Ruth Berendt I Coogee Counselling & Psychotherapy | Psychotherapist

Ruth Berendt I Coogee Counselling & Psychotherapy

Phone: +61 424 198 174

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23.01.2022 One of the things I love most about being a therapist is that I get to continually keep learning and growing. I am beyond excited to be starting a year-long professional development program with internationally-renowned author and physician, Dr Gabor Mate - known for his work on addiction, trauma, and the mind-body links between stress and disease. What an opportunity to be able to learn from such an amazing teacher!

22.01.2022 In our culture, we often diagnose 'mental illness', when in reality our symptoms are a response to childhood trauma. Understanding your symptoms and behaviours as adaptations that were your best attempt to stay safe in the environment you grew up in, opens the door to growth, change and healing.

21.01.2022 How are you with the unknown? Some reframes on uncertainty.

21.01.2022 The truth is, when we talk about 'mental health' what we are often really talking about is 'nervous system health'. The human nervous system is a bi-directional pathway from the gut to the brain, with 80% of the nerves running from the gut to the brain, and 20% from the brain to the body (via the vagus nerve pathway). So, our physiological responses have a big influence on how we think. If our minds are racing, its probably because our body is giving signals that there is d...anger. This is why focusing on mind-only interventions in therapy can be an up-hill battle, as you are only using 20% of what's available (and ignoring 80%) and why 'somatic' therapies - therapies that include the body - can be very effective. We focus on regulating a person's whole nervous system - so you're able to access 100% of what's available - to experience total mind/body health and wellbeing.

20.01.2022 Some beautiful advice from María Sabina, Mexican healer and poet: Heal yourself with the light of the sun and the rays of the moon. With the sound of the river and the waterfall. With the swaying of the sea and the fluttering of birds. Heal yourself with mint, neem, and eucalyptus. Sweeten with lavender, rosemary, and chamomile. Hug yourself with the cocoa bean and a hint of cinnamon. Put love in tea instead of sugar and drink it looking at the stars. Heal yourself with the kisses that the wind gives you and the hugs of the rain. Stand strong with your bare feet on the ground and with everything that comes from it. Be smarter every day by listening to your intuition, looking at the world with your forehead. Jump, dance, sing, so that you live happier. Heal yourself, with beautiful love, and always remember ... you are the medicine

15.01.2022 Are you starting the year already feeling stressed or exhausted? Did you get to properly rest over the holiday period? Or do you have trouble unwinding and letting yourself take a break? Our nervous systems were not made for constant work and prolonged high-stress. Over time this leads to burn-out and many other common physical and emotional health issues. ... We need quality time-out to restore so we can function optimally - ideally as part of your regular routine - not just when on holidays! Some great ways to give your system a break are: - Take a technology break - Turn off your phone! (even for a few hours) - Be in nature - Listen to music - Have meaningful connection with others - Practice mindful breathing or meditation

11.01.2022 As we enter a new year, have you reflected on what you're dreaming of for 2021? A dream by definition is something that is not currently a reality. However, if we stay confined only to our perceptions of what is possible based on our past experience, we never get the chance to create something new. For change to occur, we need to be open to the idea that things can be different to how they currently are. ... Dreaming can feel like a forbidden pastime in these days that prioritise productivity over all else. But what would it be like to allow yourself a few moments to reflect on what you would dream for the year ahead if there were no limitations? Can you take the first step to change by allowing your imagination to open your vision to something beyond your current constructs of what is possible?

11.01.2022 I just watched my son's end of year school assembly, where each child was asked to say their favourite memory of the year. About 80% of the class said their favourite part was doing art. I was surprised to hear how important this was for so many of them. Part of the work I do as an Art Therapist is to remind people that creating is just as important for adults as for kids. Many find it hard to prioritise their creativity, or loose touch with it, in the business and pressure of adult life. But as humans, we are inherently creative and this doesn't stop in childhood. I hope these little ones keep remembering how much they love to paint, draw and create as they grow, and that as adults we also give ourselves the space and time to nurture our creative expression.

09.01.2022 Recently, I got to learn a few things from an eco-therapist. Walking in the bush, they taught me that even just my presence alone has an effect on the ecosystem around me. They brought my attention to that how I walk changes how nature responds around me - when I go softly and quietly, it creates an opportunity to come into relationship with the environment, rather than just moving though it, and also deepens my own instincts. It was a beautiful experience to bring awareness to this subtle interaction that is always occurring between ourselves and our environments, each influencing the other, whether we are aware of it or not, and to consider how I can move more gently and quietly in relationship with the natural world.

02.01.2022 You might want to read this one a few times to let it land... especially if you experience social anxiety or fear affects your relationships... relational safety is not the absence of threat, but the presence of connection.