4 Tips for Surviving the Festive Season

The festive season can be enjoyable – with good food, great company and maybe an end of year holiday. However, it can also be a very stressful time of year with last minute Christmas shopping, family gatherings and social engagements on all at once. What can you do to survive the festive season and feel like you’ve had the chance to enjoy it?

Here are 4 quick tips that others say they find helpful:

 1. Plan Ahead

Christmas shopping can be overwhelming and people find that Christmas can creep up on them, with a lot to do all at once. If that’s the case, whenever you remember something that needs to be done, jot it down and then take some time to prioritise what to do first. For those who find shopping stressful, sometimes going with a friend on a scheduled day can be helpful, or planning to go at a quiet time when there are less people around. Another great tip is to have a few small back-up presents to save you from those situations where someone might arrive unexpectedly with a present for you.

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Psychologist Interview

Recently, one of our Clinical Psychologists, Dr Chien Hoong Gooi, was interviewed by the nationwide counselling and psychological services network, Australia Counselling. The interview transcript is as follows:

Tell us a bit about your practice- where it is, who you work with and the services you offer.

I work in Glebe, Sydney. My partner Dr Elizabeth Hall and I set up the practice together, and we have an associate, Ivone Rebelo, working with us too. Between the three of us we work with children, adolescents and adults. I work with adults, mainly those who are struggling with anxiety, and also those experiencing grief.

 
How did you become interested in counselling and working as a psychotherapist?

I’ve always been interested in understanding human behaviour and also the ways we navigate through the ups and downs in life. This perhaps comes from seeing people go through pain and suffering, including those who are close to me and my own experiences. Through this sense of curiosity towards human experiences, I’ve also seen the great healing that can take place through genuine and caring interactions between people. This has deeply inspired me to offer help and support to others, and also to work professionally in this area.

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3 Things to Consider When Looking for a Therapist

The process of finding a suitable therapist can be confusing, and individuals often ask “where do I start looking for one?”, “what should I consider?”” and “who is the right therapist for me?”.

If you find that you’re in this situation, here are 3 things that are useful to consider.

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