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Come on in and make yourself at home! Compare types of counselling and psychotherapy, take self-tests and quizzes, identify symptoms, look up medications, or learn about secure online therapy. You can also ask one of our psychologists a question, or read some of the more than one thousand questions left anonymously by other readers. Just choose a section from the tabs at the top of the page to get started.

Ask the Psychologist!

  • Why is it Always More Complicated for Girls?
    Tue, 09 Mar 2010 Q: I’m a young female from Denmark, and I have a question. I’m working on a school project about why the mindset of boys seems too simple, whereas the mindset of girls is always so complicated. For example, if a guy says he does not feel like going out, it’s just because he does not [...]
  • 5-Year-Old Regressing as Parents’ Marriage Falling Apart
    Tue, 09 Mar 2010 Q: My brother’s wife threatened divorce about 6 months ago and ejected my brother from the family home 3 weeks ago. My brother has his children, a 5-year-old son and a 2-year-old son, 50% of the time. My 5-year-old nephew has started soiling his pants over the last 6 months. My sister-in-law, who in my opinion [...]
  • Bullying Sister-in-Law Trying to Manipulate for Inheritance
    Tue, 09 Mar 2010 Q: For over ten years, my brother’s wife has been telling me who I should include in my will. About 6 months ago, my sister and I were at my brother’s home when his wife brought up the subject of wills again. Although she usually focuses on my savings, this time she said I could [...]
  • Need to Resolve Abuse Issues But Fear Abandoning Family
    Tue, 09 Mar 2010 Q: Thank you so much for your website, which has been a huge help. I’m desperate and in need of guidance. I am 23 years old and grew up in a broken home. As a child I was physically and emotionally abused on a regular basis by my father. I suspect that I may have [...]
  • Irritated By Noises and By the Fee Psychologists Charge to Fix the Problem
    Mon, 08 Mar 2010 Q: I experience a really bad nervous association with or reaction to noises. Loud noises such as airplanes or dogs drive me insane. But small noises are a really big problem also, especially pen clicking, various popping noises, people snorting their nose, tapping, squeaky chairs, etc. This has been going on for decades, and it has [...]
  • Can I Recover Repressed Memories of Child Abuse Without Therapy?
    Mon, 08 Mar 2010 Q: Is it possible to uncover repressed memories of childhood sexual abuse without some kind of therapy work? I’m a 21-year-old woman, and my mom has told me that when I was 11 years old I was sexually abused by my babysitter’s son; but she didn’t tell me details. I don’t remember the event, so my [...]
  • Bulimia and Personal Development: Back to Therapy
    Mon, 08 Mar 2010 Q: I was under the care of a clinical psychologist for 13 months before we terminated in December. That therapist only did brief therapy, and we had a plan for 12 structured sessions that was eventually extended to 34. We dealt with issues ranging range from trauma and relational issues to intense mood swings with [...]
  • Doctor Disagrees, But I Need My Klonopin
    Fri, 05 Mar 2010 Q: First, thanks for being here and answering questions. I am trying to withdraw from Klonopin. But I don’t understand: why would a doctor have you come off this medication if you have depression, anxiety and a personality disorder? I don’t understand this. A lot of my borderline symptoms have come back with a vengeance [...]
  • Mother Daughter Connection Strained
    Fri, 05 Mar 2010 Q: My 22-year-old daughter refuses to spend time with me and rarely calls me. She will neither accept invitations to do things with me nor will she invite me to do things with her. She lives within an hour of me and attends college. When we do speak, she shows no interest in what is [...]
  • Love Addiction? Why Won’t Ex-Boyfriend Connect With Me?
    Thu, 04 Mar 2010 Q: I am a 30-year-old woman who had to break up with my 38-year-old ex because of his depression. I’m almost certain he had almost all the symptoms of depression, but I am not sure if he had a confirmed professional diagnosis. We began dating after chatting for two weeks on the internet. His depression symptoms [...]
  • Disorganized Thoughts: Difficulty Coping with Schizoaffective Disorder
    Thu, 04 Mar 2010 Q: I have been diagnosed with Schizoaffective Disorder, Major Depressive Type, and my hallucinations have been significantly reduced purely through psychotherapy (no meds). However, my thoughts and speech are still very much disorganized. Being a student, this becomes an issue not only in class (I cope by recording lectures), but more so in group assignments. [...]
  • Are Horrible Family Relationships Symptoms of Schizophrenia?
    Wed, 03 Mar 2010 Q: My mother had severe mental illness (schizophrenia) and frequently had to be hospitalized for long periods. This started happening when my parents were together, from the time I was 14 and my brothers 13 and 11, and my sister 12. My father stuck it out for a year but then left. For six months [...]
  • Falling in Love With the “Easy” Girl
    Wed, 03 Mar 2010 Q: I’ve been seeing a girl for about two years now. At first, it was just a fun fling, and I told myself I would never get serious with her because of her past. But I’ve found myself getting more serious about her over the past year. I went to high school with this girl and [...]
  • Son is Lying and Stealing
    Wed, 03 Mar 2010 Q: My son is 14 years old. He is stealing and lying. He started this behavior a few years ago, first with family only and later with outsiders, schoolmates, and now friends, too. He mainly steals money. I want to say that he is usually a good kid; he understands it is wrong and that [...]
  • The Slot Machine Syndrome: Can’t Walk Away from Neglectful Boyfriend
    Tue, 02 Mar 2010 Q: I’m an 18-year-old female starting my second semester of college. Last year I started hooking up with a guy I’ve actually been in love with since I was 4 years old. Our families have always been close, and growing up it became increasingly clear that it would be difficult for us to get together [...]
  • Memory Problems: Forgetting What Others Tell Me
    Tue, 02 Mar 2010 Q: I’m a 26-year-old male, and I now know I have a problem. About a year ago, I started becoming aware that I have difficulty remembering things that people tell me. I am married now, and because of this problem my wife gets really angry with me at times. I don’t know what’s wrong with [...]
  • Parenting Teens and Boundary Issues
    Tue, 02 Mar 2010 Q: I have a 16-year-old daughter who by every account is dating a loser. They have been together for about 17 months, and he has made her completely dependent on him. My daughter and I are very close and open, but lately I feel her pulling away. I try and support her no matter what, [...]

From Our Blog

  • The Downsides of Optimism
    Tue, 09 Mar 2010It makes sense in a difficult situation to look for positive aspects or to find a positive response. It's certainly unlikely that we'll find them if we don't look for them. But is there a cost to optimism as well?
  • Hard Times Can Be Profitable
    Mon, 08 Mar 2010Actions, consequences and priorities: going through hard times, overcoming them, and re-balancing our lives can be among the most profitable experiences we'll ever have.
  • The Patient, Frustrated Craftsperson
    Wed, 03 Mar 2010I suspect that this is the reason we often feel bad about frustration: that early in our lives we were set tasks that were too frustrating. And so we learnt that frustration lead to disappointment and didn't achieve anything.
  • Remembering a Loved One on the Anniversary of their Death
    Mon, 01 Mar 2010Some cultures afford very special status to death anniversaries, offering a chance to celebrate the life and memory of a loved one lost as well as to renew our appreciation for those who remain.

Book Reviews

  • Brazier on Other-Centred Therapy
    Wed, 13 Jan 2010
    Cover of this book
    In stark contrast to the stereotypical Western therapist forever distracting the client from their stories about the world in order to ask "but how do you feel?", the Other Centred therapist listens carefully to the stories themselves. Indeed, this book presents examples of client work in which the therapist asks the opposite question about a partner whose behaviour the client is complaining about: "but what was that like for him?".
  • Caroline Brazier on Listening to the Other
    Mon, 07 Sep 2009
    Cover of this book
    Brazier reminds us that counselling often goes beyond offering a non-judgemental space in which the client can listen to and experience themselves, to actively encourage a kind of self-preoccupation which can actually make one more isolated and miserable.
  • Zerbe on Integrated Treatment of Eating Disorders
    Mon, 29 Jun 2009
    Cover of this book
    This book seems to contain all of human life, from the scientific details through the full range of emotions, including the extremes of love and hate. And it emanates a sense that although we all get shaken sometimes, and life is dangerous, every feeling is expressible and every situation is workable.

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This page was last reviewed by Dr Greg Mulhauser, Sunday, 31 January 2010.

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