Active Counselling Services

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Upper Coomera, QLD
Active Counselling Services

Active Counselling Services offers caring and creative counselling for children, teenagers and adult Here clients will feel accepted, valued and encouraged.

Active Counselling Services offers counselling in a tranquil, inviting environment designed to help clients feel calm, safe and relaxed. They will be free to explore their worries, identity, goals, regrets, behaviour patterns and difficult experiences in a confidential space. Active Counselling Services provides support to those affected by grief and loss, depression, trauma, life changes, fears, body image concerns, unhealthy food relationships, low self-esteem, perfectionism, self-harm, anxiety, relationship issues and emotional management issues.

19/06/2022

Over the next three weeks I have availability for counselling and am happy to take on new clients. My rates are $90 for adults (1 hr) and $80 for children (45 mins). To make a booking call 0424 08 4443.

23/10/2021

Things you need to do before your teenager goes to a party…

Find out exactly where party is and plan to take them yourself (do not use Uber/public transport) and know who'll be there.

Talk to the host parent. (Teenagers hate this, however this is crucial!) Ask direct questions about whether or not it will be a drug/alcohol free party. Find out whether party is a sleepover and whether a mixed sleepover. Alcohol and a mixed sleepover is a recipe for disaster! Ask the host whether they will be actively supervising for the entire event. Ensure your values match with hosts.

Do not simply trust your teenager – their pre-frontal cortex is not fully developed and risk taking is at a high, especially around peers. Additionally, alcohol has profound effects on the function of the prefrontal cortex.

Have a clear pick-up time (risk taking tends to increase as night goes on).

Monitor your child’s finances (you need money for drugs/alcohol).

In the event of the party getting out of control, ensure your child knows they can ring you at anytime even if they have made a mistake and also ensure they know to call triple 000 if they are concerned for a friend. Remind them that in an emergency they should call 000 before calling you and that they do not need to wait for host to do this.

Many parents have the false belief that giving their child a couple alcoholic drinks to take with to a party will limit risk. This is false and children are more likely to experience alcohol related harm than those not given alcohol by their parents. Many will consume more alcohol than they bring during the night. Remember you are not the only parent saying no (no matter what your child says) - 82% of 16-17 year olds are not giving permission to take alcohol to parties! Kids who drink before 15 years of age are 5 times more likely to have alcohol related problems when older. Teenagers who consume alcohol are more likely to engage in risk-taking behaviour that can lead to illness, injury, and death. Severe consequences of underage drinking include unintentional death and injury associated with driving or engaging in other risky tasks after drinking, homicide and violence, su***de attempts, sexual assault, risky sexual behaviour, vandalism and property damage (NCBI, 2004). Underage drinking can lead to serious health problems e.g. alcohol poisoning as their livers cannot process the toxins quickly enough.

If you are hosting a party, ensure you have activities to provide good clean fun! Consider messy games, a great dance set up, karaoke, mechanical bull/surf board, giant slides, pool party, master chef challenge, giant twister, sports games, photo booths, Pictionary etc. You will be surprised how much teenagers enjoy being a kid.

I have been inspired to write these notes after watching the amazing talk by Paul Dillon on drugs and alcohol at the Resilient Kids Conference. I highly recommend both Paul and the conference. It is run every year around this time and well worth attending.

25/03/2020

In this difficult time, I am offering online counselling sessions at the discounted price of $70 for children or adults. For more information or to make an appointment call 0424 08 4443. Face to face sessions are still available for $90. Chairs spaced and sanitized after each session. No coffee or tea offered. Stay safe and healthy everyone and focus on the positives. This will pass and together we will look after each other.

12/12/2019

Have you struggled in 2019 or is someone in your family doing it tough?

Take some time to reflect...Some warning signs that you or someone you know is struggling include not finding enjoyment in life, disconnecting from people, unusual or strong emotional responses, often feeling stressed or down, appearing in one’s heads, unable to come to terms with loss or failure, addictive or unhealthy behaviours, fearful of situations or people, or disengagement or notable changes to your normal way of being. Children or teenagers may have friendship issues, confidence problems, heightened emotional responses, worry often, put too much pressure on themselves or be fearful of or unwilling to try new things.

Please take the time to ask yourself or those you love if they are ok. If further help is required, don’t be afraid to contact a professional. Active Counselling Services offers counselling to children, teenagers and adults. Active Counselling Services provides a tranquil, inviting room designed to help you feel calm, safe and relaxed. Here you will feel accepted, valued and encouraged. You will be free to explore your worries, grief, identity, goals, regrets, behaviour patterns and difficult experiences in a confidential space.

Active Counselling Services provides assistance coping with or overcoming grief and loss, depression, trauma, life changes, fears, body image concerns, low self-esteem, perfectionism, self-harm, anxiety, relationship issues and anger management. Social and behavioural skills, along with emotional expression are promoted to enhance quality of life.
Active Counselling Services will be available for appointments throughout the school holidays and will only close for the public holidays.
For more information or to book a counselling session, contact Laura on 0424 08 4443.
www.activecounsellingservices.com.au

27/09/2019

I like buts and I cannot lie!

Has life thrown you some curve balls lately and left you feeling in a negative place? Today I am going to teach you a technique called the But Technique. It is a very simple technique to help you see the positives in an experience. It allows you to express any feeling you feel at any given moment with the addition of a but at the end of the sentence. For example, I had a terrible day at work, but I had a lovely lunch with my co-worker. Adding a but statement to the end of the sentence allows you to find hope or gratitude in that situation. It can also help you find understanding and empathy for someone and grow resilience within you. Here a few more examples. Try it yourself!

My partner is working late again, but I appreciate that we will have the money to take a holiday soon.

I feel sad that my friend has not been returning my calls, but I know her marriage is struggling and chose to show her grace.

My teenage daughter is moody all the time, but I know her brain and body are changing at an alarming rate causing all sorts of symptoms.

My neighbour’s party kept me awake last night, but I enjoyed hearing them laughing and singing.

I feel frustrated that my dog chewed up his bed again, but how I love to cuddle him.

That customer was so rude to me, but I wonder if she is struggling emotionally as she looked close to tears.. I will pray for her.

The weather is terrible, our outing must be postponed, but we could plan a fun indoor games day instead.

My best friend is sick, but I will be there for her no matter what.

I didn’t get the job. I feel so disappointed, but the interview was great practice and I will not give up.

If you need help seeing the positives in an experience, consider booking a counselling appointment with Laura on 0424 08 4443.

26/09/2019

How are your relationships travelling?

Today I have been considering how to make good relationships great! One of the most precious gifts we can give someone is our time. To really make the most of that time, I recommend taking a genuine and active interest in the person’s passions. Bob Goff said in his book ‘Everybody Always’, “There’s a big difference between knowing what someone’s doing and being with them while they do it”. We don’t necessarily have to share a love for their passion, the gift is watching their face, seeing their delight and knowing that you get to truly understand what makes them happy. I often marvel at the connections people have within sports team and I think the fact that they get to live and breathe the other’s passion and feel each other’s successes and losses is incredibly bonding. Try some of the tips below to bring your relationships closer.

• Know and understand the passions and interests of your partner, friends, family and children.
• Spend time actively involving yourself in these passions.
• Ask your loved ones about their passions and listen actively to their response.
• Invite others to know and experience your interests.
• Pick up the phone, drop in or plan catch ups to ensure deeper connections.
• Love is a verb and so often the little acts mean the most, show up for your loved ones and stick to your word.
• Don’t be afraid of being silly together, so often the silliness is the best bit.
• Gain time by actively reducing things that take time away from your relationships e.g. technology, phone, overtime, gaming, tv.
• Be vulnerable in regards to your emotions, vulnerability adds depth and provides the opportunity for understanding and empathy.
• Choose to see the best in the people that surround you.
• Encourage those you love to do what they love.
• If you feel like you or the person you are wanting to build a relationship with, does not have a passion in their life, it is the perfect opportunity to try new things!
• Passion can be found in many many places. E.g. creativity, sport, learning, environment, animals, adventure, travel, reading, water activities, play, decorating and so much more!

If you need help finding your passion or putting quality experiences into your relationship, consider booking a counselling appointment with Laura on 0424 08 4443.

P.S. If you have engaged in an activity with someone where you saw their purest form of joy, pop it below as it might inspire someone else. For example, today I squealed and laughed out loud while jumping on the trampoline with my nephew!

26/01/2019

Feeling lost? Need Direction? Feel free to utilize this daily plan. It focuses on many elements that contribute to a meaningful, healthy and motivated life. Share around if you feel it would help others. Active Counselling Services hopes you have had a fabulous Christmas and wishes you the best for a fabulous 2019. For those requiring counselling, Active Counselling Services is accepting new clients.

28/12/2018

Feeling Unmotivated? Need Direction? Feel free to utilize this daily plan. It focuses on many elements that contribute to a meaningful, healthy and motivated life. Share around if you feel it would help others. Active Counselling Services hopes you have had a fabulous Christmas and wishes you the best for a Happy New Year. For those requiring counselling, Active Counselling Services is open for business and accepting new clients.

15/12/2018

The lead up to Christmas can be an exciting and joyful time, however for some it is a very difficult time due to loneliness, grieving loved ones, stress or a mental illness like depression or anxiety. This week I will present the symptoms of depression and offer some tips to help those who are feeling down.
Most people feel down at various times in life but for some it may indicate a more serious problem. If you have experienced at least 5 of the following 9 symptoms for at least two weeks that seriously impacts social, occupational or other functioning, you may need to seek help from a health professional.

1. Depressed mood most of the day, almost every day, indicated by your own subjective report or by the report of others. This mood might be characterized by sadness, emptiness, or hopelessness.
2. Markedly diminished interest or pleasure in all or almost all activities most of the day nearly every day.
3. Significant weight loss when not dieting or weight gain.
4. Inability to sleep or oversleeping nearly every day.
5. Psychomotor agitation (purposeless, intense restlessness) or retardation (slowing down of thought and reduction in physical movement) nearly every day.
6. Fatigue or loss of energy nearly every day.
7. Feelings of worthlessness or excessive or inappropriate guilt (which may be imagined) nearly every day.
8. Diminished ability to think or concentrate, or indecisiveness, nearly every day.
9. Recurrent thoughts of death (not just fear of dying), recurrent suicidal ideation without a specific plan, or a su***de attempt or a specific plan for committing su***de.
(DSM-5, 2013)

What to do if you feel depressed?
1. Reach out and connect with friends and loved ones.
2. Practice being mindful. Utilise all your senses to be present in the moment and break patterns of worrying about the future or ruminating on the past.
3. Do things that you enjoy, even if you don’t feel like it (consider hobbies, sports, upbeat music, activities you enjoyed in the past or helping others).
4. Ensure you are moving your body daily e.g. a brisk walk, organized exercise or household jobs. Moving your body helps produce feel good chemicals in your brain and a sense of accomplishment.
5. Go outside and get some sunlight e.g. gardening or swimming.
6. Change negative thinking patterns (intentionally think positive thoughts as negative thoughts often become unconscious, therefore a conscious effort needs to be made to have far more positive than negative thoughts to break the cycle. In time the brain will change and the positive thoughts will come easier).
7. Try to get the recommended amount of sleep each night (7-9 hrs for adults).
8. Eat healthy, balanced, regular meals and continue with normal daily routines.
9. Avoid using alcohol to improve mood (it often has the opposite effect and may lead to other health problems)
10. See a medical professional to allow for diagnosis, counselling and/or medication.
Depression can be very isolating, however you do not need to endure depression on your own, seek help from family, friends and health professionals. If you are feeling suicidal dial 000 or contact a medical professional immediately. Remember support is there for you and depression can be managed.

By Laura Maas, Active Counselling Services
www.activecounsellingservices.com.au

References
American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Publishing.

12/09/2018

ARE YOU OK?

Are you struggling or do you know someone who is doing it tough? Some warning signs that you or someone you know is struggling include disconnecting from people, not engaging in normal routine, changes in emotional response, portraying high levels of stress, appearing in one’s heads, not finding enjoyment in life, addictive behaviour, fearful of situations or people or any notable change to a person’s normal way of being.

Please take the time to ask yourself or those you love if they are ok. A genuine conversation with someone who cares can be incredibly powerful. If further help is required, don’t be afraid to contact a professional. Active Counselling Services offers counselling to children, teenagers and adults. Active Counselling Services provides a tranquil, inviting room designed to help you feel calm, safe and relaxed. Here you will feel accepted, valued and encouraged. You will be free to explore your worries, identity, goals, regrets, behaviour patterns and difficult experiences in a confidential space.

Active Counselling Services provides assistance coping with or overcoming grief and loss, depression, trauma, life changes, fears, body image concerns, low self-esteem, perfectionism, self-harm, anxiety, relationship issues and anger management. Social and behavioural skills, along with emotional expression are promoted to enhance quality of life.

For more information or to book a counselling session, contact Laura on 0424 08 4443.
www.activecounsellingservices.com.au

13/10/2017

Happy Kids group program for Term 4 is now full. So enjoyed meeting this amazing bunch of kids today! For those that missed out, please email me to express interest in the next course.
laura@activecounsellingservices.com.au

Address

Cnr Tobias Street & Capelily Street
Upper Coomera, QLD
4209

Website

http://www.activecounsellingservices.com.au/

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