Psychotherapy
One day you finally knew
what you had to do, and began,
though the voices around you
kept shouting
their bad advice, though
the whole house
began to tremble
and you felt the old tug
at your ankles…
The Journey (extract)
Mary Oliver
Working together
It’s quite normal to come to therapy: we can all become anxious; our career, our relationships, can be challenging; this life, even who we are, can be confusing. My goal is to create a warm and non-judgmental space to explore these issues. In this process, clients gain a greater understanding of, and compassion for, themselves, and new possibilities emerge. I welcome you to join with me in this journey of transformation.
Couples
My approach with couples is usually more directive than with individuals. Couples often come with an urgent need to manage conflict better. This is where a more direct approach is useful, and here I use Gottman Method Couples Therapy.
Paradoxically, conflict is actually useful in a relationship, as it has the capacity to reveal what is important for each person. And so we will also explore the wants and needs that underlie the positions that each person takes in conflict.
In therapy with me, not only will couples learn skills in managing conflict better – this is important because conflict is present even in a well-functioning relationship – but we will also work to develop skills for enhancing friendship and creating shared meaning.
In these ways, it is possible to begin to heal the relationship and turn it into a support for the couple to flourish.
I welcome gay, straight and culturally and linguistically diverse couples – alongside couples who may not fit into these narrow definitions.
Mindfulness
What is mindfulness?
Mindfulness is a simple concept: it is the awareness that arises when we place our attention on an object. By its nature, it is something that can only occur in the present moment. The practice of mindfulness consists of continually (and kindly) re-placing our attention on our chosen object when our attention wanders.
There have now been over 1,500 studies into the effects of mindfulness.1 They show that practising mindfulness is associated with:
- reductions in anxiety, depression, stress and perception of pain; and
- improved mood and emotional intelligence, increased working memory and a greater ability for complex thinking and problem solving.2
“I am filled with gratitude; this has been a profound experience for me.”
Sherif
Mindfulness in the Office
When I was working in the law, every day I would see lawyers beset with stress and anxiety. I was not alone in seeing this.3 And it’s not limited to lawyers. These stories of workers are not only distressing to the workers themselves and their families – they also have an impact on the organisations in which they work. High levels of stress and anxiety lead to underperformance, higher levels of sick leave and, ultimately, staff turnover.
At the same time, organisations are seeking to maximise the value of their highly educated and well-paid staff. I see mindfulness as part of the solution to this dilemma: as studies have shown, mindfulness is a skill that can reduce stress and anxiety and increase resilience and effectiveness in the workplace.
Mindfulness training
Group program: in-house
The basic program that Mind Now offers is a 6 × 1¼ hr program for 8 – 12 people, delivered at your offices, with an optional half-day of mindfulness delivered at your offices on a weekend at the end of week 4 or 5.
Home practice by the participants is an essential feature of the program.
Public program: Mindfulness; Mindfulness in Relationship
Mind Now offers two mindfulness courses. The first is an introduction to mindfulness. The second looks at how we are in relationship: using mindfulness skills, participants are invited to reflect on how they affect and are affected by others – friends, colleagues, clients. The aim is to foster awareness of, and resilience in, interactions with others.
Upcoming course dates will be announced here.
Individual coaching
Mind Now also offers 1:1 mindfulness coaching. This program can be more flexible than the group program and tailored to the individual. The basic program is 6 × 1hr sessions.
“I have noticed a great advancement in… my overall ability to handle stress and self-criticism.”
Georgina
1 Kabat-Zinn, J (2013) Full Catastrophe Living (2nd Edition), Random House, New York at p. (Roman 30) of the Introduction to the Second Edition
2 Egs Grossman, P et al (2004) Mindfulness-based stress reduction and health benefits: A meta-analysis. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 57: 35-43; Jha, A et al (2010) Examining the protective effects of mindfulness training on working memory capacity and affective experience Emotion Vol 10(1), 54-64
3 Kelk, N et al (2009) Courting the Blues: Attitudes towards depression in Australian law students and legal practitioners BMRI Monograph 2009-1, Sydney, Brain and Mind Research Institute
About Craig
I am a psychotherapist in private practice in Central Victoria and Melbourne, Australia, with a Masters degree in Gestalt psychotherapy. While my clinical work is informed by this training, I am also alert to clients’ psychodynamic processes.
Over a decade ago, I also trained to teach the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program, a program developed over 30 years ago at the University of Massachusetts Medical School and now taught world-wide. This built on my own decades-long meditation practice.
I also practised as a lawyer for 25 years. I worked in a variety of workplaces – from some of Australia’s largest law firms, to small in-house teams. I am very familiar with the exigencies of corporate life.
In 2010, I received the Victorian Law Institute President’s Award for Pro Bono Lawyer of the Year, as a result of my work as a volunteer lawyer over a dozen years at the Victorian HIV/AIDS Legal Centre.
Contact
Psychotherapy
In Melbourne, I practise from ‘Elie’, an Edwardian building located at 27 Royal Parade, Parkville, across from Melbourne University.
Tram 19 north up Elizabeth Street in the Melbourne CBD will take you there. Elie is a two minute walk from tram stop 12 (Morrah Street/Royal Parade).
Bike parking is available out the front and there is car parking in the streets back from Royal Parade. Please be careful about the parking restrictions.
In Castlemaine, I practise from The Hub at 233 Barker Street; entry via Templeton Street.
I also offer online therapy via Zoom.
Mindfulness training
For workplaces, I offer onsite mindfulness training.
For community groups, I offer mindfulness training at Elie, at the address above.
Enquiries
Please get in touch at:
E craig(%20at%20)mindnow.com.au
P 0469 905 188