By Callum Ludwig
For families, balancing the thoughts and feelings of one another at home can be tumultuous and hard to manage, leading to rifts, fights or arguments.
Knowing how to look after ourselves when times are tough can be an important first step to helping each other in a positive way, so it’s important to have a ‘toolkit’ for how to deal with these sensitive scenarios.
Clinical Psychotherapist at Chantilly Park Learning and Wellness Centre Julie Smith is hosting two five-hour sessions for families in the coming weeks and said families are often pulled in lots of directions all at once and all at some point can feel overwhelmed.
“We just find that they need some kind of support, we want the families to walk away feeling empowered and that they’ve got tools for support and can finally breathe, find their way to being calmer easier and feel they are not alone in these difficult times,” she said.
We have parents going through a separation, illnesses, job stresses and then just trying to get through the everyday stuff or the rate rises and cost of living pressures and these pressures all follow down into the family dynamics.”
Ms Smith is inviting a colleague of hers called Tahli Rockman who has created a Family Self Care Toolkit to come and run the sessions at Chantilly Park Learning and Wellness Centre on Monday 27 March and Sunday 2 April.
Ms Smith said if families have tools and a way to self-regulate, they’re a step closer to helping them all in a bigger and better way.
“Often pent-up frustration and anger can be pushed down repeatedly, but finding a safe way of releasing it and knowing that it’s a normal thing that everyone goes through is important, it’s not forbidden or to be ashamed of,” she said.
“We want to teach them how to support their nervous systems. Talia goes through some psychoeducation, she teaches them about vagus nerve breathing, mind and body movements that the whole family can get involved in and guided mindful meditation.”
Families will also be provided some video resources they can refer to in times of need, access to a Facebook group for support and be welcome to attend regular meetups.
For more information, visit the Chantilly Park Learning and Wellness Centre Facebook page.
