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Client Resources

Below, you will find a range of interesting links and resources that may assist you in your recovery journey. If you are looking for out of hours or crisis support, please go to our Out of Hours Assistance page.


Mindfulness

There are a number of wonderful Mindfulness apps available for little or no charge. these include:

There are many very good books that have been written on Mindfulness. Some suggestions are:

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Anxiety and Depression

Anxiety and depression are common and painful problems in the lives of many Australians. It is estimated that in any given year, one million Australians will struggle with a depression problem and as many as two million will struggle with an anxiety problem. If you would like to understand more about many of the causes of depression and anxiety problems, then a very readable and accessible place to start is Johann Hari’s excellent book, Lost Connections (2018). Hari’s book is not without its critics, though much of what he has to say is non-contentious. Another interesting book which deals with a loss of meaning or purpose in life is Victor Frankl’s Man’s Search for Meaning (2006 – originally published in 1959 under a different title). Of course, neither of those approaches may suit you and thankfully there are other options such as William Styron’s Darkness Visible about his descent into depression. Styron’s work is interesting and instructive for the way in which it seeks to buck the notion that depression is a struggle with a universal experience for all sufferers. He writes to illuminate his own experience and, in doing so, draws attention to the very individual and unique ways we experience depression and the related problem of anxiety.

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Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault

Extreme (though regrettably common) forms of violence, like domestic violence and sexual assault can leave us feeling very isolated. We may feel like we are the only one this has happened to and wonder why. Often, it is difficult to find the space to speak with others about these experiences. One way to break down this sense of loneliness and isolation, is to read and share the experiences of others. This can show us ways of coping that perhaps we hadn’t yet found and help us to understand we are not alone. Books, art, stories and poetry are a lovely way to do this. Some suggestions are:

  • Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur. This book deals very directly with family violence, domestic violence and sexual assault through poetry and artwork.

  • Amanda Lovelace has compiled in her anthology of poem, The Princess Saves Herself in This One, a cheeky though pointed exploration of sexism, assault and domestic violence.

  • How to Be a Woman (2011) is a bestselling introduction to women’s thought and issues by Caitlin Moran.

  • See What You Made Me Do (2019) by Australian journalist and author, Jess Hill, is a hard-hitting, no-nonsense look at domestic abuse in Australia.

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Autism Spectrum Disorder, Asperger’s Syndrome and Sensory Processing Disorder

There are many great resources for Autism Spectrum Disorder and Sensory Processing Disorder. Here are a few to get you started:

  • The Out of Sync Child (1998) is a classic book about Sensory Processing Disorder for professionals and parents written by Carol Stock Kranowitz.


Philosophy

Philosophy teaches us about life! We have been led to think of philosophy as an abstract and impractical field. While some philosophy is precisely that, much of it may be insightful and help guide us through difficult decisions and life transitions. Philosophy is where a large part of modern psychological techniques comes from. If you are unacquainted with philosophy, here are some resources to get you started:

  • The Consolations of Philosophy (2001) by Alain de Botton is a beautiful place to start to explore philosophy and what it can teach us about how to live our lives and deal with major life events such as worries, sickness, the birth of a child, anger and even death. It is an easy and accessible read.

  • In 1995, Jostein Gaarder, a Norwegian public intellectual, published the best-selling introduction to philosophy, Sophie’s World. The book takes the reader on a journey through philosophy from the perspective of a child. While perhaps less applicable to daily living that de Botton’s work above, it is nonetheless a lovely book that raises big questions in our lives – and supplies the outlines of some answers.

  • Modern Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is the most researched talking therapy we have with an evidence base that has been compiled steadily over the past seven decades. It is also taken in large art from the practices of Ancient Roman Stoicism. A beautiful book about Roman Stoicism is William B. Irvine’s A Guide to the Good Life: The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy (2008).

  • In a similar vein, Massimo Pigliucci has written How to Be a Stoic: Using Ancient Philosophy to Live a Modern Life (2017). This too is an exploration of Ancient Roman Stoicism and how to apply it in our lives today for happiness and well-being.​

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Masculinity

Many men struggle in the modern world. Men often feel it is expected of them to provide and successfully compete but the arenas where this can be done have been shrinking for some time. And if that isn’t difficult enough, men face pressure be emotionally intelligent, hands on fathers and to selectively resist calls to engage in traditional masculinity. These pressures can be very difficult to navigate – so difficult that depression and suicide problems enter many men’s lives. Thankfully, a great deal of work has been done in this area in recent years. Even better, much of this has been written about by men with a talent for taking complex and dense ideas and making them understandable -even humorous – for the rest of us. Some lovely suggestions are:

  • Robert Webb, English comedian, actor and writer, wrote How Not to be a Boy (2017), a book about growing up and how what we learn about how to be a man shapes how we cultivate and manage our relationships and mental health. The book is fast paced and humorous throughout while making many deadly serious points.

  • In his mid-20s, Jack Urwin wrote an article for Vice called A Stiff Upper Lip Is Killing British Men. As a result of the enormous and mostly positive feedback from that article, shortly afterwards, Urwin wrote Man Up (2016).

  • Grayson Perry, another Brit, wrote The Descent of Man (2016). In this book, Perry wonders what sort of man would it take to make the world a better place for all of us? The book is both confronting and deeply humorous.

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