Ashgrove and Clayfield Counselling Services

27/08/2014

Clayfield Counselling Services is excited to announce we have joined with Ashgrove Counselling Services to form Ashgrove and Clayfield Counselling Services. Now located at 10 Mara Place, Ashgrove, ACCS offer a private and professional setting a short 6 minute drive from the Brisbane CBD.
For any inquiries please phone (07) 3862 6622 or email [email protected]

28/03/2014

On her way home from work in the early hours of 13 March 1964, Kitty Genovese was attacked three times and then murdered; more than 38 witnesses to these attacks were reported. With 38 neighbours hearing the attacks why did no one do anything to save her? Individuals are less likely to offer help if they are in a group than if they were alone according to the bystander effect. This seems like an absurd thought, why wouldn't we intervene? Firstly the presence of other people creates a diffusion of responsibility; we don’t feel as pressured to intervene as we would if we were on our own. Many of Kitty's neighbours assumed someone else had called the police. When others don’t respond, we see this as the socially acceptable behaviour; that a response is unwarranted or not appropriate. Click on the following Youtube link to see the bystander effect in action.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSsPfbup0ac

An interesting look at the Bystander Effect

24/03/2014

We all know that rejection feels lousy, but did you know that the same areas in the brain are activated when faced with social rejection as physical pain? There is evidence that this may be deeply rooted in our evolutionary past; like hunger and thirst, our need to be accepted was developed as a means of survival. It is believed that the pain associated with social rejection was developed as a warning system when at risk of ostracism. This would allow the individual to correct their behaviour and most likely remain in the tribe. Rejection continues to be a valid construct in modern society, as it can have serious implications for the health and well being of an individual and a society as a whole. Social rejection has been found to increase depression, anger, anxiety, jealousy and sadness. Counselling is an effective means to learn strategies to better prepare and cope with rejection and associated conditions. If you or someone you know are finding it difficult to deal with rejection please our website www.clayfieldcounselling.com.au or call us on (07) 3862 6622.

Jenny Collier has a Masters in Sexual Health from the University of Sydney and is available for sexual health and sexual dysfunction counselling.

14/03/2014

Have you ever failed to notice a friend’s new haircut or outfit? Often you may find yourself not noticing things, especially if you don’t expect them to change; even if they are very large changes. You are not alone in failing to notice these changes, as humans we fall victim to a phenomenon known as change blindness. Change blindness is the inability to notice changes regardless of size, that fall clearly in a person’s line of view. This can be repeated under many different circumstances. Change blindness can be incredibly dangerous, particularly in terms of road safety. The main perceptual error contributing to road accidents is “looking but not seeing”. So next time you’re driving; be aware, be prepared for all types of vehicles and pedestrians. The following Youtube video is a fun example of change blindness. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubNF9QNEQLA

Test your Awareness with Do The Test's Whodunnit. Who Killed Lord Smithe? TFL cycling safety advert! How observant are you? How did you do? www.dothetest.co.uk

07/03/2014

Out of all mental illnesses, eating disorders have the highest mortality rate. Living with someone with an eating disorder can be a frustrating and daunting experience, especially when it comes to eating. For individuals suffering from anorexia things go haywire in their brain when confronted with eating; it arouses extreme anxiety and noisy, disturbing thoughts. When they do not eat these thoughts are quieter and they are able to think clearly. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has shown that there is a neurobiological difference between the brains of individuals with anorexia and those without. Neural pathways which should be functioning are not functioning properly. Hunger and taste centres are hardly activated. There is no spike in dopamine; thereby the individual receives no pleasure from eating. The flatness of taste concerns the amygdala and increases the anxiety levels of the individual. The parietal lobe sees self as growing and magnifying. This research will hopefully lead to more effective treatment of the disorder and greater understanding of what is going on for the patient and their families. For more detailed information on this research please watch the following TedX talk by Dr. Laura Hill at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UEysOExcwrE

Calm, pleasure and satisfaction is what most people experience after eating. But for people with eating disorders, food brings anxiety, disturbance and noise...

28/02/2014

The allegations of childhood sexual abuse by Dylan Farrow against her at the time stepfather Woody Allen has brought up much discussion; not necessary whether Allen is guilty or not, but if it is possible to implant false memories in an individual. Many people believe memory works like a recording device, however, decades of psychological research says otherwise; memory is suggestive. The misinformation effect is a perfect example of this; when an individual is witness to an event then later exposed to new and misleading information regarding it; their recollection of the event often tend to be distorted. This can be prompted by suggestions; through the method of questioning utilized to the emphasis of particular verbs, nouns and adjectives used in the question. An example of this is an experiment by Loftus and Palmer in 1994 whereby substituting the word “bumped”, “hit” and “smashed” participants described higher collision speeds and inserted details such as seeing broken glass. But what about implanting entirely false memories? Loftus and Pickrell attempted to implant a false account of being lost in a shopping mall into participants’ memories. Family members of the participants confirmed that this event had not occurred and provided an account of a standard shopping trip with the participant at the same age. The participants were given great detail in the false account of being lost for an extended period of time, being aided and comforted by an elderly lady and finally reunion with their family. Interviewing showed that while initially participants did not recall the false implanted information as their own, details of the false account emerged in follow up interviews. Decades of research support this, finding that memories are easier to modify the greater the length of time between the event and the present.

18/02/2014

Did you know that 70% of reported sexual assaults are committed by someone known by the victim? Recently, following some horrifying attacks worldwide and right here in Australia; there has been much discussion regarding r**e culture. R**e culture refers to the culture of a society; in which, prevalent attitudes and practices normalize, dismiss or excuses r**e and sexual violence. This includes but is not limited to victim blaming, sexual objectification and trivializing r**e. It can range from suggesting a victim was attacked due to their behaviour or dress, to making jokes regarding these attacks. These behaviours are said to not only hurt and discredit the victim but lessens the seriousness of the crime and takes blame away from the perpetrator. The issue is in the message this behaviour sends. R**e jokes mock and silence victims; when you laugh along to get someone’s approval, you are giving them yours. R**e culture affects all walks of life; all gender identities, ethnicities and socioeconomic statuses. Anyone can be a victim. No one is ever at fault for sexual violence committed against them. Getting help when you or someone you know has been affected by sexual violence can be difficult; for victim support applicable to your state please visit the following link http://www.victimsupport.org.au/services.php

Getting support to help cope with the consequences of crime may be the most important step you can take. This may be getting the support of your family and friends. Or it may be getting assistance from a specific service. Some of these may be a women’s refuge, victim support agency, r**e crisis s...