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Peta has been in private practice in Mandurah since 1994. Prior to that having worked as an employed psychologist in Mandurah and in Victoria. She is a well known therapist in the areas of PTSD, anxiety, depression and other health areas. She has been counselling Vietnam Vets for a long period and enjoys a reputation as a very good therapist in this field.Peta has a special rapport with children and has been very successful in this area of therapy. As well as being a therapst for people, Peta is also a wildlife carer specialising in kangaroos.

Malcolm has been in the counselling, psychotherapy and associated fields from 1991 when he commenced his drug and alcohol counselling course. Prior to that he spent a number of years as an investigator in the criminal justice area and studied law for a period. Malcolm conducted his own private investigations business for a two year period and returned to the counselling area where he found the work more rewarding in a personal sense. He obtained his bachelor of psychology (4 years degree) at Murdoch Uni as a mature age student He is a well known and successful hypnotherapist having completed his diploma in clinical hypnosis in Perth. Both he and Peta have completed professionally produced hypnosis CD's for sale. Despite his surname having a saxony background the first Heckenbergs came out from England in 1834 having been born in Devonport. There is also an irish female convict lurking in the pedigree who was shipped to Australia in 1809.

An outstanding office manager. Our accountant says it all.........."don't let her go". Experienced in MYOB and all areas of office administration and client file management Debbie is an integral part of the clinic team.

The clinic also utilises the services of Debra a counselling psychologist (MPsych) one day a week. As well as counselling Debra is an experienced and successful hypnotherapist.

Mandurah Clinic offers all types of psychological assessment, counselling and psychotherapy.

These assessments can be carried out for intelligence testing and testing to assess neurological functioning.

Clinical assessment and counselling is also carried out for anxiety, depression, stress levels, addictions, personality disorders and all forms of mental health issues. Counselling and coaching is also offered for clients to improve all types of lifestyle performances.

Relationship counselling is also offered for couples wanting to improve their relationship skills. Fly-in Fly-out working practices in Western Australia place great strain on family relationships and many clients in this field are now availing themselves of our psychological and counselling services to enhance their relationships.

If you are suffering from depression it is vital that you seek help. It is no longer necessary for most people to struggle day after day with overwhelming sadness and despair. Your local GP can help and so can a psychologist or counsellor.

While you are seeking professional guidance, you can also do some things to help yourself.

The first thing is to become active. That means participating in some form of exercise and also participating in some sort of community activity. Helping others is a very positive antidote for depression. I cannot overstress how very important activity is.

The second activity you can do is become aware of your thoughts and actively discriminate between helpful and non-helpful thoughts. It can be easy to tell the difference if you know what to look for. Non-helpful thoughts are those thoughts that cannot be backed up by logical or scientific scrutiny. Non-helpful thoughts are those ideas that would never stand up in a court of law. Learning the difference between rational and irrational thinking can take some time to master, but it’s a skill that is worth learning.

The third activity you can engage in involves monitoring your thoughts for evidence of global thinking. Global thinking includes any idea that contains the words “always” or “never”. Statements that contain these words condemn a person’s life to “never” changing and “always” being miserable.

The fourth activity you can engage in involves making sure your diet is adequate and nutritious. There is a school of thought that states that fluctuating blood sugar levels have a profound impact of our emotions and our behaviours. Ensuring that your blood sugar levels remain relatively stable may help.

Finally, if you suffer from depression, it is so important that you reach out for help. With so many therapies and medications available, there is a very good chance that you will find relief in a relatively short period of time.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) may occur after a person experiences an event in which death or serious injury has occurred or could have occurred. There are three main categories of symptoms for PTSD.

The first set of symptoms involves re-experiencing the event in the form of vivid memories, flashbacks or nightmares. These memories can be triggered by reminders of the event such as smells, driving near the place where the event occurred, certain sounds etc. These re-experiencing events are often unwanted and can occur at very inconvenient and/or unexpected times. It can be very upsetting to find yourself in the shopping centre and suddenly being overwhelmed be memories that are so powerful that it feels like you are re-living the event.

The second set of symptoms involves avoiding/numbing behaviours. A person who has experienced a critical event might feel quite cut off from their emotions. They might feel as if they are not entirely “in the world”. This weird, dissociated feeling might last for several hours or several months. A person with PTSD might also find it difficult to feel loving feelings for people they loved before the incident. They may also try to avoid anything that reminds them of the event. They might stop driving past the accident site, or might be unable to return to work where the incident occurred.

The third cluster of symptoms is called hyperarousal. These include insomnia, increased impatience, irritability, jumpiness and agitation. A person may experience unreasonable anger that far outweighs the seriousness of the perceived problem. They may also experience an exaggerated startle response to sudden noises and they may experience problems with memory loss and reduction of concentration. A person with PTSD may even be surprised to find that they can no longer read the newspaper because they lack the concentration to remember what they read in the previous sentence. These arousal reactions are due to the “flight or fight” response in our bodies.

In Australia, tobacco companies lose 170,000 customers every year; 20,000 die from smoking-related diseases and 150,000 quit. Which group will you belong to?
Many of us at Mandurah Counselling Services are reformed nicotine addicts so we certainly understand how very difficult QUITTING can be. However, there are many therapies available now that can help a person give up – and STAY smoke free.

The very first thing that you need to do is write down all the reasons why you want to QUIT. Health reasons certainly seem to be the most important reason to QUIT, but there are other reasons that might be even more important to you – for instance, do you really want to smell like an ashtray every time you kiss your boyfriend or do you enjoy that terrible position of aching for a smoke and feeling trapped like a rat when you are in an aeroplane, boardroom meeting or having a cuppa with grandma? All those times everyday when you cannot feed your HABIT but you are aching to light up L

Once you have written down all the reasons to QUIT, put copies on the fridge, by your bed, on the dashboard of the car and on your desk at work. Let yourself be reminded constantly of the reasons why you are going to successfully meet this challenge.

Then write down all the gains you are achieving by giving up. For instance, did you know that within 2 hours of QUITTING there is no more nicotine in your system? In about 2 days all the nicotine by-products have gone, within 12 hours carbon monoxide leaves your body and your lung function begins to improve. Within 2 days your taste buds begin to heal and your sense of smell begins to improve. Within weeks the phlegm that had built up in your lungs will start to loosen and within 2 months the blood supply to your hands and legs begins to improve. You will have more energy. After 3 months a man’s sperm count is back to normal and your lungs will be beginning to heal. Then of course, there is the extra money in your pocket, the fresh and clean taste in your mouth and the fresh and clean smell of your clothes, hair and breathe. And perhaps the greatest thing of all is this wonderful sense of achievement and pride that you will have in knowing that you are successfully meeting this challenge.

So, armed with your lists of why you want to QUIT and the benefits of QUITTING, you are ready to take the next step. Some people want to prepare themselves slowly by cutting down their cigarette consumption first, although, if you choose to do it this way, you must know that the research suggests that this is not the most successful way of QUITTING.

To assist you in slowing down your cigarette consumption, you can have smoking zones. For instance, no more smoking in the car, while you’re talking on the phone or while you’re watching T.V. Make a commitment to only smoke in the carport or the green house and make sure that you keep that commitment. Just that strategy alone will force you to reduce your level of smoking. You can also keep a diary of every time you smoke, and note all the reasons why you are smoking – is it boredom, depression, anxiety, anger that has prompted you to reach out for that packet? Understanding why you smoke can assist you to stay a non-smoker.

Now that you have decided to QUIT and you are armed with your lists of the reasons why you want to give up smoking and the benefits of QUITTING, you are ready for the next step….actually QUITTING.
1.         Chose the day and time you will begin your life as a non-smoker. It might be best to have your last cigarette in the evening, so that, by the morning, you will have already been cigarette free for at least 8 hours.
2.         Remember that cravings last an average of 9 minutes. So even when you are feeling very challenged, this will only last a very short time.
3.         When you are experiencing a craving, do something to take your mind off the experience. Go for a walk, play with the dog, chop some wood or do the dishes. As each day passes, the cravings decrease in intensity and frequency.
4.         Drink plenty of water to flush your system of all the toxins you have been breathing in.
5.         Listen to relaxation tapes and calming music, engage in peaceful activities and learn how to manage your stress.
6.         If a cigarette usually takes you 5-10 minutes to smoke, and you used to smoke 30 per day, then that means you have an extra 2 ½ to 5 hours per day to fill with other activities. See if you can find some fun and interesting activities to do in the extra time you have created.

Be prepared for tempting thoughts “just one cigarette” or “just one puff”. 95% of people, who do that, return to full time smoking.

The majority of people are able to give up smoking without the aid of other therapies. However, if you find that QUITTING is just too hard for you to do alone, remember, there are a number of therapies that may help you to help yourself. Nicotine replacement therapies have been very helpful for some people and acupuncture has also been reported to be of assistance. There are some medications available through your General Practitioner that may be appropriate (you would need to talk to your doctor about this). HYPNOSIS is also a powerful tool to utelise to assist in quitting.

The state of hypnosis is one that most people experience every day. It is not some sort of weird phenomenon that can only be experienced in a psychologist’s rooms or on stage for all to laugh at. If you are reading an interesting book and you don’t hear your husband talking to you – you are experiencing hypnosis. If you are driving your car and you cannot remember driving for the last 15 minutes – you have been experiencing hypnosis. Staring out the window in a day-dream, feeling cold on a hot day because you are watching a documentary on the Antarctic, crying at a sad movie or having your mouth water when you image eating something yummy – all of these are hypnotic experiences. Many forms of relaxation, meditation and even prayer encourage a trance like or hypnotic state.

In this state, your subconscious mind is experiencing the world directly, without interference from your conscience mind. In this state you are open to suggestion without the editing effect that the conscience mind always engages in. Through many many years of research and experience, we have learnt that the state of hypnosis can allow a person to learn different types of behaviours and emotions far more rapidly than in the “normal” conscience state.

Contrary to some depictions of hypnosis in books, movies or television, people who are hypnotized do not lose control over their behaviour. Hypnosis makes it easier for people to experience suggestions, but it does not force them to have those experiences. Hypnosis is a positive tool that has helped many people. It is a safe, easy and effective way to deal with life’s challenges.

Not all people are hypnotisable. However, most people can experience at least a light state of trance. In most cases, that is all that is needed to experience the positive effects of helpful suggestions. A deeper level of hypnosis is generally required for pain management suggestions; however, most other difficulties can assist with a combination of hypnosis and therapy. It is very important that the therapist you see has been trained in the ethical use of hypnosis. All the psychologists and counsellors at Mandurah Counselling Services are trained and very experienced in the ethical use of hypnosis. Youcan call the clinic at Mandurah on 9534 9544 for more information.

People who are hypnotised for the first time are frequently disappointed to find they are experiencing nothing overwhelming. They mostly feel mildly relaxed but remain in touch with reality and in control of their thoughts, and may even discover that the hypnotist’s suggestions are quite resistible. Contrary to what most people believe, a person under hypnosis need not fall asleep, lose contact with his surroundings or relinquish his will. He or she is often able to recall everything that has happened during the trance and acts perfectly normally. A few people may experience amnesia for the duration of the trance but this does not happen very often.

One of the features of hypnosis is the ability to experience “age regression”. This can be a very useful method of revisiting a difficult event in the past and making some sense out of that experience. While “age regression” has its place in therapy, therapists and clients need to be very mindful of the fact that “new” memories that are discovered are not necessarily accurate depictions of the past. “Age regression” runs the risk of traumatising the client with memories that may not have ever occurred. For this reason, the psychologists and counsellors at Mandurah Counselling Services are very reluctant to engage in this type of therapy unless there is very good reason.

Hypnosis can be used in conjunction with therapy to assist in a large number of difficulties. Problems associated with anxiety and panic attacks are often very responsive to the relaxing effects of hypnosis. Hypnosis can be used to increase that sense of motivation and control needed for weight management, quit smoking, increased concentration for study etc. Increasing self-confidence and self esteem, increasing assertiveness and decreasing fear of another’s anger are just a few of the difficulties that can be assisted with the use of hypnosis and therapy. Learning self-hypnosis may assist you with problems associated with insomnia and anxiety. Self-hypnosis may also assist with pain management and anger management.

As you can see, the safe and ethical use of hypnosis by a trained therapist can help with a very large variety of difficulties. There are many other types of therapeutic techniques such as EFT and BSFF that can also have a very big impact on how you view yourself, your world and your life.

EFT is a very simple technique that everyone can use to reduce the level of any overwhelming and uncomfortable emotion. It takes only about 30 minutes to master the technique and about 3-4 minutes to apply. While this therapy is not for everyone, research suggests that it can assist up to 85% of people.

The process is related to acupuncture and uses the same bioelectric “Power Lines” or meridians that run through our bodies. It involves the client tapping on certain parts of his/her body, including head, hand and chest, while repeating a statement that is related to their current difficulty. The tapping releases naturally occurring endorphins in the brain to assist a person in feeling less intense levels of emotions. Now clearly, EFT alone will not be enough to assist with major problems, however, a combination of EFT and therapy is very effective for many people. EFT is also a very useful tool to use every day to help you clear yourself of minor irritations, a bout of tiredness or feelings of hurt associated with a relationship. One staff member of Mandurah Counselling Services used EFT to assist her with her anxiety before she gave evidence in court for a client. Another staff member used it to overcome a fear of heights before braving an 80 metre high Tree Top Walk in Borneo. Clearly, this technique works for people who want to give it a try.

Probably the biggest draw back to using EFT is that you can look like a bit “silly” doing it. Once you have learned the basics, there are certainly some little tricks to learn that can help you to do the technique in public – without anyone ever noticing – (You really didn’t think she was tapping away at her head and chest in front of the Magistrate did you?)

Now clearly, EFT is not for everyone. But if you are interested in learning this amazing technique, contact the clinic and make an appointment. It will only take one session to learn how to reduce your uncomfortable emotions to a more manageable level.

You can visit the website of Gary Craig at www.emofree.com for detailed information on EFT

The meaning of the term love is something that has challenged the mind of mankind for thousands of years. There are many different types of love such as love for a child, love for a parent, love for a friend, love for an animal, love for a country, love for ourselves etc. These are all interpreted in different ways by individuals, societies and cultures. This also varies at different times in history.

Of the many love models is one that states that love consists of three elements: passion, intimacy and commitment. Combinations of these three lead to eight different sub-types of love:
Consummate love consists of having all three elements.
Romantic love consists of passion and intimacy,
Companionate love consists of commitment and intimacy.
Fatuous love consists of passion and commitment.
Liking consists of intimacy alone.
Empty love consists of commitment only.
Infatuation consists of passion only.
No love means having none of the three types.
Which style is yours? Knowing this, you can work towards putting the missing element/s into your relationship.

A well-known saying is that “Love is a verb”, it is a “doing” word, not just a fuzzy feeling in the pit of the stomach. Love is about DOING many things.

A famous book from two thousand years ago describes love as being: tolerant, moderate, meek, mild, courteous, open, accepting, calm, moral, truthful, believing, hopeful and eternal. To “do” any of these things for our partner or others is to be “loving”.

To be able to communicate our most hidden and fragile feelings in our relationships takes a lot of “doing”. We have to be able to risk and to trust, which is scary. As the listener we have to put our own feelings, opinions and need to help aside; to be able to listen so that people can feel heard, and then know that they can trust us with their feelings.

To be loving takes skill and hard work. Who teaches us these skills? A lot of the time our parents don’t have them because they weren’t taught either. Parents do the best they can and we learn the same - to do the best we can. At times, in relationships, this is like being thrown into the deep end of a swimming pool to learn how to swim.

Relationships, communicating and being loving take skills. These can be learned and practised, and then become an instinctual part of our being. We can then role model healthy ways of communicating and being loving to our children, who hopefully then grow up not having to struggle in their own relationships.

Peta is also a Conservation And Land Management (CALM) wildlife carer and raises orphaned mammals. Coolie, Winston and Boofy (pictured below) are orphan joeys that Peta raised and were successfully released into the wild. The kangaroos are released into safe areas and monitored until they are independent of humans. It is hard to say goodbye to them, but when you see these great animals running at full speed you realise that they are meant to be in the wide open spaces. Kangaroos shown on this site are Western Grey kangaroos.