Services

Services Include:

• Counselling
• Seminars
• Workshops
• Courses

Counselling for adolescents, adults, older adults, couples and families

Dr Donna Golding offers traditional psychological therapies and strategies and specialises in the newer field of Transpersonal Psychology (holistic, multi-cultural, multi-racial, spirituality) for counselling and therapy to help each client tap into their greater potential.  Thus Donna helps clients gain relief through repair-oriented approaches to psychology as well as helping clients realise more of their potential and self-actualisation.
 
What is remarkable about Donna is her in-depth knowledge and understanding of "Inspired Living" and "Self" - how self-identify and self-awareness contributes to each person's quality of life. Feeling good about your self depends largely on self-awareness and self-confidence, that is, knowing yourself. Self-confidence stems from understanding and applying your potential. This includes tapping into inner resources such as patience and courage, and outer resources within the social world and environment. Dr Golding's breadth of counselling ranges from counselling on everyday mundane stresses and conflicts through to holistic development that includes covert potential described as "transpersonal" or "spiritual".

Contact Dr Golding for counselling in the following areas:

The Counselling Process

Counselling for unsolved day-to-day issues and therapy involving analysis of deeply rooted processes stemming from one's more youthful past are usually on a one-to-one basis or may be as a couple, family, and sometimes a small group. Each counselling session is 55 minutes. They are confidential; your identity and anything that you say remains private and not revealed to anyone else.
 
The number of sessions needed depends upon the individual's issues. Some clients need just one counselling session to resolve a new challenge they are confronted with; whereas psychotherapy with investigation and analysis of deeper issues often requires several sessions involving implementing a treatment program. The main therapeutic tools Dr Golding uses are Cognitive-Behavioural, Interpersonal, Rational-emotive Therapy, Psychodynamic Psychotherapy and Transpersonal Psychotherapy.
 
Counselling provides relief through sharing your problems and exploring your issues in confidence and without judgmen in a safe place. You benefit by gaining greater clarity about your situation and support in planning and making changes.  Having counselling is not a sign of weakness or lack of intelligence; rather it is seeking specialist help to enhance psychological peace and insight for reaching your potential. With Dr Donna Golding, you can be assured of a caring and respectful interaction.

The Counselling Process: Confidentiality

Psychologists collect personal and health related information about clients for the purpose of providing a highly specialised service. Psychologists are required to abide by a strict Code of Ethics that is set by the Australian Psychological Society. This code protects the interests of the clients and ensures that all information remains confidential except in particular circumstances.

All personal information held by a psychologist will remain confidential and secure except in certain situations, which may include the following: 
     1. It is subpoenaed by a court of law.
     2. Failure to disclose it would place the client or another person at risk.
     3. The client gives written consent for information to be released to another person/organization. 

Transpersonal Psychology Techniques for Counselling

Transpersonal Psychology-trained counsellors can counsel clients who have transpersonal or spiritual crises or issues to resolve. They can also assist their clients to understand and develop awareness of transpersonal consciousness and abilities and spiritual dimensions of existence. Transpersonal psychological counselling can include:

Assessment

Counsellors may use Transpersonal Psychology questionnaires, inventories and other practical tools to assess their clients' experiences and understanding of spirituality in reference to psychological and holistic well-being.

Analysis

Counsellors' analysis of the completed assessment inventories and feedback of this to the client is relevant for understanding and interpreting the significance and impact of client's beliefs and experiences upon their psychological well-being.

Intervention

Transpersonal counsellors can offer strategies to assist the client to transform any negative outcomes from transpersonal experiences and spiritual confusion into enduring positive effects. A variety of transpersonal psychological tools and methods are available.

Applied Counselling/Treatment Program

Counselling will include providing the clients with a safe space and opportunities to confide in them, giving helpful feedback and demonstrating understanding, as well as monitoring their progress. It may involve providing Transpersonal Psychological Homework Exercises.

Growth

Transpersonal counsellors can assist clients to develop their natural transpersonal abilities. For example, they can show their clients how to integrate transpersonal consciousness (e.g. intuitions) with rational intelligence for clarity and confidence in decision-making.
 

Seminars

 Past Seminars Returning Soon
The Psychology of Spiritual Experiences - 6 Seminars Outline.pdf
The Psychology of Spirituality for Medical and Healthcare Staff.pdf

About Transcendent Counsciousness Seminar

There has been a tendency in the mental health discipline t misunderstand and pathologize spiritual or transpersonal experiences.  In this seminar, Dr Donna Golding offers a model of self that includes experience of trancendence of the ego and the ability for intuitive intelligence that is normal and natural.  goring beyond rational and emotional intelligence, Dr Golding beleives that by integrating rational, emotional and intuitive intelligence into common practice provides a synergetic means of understanding the dynamics of life.
     
This seminar is suited for anybody interested in gaining a greater understanding of transcendent, expanded, transpersonal, spiritual, intuitive, metaphysical and higher states of consciousness.  No background in psychology is needed.  You will be encouraged to share your experiences inthis interactive seminar.  

To enhance the participants' understanding about these psychological issues and conditions as well as provide strategies to overcome, manage and enhance psychological wellbeing in these areas.

Workshops

Structure of Workshops

Using Power Point presentations, these two-hour thirty-minute workshops are interactive to include discussion directly related to the participants' perceptions and experiences.  Handouts / workbooks are provided. Suggested number of participants: minimum 10, maximum 25.
 

1.  Transform Distressed Sleep to Peaceful Sleep
Getting a good night's sleep should be easy yet 15-20% of adults regularly have trouble sleeping.    Sleep-deprived people are putting their health, quality of life and even their life-span in jeopardy.  So getting enough peaceful sleep should be a priority. This workshop identifies causes, risk factors and outcomes related to distressed sleep.  It provides and demonstrates practical psychological techniques and strategies to help you learn how to gain a peaceful sleep. A comprehensive workbook with practical exercises is provided.

2.  Grief & Loss:  Bereavement and Helping the Bereaved
Many people find it difficult to talk about death and grieving; and many don't know what to say or how to respond to others who have recently lost someone.  This workshop is about both the griever as well as those supporting them.  It gives information on models of grieving and the various stages of the grieving process.  It also considers cultural differences as well as spiritual, religious and philosophical beliefs associated with death and the grieving process.  Effective coping strategies including practical, emotional and communication styles are covered.  Overall, this workshop will help the griever and their friends/supporters through the journey of grieving.  An informative handbook that includes practical exercises is provided.

3.  I Just Want to be Me: Enhancing Self-esteem, Self-worth, Self-confidence
What we show about ourselves to others often does not reflect how we feel inside.  Low self-esteem is common for young through to mature people, among students through amateur to professional people.  It affects both females and males. This workshop helps individuals gain direction and strategies to feel better about being who they are and realizing their potential.

4.  The Blockbuster Series:

Bust those psychological blocks that inhibit a sense of happiness, inspiration, strength, courage and more.  These four separate workshops are a favorite for people wanting emotional intelligence to understand themselves and people's interactions!!  Participants gain insights into their own psychological blocks and how these interfere with fundamental aspects of self.  Each of these four workshops have a unique workbook which helps you break through psychological blocks that can weigh heavy on the mind, heart and body.

• Breaking Free From Anger & Sadness Toward Peace and Joy
• Moving Beyond Frustration, Disappointment and Worry To Patience, Optimism and Strength
• Relieving Fear and Embarrassment Allowing Courage and Humbleness
• Moving Beyond Feelings of Hurt & Shame to Reclaim Inspiration and Innocence

5.  Preventing & Overcoming Burnout
Burnout does not discriminate the professional from the non-professional.  This form of exhaustion is a very common manifestation in today's society. This workshop trains you to recognize the psychological, emotional, physical and behavioral signs of burnout.  It addresses the causes and effects of burnout on self, relationships and productivity.  It will equip you with ways of coping and overcoming burnout so that you can enjoy life more fully.

Short Courses