Bullying - School, Marriage and/or Relationship Issues, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy (EFT)

Bullying - School, Marriage and/or Relationship Issues, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

School bullying has always been an issue for some children. When someone is perceived to have some weakness, they will often be systematically undermined and harmed by their peers. School bullies often bully children belonging to minority groups, and without treatment, the effects of bullying can last well into adulthood.

Bullies will hurt their victims emotionally by taking or damaging their property, calling them names, excluding them and making threats. Physical abuse is another form of school bullying and usually starts with shoving or hitting, but it can escalate to something much more severe. Cyberbullying is increasing in popularity amongst adolescents and due to the viral nature of the internet, rumors and lies can spread very fast, causing much damage to the victim.

Research has shown that boys are more prone to physical bullying while girls usually choose verbal bullying as their method of operation. That is one of the reasons why bullying by girls is more long-lasting and underreported.

Bullying can cause much harm, not only physically, but also to the victim's self-esteem.  It can interfere with the victim's social skills development and ability to form normal relationships. School bullying will probably cause a child to fear going to school and he or she will invent excuses not to go. It can also cause a child to feel anger, fear, anxiety, isolation and shame.Sometimes, bullying can lead to suicidal thoughts and attempts.

A therapist with experience in treating bullying can help a victim to heal in a safe and nurturing environment. It can help the victim to share the feelings with a therapist or support groups who understand what he or she is going through.

If you are looking for a counsellor or psychologist who offers child therapy or counselling to address your child's bullying issues you may want to search the directory to find a professional whose approach will suit you best.

Entering into a relationship means merging your life with another person, understanding his or her flaws, quirks and beliefs. With marriage rates declining and divorce statistics set at 50%, it is clear that people are increasingly challenged by marriage and relationship issues, and many lack effective ways to address them. So how can we bridge the gap to understanding our partners better and enjoying romantic bliss?

Many factors affect the interpersonal relationship between two partners who are a couple and sometimes it's hard to see the cause of conflict or friction in a relationship. While some people find divorce to be the best or only option, other people speak to counsellors and psychologists  in a bid to try salvage the relationship.

Signs that indicate a need for couples counselling include poor communication in a relationship, affairs, living past one another, inability to resolve marriage of couples' issues, and acting out negative feelings. When divorce seems like the only option, or if a couple is staying together for the kids' sake, that's a sure sign that therapy is needed.

Therapists do not necessarily  believe that all marriages can be salvaged, but counselling can often help even some of the most challenged relationships.  Through talk therapy, the couple will discover again why they fell in love and what they can do to get back to that place in their marriage. They use a range of effective, proven methods to help couples in any situation to restore intimacy and move past the hurt and wounds to a safe and comfortable place.

The concrete tools used by marriage therapists provide guidance in a supportive and encouraging setting and empower clients to restructure their thoughts and emotions. It helps the couple to work with each other, instead of on one another, helping each individual to find the person he or she is at the core level and to build a happy union.

If you are looking for a counsellor or psychologist who works with  couples you may want to search the directory to find a professional whose approach will suit you best.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is an anxiety disorder that usually starts within the three months of a traumatic incident. It has been reported that in rare cases, PTSD symptoms may only occur after a number of years.

Three groups of symptoms are present in people with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Increased anxiety / emotional arousal includes anger or irritability, overwhelming shame or guilt, sleeplessness and self-destructive behaviour. The second group of symptoms, known as intrusive memories, causes flashbacks to the traumatic event and upsetting dreams. The third group of symptoms that a Post Traumatic Stress Disorder patient may experience, includes emotional numbing or avoidance. This group of symptoms includes memory problems, poor concentration, feeling emotionally numb, a sense of hopelessness, and an avoidance of activities that the person used to find enjoyable.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder symptoms may be present for a while, disappear and then return again. General stress may increase the symptoms, as can reminders of the traumatic incident.

Therapists who address  Post Traumatic Stress Disorder generally use one, or a combination of trauma therapies to treat it. Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) is commonly used and can help a person to change their reactions to traumatic memories.

Exposure therapy can help a person reduce the amount of fear related to the feelings and thoughts associated with past traumatic events. Cognitive therapy helps a person to change the way he or she thinks about the event and the aftermath of a traumatic incident. It will help a person to identify thoughts that cause fear and anger, and learn ways to replace those thoughts with less stressful and more empowering thoughts.

If you are looking for a counsellor or psychologist who offers Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and related issues you may want to search the directory to find a professional whose approach will suit you best.

Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy (EFT)

Emotionally focused therapy (EFT) has helped couples and family members to treat distressed relationships, depression and a range of other emotional difficulties. It is one of the most common treatments used in private counselling and psychologist practices, training centres and hospital clinics around the world.

The main goal of Emotionally focused therapy is to create a secure bond between romantic partners and to reorganize and expand critical emotional responses. It helps to improve communication between partners, which is more beneficial to the relationship. EFT is a practical therapy that has been used successfully in relationships and marriages for many years, due to the fact that it creates a spirit of respect and harmony.

Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy generally only lasts between six to twenty sessions and has been shown effective in 90% of relationships.

If you are looking for a therapist who offers Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy, please browse our list of practitioners below..

Note:  Some practitioners practice Emotion Focused Therapy rather than Emotionally Focused therapy.  You will want to confirm that it is indeed Emotionally Focused Therapy that the counsellor/psychologist practices.

Note: You may narrow your search by selecting more than one filter below.

Sophia Van Vuuren

M.A., R.Psych
Sophia holds a Masters degree in Clinical Psychology and is a Registered Psychologist with the College of Psychologists in British Columbia, #1659. She has worked in the mental health field as a Clinical Psychologist... Read more