Expert guidance for a balanced and fulfilling life
Achieve life harmony through our expert counselling services. Providing personalised support to help you navigate life’s complexities with confidence.
WHO WE ARE
Dedicated to your mental wellness
The meaning of Vitality, the word itself is derived for “vita” or “life” and is synonymus with energy. It is felt when the body and mind are healthy and in balance. It enables us to stay sharp, perform well and above all, to live life to the fullest. In both the physical and mental sense, vitality refers to a feeling of aliveness.
At Vitality care counselling our vision is to support and empower individuals to approach life with excitement and energy to feel that one’s actions have meaning and purpose. To offer affordable, accessible and personalised support. To help individuals to overcome challenges and trauma to navigate life’s complexities with confidence.
Our approach at Vitality Care Counselling is person centered, integrative and holistic. We believe that each individual is incredibly unique as is their life journey.
We work with our clients to understand what influences their entire way of being. Applying the most effective evidence- based therapies to promote self awareness, self acceptance which allows the discovery of unconscious patterns and triggers, and facilitates the processing of both past and present life events. Working with both the mind and body to release stress and trauma for overall better wellbeing.
Telehealth platform to access confidential support from anywhere
Compassionate care
We prioritise empathy and understanding in every interaction, ensuring that each client feels safe.
Emily Dunlop
Founder/ ACA accredited Counsellor
Need to know more details?
0404565810
Understanding Mental health
Mental health matters
Having good mental health is just as important as having good physical health. Our mental health influences how we think, feel and act. It can impact our work, relationships and our physical health. About 1 in 5 Australians will struggle with a mental illness in any given year. And almost half of all Australians will experience a mental health problem at some point in their life. The way mental health issues present and impact an individuals life will vary with each person. Some people may need support for a short time. While others may need long term support to help navigate the ups and downs but one thing is for sure if you are struggling you can not fix everything on your own, it is ok to need a little help, and affordable help is available now.
Three Signs of Burnout
Emotional Exhaustion
This is the most common sign of burnout.
Its the feeling of being emotionally drained, overwhelmed, and fatigued. This exhaustion can make it difficult to cope with everyday situations.
Feeling Cynical
This involves a negative, detached, and often cynical attitude towards one’s work, colleagues, family and or friends. You might find yourself becoming more critical, irritable, and less empathetic.
Loss of motivation
Burnout can result in a loss of motivation and an increasingly negative attitude towards work or parenting. This may lead to a critical and detached approach to your role and responsibilities.
Three Signs of Relationship Stress
Emotional Withdrawal
In a stressed relationship, partners may start to emotionally withdraw, showing less interest and or affection and avoiding vulnerability. This distance can weaken the connection, making conflict resolution and intimacy more difficult.
Frequent Criticism
Stress can lead to an increase in criticism, where partners focus on each other’s flaws and mistakes. This constant negativity can create resentment and further strain on the relationship.
Decreased Quality Time
Relationship stress often results in less quality time together. Partners may become too busy or distracted, leading to fewer shared activities and weakening their bond.
Post natal Depression
Postpartum depression is a moderate to severe depression in women after giving birth. It may occur soon after delivery or up to a year later.
The symptoms include sad, low mood, agitation or irrtability, changes in appetite, feelings of worthlessness, feelings of guilt, withdrawing from usual and social activity, lack of pleasure/ interest in most activities, loss of concentration, loss of energy, problems completing tasks, significant anxiety, thoughts of suicide, inability to bond with new baby, trouble sleeping.
To a degree every mother feels one or a few of these symptoms at some stage in the first few months of bringing a baby home due to a drastic change in hormones, sleep deprivation and a huge change in lifestyle. All new parents need support and care. Postpartum is when these symptoms are experienced for a prolonged period of time.
Helpful hints
- Reach out for support
- Exercise and eat well
- Do yoga with other parents
- Set small goals and tasks
- Be kind to yourself/ self care
Depression
If you have never experienced depression before, it is hard to recognise, difficult to understand and handle on your own.
Depression manifests itself differently in everyone, common explanations are chronic feelings of sadness, hopelessness, lack of energy and withdrawal from previously enjoyable situations.
Other signs you may be experiencing depression are the prolonged experience of poor concentration, feelings of excessive guilt or low self worth, hopelessness of the future, thoughts of suicide, disrupted sleep, changes in appetite or weight and uncharacteristic irritability.
Therapy can be immensely helpful for individuals that are experiencing life interrupting low mood. Early intervention is the best option.
Helpful hints
- Get help, your Counsellor will help you understand what is happening and identify tools and goals that will assist you.
- Set realistic goals, don’t take on too much right now, be kind to yourself.
- Break large tasks into smaller ones
- Try to do the things that bring you joy.
- Don’t put expectations on yourself for recover, one step at a time.
- Get regular exercise and eat well.
Understanding Trauma
Trauma is a psychological response to an event or series of events that are deeply distressing or disturbing. These events can have a lasting impact on an individuals mental and emotional well-being, affecting their ability to function in daily life.
Trauma can be categorised into two main types:
Acute Trauma: this type of trauma results from a single incident, such as a car accident, natural disaster, victim of crime, or a sudden loss of a loved one. The emotional shock and stress from the event can lead to immediate and often intense symptoms.
Chronic Trauma: This results from prolonged or repeated exposure to highly stressful events, such as ongoing abuse, domestic violence, and other ongoing situations. The prolonged exposure can lead to a range of severe and enduring psychological issues.
Common symptoms and impairments from trauma affecting an individuals emotional well-being, and daily life include;
Intensive memories/ thoughts, flashbacks, nightmares, Severe anxiety, panic attacks, Avoidance, emotional numbness, detachment from life, irritability, anger, difficulty concentrating, headaches and stomach aches.
Anxiety
Experiencing high levels of heightened and persistent states of anxiety, which goes beyond the normal and occasional worries or fears that individuals experience. anxiety disorder is marked by the overwhelming and often irrational apprehension related to various situations, objects, or concerns. These concerns may range from everyday responsibilities and relationships to specific phobias, and they can manifest as a constant and disruptive presence in one’s thoughts and emotions.
Symptoms of a heightened state of anxiety include constant worry, restlessness, muscle tension, rapid heart rate, cognitive impairment, avoidance, difficulty concentrating and worse case scenario thinking.
The inability to self manage or control these anxious feelings is cause for concern and help if available to support you.
Helpful hints
- Get help to understand your anxiety
- Progressive muscle relaxation
- Mindfulness practice
- Diaphragmatic breathing
- Exercise
- Set small achievable goals
OUR PROCESS
Simple steps to better mental health
Our streamlined process is designed to provide you with effective and compassionate care. Follow these three simple steps to start your journey toward improved mental well-being.
All appointment are affordable and accessible by secure video link. We are committed to privacy and confidentiality. As per the ACA ethics and Privacy Act 1988.
STEP 1
Initial consultation
Schedule your first appointment where we’ll discuss your concerns, goals, and determine the best approach for your needs.
STEP 2
Personalised plan
Work with your therapist to develop a tailored treatment plan that addresses your specific mental health challenges.
STEP 3
Ongoing support
Engage in regular sessions and receive continuous support, adjustments to your plan, and guidance to achieve lasting improvement.
Click the button below to find out more about our services
TAKE ACTION
Ready to improve your mental health?
Our body and minds are connected in a way that the body will hold onto stress and trauma long after that mind has resolved it. The ability to calm the nervous system and relax the body is a vital part of healing. This can be achieved through practical activities such as mindfulness practice and yoga.
Mindfulness is a type of meditation in which you focus on being intensely aware of what you’re sensing and feeling in the moment, without interpretation or judgment. Practicing mindfulness involves breathing methods, guided imagery, and other practices to relax the body and mind and help reduce stress.
Spending too much time planning, problem-solving, daydreaming, or thinking negative or random thoughts can be draining. It can also make you more likely to experience stress, anxiety and symptoms of depression. Practicing mindfulness exercises can help you direct your attention away from this kind of thinking and engage with the world around you.
Ask your therapist about the available tools to begin mindfulness practice
EXCITING NEWS!!!
Launching soon will be our restorative and Yin yoga sessions. There will be group or one on one sessions available, coming November 2024
Stay tuned for more information
If you are interested in joining our virtual classes, please fill in the form to join the waitlist.
