Welcome to the AIPC Online Article Library. The library includes over 300 articles focusing on counselling, life effectiveness skills and mental health. We invite you to explore our range of articles by clicking the category links above, or using the drop-down menu on your right. To learn more about AIPC, visit www.aipc.net.au

Latest Articles

Reconnecting by Disconnecting

AIPC September 7, 2015 Personal Effectiveness, Spirituality & Religion, Wellness

At a local café yesterday the sign said: “No free Wi-Fi. Talk to each other like before the internet.” What? And be there just for the coffee and conversation? We are more connected today than ever before (Facebook, for example, has more than 1.28 billion active users), but experts warn that we are also lonelier and more disconnected in our unplugged lives: hence the launch of Social September in 2012. It encourages us all to “press pause in September – disconnect from our digital lives and reconnect with each other, and ourselves. The aim is to create spaces for face-to-face social connection, promoting positive mental health and wellbeing.” »

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Psychologist Q&A: Addressing Problem Behaviour in Students

AIPC August 27, 2015 Children & Adolescents, Counselling Theory & Practice, School Counselling

Q. What is the most effective way to address problem behaviour in students? A. There are several things we can do to try to understand why problem behaviour occurs, or is maintained. It is important to make the effort to look deeper into the root cause of the behaviours, rather than just trying to address the behaviour directly. This is true of children, youth and adults with problematic behaviours. Understanding must precede addressing the issues, either as part of school counselling or therapy. Building the relationship with the person also needs to precede any intervention, if changes are to be maintained. Punitive measures alone, without relationship, rapport and understanding being established will not lead to permanent changes in individuals of all ages. »

Self-help Strategies for OCD and OCPD

AIPC August 27, 2015 Life Coping Skills, Mental Health Issues, Personality Disorders

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder (OCPD) are said to affect two to three percent of the population for OCD (that is: more than 500,000 Australians) and one percent for OCPD, although three to ten percent of the psychiatric population is said to have it (Long, 2011). Many cases probably go untreated. As a therapist, what can you give to obsessive clients and their families to encourage personal initiative toward conquering symptoms? That is the focus of this art »

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Counselling Dilemma: A Client Who is Afraid of Flying

AIPC August 11, 2015 Career Development, Counselling Dilemmas, Counselling Theory & Practice, Stress Management, Workplace Issues

Robert has been referred to you for counselling. He has recently started a new role as an executive for a large international company. The role involves some travel and this was made very clear to Robert when he accepted the position. Robert has a fear of flying but really wanted to work for the company and hoped he would be able to overcome his fear for the right role. However, he is now 3 months into the new job and so far has been trying to hide his fear from his colleagues, rescheduling site visits for later in the year or relying on other methods of travel wherever possible. At one point he even got as far as boarding a plane but was so overwhelmed with anxiety that he had to be escorted off the plane before take-off and told his colleagues that he had become ill at the airport. »

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Case Studies

Counselling with Chimps

AIPC February 11, 2025

The Chimp Paradox, authored by Steve Peters (2013), presents a compelling exploration of the Human mind and its intricate workings. Peters, a psychiatrist most renowned for his work in elite sports psychology, introduces readers to a captivating mode...

A Case Using Brief Psychodynamic Therapy

AIPC November 27, 2014

Wendy is a 54 year old woman who has two adult children and has been married for twenty-nine years. Her husban...

A Case of Lost Direction

AIPC November 25, 2014

Jenny has come to counselling due to strong feelings of dissatisfaction with her life. She is 48 years old, un...

Communication

The Fine Art of Compassion

AIPC May 15, 2019

Imagine this scenario: you are keen to get a particular job and an opportunity for it comes up. You prepare meticulously for the interview, but somehow, it doesn’t go well. The interviewers don’t seem to warm to you, and you know in your heart that y...

Building Shame Resilience in Clients

AIPC June 1, 2018

Jungian analysts have called it the “swampland of the soul”. Other psychotherapy writers have observed how it ...

Strategies for Helping Families to Enhance Resilience

AIPC July 19, 2017

If you are supporting a family in transition, you may perceive huge differences between them and the character...

Counselling Theory & Practice

Motivational Interviewing for Allied Health Professionals: Unlocking Client Motivation for Lasting Change

AIPC May 20, 2025

“How can I effectively motivate my patients?” This question resonates throughout the healthcare landscape. Whether you’re a physiotherapist guiding patients through rehabilitation exercises or a dietitian encouraging healthier lifestyle choices, elic...

Embracing Neuroaffirming Practice in Counselling: A Guide for Immediate Application

AIPC May 13, 2025

The significance of the mental health crisis among autistic individuals cannot be overstated. A 2019 meta-anal...

Theories of Grief and the Grieving Process

AIPC May 6, 2025

Grief theories provide a conceptual base for understanding grief and loss as a process involving many common c...

Life Coping Skills

The Fine Art of Compassion

AIPC May 15, 2019

Imagine this scenario: you are keen to get a particular job and an opportunity for it comes up. You prepare meticulously for the interview, but somehow, it doesn’t go well. The interviewers don’t seem to warm to you, and you know in your heart that y...

The Benefits of Intentional Daydreaming

AIPC January 23, 2019

Your fitness tracker reminds you to walk away from your computer every hour to get needed movement – and then ...

Procrastination: What Your Client Needs to Know

AIPC October 24, 2018

95% of us procrastinate (Steel, 2010) – accruing negative consequences – despite having recognised for 500 yea...