A social enterprise providing education and information to protect and enhance the mental health of young people
If you only listened to the media, you'd think young people today are all problems and no positives. Clinical psychologist Andrew Fuller and educator John Hendry aren't having a bar of it. Although they aren't downplaying the issues facing young Australians, they're quick to point out that young people are now generally smart, responsible and [...]
Giving someone your full attention in conversation isn’t easy, but it is a skill we can practice and hone. Have you ever tried to have a conversation with somebody who wasn’t listening to you? Could you tell? Have you ever seen yourself nodding and smiling during a conversation while in your mind you were landing [...]
Some people are genetically inclined to be highly empathic or not. But, generally, we develop empathy as children, primarily through observing how others show it. We may be on the receiving end of expressions of empathy and come to value it for the emotional benefits it had for us. Then we may show empathy ourselves [...]
Any simple time-and-motion study in our homes, workplaces, shopping malls or transport hubs will show that the more time we spend with devices in the digital realm, the less time there is to spend with people in the human realm. At the same time, it's probable that constant online violence dulls us to real pain. [...]
Good family communication is the key to successful parenting at all stages, but it’s not always easy. We all know the advice about getting down to a toddler’s tantrumming level, offering a stroppy six-year-old a non-judgmental ear and giving a tired teenager peace to think and a cup of tea after a tough exam, but [...]
Last Friday I spent the day at the Student Wellbeing Action Network (SWAN) Symposium co-hosted by Wellbeing Australia and the Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth (ARACY). The day brought together policy makers, researchers, practitioners, teachers and – most importantly for me – students to talk about how approaches to wellbeing can be [...]
