Category: Somatic Psychotherapy

Somatic Psychotherapy and Counselling for Parents, Educators and People Who Support Others

PEOPLE WHO SUPPORT OTHERS NEED SUPPORT TOO!

Parents, Educators, Social Workers, Doctors, Nurses, Paramedics and Practitioners in the Healing Professions.

Are YOU getting the support you need?
Are YOUR needs being met?

I don’t need to explain how damaging stress can be, how it can undermine your immune system and cause you irritability, pain, and discomfort in the short term, and serious illness in the long term. read more

Expectations – What Expectations?

J:“I’ve given up all expectations”

M: “OK”

J: “OK? OK? Is that all you have to say? I thought you’d be a little more excited than that!!”

We all have expectations

We all have expectations,  some stated, some unstated and taken for granted.

Some of the biggest problems in relationships, causing us stress both at work and in our personal lives, are caused by expectations that are not clearly communicated. read more

What do CORONAVIRUS, VACCINATION, CLIMATE CHANGE AND PSYCHOTHERAPY have in common?

by Donald Marmara, Somatic Psychotherapist Sydney

Consider this :
“IT’S EASY FOR MEAT-EATERS TO SHARE A KITCHEN
IT’S EASY FOR VEGETARIANS TO SHARE A KITCHEN
THE CHALLENGE IS FOR MEAT-EATERS AND VEGETARIANS TO FIND WAYS OF SHARING A KITCHEN WITH EACH OTHER!”
Quote from Sun Bear, Native American Medicine Man read more

How Do You Listen? An important question in counselling and psychotherapy

A wise old owl sat in an oak,The more she saw, the less she spoke. The less she spoke, the more she heard. Why can’t we be like this wise old bird?

In the mid-1980’s I served an apprenticeship with a Native American medicine man, Sun Bear.

When I introduced Sun Bear to an audience, I said:

There are different ways to listen. One way is to listen with your head, to try to understand, explain, interpret, evaluate and take notes. read more

SCHOOL by Arnold Greenberg

One of my favourite poems.

SCHOOL – by Arnold Greenberg

Our teacher handed us some seeds and said, “Go plant these in your yard and water them, then let your questions grow with every leaf. He hardly spoke except to ask what’s on our minds, and when we didn’t say a word, he’d shake his head and say, “Well that’s too bad- We’ve nothing to discuss,” And then he’d sit down on a rock and look up at the sky or at the dirt and think. One day we asked him why he wouldn’t teach and he replied, “I am.” “What do you mean?” we asked. And when he said- “I gave you seeds to plant And everyday I ask what’s on your minds and now I’m waiting patiently for you to learn your teacher is inside of you. I’m just a friend with questions of my own, but if you asked what’s on my mind, I’d have so many thoughts to share we’d talk all day, if I believed you cared- and only then .

That’s when our school began. read more

Stress and Emotional Wellbeing For Parents, Educators and Practitioners Who Work With Children

YOU CHERISH THE TIME YOU SPEND LOOKING AFTER CHILDREN.
THE QUESTION IS : WHO IS LOOKING AFTER YOU?

Doctors, Nurses, Paramedics, Psychotherapists and Practitioners in the Healing Professions Please note:

If you substitute the word “patients” for children, and “Doctors, Nurses, Therapists or Paramedics” for Parents, you will find that this also applies to you.

Core Development offers the following to Parents, Educators, and Practitioners who work with children:

  • Counselling and Psychotherapy (Core Development method)
  • Individual sessions (also available by phone and Zoom)
  • Couples sessions
  • Sessions for parents and teenagers (together or separately)
  • In-house workshops tailored for your team or organisation
  • Public workshops and Talks
  • Supervision

YOUR NEEDS MATTER

If you parent or work with children, it is likely you are always thinking of others. In doing so, you may be neglecting your own needs.

To be a better carer, it is important to take care of yourself. read more

TO ALL STUDENTS DOING THEIR HSC

by Donald Marmara, Somatic Psychotherapist and Educator, Artarmon, Sydney, Australia

PLEASE DO NOT CONFUSE PERFORMANCE WITH SELF ESTEEM

It’s Examination Time Again!!
BEST WISHES TO ALL STUDENTS DOING THEIR HSC

Although this was written primarily for students, it applies to us all.

If you are a student, please remember that, although exam results are important and getting the results you want will make a difference, your value as a human being is neither increased nor diminished by your performance. read more

Why Is There So Much Violence In The World Today?

Are We Missing The Point And Making Things Worse?

Fear is what anxiety and depression, wars, domestic violence, relationship breakdowns, child abuse, terrorism, mass shootings, self-harm and all forms of violence towards oneself and others have in common. They are all a result of fear.

In the latter part of this article, I describe  two very simple exercises, well known to many psychotherapists, that could transform the way we relate and communicate. And in my article on “Dealing With Your Emotions”, I explain why I believe these methods are not more widely used .
 read more

Stress: Breakdown or Breakthrough?

Have you wondered why, despite advances in technology and the increasing use of psychological and coaching services, STRESS, ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION are still major problems?

Have your attempts at dealing with the stress in your life been unsuccessful?                                 

Are you not getting the results you want?

 When we talk about stress, we usually mean the symptoms of stress, such as headaches, back pain, anxiety, depression, and various emotional and physical problems. read more

Exploring Relationships

Individual Sessions, Couples Sessions, Talks and Workshops with Donald Marmara

Core Development offers:

  • Individual Counselling and Psychotherapy( face-to-face, zoom and phone)
  • Somatic Psychotherapy
  • Counselling and Psychotherapy for Parents and Teenagers(together and separately)
  • Couples Counselling and Psychotherapy
  • Talks and workshops for groups and organisations

The artist Chuck Close once said:  “You can give the same recipe to 10 cooks. Some make it come alive, and some make a flat soufflé. A system doesn’t guarantee anything.”

The same applies to relationships. Hundreds of books tell you what to do and not do to make your relationships work. Numerous workshops claim to give you the “secrets” to success. read more