Saul Gerber - Clinical Psychologist

11/02/2024

06/02/2024

Skilled empathic help at Coogee Psychology
www.coogeepsychology.com.au

26/07/2021

In my work I have seen many males who feel weak and ashamed about expressing vulnerable feelings. But as a group we all suffer the normal human hurts such as rejection, loss, grief, anxiety or depression. A common myth in our society is that as males we should always be strong. This is impossible from an internal perspective. Therapy can be a safe place to express previously hidden or denied emotions to start on the path forward again.

21/07/2021

Loneliness and isolation are strong predictors of negative mental health outcomes. The human brain is wired to make us seek connection with others. If you are experiencing extreme loneliness during this time in lockdown, it is important to reach out to someone that you trust.

05/01/2021

Being assertive is a skill. It involves communicating our needs without being aggressive or passive. It is not easy, especially when saying how we feel may risks creating difficult feelings in someone else. On the other hand, holding things in created its own difficulty. It can make us feel resentful and angry inside because we are constantly accomodating to the needs of others. Therapy can help people to express their needs more clearly in relationships so that they can get their needs met more effectively.

08/09/2020

A therapist with no empathy is like a guitar without strings. They are lacking an essential part which no amount of theory can replace. Why is therapist empathy such a powerful predictor of whether clients recover? Firstly, the client needs to feel as though they can express their thoughts and feelings without fear of judgement. Empathy is not pity or sympathy, which can be patronising. Rather, it is a tool for understanding. It involves the therapist trying to mentally place themselves in the client’s shoes so that they can better understand their problems.

28/07/2020

The unconscious can be a controversial topic in the world of therapy. There are many theories about how it may work. As a therapist I believe that we all have aspects of ourselves that are not fully known to us, and even some that are fully unknown. These parts may arise sometimes and confuse us. We may be left thinking “why did I end up doing that?”. If a client wishes to do deeper therapy, I help them to become more acquainted with the parts of themselves that are not known to them in their conscious life.

24/06/2020

Anger is an important feeling. It tells us that we have strong feelings about something. However if this is expressed in aggressive behaviour, it is often destructive for relationships and families. When helping people who have problems with aggression, I help them search for the deeper reason. Do they shout louder because they don’t feel heard? Do they have difficulty accepting differences or imperfections in other people? Or are they protecting themselves against more vulnerable emotions such as rejection? These are only some of the many possible explanations. Therapy helps people to express their feelings in more useful ways and to gain a deeper insight into the underlying reasons behind their emotions.

06/06/2020

Our internal critic is usually developed in childhood. The roots of this may come from punitive criticism from parents or other authority figures. We sometimes internalise this and it becomes our own internal task master, making sure that we are always driving ourselves to greater heights. When we fall below the unrelenting standards of the internal critic, we are punished with guilt, shame or anxiety. The aim of therapy is to moderate this internal voice and to help us to treat ourselves in a more gentle and compassionate way.