FIRST!  
If you or your children are in immediate danger or need urgent medical attention, contact the police or ambulance services by calling 911 or the emergency number for your community.

Family violence or domestic violence negatively impacts on families and the individuals who form part of it. It is one of the most common reasons why the average North American women aged younger than fifty seeks emergency medical care.

Domestic violence includes a single incident of pushing a close family member around, or slapping them. However, family violence can also be much more severe, and in some cases even fatal. It includes repeated incidents of violent outbursts, and could result in homicide. It is much more common than most people want to believe, and it can quickly escalate without intervention.

Family violence usually starts out with controlling behaviours, in which the abusive spouse will make all the decisions, while isolating the victim. There will be verbal abuse and threats. The abuse usually works in cycles where arguments and threats will start causing tension before the violence takes place. The violence will generally become more severe as time goes by. Afterwards, the couple will reunite as the perpetrator apologises profusely and makes promises that it will never happen again. However, the cycle will repeat until the victim finds help.

Unfortunately, victims are generally to afraid to seek help, and that's why they usually stay in abusive relationships. They may experience severe post-traumatic stress disorder, fear, low-self-esteem and abandonment issues that can impact on all areas of their lives and help is necessary. Therapy is a potent tool to help facilitate healing in children who have experienced family violence.

If you are looking for a counsellor or psychologist who offers therapy to address family violence issues you may want to search the directory to find a professional whose approach will suit you best.  Remember, if there is any immediate danger seek emergency assistance first.

While stress is a normal part of our modern, everyday lives, it can also have dramatic side effects. Chronic stress can lead to behavioral issues, such as drug abuse that can harm relationships. However, most commonly, chronic stress can affect a person's physical health in a number of ways. Many people avoid asking for help in coping with stress management, accepting it as a common hazard of today's fast-paced life.

Yes, at some point everyone suffers from challenges with stress management, but if at any point in time you feel like you have trouble handling it, it is time to get help. Signs that you are not coping with stress management includes a change in your sleeping or eating habits, feeling physically unwell (headaches, ulcers, frequent colds and flu), reduced productivity and decreased pleasure in activities you enjoyed before.

Stress is common when dealing with life changes or situations such as job losses, getting married, breakups or divorces, discrimination, parenting, moving house, death of a pet or loved one, being diagnosed with a serious medical condition.  

Therapy can help you to better deal with stress management issues. Negative moods reduce the quality of several aspects of our lives, including productivity and interpersonal relationships. Through cognitive restructuring, negative thoughts can be challenged and rescripted to help you create a more positive mindset.

Stress can often cloud the validity of our interpretations of certain events and circumstances, and cognitive restructuring challenges those assumptions. In the case of invalid interpretations, the way we think about situations naturally changes, which has a positive effect on our moods and ability to handle stress better.

If you are looking for a counsellor or psychologist who will help you manage stress more effectively you may want to search the directory to find a professional whose approach will suit you best.