Sunday 1 December 2013

Hard Times ...


Another beautifully written article; here's a taste ...

Hard Times


"My husband and I are in midlife and are, like many of our peers, sandwiched in between caring for our elders and our children. All of whom, for the time being are in significant and legitimate need of our support through some more and less challenging medical realities. Testing, appointments, evaluations, treatments, follow up, referrals. We are in the thick of it and it looks like we may be for a while.
A summer which felt like it was ripe with openings, fortune, potential and new growth crashed into a shocking and frightening fall which will unavoidably open up to a tiring cold winter.
It happens sometimes. We’ve faced such things before, and will again. I’ve seen and supported clients and friends and neighbors as they’ve passed through similar hard times." Martha Crawford

29 connotations of the word "normal"



Allen Frances (@AllenFrancesMD) tweeted at 3:59 AM on Sun, Dec 01, 2013:
29 connotations of the word 'Normal' prove there is no precise definition for it:

 http://t.co/ALC7BqwElE
(https://twitter.com/AllenFrancesMD/status/406875202992099328)

Wednesday 20 November 2013

pernicious hope ...


Another great read from Martha Crawford, whose writing, compels me to reflect: personally and professionally.

http://whatashrinkthinks.com/2013/11/11/pernicious-hope/

Sunday 3 November 2013

sane Australia - research

Twitter alerted me to "Growing Older: Staying Well" and so I accessed it on sane Australia's website:

http://www.sane.org/images/stories/media/GrowingOlderStayingWell.pdf

Follow this link to various other research:

http://www.sane.org/information/research

Friday 25 October 2013

It’s the Relationship…

Here's another beautifully written piece by Martha Crawford 

what a shrink thinks

a psychotherapist's journal


"I sometimes dread being introduced to other psychotherapists.
“Hi! Nice to meet you – you are a therapist too?!  That’s great – I do CBT, Motivational Interviewing and Behavioral Activation – what do you do?”
Uh.
Umm.
Shrug.
“I have an office…”  I’ll vague out and drift off.
When faced with the alphabet soup of “evidenced based psychotherapies” I find myself lost and speechless."
Click here to read the complete piece:

Tuesday 22 October 2013

GLBTI Health and Wellbeing



UPDATE - Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex Health and Wellbeing Ministerial Advisory Committee:
22 Oct 2013
Ministerial Advisory Committee on Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex Health and Wellbeing I'm wondering and am curious to know if such a thing is part of Department of Health WA?

Thursday 17 October 2013

an excellent read .. "Back to the Garden"

This piece resonated with me hugely.
Here's a taste ... enjoy.

Back to the Garden

"And he (Jung) asked himself by what mythology he was living and he found he didn’t know. And so he said “I made it the task of my life to find by what mythology I was living” How did he do it? He want back to think about what it was that most engaged him in fascinated play when he was a little boy. So that the hours would pass and pass. Now if you can find that point, you can find an initial point for your own reconstruction.
~ Joseph Campbell
I might have liked to be an astronomer, as a child I spent hours on the deck behind our house looking up at the Great Nebulae in Orion and feeling a part of the entire universe. But, unfortunately I can’t do math.
In young adulthood, being a priestess of some sort seemed my best shot at a satisfying career and I supposed the sacred rituals around the theater came close. But, as you may know, there aren’t really too many priestesses in show biz.
A ritual is an action that puts the individual not only in touch with, but in the place of, being the agent of a power that does not come out of his own intention at all. He has to submit to a power that’s greater than his own individual life form. ~ Joseph Campbell
For several years thought it might be nice to be a Unitarian or a Quaker minister: I could picture myself in my 60′s plump and happy, with spikey short white hair, extremely sensible shoes, curled up in a worn leather chair in a well stocked church library surrounded by books written by theologians, ecumenicists, philosophers, anthropologists, depth psychologists, mythologists, my days filled with study, sermon-writing, teaching, and pastoral counseling. I still occasionally fantasize about getting an M.Div one day so that my psycho-spiritual practice might one day extricate itself from the professional restrictions and expectations of the medical model" ...
http://whatashrinkthinks.com/author/whatashrinkthinks/

Monday 14 October 2013

Time to face the facts on rural poverty in Australia - ACOSS

ACOSS

Time to face the facts on rural poverty in Australia

Monday, October 14, 2013

Direct Link to Report:
A snapshot of poverty in rural and regional Australia 

http://www.acoss.org.au/images/uploads/Rural%20poverty%20snapshot%20-%2011%20October%20FINAL.pdf

Thursday 10 October 2013

It's World Mental Health Day today - 10th October


Today is World Mental Health Day. It is a day for global mental health education, awareness and advocacy:



"World Mental Health Day (WMHD) is a day for global mental health education, awareness and advocacy. An initiative of the World Federation for Mental Health, WMHD is an annual program held on 10 October to raise public awareness of mental health issues worldwide.
This year in Australia, WMHD has three objectives:
  1. Encourage help seeking behaviour 
  2. Reduce the stigma associated with mental illness
  3. Foster connectivity throughout communities 
The 2013 WMHD campaign aims to achieve these goals by encouraging people to take personal ownership of their own mental health and wellbeing." MHCA

Today is - did you know people with mental illness are at greater risk of ?

Today on take a moment to consider your own & lifestyle. If you feel you need advice call SANE Helpline 1800 18 7263

Making Education a Global Priority for Girls - Julia Gillard - Brookings


Julia Gillard Discusses Making Education a Global Priority and Offers Advice to Girls


Link:

http://www.brookings.edu/blogs/education-plus-development/posts/2013/10/09-julia-gillard-education-global-priority-winthrop

Tuesday 8 October 2013

Mental health and older adults

WHO (@WHO) tweeted at 7:43 PM on Mon, Oct 07, 2013:
(https://twitter.com/WHO/status/387181318334717952)

#Mentalhealth and emotional well-being are as important in older age as at any other time of life:

Link to WHO article:   http://t.co/PS1fUNCcZg

Saturday 5 October 2013

My mental health promise


World Mental Health Day


World Mental Health Day 2013


Link:

http://www.mhca.org.au/index.php/events/world-mental-health-day


Make a Promise to Yourself

MENTAL HEALTH BEGINS WITH YOU

"It doesn’t matter if you have a mental illness, care for someone with a mental illness, know someone with a mental illness or just care about good mental health, you can be part of this year’s campaign.
Start by writing a mental health promise to yourself. It doesn’t have to be long it just needs to be meaningful to you. Keep it short and achievable. Or you can choose one of the promises we have prepared.
Then upload a photo of yourself, or of something connected to your promise. We have prepared a range of avatars if you prefer not to upload your own image.
Finally, if you provide us with an email address, we can send you a copy of your promise as a jpeg for you to share with your friends, family, school mates and colleagues. It’s not mandatory, but it allows us to provide you with a nice little reminder of your promise. 
You can make as many promises as you like, you don’t have to stop at just one!"
Link:

Wednesday 18 September 2013

Shyness is part of the range of healthy ... interesting read


Shyness is part of the range of healthy, human normal. Half of American kids are shy. To help a shy child, listenhttp://t.co/9qOFKCyZeS

Monday 16 September 2013

Perspectives: Mental Health & Wellbeing in Australia - Mental Health Council of Australia


Mental health off the political radar
http://www.mhca.org.au/index.php/mediareleases/download?path=2013/MHCA%20Media%20Release%20Perspectives_embargoed%201201am%202%20August%202013.pdf

Perspectives: Mental Health and Wellbeing in Australia

http://www.mhca.org.au/index.php/component/rsfiles/download?path=Publications/MHCA%20Perspectives_Mental%20Health%20and%20Wellbeing%20in%20Australia_publication.pdf&Itemid=539


Perspectives: Mental Health & Wellbeing in Australia, can be downloaded below.
http://www.mhca.org.au/index.php/component/rsfiles/download-file?path=Publications/MHCA%20Perspectives_Mental%20Health%20and%20Wellbeing%20in%20Australia_publication.pdf&Itemid=539

male-dominated Abbott cabinet ...


Good article by Lenore Taylor- Guardian Australia

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/sep/16/tony-abbott-cabinet-disappointment

International Journal Creative Arts in Interdisciplinary Practice

August 2013  subscribers' newsletter International Journal Creative Arts in Interdisciplinary Practice
Books of Note: 
Just a  few book suggestions for our IJCAIP subscribers who love reading, writing, stories, poetry and research:
  
Educating for Creativity:  A Global Conversation, Dr. Robert Kelly
 _____________________________________________________________
  
Public Health and Social Justice, Dr. Martin Donohoe
______________________________________________________________
  
Of Place and Memory, Dr. John J. Guiney Yallop
____________________________________________________________


Moments that Matter, Dr. Michael Gordon
__________________________________________________________
  
Hearing Voices, Dr. Katherine Boydell
 ______________________________________________________________
  
Come by Chance, Dr. Carl Leggo
 ________________________________________________________________
  
Engaging in Narrative Inquiry, Dr. Jean Clandinin
 ________________________________________________________________

Creative Arts in Humane Medicine, Cheryl L. McLean
  
and  visit the Creative Arts in Humane Medicine book blog for inside news and
links to information in the field of arts and medicine. 
 _________________________________________________________
Cheryl L. McLean, Publisher International Journal of the Creative Arts in Interdisciplinary Practice, Editor CAIP Research Series, upcoming Creative Arts in Humane Medicine, Brush Education 2013 IJCAIP 
email:  CherylMcLean@ijcaip.com
   
Subscribe to IJCAIP Journal with an email to: ijcaip@gmail.com "please subscribe",

To unsubscribe: ijcaip@gmail.com "please unsubscribe"

Cheryl L. McLean website:  http://www.CherylMcLean.com

Friday 13 September 2013

Thursday 12 September 2013

R U OKAY DAY

G'day,

Today is R U OK day.

What is R U OK? 


"The R U OK? Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to encouraging all people to regularly and meaningfully ask 'are you ok?' to support those struggling with life.

R U OK?Day is our national day of action on the second Thursday of September (12 September 2013), and dedicated to reminding people to regularly check in with family and friends. 
We also have Resources for You to use throughout the year to help you ask 'are you ok?' regularly of family, friends and colleagues."


Link to R U OK site:

https://www.ruokday.com/



Tuesday 10 September 2013

Dr Allen Frances MD - another interesting article

Allen Frances (@AllenFrancesMD) tweeted at 11:48 PM on Mon, Sep 09, 2013:

My advice to family and primary care doctors on psychiatric diagnosis:

http://t.co/TWBe0ycW6p.

(https://twitter.com/AllenFrancesMD/status/377096116220612609)

Monday 9 September 2013

World Suicide Prevention Day - Tuesday 10th September 2013

World Suicide Prevention Day. 
Tuesday 10th September 2013

Head to:


Add your name in support of halving suicide by 2023.

Wednesday 28 August 2013

Rural Proofing Australia - We All Count! NRWC

Rural Proofing Australia – We all count!
 
In the lead up to the Federal Election, the NRWC is advocating for RURAL PROOFING.

For more information on rural proofing, please visit:

Thursday 15 August 2013

Family & Domestic Violence - research




Information request

Violence against women: Developing a national approach to research effort


The 
National Centre of Excellence in Research to Reduce Violence Against Women and their Children (NCE) was recently established to co-ordinate research efforts across the country on violence against women and their children and to support evidence-informed initiatives, policy and practice. 

A key priority is the development of a national research agenda. 

To this end, the NCE has commissioned the Australian Centre for the Study of Sexual Assault (ACSSA) at the Australian Institute of Family Studies, and the Australian Domestic and Family Violence Clearinghouse (ADFVC) at the Centre for Gender Related Violence Studies to review the state of Australian research activity in relation to violence against women. 

ACSSA and ADFVC are working together to find out about what research is being undertaken and to provide a critical analysis about strengths, gaps and opportunities. 

We need your assistance

It's crucial that we capture as much of the research activity as possible - particularly research happening outside major university funding sources. 

If you or your organisation has undertaken, or is undertaking, research relating to violence against women (since 2007), please complete the State of Research in Violence Against Women Survey. 

The information you provide will help us to know what research is happening and where future research activity is required. 


N.B Apologies for any cross posting. This survey is designed to capture any current, formal research you may be doing that is not funded by ARC (Australian Research Council) or NHMRC (National Health and Medical Research Council). This may include significant external evaluations of your DV programs or investigation into client experiences. Click the link in the message to complete the survey online. 

Sunday 4 August 2013

NewAccess - beyondblue program


http://www.beyondblue.org.au/resources/health-professionals/community-access-program-bbcap


"NewAccess is a ground-breaking new beyondblue program that will allow thousands of people in Australian with depression and anxiety to access free psychological services before their condition worsens.
NewAccess is a new way to access psychological services for people experiencing mild to moderate depression and anxiety. Demonstration programs, funded by beyondblue and the Movember Foundation, will run in selected Medicare Local sites over a period of two years starting in 2013.
NewAccess aims to deliver a model of care that can reach people who currently have difficulty accessing existing services. This includes groups which are usually hard to reach such as men. The program will offer easily accessible, free, quality psychological support by trained coaches. The new service will complement existing mental health services, operating within a stepped care model.
NewAccess is the result of four years of research and collaborative discussion in Australia, and is based on the successful UKImproving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) Program. The UK program has proven to be effective in achieving recovery rates in less time and at less cost than other services, and demonstrated that the provision of evidence-based psychological services can lead to a 50 per cent recovery rate for anxiety and depression. 
NewAccess follows the UK model closely, but has been adapted for the Australian context. beyondblue has received overwhelming support for rolling out an Australian version of the UK model through consultations with mental health professionals, peak bodies, and people who experience depression and anxiety, their friends and family."

Monday 1 July 2013

Nancy Cato's letter to granddaughters ...

By Nancy Cato
30 June 2013
My darling Granddaughters Olivia and Hannah,
You are now 4 and 2 years old respectively and as my Nanna (your Great Great Grandmother) and I started to discuss matters of great importance when I reached the age of 5, I’m  making sure I pass on this family tradition in plenty of time!
And today I want to tell you about Julia.....
Click below to read more

margo kingston (@margokingston1) tweeted at 8:44 PM on Sun, Jun 30, 2013:
Our Paper's page 1 lead:  @nancycato1 tribute to our shy first female PM 




Get the official Twitter app at https://twitter.com/download

Saturday 29 June 2013

Nelson Mandela - an article



andrew harding (@BBCAndrewH) tweeted at 5:53 PM on Fri, Jun 28, 2013:

#mandela's long goodbye. 

Left Click here ... http://t.co/SuWOrYy5p2


Get the official Twitter app at https://twitter.com/download

lanie

politics: kinder and gentler ...


cathy wilcox (@cathywilcox1) tweeted at 9:15 AM on Fri, Jun 28, 2013:
Today's SMH cartoons: (1) kinder and gentler with Kevin... http://t.co/7U3VTMAtms(https://twitter.com/cathywilcox1/status/350422102114971648)


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lanie