Welcome
Below are a collection of self-help articles that I have written to provide you with a variety of useful tools that you can access anytime to support your mental health or the work that we might do together. Each page begins with an Overview, and ends with a Summary of the key concepts.
To facilitate your learning, there are links to related articles I have written throughout the text of each article. For your convenience, these related articles are also listed at end of each article. Alternatively, you can return to this page, by hitting your browser’s ‘back’ button.
Welcome
Below are a collection of self-help articles that I have written to provide you with a variety of useful tools that you can access anytime to support your mental health or the work that we might do together. Each page begins with an Overview, and ends with a Summary of the key concepts.
To facilitate your learning, there are links to related articles I have written throughout the text of each article. For your convenience, these related articles are also listed at end of each article. Alternatively, you can return to this page, by hitting your browser’s ‘back’ button.
- Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)
- Anxiety
- attachment
- away moves
- Breathing
- calm
- choice
- compassion
- Compasssion
- courage
- depression
- dissociate
- dissociation
- DNA
- EMDR Therapy
- Emotion Regulation
- flows of compassion
- freedom
- growth
- Heart Rate Variability
- HRV
- inner-critic
- inner-peace
- Meaning
- Meditation
- Mental Health
- Mindfulness
- nature
- Peace
- purpose
- Rumination
- self-acceptance
- self-compassion
- self-criticism
- self-esteem
- shame
- Sleep
- soothing breathing rhythm
- Stress
- Telomerase
- Telomeres
- therapy
- Threat system
- towards moves
- trauma
- values
- Window of Tolerance
- your brain
How to Get the Most Out of Therapy
Are you new to therapy? Working with a psychologist is very different to visiting a doctor. Learn what to expect and learn how you can get the most out your therapy experience, here.
How Your Attachment Style Affects Your Emotion Regulation & Relationships
Our earliest attachments with parents and caregivers shape our abilities and expectations for relationships throughout life. Early attachment experiences impact on a child’s developing brain, and can result in protective behaviours and difficulties with emotion regulation that can continue into adulthood. Learn about attachment and how you can recover from the wounds of your past, here.
Processing Traumatic Experiences with EMDR Therapy
EMDR Therapy is a unique and powerful approach that can free you from the pain of the past. Developed over 30 years ago to treat Trauma, EMDR Therapy now has far-reaching applications and is useful whenever memories are causing a person significant physical, or psychological upset.
Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)
Toxic stress from ACEs can change the brain, effectively narrowing our Window of Tolerance and making us susceptible to chronic mental health and medical conditions. Effects of toxic stress can be passed on intergenerationally, but can also be significantly lessened by protective factors. Learn about ACEs and what you can do to help yourself, here.
Your Window of Tolerance
Your Window of Tolerance is the zone of arousal in which you are able to function most effectively. The size of your Window of Tolerance depends on how much you can tolerate mild fluctuations in mood, energy levels, and the challenges and demands of life, whilst remaining in the Optimal Zone. Lean to work with your Window of Tolerance, here.
Towards vs Away Moves: Get Clear on What You Want
Are you stuck making the same choices over and over, even though this is not helping you move towards what you want in life? Learn practical ways to decide what is most important to you and how to keep yourself on track, here.
Your Brain’s 3 Emotion Regulation Systems
The majority of mental health problems relate to an imbalance of 3 very important systems. From anxieties about the future, or shame and rumination about the past; to attacking one’s self for our failures with harsh self-criticism. There is no peace when being driven by Threat! Learn how to soothe your Threat system so that you can comfort, soothe & support yourself.
Your Brain’s Threat System
Your threat system is designed to protect you from danger. It is about SURVIVAL! However, excessive threat can overwhelm us and can spiral into hopelessness & self-criticism. Learn about how to manage your threat system here.
Negative Thinking – What your poor brain doesn’t know…
When we are on ‘autopilot’ we are often unaware that our mind’s focus can be threatening and that this is contributing to psychological distress. Conversely, the information from our 5 senses is generally an untapped haven of calm, soothing, stillness and peace – Learn how you can use this knowledge to your advantage to free yourself from overthinking.
The Physiology of Self-Criticism
Self-criticism activates the threat system and is a common problem across all mental health difficulties. Learn about the powerful effects of self-criticism on your emotions, your brain, and your physiology. Also learn about your most powerful antidote: Self-compassion.
Compassion – A brief overview
Compassion is one of the most beneficial things from psychological science that you can learn – but unfortunately it is also poorly misunderstood. Compassion does NOT mean ‘being nice’ or ‘having empathy’ – This article will discuss what compassion is and how it can help you reduce your suffering.
The Benefits of Self-Compassion
Self-compassion is one of most helpful (but most difficult) of all psychological skills. Self-compassion can help you work with difficult feelings such as anger and intense shame or harsh self-criticism, and unlike your inner-critic, self-compassion can help you soothe and nurture yourself when you are at your most distressed. However, often due to our upbringing and due to commonly held myths around it – self-compassion is typically misunderstood, feared, avoided or blocked. Learn what self-compassion is, how it gets blocked, & how you can help yourself, here.
Fears, Blocks & Resistances to Compassion
Compassion requires awareness, immense courage and specific skills. However, often due to our emotional learning, many of us react with fears, blocks & resistances. Learn about why this is, and how you can allow more of this light in.
Dealing with Your ‘Inner-Critic’
‘Self-talk’ is great when it helps us – but self-criticism can be painful and destructive! If you speak to yourself in judgmental, shaming, self-critical, or hurtful ways – this is likely the voice of your ‘inner-critic’. Learn helpful ways of responding to your ‘inner-critic’ here…
What is Mindfulness ?
Mindfulness can increase self-awareness, can help you self-regulate & can help you choose how best to respond to challenging situations. But Mindfulness is hugely misrepresented and many false claims abound. Although mindful awareness is essential, Mindfulness alone is not enough. Learn what Mindfulness is, how to make use of it, and what else you need in order to make positive changes, here…
Mindfulness & Your DNA
People who engage in a regular mindfulness practice are more likely to process (than avoid) their emotions, and report less stress and increased happiness. The benefits of regular mindfulness practice can now be measured at the DNA level. Take a closer look here.
Common Obstacles in Learning Mindfulness
People encounter common obstacles when trying to learn Mindfulness. You can save yourself time, effort & frustration by understanding and planning for these difficulties. Enjoy the maximal benefits of Mindfulness with least amount of effort, here.
Guided Mindfulness Audio Exercises
Access guided Mindfulness exercises here. Increase your awareness, improve your resilience. Learn how to respond (vs react). Cultivate inner-peace, now.
Soothing Rhythm Breathing
Many clients report that this breathing technique is one of the most helpful emotion-regulation skills that they learn in therapy. Learn to quickly deactivate your ‘fight/flight’ response & activate your soothing system with this powerful breathing technique.
Heart Rate Variability & Mental Health
Heart Rate Variability (HRV) is a measure of your ability to handle psychological stress. Low HRV is related to negative emotions such as anger, depression, anxiety, rumination, and self-criticism. Learn about HRV and how you can easily improve it and increase your ability to handle stress and difficult emotions, here.
How to Get a Good Night’s Sleep
Having trouble sleeping? Poor sleep increases irritability, reduces concentration & can negatively affect our mood. Use the following tips to improve your sleep today!
The Mental Health Benefits of Nature
Nature is good for our mental and physical health. Exposure to Nature can have powerful restorative effects that promote recovery from physiological and psychological stress. Discover ways you can immerse yourself in nature, and cultivate a state of mind that is most receptive to its benefits.
- Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)
- Anxiety
- attachment
- away moves
- Breathing
- calm
- choice
- compassion
- Compasssion
- courage
- depression
- dissociate
- dissociation
- DNA
- EMDR Therapy
- Emotion Regulation
- flows of compassion
- freedom
- growth
- Heart Rate Variability
- HRV
- inner-critic
- inner-peace
- Meaning
- Meditation
- Mental Health
- Mindfulness
- nature
- Peace
- purpose
- Rumination
- self-acceptance
- self-compassion
- self-criticism
- self-esteem
- shame
- Sleep
- soothing breathing rhythm
- Stress
- Telomerase
- Telomeres
- therapy
- Threat system
- towards moves
- trauma
- values
- Window of Tolerance
- your brain
How to Get the Most Out of Therapy
Are you new to therapy? Working with a psychologist is very different to visiting a doctor. Learn what to expect and learn how you can get the most out your therapy experience, here.
How Your Attachment Style Affects Your Emotion Regulation & Relationships
Our earliest attachments with parents and caregivers shape our abilities and expectations for relationships throughout life. Early attachment experiences impact on a child’s developing brain, and can result in protective behaviours and difficulties with emotion regulation that can continue into adulthood. Learn about attachment and how you can recover from the wounds of your past, here.
Processing Traumatic Experiences with EMDR Therapy
EMDR Therapy is a unique and powerful approach that can free you from the pain of the past. Developed over 30 years ago to treat Trauma, EMDR Therapy now has far-reaching applications and is useful whenever memories are causing a person significant physical, or psychological upset.
Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)
Toxic stress from ACEs can change the brain, effectively narrowing our Window of Tolerance and making us susceptible to chronic mental health and medical conditions. Effects of toxic stress can be passed on intergenerationally, but can also be significantly lessened by protective factors. Learn about ACEs and what you can do to help yourself, here.
Your Window of Tolerance
Your Window of Tolerance is the zone of arousal in which you are able to function most effectively. The size of your Window of Tolerance depends on how much you can tolerate mild fluctuations in mood, energy levels, and the challenges and demands of life, whilst remaining in the Optimal Zone. Lean to work with your Window of Tolerance, here.
Towards vs Away Moves: Get Clear on What You Want
Are you stuck making the same choices over and over, even though this is not helping you move towards what you want in life? Learn practical ways to decide what is most important to you and how to keep yourself on track, here.
Your Brain’s 3 Emotion Regulation Systems
The majority of mental health problems relate to an imbalance of 3 very important systems. From anxieties about the future, or shame and rumination about the past; to attacking one’s self for our failures with harsh self-criticism. There is no peace when being driven by Threat! Learn how to soothe your Threat system so that you can comfort, soothe & support yourself.
Your Brain’s Threat System
Your threat system is designed to protect you from danger. It is about SURVIVAL! However, excessive threat can overwhelm us and can spiral into hopelessness & self-criticism. Learn about how to manage your threat system here.
Negative Thinking – What your poor brain doesn’t know…
When we are on ‘autopilot’ we are often unaware that our mind’s focus can be threatening and that this is contributing to psychological distress. Conversely, the information from our 5 senses is generally an untapped haven of calm, soothing, stillness and peace – Learn how you can use this knowledge to your advantage to free yourself from overthinking.
The Physiology of Self-Criticism
Self-criticism activates the threat system and is a common problem across all mental health difficulties. Learn about the powerful effects of self-criticism on your emotions, your brain, and your physiology. Also learn about your most powerful antidote: Self-compassion.
Compassion – A brief overview
Compassion is one of the most beneficial things from psychological science that you can learn – but unfortunately it is also poorly misunderstood. Compassion does NOT mean ‘being nice’ or ‘having empathy’ – This article will discuss what compassion is and how it can help you reduce your suffering.
The Benefits of Self-Compassion
Self-compassion is one of most helpful (but most difficult) of all psychological skills. Self-compassion can help you work with difficult feelings such as anger and intense shame or harsh self-criticism, and unlike your inner-critic, self-compassion can help you soothe and nurture yourself when you are at your most distressed. However, often due to our upbringing and due to commonly held myths around it – self-compassion is typically misunderstood, feared, avoided or blocked. Learn what self-compassion is, how it gets blocked, & how you can help yourself, here.
Fears, Blocks & Resistances to Compassion
Compassion requires awareness, immense courage and specific skills. However, often due to our emotional learning, many of us react with fears, blocks & resistances. Learn about why this is, and how you can allow more of this light in.
Dealing with Your ‘Inner-Critic’
‘Self-talk’ is great when it helps us – but self-criticism can be painful and destructive! If you speak to yourself in judgmental, shaming, self-critical, or hurtful ways – this is likely the voice of your ‘inner-critic’. Learn helpful ways of responding to your ‘inner-critic’ here…
What is Mindfulness ?
Mindfulness can increase self-awareness, can help you self-regulate & can help you choose how best to respond to challenging situations. But Mindfulness is hugely misrepresented and many false claims abound. Although mindful awareness is essential, Mindfulness alone is not enough. Learn what Mindfulness is, how to make use of it, and what else you need in order to make positive changes, here…
Mindfulness & Your DNA
People who engage in a regular mindfulness practice are more likely to process (than avoid) their emotions, and report less stress and increased happiness. The benefits of regular mindfulness practice can now be measured at the DNA level. Take a closer look here.
Common Obstacles in Learning Mindfulness
People encounter common obstacles when trying to learn Mindfulness. You can save yourself time, effort & frustration by understanding and planning for these difficulties. Enjoy the maximal benefits of Mindfulness with least amount of effort, here.
Guided Mindfulness Audio Exercises
Access guided Mindfulness exercises here. Increase your awareness, improve your resilience. Learn how to respond (vs react). Cultivate inner-peace, now.
Soothing Rhythm Breathing
Many clients report that this breathing technique is one of the most helpful emotion-regulation skills that they learn in therapy. Learn to quickly deactivate your ‘fight/flight’ response & activate your soothing system with this powerful breathing technique.
Heart Rate Variability & Mental Health
Heart Rate Variability (HRV) is a measure of your ability to handle psychological stress. Low HRV is related to negative emotions such as anger, depression, anxiety, rumination, and self-criticism. Learn about HRV and how you can easily improve it and increase your ability to handle stress and difficult emotions, here.
How to Get a Good Night’s Sleep
Having trouble sleeping? Poor sleep increases irritability, reduces concentration & can negatively affect our mood. Use the following tips to improve your sleep today!
The Mental Health Benefits of Nature
Nature is good for our mental and physical health. Exposure to Nature can have powerful restorative effects that promote recovery from physiological and psychological stress. Discover ways you can immerse yourself in nature, and cultivate a state of mind that is most receptive to its benefits.
Dr Andreas Comninos
PhD Clinical Psychologist & Board Approved Supervisor
I am a PhD Clinical Psychologist with over 15 years’ experience. My intentions are to help you to feel safe and respected, to collaborate with you to set clear treatment goals, and to facilitate an exploration of yourself and your situation in ways that regular conversations do not normally allow. Together, I hope we can discover constructive ways to improve your situation and your relationship with yourself and others.
My expertise and training draws from the latest evidenced-based ways to work with the mind, the body and all difficult emotions. My listening skills allow me to identify stuck patterns and unexpressed needs. I can help you to find new ways of responding to difficult situations, and I can help you to develop more resilience in the face of life’s challenges so you can act in ways that move you towards living with more meaning and purpose.
Medicare rebates are available for all Australians for up to 20 sessions each year with a GP referral and a mental health care plan. No matter where you live in Australia, Medicare rebates apply for all face-to-face and Telehealth consultations.
For immediate self-help, I have written practical articles containing tools to help you with a wide-range of topics. These articles are available here. If you are new to therapy, I recommend that you read this article to help you get the most out of therapy.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Dr Andreas Comninos
Clinical Psychologist & Board Approved Supervisor
B.Psych (Hons), PhD (Clin Psych), ACBS, MAPS
Dr Andreas Comninos
Clinical Psychologist & Board Approved Supervisor
B.Psych (Hons), PhD (ClinPsych), ACBS, MAPS
About me.
I am a PhD Clinical Psychologist with over 15 years’ experience. My intentions are to help you to feel safe and respected, to collaborate with you to set clear treatment goals, and to facilitate an exploration of yourself and your situation in ways that regular conversations do not normally allow. Together, I hope we can discover constructive ways to improve your situation and your relationship with yourself and others.
My expertise and training draws from the latest evidenced-based ways to work with the mind, the body and all difficult emotions. My listening skills allow me to identify stuck patterns and unexpressed needs. I can help you to find new ways of responding to difficult situations, and I can help you to develop more resilience in the face of life’s challenges so you can act in ways that move you towards living with more meaning and purpose.
Medicare rebates are available for all Australians for up to 20 sessions each year with a GP referral and a mental health care plan. No matter where you live in Australia, Medicare rebates apply for all face-to-face and Telehealth consultations.
For immediate self-help, I have written practical articles containing tools to help you with a wide-range of topics. These articles are available here. If you are new to therapy, I recommend that you read this article to help you get the most out of therapy.
I look forward to hearing from you.