mean being constantly available. Boundaries are not about disengaging from people, they are about choosing *when* and *how* you show up.

- Decide your availability early and communicate it clearly with colleagues, clients, friends, and family
- Pause notifications and emails outside your chosen hours to protect mental space
- Choose quality over quantity when it comes to social invitations
- Give yourself permission to say no without over‑explaining
- Schedule rest like an appointment so it doesn’t get pushed aside

Reframing Boundaries as Respect

Boundaries aren’t a rejection, they’re a form of self‑respect. When you protect your time and energy, you show up more present, grounded, and intentional in both work and relationships.

> “You don’t need to earn rest. You’re allowed to protect it.”

A Gentle Reminder for the Season

This period is not a test of productivity or popularity. It’s a chance to reset. Step back where needed, lean in where it feels right, and let your boundaries support you into the new year.

Closing the year well starts with choosing yourself—calmly, clearly, and without apology.

11/12/2025

The holidays are often painted as a season of joy, connection, and celebration — but for many, Christmas can feel like the loneliest time of year. While lights twinkle and families gather, some sit quietly in the spaces between — missing someone, feeling unseen, or simply struggling to find warmth in a season that demands cheer.

Loneliness at Christmas

Loneliness doesn’t always mean being alone. It can live in crowded rooms, in the silence after laughter fades, or in the ache of memories that resurface when the world slows down. The pressure to be happy can make that ache even sharper, turning what should be comfort into comparison.

Yet, there’s quiet strength in acknowledging it. Reaching out — even in small ways — can bridge the distance. A message, a walk, a shared cup of coffee can remind us that connection doesn’t have to be grand to be real.

A Gentle Reminder

If you’re feeling lonely this Christmas, you’re not broken — you’re human. The season will pass, but your story continues, and there are still chapters ahead filled with light and belonging.

Take care of yourself, reach out if you can, and remember: even in the stillness, you are not alone.

10/12/2025

This Christmas, let’s give ourselves the gift of presence. 🎄✨

Amid the rush of wrapping paper, gatherings, and endless to-do lists, take a moment to pause and breathe. The holidays don’t have to be perfect — they’re meant to be peaceful.

Check in with yourself.
Rest when you need to.
Say no when it protects your peace.
Say yes when it brings you joy.

Mindfulness isn’t about escaping the season — it’s about experiencing it fully: the warmth of connection, the quiet moments of gratitude, and the simple joy of being here, now.

Let’s make space for calm, compassion, and mental well-being this Christmas. 💫

09/12/2025

The holidays are meant for joy — but this year, many are feeling the weight of financial stress and rising living costs. 🎁✨

Instead of stretching budgets thin, people are embracing budget-friendly celebrations, homemade gifts, and smaller gatherings that focus on connection over consumption. This shift is giving rise to the “minimalist Christmas” movement — a reminder that meaning doesn’t come from price tags, but from presence.

Let’s redefine what giving really means this season. ❤️

07/12/2025

The holidays can be beautiful — but they can also be a lot.
If you’ve been feeling anxious, low, or just not yourself, reaching out for counselling before Christmas can make a huge difference.
You deserve peace, not pressure. 💙

02/12/2025

01/12/2025

Christmas Day can be full of joy — but let’s be honest, it can also be *a lot*. Between the pressure to arrive “on time,” juggling family visits, and trying not to overstay (or leave too early!), it’s easy to feel stressed instead of festive.

Take a breath this year. Arrive when you can, leave when you need to, and remember — the best gift you can bring is your presence, not your punctuality.

Let the day flow, laugh when things go off-plan, and give yourself permission to enjoy the moments that matter most. 🎄✨

FestiveSeason MindfulMoments ChristmasVibes HolidayBoundaries SelfCareAtChristmas RealChristmasMoments PresenceOverPerfection