Psychology & Mediation Services

Anne-Marie Box, Psychologist

Sisters Bring Happiness

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Parents spend a lot of time dealing with arguing and other nastiness between siblings. But having siblings can save teenagers from negative emotions, and encourage them to be more kind and generous.

“As a parent, it’s really good to know that sibling affection is related quite strongly to helping, generosity, kindness,” says Laura Padilla-Walker, a professor at Brigham Young University who studies the effects of sibling relationships. “We often don’t see them [as] a protective factor.”

Padilla-Walker studied 395 families that had at least one child between the ages of 10 and 14, interviewing family members twice, one year apart. The study, which was published in the August issue of the Journal of Family Psychology, found that having an affectionate teenage sibling helped younger teens avoid feelings of loneliness, guilt, and self-consciousness. [Read more…]

Should I give my marriage one last chance?

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By Scott Costello, MSW LCSW

When you told your spouse that you wanted a divorce, were they shocked? I find that men are often shocked to find out that their wife wants a divorce. It’s then that they start to make changes, sometimes substantial changes in their lifestyle, attitude, or behavior, in order to save the marriage. Wives tend to feel angry at this point.

“It shouldn’t have to come to this!” “I shouldn’t have to file for divorce in order to get him to change!”

“The changes he’s making are not sincere.” [Read more…]

Positive Psychology for Kids

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Teaching Resilience with Positive Education

Adults can help kids by encouraging them to think positively, psychology experts say

Psychologists Karen Reivich and Jane Gillham aim to use positive psychology on the youngest members of society to prevent them from later struggling with anxiety, depression, or other psychological problems. An estimated 2 million or so 12- to 17-year-olds experience clinical depression annually, and Reivich and Gillham have found that building resilience in younger children can help thwart depression before it starts. The pair has developed school-based curricula that teach educators, parents, and ultimately kids the core skills of resilience and other tenets of positive psychology. [Read more…]

Parenting Through and After Divorce

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By Lilly Kingsley

Being a parent starts when a baby is born and never really ends. Divorce is an amazing time to see if your parenting skills are up to par, your children have been tossed into a situation not of their making that more than likely they are not happy with and do not know how to cope with.

It is the role of the parent that changes as the child grows, matures and becomes an adult. Divorce is something that happens to a married couple but effects all those around them. Your children may feel this divorce as deeply as you but it may not be in the same way and it may not be through mature expression that you can understand your children are in pain. This is not the time to let your pain blind you to your children’s distress and needs.

Try the below to keep tabs on your children’s emotions and needs; [Read more…]

DIY – Negotiating Skills and Resolving Grievances

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The cost of conflict either in the workplace, at home or in the world is well known.  Therefore it is no surprise that the art of negotiation, or resolving grievances, has become a profession in its own right as Anne Marie Box an accredited mediator and psychologist practicing in Noosa Junction, well knows.  “However, people do not need extensive training to negotiate solutions to everyday problems; she says and has put together the following points to help resolve conflict or grievances in everyday life.

  1. Choose the right time and place; don’t ambush a person, or they can feel defensive and it gives them time to prepare for the discussion.  I.e. “I would like to speak to you about….tonight, ok?” [Read more…]