Calm Connections Counselling

24/05/2026

Community is at the heart of all connections. This, along with resilience and a positive mindset was the message that Madhavi Nawana Parker from shared with young women players and women of all ages at the Ladies Day event organised by the .comets. Love your work, Madhavi!

Clubs and community sport provide a welcoming space for families to connect with like-minded people, develop new skills and build lasting relationships that extend beyond the playing field. They offer a sense of identity and purpose, helping young people to develop a positive sense of self and feel part of community. Clubs and community activities provide a place for families to gather, connect and celebrate the richness that commuity life offers. As part of National Volunteers Week this week, we want to extend a special thanks to all of the volunteers who selflessly give their time and energy to mep make clubs and community events possible. Thank you!! Raschella

https://raisingchildren.net.au/schoolage/connectingcommunicating/connecting/helping-your-child-connect-with-others

15/05/2026

May 15th is International Day of Families and is anchored within National Families Week in Australia which is held between the 11-17th of May. The theme this year is ''Every family, Everywhere''. The week brings communities together through events, activities and celebrations that recognise the vital role families play in Australian life.
for more information on activities and events across the weekend please visit:
https://familiesaustralia.org.au/initiatives/families-week-2026/

Families Week is held every May to coincide with the United Nation's International Day of Families on 15 May.

10/05/2026

Happy Mother's day to all of Mums, stepmums, grandmums, foster mothers and other mother figures.

Wishing you moments just for you to recharge your spirit, find your calm and embrace self-love in ways that mean something to you.

Calm connections Counselling is dedicating special time out for mums at the Sacred Self-Care for mums workshop held at the King's Community Centre, Wynn Vale on May 29th.

For more details scan the QR code below.
Come along, connect, re-charge and learn simple ways to nurture you mind, body and spirit. You deserve this time just for you.

10/04/2026

At Calm Connections Counselling we are so grateful to partner up with LifeWell and The Kings Community Centre to offer the Confident Parent program.

The Confident Parent Program, developed by Dr Jenny Brown from the Parent Hope Project, offers parents a new stance in parenting based on family system’s principles. The confident parent program was conducted over 4 weeks and The course is relevant for all age groups, covering 4 parts:
1. Where is my energy directed?
2. Is worry driving my connection?
3. How do I hold clear limits?
4. Am I thinking big picture?

Parents reported feeling more calmer, reflective and hopeful. They experienced making small shifts creating a calmer home and discovering that parenting for the bigger picture was worth taking the small steps for. ❤💛

We've had a great response and are looking to run it again next term! A big thank you to Rebecca Drury and Sharon Dutton for co-facilitation and offering a Creche to make this possible for parents.

03/03/2026

Are you struggling with parenting and family life? Do you find yourself reacting instead of responding to your children and co-parent?

Parenting is one of the toughest roles in the world. At Calm Connection we are here to support you and your family through parent counselling and coaching. We are excited to now offer you the Parent Hope Project which aims to work with you cope with your reactions towards your child/adolescent and consider your role in encouraging their development.

The Parent Hope Project developed by Jenny Brown is based in Family Systems Theory and is a little different in that aims to help children and young children with their symptomatic behaviours by working with the parents. A Parent can alter family patterns if willing to work on themselves with out trying to fix or change others including co-parents and the child experiencing the struggle.

To find out more about the Parent Hope Project please visit;

https://parenthopeproject.com.au

To find out more or make a booking please visit:

https://calmconnectionscounselling.com.au/parenting-family-therapy

20/02/2026

Seeing its February and the month of love, I would love to share with you a concept I have shared with parents in my parenting work over the last 15 years. I have shared this with my own children, who know this letter all to well when it comes to boundaries.

It is a concept developed by psychologist, Dr Sylvia Rimm and based on the idea that children require leadership and limits from their parents to feel safe and secure. This is cleverly displayed through the ''V'' of love.

Envision the letter V. The space in the centre of the V represents the amount of choice, freedom and responsibility that a child can be given. The sides of the V represent limits and boundaries, children of all ages need this to keep them safe.

When children are very young, they are at the base of the V with very little choices and responsibilities. As they move up the V in age, they gain greater choices and greater responsibilities. The key to this, is that as they travel up the V, they need to demonstrate their maturity and responsibility with their choices to be able to move up the V. Widen the V and give them too many choices in the earlier years and they will have difficulty when not given a choice, they will resent rules and hold their parents hostage when they try to create some. Widen it too slowly and they will feel trapped, often finding other ways to get their needs met. The V gives you a guideline to widen it with appropriate and healthy boundaries and limits - a true act of love. 💛

The V of love has been very useful in my household, I hope you find it helpful too. Watch this clip from the parenting place on the 'V'of love.💛

The V in the word LOVE is a great illustration of how we can use rules to show our love. The sides of the V represent the rules we use to keep our kids safe....

12/02/2026

I really love this article by Dr Leonie White - as it highlights the gentle balance of holding our teens close while giving them autonomy and independence.

Parenting is hard especially when you are navigating the change in their development and your relationship. This article gives you some helpful suggestions on how to navigate this including, self compassionate, self care and differentiation as a parent.

At Calm Connection Counselling we have a passion to support your parenting and family life with connection and differentiation. Stay tuned to find out more…

Our teens might look like mini adults, but they aren’t adults, and they still need adults.

22/01/2026

The School Year is about to begin and along with the changes of a new school, new class room or year level , can also come some back-to-school jitters. This is normal and often accompanys a mixture of feelings including anxiety, excitement, and nervousness that both kids and parents can experience. Due to changes in routine, new teachers, or social worries, typically easing kids back within the first few days to a week with good habits and practices can ease jitters.

Here are 5 tips to ease them and yourself back into school...

➡️Establish routines early. Start by creating a morning and bedtime routine that works for your family and stick to it as much as possible.

➡️Normalise feelings; Listen to their specific worries and validate their feelings; share your own normal first-day feelings.

➡️Promote Independance; let them pick out their own school supplies and help with packing their backpacks and lunches, this helps them gain a sense of control and excitment.

➡️Familiarise and explore; visit the school beforehand, create playdates, involve kids in preparation and discuss new routines.

➡️Focus on the positives, By focusing on the exciting aspects of the new school year, seeing friends and new learning opportunities, you can help your child look forward to the changes.

By following these tips, you can help your kids and yourself feel more confident and prepared for the new school year. Remember, it's okay to take things one step at a time, and don't be afraid to seek support if you need it. If anxiety is intense, lasts for weeks, disrupts daily routines, or prevents them from going to school, don't forget to seek professional help, Calm Connections Counselling can support this transition for your family. With patience, understanding, and support, you can help your kids thrive in the new school year!

18/12/2025

As the Christmas and holiday season arrives I would like to thank all of our clients, collegues and partnerships for your commitment, dedication and passion in collaborating with us whether in counselling, systemic family practice, suppport for families, educators and in community well being. It's been a wonderful year of development, learning and growth and I couldn't be more grateful.

Our practice will be closed from December 18th 2025 and will re-open on January 12th 2026. As the year comes to a close we wish you a joyful season, a well-deserved rest and calm connections to end the year and start the new one.

We look forward to re-joining with you in 2026 to share some exciting developments. Until then, take care and enjoy xx

17/12/2025

Thank you for this reminder this Christmas 🎄🎅🧡🎁