Cynthia Hickman Soul Psychologist in Albert Park, Victoria | Mental health service

Cynthia Hickman Soul Psychologist

Locality: Albert Park, Victoria

Phone: +61 417 103 018

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• Medical and health
• Mental health service
• Therapist
• Psychologist

25.01.2022 Is there an upside to social isolation? http://cynthiahickmanpsychologist.com.au//silver-linings-/

24.01.2022 THE HUMAN FACTOR by Cynthia Hickman As a psychologist I often see recurring themes in my work with clients. And what is showing up at present is the disturbing theme of the impact of dehumanised workplaces. So many people are contending with workplaces and systems that comprehensively and deliberately take the humanity out of the workplace. This is not necessarily new. We know that profit and efficiency have long been the guiding factors in fields such as banking and the co...rporate world and this has leaked into education, health and other areas as well. What is new is the comprehensive nature of this inhumanity and the devastating effect it is having on peoples mental health. People feel powerless against these forces since they come from the very top echelons and even high-level managers have no control or influence over this. People are being made to implement decisions that disregard workers situations, their need for meaning, their need for job satisfaction and the need for human connection. Decrees are dictated from above by email and online systems with no human contact involved. And the only sense the decrees make is that they enhance profit or cover over mistakes made by those above. Its as if a massive experiment is occurring on this planet: can we take the humanity out of the workplace and still have it function? The cost of this experiment is massive in terms of human suffering. People are treated with complete disregard and feel empty and worthless as a result. Others get depressed at the lack of meaning and purpose in their work. Others are anxious and traumatised by trying to mitigate the effect of this inhumanity on their teams. All I can stress to people is the importance of maintaining their humanity. At all costs dont let the system suck it out of you, dont succumb. Its not worth it. There will be a huge price to pay because the world it creates is empty and cruel. Some people are able to work with stealth, fostering the humanity at their workplace despite the system. I celebrate their courage and care. Others have to leave and find more humane environments because they do exist. Whatever response we choose, we cannot collude in this dehumanising agenda. We have to take a stand. People count. Callousness and greed degrade us. Care and consideration keep us healthy. And the responses we choose create the world we all have to live in.

24.01.2022 Waking up to truth: Our culture operates under a collective trance that has us believe: You are here to look after yourself, have a good time and try to get as comfortable as possible ... Waking up from the trance means that: We don't believe advertising and all it tells us we should want. We don't believe social media and how it tells us we need to be popular and important. We don't believe business and workplaces that say that production and products are more important than human beings. We don't believe that distinctions about gender, race, nationality or social status make a difference to our value as a human being. We don't believe a health care philosophy that says we arent responsible for our own health and can rely on doctors to fix us regardless of how abusive we are to our bodies. We don't believe an education system that teaches information but doesn't address a persons being. We don't trust a financial system that puts profit ahead of humanity. We don't believe that we should be in competition with each other, or that anyone should be considered more important than another. When we are free of the trance then we can see the collective illusion for what it is an illusion. This leaves us free to wake up to the wisdom and love of the soul which says: You are here for a purpose: to connect with others and bring compassion and love to everything you do, for the good of our whole community, not just the self"

24.01.2022 Following on from the launch of her latest book 'The Really Big Questions', Author Cynthia Hickman explains more about what this new book is about and the impulse for it. Joined in this video by editor and partner Peter Bonnell, we find out more about 'The Really Big Questions' https://youtu.be/w4YDB6wqX_s

24.01.2022 Our Soul never deserts us lifequotes #soul #love #harmony

23.01.2022 For a child to be full of self love they just need to be able to say, My parents or my teachers see me as I am. They listen, they understand, they take time with me. I am worthy of them doing this. So just being me is enough. This is an exert from Cynthia Hickmans latest children's book 'The really big questions' which highlights some things for children in this modern world such as the importance of self-love You can purchase this book online now and just in time for Chri...stmas https://www.cynthiahickman.net/online-store Stay tuned for more great exerts over the coming weeks and a live Q&A session with Cynthia. Details to be announced shortly.

23.01.2022 Cynthia is releasing a new book very soon. This one is for children, tweens especially. Children dont get taught about love and life at school, so this book will encourage the development of their emotional and spiritual intelligence. Keep a lookout for it! http://cynthiahickmanpsychologist.com.au//the-really-big-/

22.01.2022 The intelligence of the heart: In so much of humanity the mind has become dislodged from the heart we have become heartless. If we are disconnected from our heart we become capable of thinking ridiculous things like:... It is okay to compromise people or the planet in order to make more products and sell more things to make money, or It is okay that a very few people are extremely rich while others are poor, or It is okay to have power over others and impose your will on them. It is alright to impose your needs sexually or emotionally via manipulation or even violence. It is acceptable to use another persons body for your own pleasure regardless of the cost to them. It is reasonable not to care about others because they live in a different country or have a different religion or are a different gender or sexuality. It is okay to put someone down if it makes you feel better about yourself. If you have more money, a better job or fancy clothes then you are better than other people. The heart receives truth from within where love resides so it cannot be convinced by untruths masquerading as rational principles and arguments. If we choose the heart we are more likely to think: Even if I am comfortable, if others are suffering then there is still work to be done. There is no point in my accumulating wealth or power if it is not used to assist others to empower themselves. There is no point running a business that is at the expense of others since as a result, we will all actually suffer in the long run. If we connect to our heart we connect to the wisdom of the soul. Then our cultural insanities become apparent and instead of the coldness of the intellect we can instead choose the intelligence and warmth of the heart to guide us.

21.01.2022 Ive had some wonderful support to revamp my website and we've launched it today. I'd love you to take a look! https://www.cynthiahickman.net/ #website #holistic #therapy #soul #healing #love #support #psychologist

21.01.2022 Love as the foundation of life: Instead of believing the cultural illusion that says life is about performance and function and the accumulation of material goods we can wake up, if we choose, to the realization that the foundation of life is love. Not romantic love but love as the energy that holds us all. Love impulses us all to evolve towards a life where we all contribute to the collective good in our own unique ways, and work collaboratively for the benefit of all. ... By making life about function and not about love we have created an empty loveless world that we have to live in. It could be very different if we chose differently. Love needs to be the foundation of lifeif it is not then we are sick. That's it. Its that simple.

20.01.2022 Psychologist Cynthia Hickman explains that vulnerability is not about being emotionally reactive or over sensitive. It is about remaining open hearted so that we can be responsive, accepting and caring. Our vulnerability actually keeps us connected with the world and ignites our compassion and desire to contribute to others. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEdD11ngqF4

20.01.2022 MANAGING OUR RESPONSES TO THE CORONA VIRUS OUTBREAK - By Cynthia Hickman We have all probably seen disturbing images in the media of people fighting over toilet paper and of beds lined up in makeshift hospitals filled with people suffering from the corona virus. On one side we have people telling others to chill, its just a flu and its no big deal. On the other side we have people highly anxious about what all of this is going to mean. And then there are the people feeding o...ff the drama of the whole thing, amping up their own energy and the energy of others. And all of this is being fed by the constant media activity. So what would be a productive response to all of this? Does it actually help to tell other people their perspective is wrong? Does it actually help to judge those who have gone into hoarding behaviour? Perhaps compassion and understanding would be a more constructive response. Yes, people are hoarding. They are anxious. The majority of people are anxious and hoarding is one response to this. So is excessive media consumption, so is ignoring the whole thing and so is judging everyone else. Its all anxiety. If you tune in, the unease is actually palpable as you walk down the street. But perhaps the anxiety was already there. Maybe people were already uneasy before this virus came on the scene. Perhaps this virus opened a door for the already ever-present anxiety to be felt and expressed. So, what would this anxiety be about? Could it be that humanity is afraid of where it finds itself at present? Could the way we have been living actually be detrimental to our inner wellbeing? Have we been missing something? Perhaps the virus will offer us a valuable perspective. If we have to spend time in self isolation we may for once have time to ponder life a little more deeply than normal. Perhaps there is something going on at a deeper level within humanity a clearing and an opening for a deeper level of intelligence. Could it be time to get over our individual selves and experience life as part of a much bigger whole where we are all needed, all in service and all equal. Could it be time to connect and care about others around us, the hoarders, the critics, the drama queens, all. Times of crisis and chaos are times of change and offer us a choice. Will we respond by developing a compassionate dedication to the good of all, laying the foundation for a different way to live on this planet. Or will we slide into judgement and fear and cement our familiar but unhealthy way of living. Time to choose.

19.01.2022 Building a child’s self esteem is not about telling them they are special and amazing and can do anything. They can’t. And they don’t need to. They just need to be themselves, and have someone see them as this. It’s very simple! For answers to the 'The Really Big Questions' - check out https://www.cynthiahickman.net/online-store

18.01.2022 The news reported recently that another celebrity, model Annalise Braakensiek, has committed suicide. This is on the back of the high profile suicide deaths of fashion designer Kate Spade and celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain last year. These famous deaths serve to highlight the awful and distressing matter of suicide in our societies. Indeed, Lifeline reports that in Australia there are eight deaths per day attributable to suicide. [ 476 more words ] http://cynthiahickmanpsychologist.com.au//suicide-the-bro/

18.01.2022 BOURKE ST AGAIN Cynthia is a counselling educator and psychologist working in private practise. She is the author of the book, Return to the Soul. Here she comments on the latest incident in Bourke St, Melbourne. Another Bourke St attack in Melbourne. Another death, another round of sorrow. Another inquiry into the state of our society. Another set of bollards added to the city streets....Continue reading

15.01.2022 Soul Psychologist Cynthia Hickman explains that when we feel broken hearted we need to become more gentle within so that we can feel our inner heart. This inner heart is a constant source of love and is there for us even when emotionally we feel that love has been lost. https://www.youtube.com/watch

15.01.2022 Psychologist Cynthia Hickman suggests that to heal a negative body image we need to cultivate the eyes of the heart not the assessing eyes of the mind. The eyes of the heart enable us to see beyond the physical self to the beauty of our true being within. https://www.youtube.com/watch

13.01.2022 SUICIDE THE BROKEN HEART WITHIN The news reported recently that another celebrity, model Annalise Braakensiek, has committed suicide. This is on the back of the high profile suicide deaths of fashion designer Kate Spade and celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain last year. These famous deaths serve to highlight the awful and distressing matter of suicide in our societies. Indeed, Lifeline reports that in Australia there are eight deaths per day attributable to suicide. Eight death...s per day, what a monumental statistic! It is often stated that people who suicide have a mental illness but the term mental illness camouflages the truth about what is going on. It makes it sound as if there was a disease that made these people do what they did when actually they were having trouble dealing with matters that we all have to face. These are matters of the heart, of meaning, of grief and despair. How different would it be if we said that someone was so broken hearted that they couldn't keep going and ended their own life. We could all relate to that. There is a broken-heartedness and an emptiness at the root of suicidal thoughts, a broken-heartedness about life, about the self and about an emptiness within. No amount of fame, glamour, success or wealth can keep us insulated from such feelings. They are deeper and related to the core of what we truly need in order to make life worthwhile. Life is actually about love. And we all need to be connected with this love. And the source of this love is within us. Disconnect from this and we feel empty within. Disconnect from this and we get battered by the sad, terrible or shocking things that can happen in our lives and in the world. And so what do we do to make sure a broken heart doesn't get the better of us? Start young teach children how to connect within themselves and how to manage their own emotional states. Start small - work in any small way towards creating a kinder culture that values sweetness and sensitivity and encourages us all to be gentler and more compassionate with ourselves and others so that we feel at home in the world not at its mercy. Start connecting - we have to regularly connect, truly connect, with ourselves and with others. Just talk (not text!) and just listen. Ask each other (and ourselves): What challenges are you facing at present? How are you feeling about it all? How are you coping? What support do you need? What is there to appreciate around you and within you? Just as we commit to reducing the road toll by taking action, shouldn't we also be committing to taking action to reduce deaths by suicide? And we don't need the police or the law to make this happen. Its in our own hands every day in small ways, in small moments. Make them count. Because life counts. And love heals. Always. For everyone of us. If anyone is feeling effected and needing immediate support please call Lifeline 24/7 on 131114

13.01.2022 Our family can be like a school of love. Then we can become like family for other people too. We come to realise that everyone is really part of one big family and we can love them just as we love our own family. Taken from the book ‘The very big questions’ by Cynthia Hickman Buy book here... https://www.cynthiahickman.net/online-store See more

12.01.2022 How are you contributing to the planet?

12.01.2022 The book, Return to the Soul, is an invitation to engage with life from the perspective of the soul. Spiritual teachers throughout the ages have pointed to a deeper reality behind the façade of everyday life. Without these deeper understandings, life can seem chaotic, unjust and pointless. In Return to the Soul I describe this wisdom as it can be lived in everyday modern life. Its message can open us to inspiration and meaning in life-changing ways.... The book is accessible and practical and designed to remind us and affirm that love is the foundation of life and that the access to this love is within us all. Available for purchase online https://www.cynthiahickman.net/online-store

12.01.2022 QUALITY OF LIFE by Cynthia Hickman There is a lot to be concerned about in our modern world. Global warming, inequality and corruption come to mind. The response that some make to these matters is to go into action; join a group, become activists, take to the streets, file complaints. All useful activities.... But there is a whole area of activity that is overlooked. And a whole level of personal responsibility for all of these woes that we conveniently ignore. It is a basic tenet of physics that everything is energy. We are swimming in an energy soup that we all contribute to. If we are angry for example then this energy is added to the collective soup. If we are compassionate then this is added. Everything that goes on is fed by a particular quality of energy. So to ponder: If we go to a rally for a good cause and then go home and speak, act or relate to someone with disregard or impatience then havent we undone the good we did by going to the rally? We allowed our being to move into a harmful energetic frequency. Going to the rally perhaps added to the helpful energy on the planet but our subsequent behaviour or attitude took away from the good. So we end up with a null equation. This is not to say we should not be active in making change on the planet. It is essential to do so. But if we are operating in a manner that erodes the quality of energy on the planet then what contribution are we really making? Energetic quality counts; in our manner, in our movements and in our interactions. It all either contributes or erodes the quality of life on this planet. How much of our own hot air in terms of negative emotional states might we be adding to global warming? How much of our own disregard might be contributing to global violence? How much of our own greed might be contributing to global inequality? And on the flip side, how might a moment of compassion contribute to harmony on the planet? And how much might a movement of grace support the increase of love on the planet? We need to consider and take responsibility for the quality of our activity. Because every movement counts. And every moment counts.

10.01.2022 "Yay, heres the final proof copy of my next book. It's a childrens book that answers kids questions about life, in language they can understand. Should be out in time for Xmas gifts! Special thanks to Leonne Barker for her beautiful illustrations! I look forward to sharing this with you all soon. Purchase details will follow later this year" Cynthia Hickman About the book; Children ask a lot of questions about life and the world. And so they should. They need guidance to u...nderstand this, sometime confusing and chaotic world. This book talks to children in a language that they will understand, about matters that they will encounter in life. What it is like to be human. How to manage emotions and relationships. How we can contribute to the world. Psychologist and Author Cynthia Hickman points to the love and purpose underlying our lives and invites children to bring their best self forward; a self that is intrinsically compassionate and wise and ready for love. That which every child and adult has within. It just needs to be called forth. Join Cynthia bringing this invitation and understanding in to the children in your life.

10.01.2022 Are we as keen to clear up our psyches as we are to Kondo our cupboards?! http://cynthiahickmanpsychologist.com.au//lets-kondo-our-/ #kondoourpsyche #clearing #clutterinourpsyche #healing #psyche #holistic

10.01.2022 Holistic psychologist Cynthia Hickman believes that the meaning of life is simple; its about love. Can we pay attention in a compassionate and caring way to those we encounter in life. This is what will light up meaning in our life. Photo credit Alan Johnston https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOAFln7uU8o&feature=youtu.be

10.01.2022 Psychologist Cynthia Hickman recommends that we tune in to our own inner world and manage our own emotional states and that this is the best gift we can give our children. It creates a calm household atmosphere that nurtures the whole family. https://www.youtube.com/watch

10.01.2022 Does a broken heart actually happen? Cynthia Hickman explains that even when we feel emotionally broken hearted, at a deeper level we are always connected to a source of love within and this can never be broken hearted https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpO1Exge6sg&feature=youtu.be

08.01.2022 Do we all need to come out of the closet? But not the way you might think! #soul #connection #relationships #spiritual #holistic #counselling #love #support #openingup #spiritualunfolding #speakup #stillness http://cynthiahickmanpsychologist.com.au//the-last-taboo-/

08.01.2022 Cynthia is a counselling educator and psychologist working in private practise. She is the author of the book, Return to the Soul. Here she comments on the latest incident in Bourke St, Melbourne. Another incident of terrorist violence on Bourke St in Melbourne, Australia. Another death, another round of sorrow. Another inquiry into the state of our society. Another set of bollards added to the city streets. [ 602 more words ] http://cynthiahickmanpsychologist.com.au/20//18/__trashed/

06.01.2022 LOSING OUR COMMUNITY SOUL I live in Melbourne where we are currently living under one of the longest and most comprehensive lockdowns on the planet. The motivation for this lockdown is to keep us ‘safe’ from the Covid virus. The trouble with this approach is that this decision is based on a single metric for the measure of the health and safety of the community. Basically it says an extreme lockdown measure is valid if it can prevent people from getting the virus.... But it is actually dreadfully flawed to use a single measure for determining the health of a community. Absence of a virus is not enough. We need more voices at the table than a politician and a health official when making decisions about public welfare. We need social workers at the table, we need small business owners, we need parents with school age children, we need psychologists, we need young people, we need spiritual advisers, we need everyday workers. We need a broad and comprehensive perspective, a deeper view of health than absence of a virus. A deep view of community health values the heart and soul of the community. Most of us probably take the daily connection and interactivity of our everyday engagements for granted, when in fact, it is that activity, enterprise and endeavour that brings forth the heart and soul of the people. I acknowledge that there is much that is not perfect in society but nevertheless we tear at the foundation and fabric of community when we prevent people from connecting and from going about their daily business. There is meaning and heart in our daily engagement with the world. Take this away and you take away one of the most important aspects of community health. Yes, people cope, but it erodes their wellbeing, leads to depression and strips the soul from our streets. We need a balanced approach that comes from a collaboration of many voices and from an acknowledgment of the depth of what it means to be a human being. We can protect the vulnerable while allowing others to live their lives and connect with loved ones. And we can deliver the message not with stubbornness and control (looking at you Mr Andrews) but with true care and consideration. We do not need to be corralled by fear, like herding terrified cattle on to a lockdown truck. We need to be spoken to with respect and compassion and with the acknowledgement of what truly matters in life and what truly brings health to life.

06.01.2022 We are amazing!

05.01.2022 War, selfishness, greed, poverty, the abuse of power all modern day problems...or are they? Psychologist Cynthia Hickman ponders whether the sages of the past may have the answers to our modern maladies, if we are willing to look within ourselves. http://cynthiahickmanpsychologist.com.au//wisdom-of-the-a/

05.01.2022 I connected with a couple of colleagues (Linda Ray at NeuroCapability and Thea O'Connor) and we put together a video of some suggestions for how to navigate through challenging times. Take a look! #mind #body #soul #challengingtimes #soulintelligence #soulpsychologist #connection #generosity #purpose #love https://youtu.be/cyODTVDqcxc

04.01.2022 Soul psychologist Cynthia Hickman invites us to ponder the current pandemic from a different point of view. http://cynthiahickmanpsychologist.com.au//the-evolutionar/

03.01.2022 Holistic psychologist Cynthia Hickman says that although life can seem overwhelming at times, if we stay connected within then we have an anchor to ground us so that we can manage the challenges we encounter. This inner connection also brings a source of joy and meaning to life. https://www.youtube.com/watch

02.01.2022 #innerheart #selflove #stillness #selfcare #mentalhealth