The rise of what has been popularly termed ‘pornography addiction’ is a rising cause of suffering and malaise within our culture today, as the Internet and the proliferation of pornography accessible on it has most certainly imposed itself as a sexual reality in most cultures around the world (Rodriguez, 2007). The effects of this on men and women are

The sensation and experience of anxiety is something that affects all of us. Along side of depression, anxiety has been diagnosed as the number one mental health concern that effects a significant majority of the population. Although it is common knowledge that a little anxiety can help us perform better in certain situations, the debilitating

“There is a knowledge you understand in dreams that has nothing to do with what you are left with when you are supposedly awake. That is why it is so important to decipher dream”. (Lacan, 1973-74) The importance of dreams, the process of their production, their articulation and their interpretation in ones everyday life is

Investigations into the physiological and psychological effects of extreme stress have been a focus in psychological research for more than a hundred years (1) Psychological research into extreme stress reactions such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has been of primary importance and is of increasing significance in our modern times (2). What is Post-Traumatic Stress

We all experience what are known as stress-related difficulties in our lives and no one is immune from the pressures that life can sometimes create. These stress-related problems can be expressed  in our body in a myriad of ways and disappear once the cause of the stress is removed. Yet for some  people, they suffer

The act or fact of having a romantic or sexual relationship with someone other than your husband, wife or partner can be the most painful and bond-breaking act that a relationship can go through. The sense of betrayal that comes with the act of infidelity and when it gets found out is sometimes simply too

The one experience in life that no one can or has ever avoided, despite the many attempts that we have read about in the annals of history, in fiction books or in our own lives, is the experience of loss. The experience of loss is something that begins at the very beginnings of life and

Depression is a highly complex and potentially devastating condition that affects people for all walks of life, regardless of age, gender, and cultural or socio-economic background. People who suffer from depression or who have suffered from this can testify to the fact that it can affect many or all aspects of everyday living, including your

Drug and alcohol use is widespread in our culture and prevalent throughout civilization. Our knowledge about the effects of the many legal and illegal drugs and alcohol and the use of these substances have expanded over the last decades and many people now know someone, or have known of someone, who has or has had

“The essence of language has never been to serve the function of communication” – Jacques Lacan One of the most common complaints between couples that are heard by friends, family and therapists alike is that their respective partner doesn’t communicate with them enough or effectively. This is an all too common complaint between all people

The normal functioning of ordinary bodily functions is something that we tend to take for granted on a daily basis and unless it is disrupted by injury or illness, it is something we simply don’t think about. With this in mind, the consumption of food is one of those regular functions that not only give

Sexual life can be a complicated and highly complex part of human existence and as such, problems that relate to this part of our lives can arise seemingly without meaning or explanation and can cause many difficulties not only personally but also between couples as well. Sometimes the problem of a lack of sexual desire

Many people can have intrusive thoughts or engage in seemingly meaningless ritualistic behavior in different periods of their lives, especially when they are under high levels of stress and tension. For some people however, these intrusive thoughts and compulsive behaviours can lead to a life of quiet desperation and suffering when these thoughts and compulsions

The subject of missing persons can be a very difficult subject to conceptualize for many people and, for the majority of people, it’s simply not a subject they ever think about or rarely hear about. For the people that go through the horrendous experience of a loved one going missing that have yet to be

Masturbation, unlike most subject matters, is a topic that is rarely spoken about among people in everyday life and is an aspect of life that remains private to the individual. Even between lovers, this subject is seldom a topic of conversation and the fantasy of the masturbatory act is something that is rarely discussed or

Suicide is a tremendous and tragic issue in Australia. Despite the greater focus and awareness on the issue of suicide in the past two decades or more, suicide has now been recognised as the leading cause of death in Australia for young people between the ages of 15 and 24 and accounts for more deaths

Australians, like many people in the world, travel more and relocate more often to reside in different locations, in Australia and overseas, more frequently now than ever before in history. This can be due to numerous factors, like relocating overseas or interstate for employment opportunities, family reasons or a myriad of other reasons that bring

We live in an ever changing, fast paced and dynamic world. This fast paced, interconnected and ever shifting world will undoubtedly continue through this century and beyond. As a part of this ever changing world, online counselling and psychotherapy has become more common as more people are living abroad for employment, studies or for their

Sexual abuse and assault is one of the most serious crimes that men and women face in Australia today. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), the number of people with a principal offence of sexual assault and related offences increased by 19 per cent in the year 2013-14 and numbers have increase over the

The experience of anxiety can be understood, in some cases, as a signal and reaction to a danger, whether in a perceived threat from within the mind itself of the individual or a perceived threat in the external world. The anticipatory anxiety from an external sense of threat can help you to prepare yourself to