We provide confidential psychological therapy and counselling support to you during times of stress, life change, uncertainty or crisis.
In Australia, it’s estimated that 45 per cent of people will experience a mental health condition in their lifetime. One positive factor evident in today’s world is a much heightened knowledge and awareness about the importance of our psychological or mental health: monitoring it, looking after ourselves, and taking preventative and remedial actions. It is important to seek professional help when we know we are not ‘OK’, when we are struggling to function, or finding it tough to look after ourselves.
Many of us will face challenges in our lives. These challenges may ignite a number of feelings and thoughts that can be difficult to cope with and may affect the way we live our life. AH Psychology will work with you to provide emotional and social tools as well as strategies to ensure that you maintain control over how you feel and how you handle situations and to improve your overall wellbeing.
AH Psychology offers a range of professional psychological therapy and counselling services to individuals who live in the Shoalhaven or the surrounding area. We offer both face to face sessions, and virtual sessions via Zoom or Skype.
Call us on 0403 491 555 to book a consultation
How does it work and what services do we offer?
At some stage in our lives, we may experience different kinds and levels of symptoms that can interrupt our daily lives. Some examples include: feeling overwhelmed, suffering loss or grief, feelings of depression or anxiety at home or at work, procrastination or having difficulty making decisions.
Psychologists use supportive techniques designed to alter patterns of behaviour that are not helpful. This often involves understanding your past and current circumstances and assisting you in finding solutions; including learning new skills and ways of managing any symptoms that are causing distress.
A psychologist listens, with no judgement, and can provide a different and refreshing ‘lens’ on your problems.
Our areas of service
Stress and Anxiety:
There are many symptoms of anxiety and some are not all that obvious. You may feel levels of stress and anxiety in response to a stressor that is putting pressure on you, such as a deadline at work, or a difficult relationship. Some people may experience a constant level of anxiety, for a specific period of their life which may be for no obvious reason. This makes it hard to deal with day-to-day life. A skilled psychologist can provide you with the support and tools to learn how to control your anxiety, so it doesn’t control you.
Depression and Grief:
Similar to anxiety, depressive episodes can be triggered by events in your life. Major life events, such as childhood trauma or the loss of a loved one, can trigger prolonged periods of depression. Some people start to experience clinical depression early on in life, which can require therapy and support to help them cope, and to develop strategies to manage this, sometimes for the rest of their life. Depression can also manifest itself t for no apparent reason; you may feel unmotivated and numb. We are all different, so the most important thing is to recognise the signs and symptoms and seek support.
Workplace issues and Career Transition:
Workplace stress may come about from a range of possible causes or factors, such as bullying, toxic peer or manager relationships, organisational restructures and similar change processes. It can appear to be driven by career plateauing, or feelings associated with being underutilized, or demotivated. We can help you cope and manage more effectively with work-related stress, and help you develop strategies to solve problems and make better decisions.
We have extensive experience in providing support for defence personnel (military and civilian), as well as veterans.
Men’s mental health and men’s issues:
Many men are known to ignore their feelings and emotions, try and shrug them off or brush them aside, and not seek help when they need it most. They may attempt to put up a strong front to family, and other people around them. Avoidance in dealing with, or talking about, strong emotions takes energy and can become exhausting. AH Psychology provides specialist senior psychological support for men of all ages, providing assistance and guidance and maybe a ‘sounding board’ to make sense of their emotions and lives.
Anger management:
Anger is one of the seven universal emotions, and in some contexts is a normal and healthy emotion to experience. The critical factor is how we manage its expression. If your expression of anger is explosive, your message is not conveyed, and you may hurt or offend people around you. When anger gets out of control, we can express it too often and negatively affect ourselves and the people around us. Anger management is about learning how to reduce both your emotional feelings and the psychological arousal that anger causes. Learn how to better control your reactions and learn how to spend more of your time being happy and relaxed.
Retirement and staying relevant:
It is not uncommon for people to develop mental health conditions later in life. Beyondblue says that around 10 to 15% of older Australians experience depression and 10% experience anxiety, with the rate of depression climbing to 35% for people living in residential aged care. Seeing so much change in the world and adjusting to a new lifestyle can be difficult. Developing a mental health plan and outlining goals for this new stage in your life is important. AH Psychology provides support for mid to later life challenges and gives strategies on how to survive them and thrive.
Relationship issues:
Managing family dynamics can be difficult so it is helpful to have someone to speak to and learn how to better evaluate and handle situations. Keeping long term marriages and partnerships ‘alive’ and meaningful is also challenging. There are many considerations involved such as love, commitment, trust, time, attention, communication, tolerance, respect, and compromise. Over time it can become harder to practice these. Having a sounding board or mediator is beneficial to overcome such challenges.
Call us on 0403 491 555
Psychological resilience during the pandemic
As the 2020 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on most Australians, the psychological consequences are becoming more widespread and more acute.
Stress, anxiety, uncertainty and emotional fatigue are the more common manifestations of this that many of us are feeling. As well as the fact that virtual working is now a permanent part of many of our working lives, many face the additional challenges of ‘psychological cabin fever’.
AH Psychology can provide virtual consultations to support individuals during this time.
Hear from Alan Hudson himself, in an 8-minute interview with the ABC on ‘how to build psychological resilience during the pandemic’.
What can Psychological therapy or counselling help to achieve?
Psychological therapy can be a relatively simple process with good results.
Life for the majority of people will have its highs and lows. It is realistic to expect that you may need help when times are tough – when you don’t feel confident about your direction and when it seems impossible to deal with the daily obstacles in life.
If you feel that you are not coping with all that is going on in your life, therapy can help you. Research shows counselling is effective in treating a range of psychological, emotional and behavioural issues. Some of the main benefits can be:
- A greater level of understanding or self insight into our particular condition or circumstances, of those close to us, or whose behaviour is affecting us.
- Discover specific, practical behavioural and psychological strategies that assist individuals to find new paths and renewed hope at times of anxiety, crisis and confusion
- Learn additional or improved self-management techniques to help you not only ‘get through’ difficult patches in your life, but thrive and become more resilient to your challenges
It would be our pleasure at AH Psychology to meet with you during times of stress, crisis or challenge
Our consulting rooms are located in a relaxed, rural setting surrounded by farmland in Cambewarra. We are just fifteen minutes from Berry and less than ten minutes from Nowra CBD.
We accept private appointments as well as GP referrals on Mental Health Care Plans (eligible for a Medicare rebate).
To book an appointment, simply give us a call on 0403 491 555. If we are not available to take your call when you phone, please leave your name and contact number, we will return your call as soon as possible.
We will advise you of our address and give you simple directions on how to find us when we finalise an appointment with you.
We look forward to hearing from you.