Psychotherapists and Counsellors Answer your Questions
Conversations with Therapists
-
What led you to choose psychotherapy or counselling as a profession?
-
Which philosophical approaches have influenced your professional development?
-
Which particular aspects of health or the human journey are you interested in?
-
What methods do you use?
-
When do you think the client will start to feel that progress is being made?
-
How has therapy made a difference in your life?
-
What do you like most about being a therapist?
-
Do you ever have 'bad hair' days?
-
What do you think is the most significant problem we face, in the world today?
-
Can you share the name of a book, film, song, event or work of art that inspires you?
Teresa Wilkinson
We live in a community that does not talk alot about emotions. People are often feeling isolated with how they feel and at times others do not know how to support them and be open and honest about...
Lisa Moore
This is a difficult question to answer. The world is a huge planet that has existed for billions of years. It is meant to be shared but in my humble option, we humans haven’t always done a...
Johanna Waugh
The most significant problem that we face is people having their head in some kind of technology and being totally consumed with their mobile, lap top, tablet. Being totally addicted to the internet.
Tania Djipalo
We need connection more than ever, with ourselves, with our loved ones, our communities and the beautiful natural world around us. Connection with nature is an easy natural way for us all to feel more...
Donald Marmara
I believe that we are currently largely motivated by fear.
That is why it is important for us to learn how to deal with our fears so they no longer rule our lives.
This is not only for our own...
Karen Potter
Not having enough importance and respect placed on the natural world, the environment and animals.
Reed Everingham
In the Western world, many people struggle to find meaning and purpose in their daily lives. We are bombarded with messages from the media that make us feel inadequate, and it can be challenging to...
Tamara Pallos
Climate change and environmental destruction (we can't live in the world if it becomes uninhabitable)! Also neoliberal political models that dehumanise people and make it increasingly complex to find...
Michele Stewart
The most significant problem we face today and that I see as a microcosm in the counselling room is anxiety.
It leaks out in peoples choices in relationships, work, friendships, expectations of...
Helen Basili
Systemic inequalities which result in marginalisation for certain groups, the destruction of the environment and the increasingly unequal distribution of wealth.
Heather Cavill Greer
Not enough love and compassion - if we truly had compassion for all living things our priorities would shift in many area's.
Nigel Bailey
This is a huge question and one that is very difficult to answer without launching into improbably idealistic territory. Perhaps to put it simply, we need to recognise that we all occupy the same...
Ron Dowd
The loss of the relational standpoint; our inability to accept difference.
When we lose the relational, we lose empathy for others and for the environment.
When we lose the sense that we...
Kathleen Goossens
Climate change and the subsequent challenges it brings to people and the planet. Fear, anxiety and intolerance due to diversity and difference.
Jamie Dimech
Stress overload, and the impact of stress on our ability to experience deep relational safety as well as optimal physical and emotional health.
Martina Palombi
I think the lack of understanding that human beings are much closer to animals in terms of the evolution of our brain development and nervous system than we realise. This fact speaks to our short term...
Vassilka Dimitrova-Isbell
The lack of meaning in the everyday existence, lack of experiencing the depth and beauty of being alive and of the process of living. It seems to me that we forget that life is a continuation and we...
Uri Bookman
I believe that the biggest issue we are facing is the emotional turmoil that people are experiencing, which is causing them to treat others with less kindness, hurt them intentionally or...
Karen Druce
It is hard to isolate the most significant problem. In the western world, I think the frenetic pace of life, increased materialism, and the erosion of a deep spiritual dimension certainly drives...
Carolyn Zantis
Trauma. Its everywhere in so many peoples histories and current lives.
Kate McMaugh
Environmental destruction. And love of money. I mean, we all appreciate money, dont get me wrong. But when we put money ahead of goodness, kindness and looking after our world, including the...
Tom Skotidas
Lack of awareness of how our cognitive beliefs and primary, underlying emotions influence our behaviour.
I believe that lack of awareness leads to behaviour that damages relationships and creates...
Nicole Kinnaird
Big question! The first thing that comes to mind is the sense of disconnect from ourselves, one another and Nature. I probably think this is the biggest problem we face in the world, because I feel it...
Amanda Dounis
Keeping within the field...mental unwellness. I am seeing it from early ages, and we need to not just look at coping skills, but look at what it is in our environment that is feeding it so well.
Rachael Carter
Our world and our people are going through so much at the moment. The impact of climate change, conflict and violence is hard to witness and to know what real action to take. We collectively need to...
Natalie Meijer
Such a big question but at the root of it all seems like and it seems very corny 'all we need is love'
What would the world be like if we all trusted, loved and respected and recognised ourselves -...
Christopher Seager
Another good question! There are many, but perhaps lack of meaningful connection and fear of being truly vulnerable with others, particularly in the western world.
Carolyn Choy
The pressure and expectations we put on ourselves and onto others.
Ernst Meyer
The war in Ukraine. It is the biggest geopolitical event and challenge since WW2.
Lisa Champion
That's a big question! There are so many things, but for now I think I'll choose the disconnect that social media is causing. Texting and facebooking is not authentic communication. People say and do...
Sara Beresford Terry
Oh my goodness, not sure I can write about this in just a few lines.
I will keep it simple - we need more kindness.
Stefan Durlach
The increasing loss of soul, sense of the sacred, and reverence in our world. I believe that visible manifestations of this loss are multiple massive crises occurring at the same time (environmental,...
Philip Hilder
I think that the most significant problem that we face in the world today is the lack of care for our mother Earth. I think that this political, and institutional lack of care is having, and will have...
Jennifer Fox
The impact our species is having on the planet through climate change and how to engage in ways of reducing that impact and being adaptable to making changes.
Debby Heath
A lack of real connection to both self and others. I believe that if we were more loving and connected to our 'real selves' we would have better relationships with others - more love, empathy,...
Jacinta Franich
There are so many, but I think the use of technology is driving the loss of connection for many and I hope there is a turn back towards enjoying the simple things in life with family and friends.
Urja Refalo
The ability to balance life where there is pleasure to work, play and spend nourishing time alone is one of the greatest feats for us in our modern age. The inability to connect with self and others...
Ash Rehn
I'm reluctant to propose something as the 'most significant' problem we face because 1. our lives are multi-storied and 2. people are diverse and face a diversity of challenges depending on where they...
Michael Booth
Greed and self-interest. Imagine what a good world it would be if our every word and every act took into account the best interests of those whose lives we influence.
Rachel Troia
Disconnection from ourselves, which can only mean disconnection from others.
Philipa Thornton
Loss of connection and community. Although we are part of the global village, I think there are so many of us out there feeling isolated behind a screen. We are social creatures and long for the...
Stephanie Thompson
Ooh, to pick just one... I think I have to pick two:
1. 'Wealthy malnutrition' - educated and otherwise high-functioning people operating far below par due to a diet of food-like substances rather...
Christina Taylor
A lack of empathy and compassion for our fellow beings and the planet.
Rina Taub
Unfortunately inequality, racism, discrimination and abuse still exist and the physical threat of war and terrorism. Third world problems of experiences of isolation and loneliness, perfection and...
Julie Sweet
How we relate to one another. Our mental health is extremely important at every stage of our life span and it's worth our investment, not only in ourselves, in others as well. Raising mental health...
Mano Suttner
Self avoidance. Trying to control, sedate or numb our feelings. The projection of these disowned feelings - our shadow self - onto some “otherâ€, blaming them instead of taking radical...
Nerine Strachan
There are too many to mention, I think the modern world can be a really difficult place to exist. I think western society needs to start valuing stillness, less is more, feelings rather than...
Lidia Smirnov
Climate change
Social isolation in times of technology
Trust in each other, politicians and our system
Corporate greed
Inequality
Human rights
Jess Siegle
Social pressures, unrealistic expectations of who we should be and how we should be.
We also place huge pressure on ourselves.
When we ease ourselves of these burdens we open ourselves up to...
Jenny Sanbrook
Put most simply, the human propensity towards self involvement, selfish ambition and believing we ourselves are fully in control of our own lives and destiny.
Amber Rules
Empathy, both for ourselves and others. In my mind, empathy is a vital ingredient to feeling that we have enough and that we are enough. If we were more practised at empathy, I think we would suffer...
Karen Rushbrook
The most significant problem facing our children is anxiety. This in turn comes from living a more insular life, Our children's world is becoming smaller and this means that children internalise their...
Nicole Rikos
Lack of connection to each other, ourselves, our community and the environment. I see it in all aspects of my work, from parenting stress to issues of loneliness faced by the elderly in the community...
Victoria Redbard
Connection and Intimacy are some of the biggest I work with. There's a lot of isolation, mistrust, hurt, trauma and poor communication that stops people from surrendering and enjoying relationship,...
Robyn Price
Disconnection. Disconnection is leading to an increase in the levels of fear, anxiety and depression in our midst. And how we have seen that during the Covid-19 situation as governments mandate...
Lara Petrulis
Fear. Whilst it is essential for our survival, it can also be one of our greatest limitations. It underpins our internal conflict, diminishing our sense of self and capacity to function in the world....
Anna Petinsky
I am concerned with the western world's obsession with individuality. And how it impacts on our wellbeing and the earth we live on. Mohandas Gandi said “Interdependence is and ought to be as...
Lisa Paul
Wow where to I start............
Social Media - while I have it, I hate it too......
I think communication is a huge problem, we are losing the ability to know how to interact with each other...
Matthew Evans
On a personal level I think people need to find a sense of belief and confidence in themselves and in their own essential goodness. Without this confidence, they can often lack the confidence to form...
Rosa Oyta
I believe that the most significant problem we face in the world today is the widespread prevalence of mental health issues. As we know, depression, anxiety, and other mental health disorders have...
Debbie O'Connor
I think that the pace at which we live in our society at this point in history leaves us without time to give to our most profound needs, that is, connection with the people we are most intimate with...
Jacqueline Nevin
Connection - or lack of it. As a society we have become more isolated.
Maggie Morgan
There are so many- like loneliness and homelessness. Loneliness can be a fixable problem by giving people the means to find their people, friends, community. But homelessness, which is on the rise, is...
Marie Mooney
Disconnection from each other brought about by fear and difficulty communicating how we really feel and listening and understanding where others are coming from.
Dana Mitrovic
Time. One of the biggest contributors to human struggle is our inability to provide ourselves with enough time to care for ourselves and one another. The world, today, has seen a huge shift in life...
Kate Mikhailouskaya
I am not sure how I can name the most significant problem. There are way too many problems the world is facing today, but on the other hand, there are many ways that people take actions to deal with...
Hope Michaelson
- Humanity's intolerance/ignorance, and
- Environmental Pollution leading to
- Global Warming and eventual
- destruction of the planet
HOWEVER I am optimistic that the 'community...
Michelle McGee
In general, I think it's lack of understanding and appreciation of others.
Jacqueline McDiarmid
Not having enough time with our loved ones - our partners and our children. Lack of time together really affects closeness in relationships.
Jessica McMillan
I think there are 2 things:
1. Not holding each other with compassion. People are very quick to judge each other and expect the worst.
2. Not communicating from kindness. When we can have...
Karin McLennan
We have forgotten what love is. In truth, love is the most powerful force in the universe, and if we were to collectively harness love together we could transform our world. If every individual on the...
Geraldine McKay
I would say that poverty, climate change, health care, mental health, and ageing are issues that we face as a society.
Michael Grunwald
Global warming and our inability to motivate decision-makers to take appropriate action with a long-term outlook, regardless of the exact cause of the problem.
Emmaline Golding
I think one of the most significant problems we face is increasing violence of all kinds. Not because people are bad, but because people are overworked and over stressed, and don't have good avenues...
Deb Gavan
There are some big structural issues that are affecting people at the moment: the cost of housing; access to steady work with a liveable wage; racism, gender issues and homophobia. Relationship issues...
Jean Gamble
One of the significant problems we face today is that we have accepted as normal, the lifestyle we have willingly ascribed to and this lifestyle is responsible for the burgeoning rates of ill mental...
Erin Galt
There is just too much of everything, to the extent that we can easily become overwhelmed, overstimulated and under satisfied, and I think people struggle to slow down, take a moment to breathe and be...
Giulia Fiore
I think that social isolation is probably the most predominant problem in western culture. To achieve individualistic goals, we have downplayed the importance of relationships. Furthermore, the...
Elizabeth Fairbanks
Negative stigma around taking care of your mental health.
Miranda Fagan
While there are many social issues that we all face every day (sexism, ableism, homophobia, sectarianism, transphobia, etc), the one that looms overhead for me is the future health of our planet as it...
Lissette Endacott
The isolation and disconnect of unhealed hurts, wounds and the increasing polarisation of thoughts. Being able to respect and love people with differing beliefs, thoughts and viewpoints is important,...
Gregory Egan
I believe there is a social disconnection and more people have become more individualistic. The concept of community in a lot of places is gradually disappearing.
As a therapist I prefer to put...
Nathan Dick
The most significant problem we face is probably climate change, however, I think we are thwarted from facing the challenge largely due to the disconnected individualism of the West. I think we need...
Kate Deakin
If I were to try to reduce it to one overarching theme, it seems to me that the most significant problem we face in the world today is disconnection: our disconnections from ourselves, others, the...
Conny Davis
Too many outside influences that makes us feel insignificant, always comparing ourselves to others and attachment to materials; the loss of healthy human and community attachments.
Amy Datyner
The prioritisation of productivity and economics over core contributors to good mental health (e.g. rest, play, social connectedness, time for enjoyable interests, sense of meaning).
Karen Curran
There is a lack of compassion - both for the self and for others. And a lack of wanting to understand another person. Wars both worldly and on a personal basis are fought on the basis of people saying...
Ivan Cunningham
UNCERTAINTY AND CONTROL are factors I believe most of us face today. The fear placed upon us through mainstream media has resulted in a sort of conquer and divide mentality. As a result I am seeing a...
Howard Colin-Thome
Loneliness, disconnection, Covid and global instability seem to be factors most impacting today.
Mairead Cleary
I believe our most significant problem is our disconnection from Nature, and from natural systems & cycles. Our natural world, our natural resources, our wildlife, our forests and even our own human...
Mary Cantrill
There are numerous significant problems facing the world today. These challenges include climate change, global inequality, poverty, conflicts and wars, political instability, lack of access to...
Kerstin Buccoliero
I believe that being too individualised, and fixated on outcomes, rather than living in the here and now, is the root cause for the negative impacts on the planet and our society. In short the I, me,...
Jocelyn Brewer
Losing our ability to connect and show compassion for others. Not necessarily because of the way technology has colonised our lives but certainly, this might have accelerated it.
Sharon Bonello
The problems we have in the world today are sometimes the same as the ones we have always had, but there is more exposure and openness to them.
Clearly the world of Internet has bought some...
August Black
The problems we face are located in the wider, dominant narratives (or stories) around us.
Dominant narratives (mainstream stories / ideas) are often reproduced by the media, in education,...
Rostik Bershadsky
Modern life is full of wonderful people, good stuff, rich experiences, and lucky opportunities; however, it also brings about many challenges and confronts us with ever higher demands and resulted...
Christine Bennett
The most significant problem I believe we face in the world today is social isolation and lack of community.
Christopher Basten
Withering reduction in substantial connectedness in communities. We are all too individualistic. We then focus on short-term and self-focused outcomes. That means we take things personally and get too...
Duda Baldwin
There are a number of new issues but the old issues that existed for thousands of years are still not resolved.
Greed and selfishness have led to constant overload in consumerism (excess) and...
Heather Adams
Lack of meaningful relationships with one another and the cosmos appear to me to be significant. I sense there is an upwelling of grief and anger that grows beneath our distracted and hectic lives....
Janelle Wright
Isolation and disconnection with other individuals, groups and cultures. This also leads us to isolation from our environment and the harm that we are causing to our planet.
John Woodcock
It is clear to me that the most pressing and significant problem within psychology that faces us today is the programmatic effort in most disciplines today to erase any knowledge of or even vocabulary...
Veronik Verkest
Global warming and our view of unlimited growth that cannot be sustained with limited resources on this planet.
Limited natural resources to feed and shelter an ever expanding population is one of...
Michael Vaccaro
You could say that diagnostically we are facing a mental health epidemic. Anxiety and depression are running rampant in our current state of life. I feel as though the fundamental cause for this...
Stacey McCraw
Loneliness - a lack of authentic connection with each other. We are social mammals who belong in clans, which isn't happening in our culture as much anymore, and most people want to experience more...
Graeme James
Everything is changing in a fast paced, socially and technologically connected world. It can amplify or detract from the meaning of everything. Whether we are young or old, most of us face changes of...
Mia Kennedy
There are many and I don't believe one to be the most significant. Perhaps due to my experience I do believe the abuse of drugs and alcohol to be up there though. However, the question then becomes...
Carol Marando
The breakdown in human relationships. Climate change. Greed. Suffering. Purpose and meaning.
Gabriele (Gabe) Marranci
The world's most significant challenge today is the need for more empathy and understanding. Global problems like climate change and inequality require teamwork that crosses borders. It's important to...
David Mandrake
We live in a complex and demanding world. We put high expectations on ourselves and others, while knowing very little about ourselves.
Lana Lubimoff
People need to become aware of their subconscious thoughts and feelings, which represents their internal belief systems, and how this programming drives our behaviour and determines one's quality of...
Andrew Lindsay
I think it is relationships - getting on with each other. Globalisation and technology means our lives are in some ways more interwoven than ever. Yet paradoxically we are also experiencing more...
April Lewis
I think that the most significant problem that we face stems from a lack of harmony, imbalance with our planet, imbalance with each other, and imbalance within ourselves. Many people on this planet...
Tessa Ipp
Finding our true self and living from a place of authenticity so that we can love the imperfections of who we are.
Tracey Larkin
The most significant problem we face in 2020 is responding to the covid-19 outbreak. We need to foster compassion and respect for those who are isolated, frightened and who do not have access to the...
Natasha Lawrence
Lack of communication and loneliness. In a world where we are so connected, I see more and more disconnection. Losing ourselves in screens exacerbates the sense of being alone and cut off as well as...
Kelsey Hendrickson
I think social isolation is one of the most significant problems we face in our Western world today. Feeling alone and isolated can lead to a host of other mental health problems and stressors. I...
Martin Hemsley
Where to start? Intolerance, prejudice, injustice in its many many forms. Blindness to privilege.
Also, I think a huge problem is being caught in a narrow sense of who we are - we are so much more...
Geoff Heard
On a world scale, many of the basic requirements for living a dignified life are missing. Millions of people do not have sufficient food, land or security to raise healthy families. The causes are...
Sue Hawkins
Inequality of socio economics and some really doozy people in positions of power that they are not competent with.
Volker Krohn
The Beatles named it in the 1960's - All you need is Love'. Thousands of years of War, Pestilence, Plague and Catastrophe and the resulting trauma reaction, has left many people bereft and...
Sarah Bergman
I feel the most significant problem we face in the world today, especially the western world is that we are forgetting how to rest deeply. By resting deeply I mean within ourselves, connected to...
Steven Segal
We are living in a world of existential anxiety and existential threats. Many nations fear themselves to be under an existential threat, a threat to their way of life. Many cultures feel under...
Neha Kapoor
In my view, the most significant problem confronting the world today is climate change and its far-reaching consequences for our planet's well-being and future.
Brenda Rowlandson
Conflict and loss of empathy. How do we stay in relationship, personally and globally, whilst negotiating all the issues that affect us and keep us in fear and isolated from each other - climate...
Dinah Buchanan
Disconnection with ourselves, with each other and with our environment. We then become isolated and alone, empty and in deep misery. Once we begin to know ourselves with compassion and honesty we open...
Steven Dromgool
What an awesome question - it's the reason I'm a relationship therapist. I believe our biggest issue is disconnection - we were not meant to be alone - it breaks our heart and violates our humanity.
Corinne Lindsell
Acceptance
Fear
Self love
Loneliness
They all intertwine
