36 questions that may lead to love

Emotional Agility · The Importance of Emotions

Emotional Agility by Susan David is one of my favourite resources. As counterintuitive as it might seem, we’re reminded that as human beings, of cours...

What are the biggest mistakes we make when creating change in our life?

Summer is almost over. The world has completed New Year celebrations too. Throughout many would have made optimistic promises and resolutions. You may...

What to do when self-doubt gets in the way of creating change

Change is a constant. Throughout our lives some changes are normal and expected and others are unexpected. Sometimes the tools we have in our toolkit ...

How to survive Christmas: maintaining your relationships and wellbeing

It’s almost Christmas. That means different things for each of us. For some, there is a hankering for the relief that comes with time away from the me...

Why gender based stereotypes are risky for men

I woke this morning to the news of Chris Cornell’s death. It’s devastating to hear that this talented musician, one of the great architects of the gru...

How to start moving towards self-acceptance and happiness

When we are contemplating change it is really important to get clear about the aspects of life that are not working for us....

Understanding your partner's relationship needs

Our journey to understanding the underlying needs in couple relationships started with psychiatrist John Bowlby (1907-1990). He was a Freudian thinker...

Self-compassion in leadership

Learn how cultivating kindness toward yourself enhances workplace relationships, improves emotional resilience, and fosters a positive work environmen...

Navigating Grief Disappointment Expectations

Life doesn't always go as planned. Learning how to navigate grief and disappointment when our expectations fall short is essential for emotional resil...

Judgement: How criticism of others

Our judgments and criticisms of others often reveal more about ourselves than those we judge. This blog post explores how these negative patterns can ...

Self Compassion Falling in Love

The early stages of love can be intoxicating, but what happens when the initial infatuation fades? This blog post explores why self-compassion is esse...

What is the secret to a happy fulfilling life?

When all is said and done, where should you invest most of your time? Society demands that we strive to achieve goals like getting that sales bonus, a...

Love the one you're with

The world is obsessed by the ideals of romantic love. Couples everywhere struggle in their quest for passion, love and intimacy.  The agonisi...

How mum's can manage stress

The modern world demands much of a Mum. It asks that she perform her role at work as if she has no responsibilities outside of it. When at home, it as...

The power of authenticity in overcoming communication problems in your relationship

Couples often enter my counselling room complaining of the maladies of life living with their partner or they indicate having a communication problem....

Feeling bored or disengage? Looking for change that will bring more happiness into your life?

Sometimes we notice ourselves feeling bored or disengaged, and we crave change in our work life. Sound familiar? Well your not alone....

How to start making a change to your wellbeing

One of the things I love about having my counselling practice based at the Studio is being able to draw on the diversity of skills and experience of e...

live-love-lead-journal/creating-change-in-the-landscape-of-life-no-3

Mandy applied the method utilised by psychology researcher Arthur Aron and colleagues 20 years ago, to help strangers fall in love in his laboratory. ...

How to make a change in your life

Bree has experience in the treatment of a range of health conditions, across all age groups, but is particularly interested in working with children a...

Looking for love...in online places?

Are you looking for love, like millions of other Australians? If so you might find yourself wondering whether your modern day fairytale will emerge fr...

Starting school - another big life transition?

Starting school - another big life transition? Christmas is over. Summer holidays and the New Year have begun. But the focus in our suburban ...

How can I tell if my relationship will last?

Couples are faced with many challenges and transitions throughout the course of their relationship. While it would be nice to have a crystal ball, the...

Our deep-seated yearning for connection

In Western cultures, dependency is a dirty word. In our world, healthy adulthood has been defined by emotional independence and self-sufficiency. In e...

A thought about marriage

“It is not a lack of love, but a lack of friendship that makes unhappy marriages.” - Friedrich Nietzsche...

How do you improve communication in a relationship? Does it make a difference?

Improving communication or more specifically learning how to resolve conflict is perhaps one of the biggest myths about creating a successful relation...

How to survive a relationship break up

Whether you initiated or were on the receiving end of a breakup, the loss of a relationship; a bond between intimates can be one of the most painful e...

Why do you need a counsellor?

Is it time to unlock new possibilities... of things you crave or struggle with in your life?...

How does counselling help?

At The Health and Wellbeing Studio, we have been reflecting on what might inspire people to really look after themselves, not just the physical but al...

Three marriage saving tips for life’s big transitions

When we look back across the landscape of our life - that began in our childhood craddles and leads us to where we are today, we realise that life evo...

Do we learn relationship management skills, or is it instinct that matters?

The 19th century German poet, philosopher and student of human culture Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel said, ‘Every art should become science, and eve...

Why do couples fight? (and how to redirect the energy)

We fight with those we care about the most because those are the relationships that matter....

The changing face of couple relationships

As a couples counsellor, it is important for me to keep up to date with the latest research on couple therapy. It has been a complex decade for growth...

Something personal....

Not so long ago my life was really different. I was a senior leader with a global blue chip company. I did interesting work. I was financially secure ...

What do you say to someone who is struggling?

Supporting someone who is struggling is difficult. What do you say to someone who is not ok?...

Is it worth seeing a relationship counsellor?

Relationships are fundamental to our wellbeing. So if you're struggling with relationships in any domain of life seeking the support of a relationship...

How to enjoy a family holiday

Many come to the end of a year and reflect on what they want to leave behind. Whether your year was filled with delight, disappointment or the unexpec...

A thought... about human connection

"we are who we are because of our connection to others. And this is what makes us happy." (Ubuntu philosophy)...

The one relationship book everyone should read

Through the science of love, we can learn so much about how to shape our most important relationships, how to not feel so alone and how to reach out a...

Is doing more housework the difference between a happy and unhappy marriage?

I finally had a quiet moment to sit down and catch up on The Age, Sunday Life magazine (a weekly ritual for me). Life Matters, was written by Kathy Le...

Why do you need emotions?

I noticed in the media this week reference to the “…thinking Australian” and found myself reflecting on how this reference was designed to create doub...

Is love enough to sustain a relationship?

"All you need is love"...

A thought about isolation...

There are so many moments of vulnerability in life, that present the possibility of isolation, aloneness and separation from those we love, when the n...

Mental Health Week and beyond: How can you improve your mental health and wellbeing?

It was mental health week last week. Around Melbourne (and I’m sure further afield too) events to raise awareness were hosted by numerous organisation...

A thought about stress

Today I am reminded of how love and our ability to connect can be challenged by the way we respond to the stressors that play out in our life. While s...

Why is compassion and kindness important?

All things have a beginning, a middle and an end. Yet in life when we begin to blame others, we get caught in the midst of feeling anger, sorrow or lo...

Why is mindfulness important?

What do you notice about how you feel right now?...