Counselling

Two figures in a studio lit up by the screen display of a grid test pattern

The Beloved Son

I wrote previously about the father-son archetype in therapy, with my views that men need to exorcise their demons and embrace their gods through meaningful conversation with other men. My thoughts on this originated through my ongoing work in a… Read more

Kodak-framed photo of five lines of messy "i have waited" sentences

The Winding Road of the Middle Years

As a trainer of psychotherapists and career counsellors, I’ve had to come to an understanding of developmental stages in adult life. It just won’t do to assume all grown ups have similar needs, irrespective of age. The things that move… Read more

A single Australian emu walking alongside a barbed wire fence in a field of dry grass

The Empty Nest Syndrome

I’m a man, but don’t let that throw you. I work full-time, write in my spare time, and I’ve raised three strapping young things to the verge of adulthood. I’ve been chief cook and bottle-washer, chauffeur, lawn-mower and friend-keeper. That’s… Read more

A silhouette of four people against a star-studded night sky

The Mystical Experience

On TV the other evening I saw interviews with two people who’d had out-of-body experiences. They were both mature adults. One was a neurosurgeon who had, through the course of his work, heard numerous stories of people who had “died”… Read more

1935 sepia photo of North Bondi beach males in striped, full-body bathing costumes complete with bathing caps

The Shifting Morass of Morals

It is interesting to follow the current polarisation in society around moral issues. During political campaigns, moral issues are often revived as leverage for garnering votes. Gay marriage seems to come up lately as a wedge to define who is… Read more

The author. The beach at Little Dip Conservation Park.

Where Has All The Magic Gone

I was walking along the beach on a beautiful spring morning in South Australia, feeling somewhat overwhelmed by the magic in the air, the kind that reminds you that you’re part of a great and mysterious universe. Being in my… Read more

Colourful block-long graffiti from the 2009 Brooklyn, New York, Art Under the Bridge Festival

The Gift of the Truculent Teenager

As an educator of teachers and counsellors, I never had to wait long to hear the next sentence that contains an expletive alongside the word “teenager.” Having raised three of my own, I’m not unrealistic about the challenges that they… Read more

Asian woman sounding a white vuvuzela on a blurred crowd background

Leadership and You

For the most part it’s a sad and sorry world in terms of leadership. We look around, whether at work, in our religious and cultural institutions, or in the political sphere, and it seems no one can inspire the masses… Read more