Ground Zero Counselling

22/08/2026

I’m often asked by family members who are caring for someone living with dementia how to respond when their mother, father or partner is becoming angry or aggressive 😤😠 This is particularly upsetting for all members of the family unit, especially when the changed behaviour is so out of character.

As the family carer, when this happens it is normal to feel frightened, exhausted or wonder if you're doing something wrong.

The truth is that aggression is often a form of communication. The person may be frightened, confused, overwhelmed, in pain or unable to express what they need.

Usually, the most helpful response isn't to correct or argue—it's to slow down, stay calm, validate their feelings and be curious about what they are trying to communicate.

It is also important to remember that changes in behaviour can be caused by physical factors such as pain, infection or medication side effects. Good dementia care brings together compassionate communication and appropriate medical assessment.

This month I wrote a blog on my website exploring the psychology behind these approaches and why they may useful approaches to use to ease tension. It explains how simple strategies like validation, co-regulation and person-centred care can help reduce distress while preserving dignity for the person living with dementia.

💙 If you're caring for someone with dementia, I hope it offers reassurance, practical ideas and a reminder that you don't have to navigate these challenges alone.

Warmly
Kate 🌿

👉 Read the full article on the Ground Zero Counselling website.

10/08/2026

Good morning to our carers on the Brisbane Southside!

Hope you will join us again at Coopers Plains Library this morning at 10 am for our Dementia Sharing Circle and morning tea. ☕️ 😊

A genuine opportunity to enjoy a bit of self care this month in a relaxed and warm space.

Warmly
Kate 🌺

05/08/2026

Thank you to the wonderful residents of ParqueVista Retirement Estate at Southern Cross Care (Duhig Village) who welcomed me today to talk about something close to my heart – how we can continue to live well after a life-changing diagnosis.

A diagnosis affects so much more than our physical health. It can impact our emotions, relationships, confidence, finances, future plans and capacity. It also deeply affects the people who love and care for us.

Together we explored ways to support wellbeing through difficult times, including caring for our mental health, understanding grief and loss, thinking about advance care planning, having important conversations with the people who matter, and recognising that support is needed for both the person with the diagnosis and those walking alongside them.

One of my favourite messages from today was this:

A diagnosis may change life as we knew it, but it doesn't take away our need for connection, purpose, hope and compassionate support.

Thank you to everyone who attended, shared their stories and participated so openly. It was a genuine pleasure to spend the morning with such a warm and welcoming community. 😃🙏💐

Kate 🌿

31/07/2026

Often the hardest part of caring for someone else is feeling like you're doing it alone.

Many family carers feel they must be stoic. They tell me they don't want to burden anyone. They keep going, putting one foot in front of the other, often keeping their exhaustion, grief, worry and uncertainty quietly to themselves. This is a hard road to travel. And to be honest, it is not sustainable as the carer’s own wellbeing suffers.

But here's something worth remembering : You were never meant to carry this all alone.

Connection doesn't take away the challenges of caring for someone living with dementia—but it can make those challenges feel more manageable and put them in perspective.

There is something incredibly reassuring about sitting with people who simply 'get it'. People who understand the emotional rollercoaster, the changing roles, the difficult decisions, and the love that continues alongside the losses.

That is exactly why the Dementia Sharing Circle on Brisbane's Southside exists.

If you are a carer for someone living with dementia and brain change, please come along and join us over morning tea.🍰🫖☕

Where: Coopers Plain Library, 107 Orange Grove Rd, Coopers Plains

When: AUGUST 11 at 10am -11.30 am

This group is more than a place to share information. It is a place to be heard, to connect, to learn from one another, and to be reminded that you don't have to face this journey on your own.

💙Reaching out isn't a sign of weakness—it's an act of caring for yourself, too. As carers, when we are supported, we are better able to continue supporting the people they love.

If you think this group might help someone you know, please share this post.

Warmly
Kate 🌿

21/07/2026

Sometimes the most healing thing for mental health is not advice.

It’s connection. Feeling heard. Feeling understood. Feeling less alone in what you’re carrying.

Many people, especially carers of people living with dementia, silently struggle with anxiety, grief, overwhelm, caregiving stress, loneliness, or emotional exhaustion while believing they “should” be coping better.

But human beings were never meant to carry everything alone.
Research continues to show that supportive connection can improve emotional wellbeing, reduce isolation, and strengthen resilience during difficult seasons of life.

Sometimes healing begins with something very simple:
- a safe conversation,
- a supportive relationship,
- the experience of being genuinely seen.

The next Southside Dementia Sharing Circle is scheduled for August 11th at 10am Coopers Plains Library. If you are caring for someone living with dementia, no matter what stage of the journey you are on, you are most welcome to join us to experience for yourself the power of connection and support.
😃
PS. I’ve written a new blog for my Ground Zero Counselling website exploring why connection is so important for our mental health and emotional wellbeing. Please have a look and hope to see you in August !

Warmly
Kate

# Southside Dementia Caring circle

This article explains the power of human connection for improving mental health.

13/07/2026

Looking forward to welcoming family carers of people living with dementia on the Southside tomorrow for our first Southside Dementia Sharing Circle. Starts at 10 am at Coopers Plain Library.

Do hope to see you if you can join us! 😊

Warmly
Kate

07/07/2026

Feeling very grateful today after having the privilege of presenting to the wonderful Vietnamese -speaking community at 1st Care Community in Acacia Ridge on the topic of Ageing Well, Brain Health and Dementia.

It was a lovely morning with a fantastic turnout, so much warmth and genuine interest, thoughtful questions and conversation.

This was my first opportunity to present through an interpreter, and I couldn't have asked for a better experience. A huge thank you to Viet, whose skill as translator and respite facilitator made everything flow so easily. His warmth, humour and professionalism created a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere for everyone.

I am incredibly thankful—not only for the invitation, but for the opportunity to connect with people from a culture different to my own and share information that can help people understand brain health and dementia.

Today's experience reminded me just how important it is to make education and support accessible to everyone. In a wonderfully multicultural country like Australia, no one should have to face brain change, wellbeing challenges or end-of-life issues alone because of language or cultural barriers.

A heartfelt thank you to everyone at 1st Care Community for your kindness, generosity and warm welcome. It was an absolute pleasure to spend the morning with you, and I hope this is the first of many opportunities to work alongside culturally diverse communities.

Warmly
Kate
🙏

05/07/2026

🌿 Dementia Carers Support Group on the Brisbane Southside – Launching Soon 🌿

Ground Zero Counselling and Dementia Services is pleased to be commencing a monthly supportive group for carers of people living with dementia at Coopers Plains Library from Tuesday July 14 at 10am.

This group has been created to provide:
✨ Emotional support
✨ Therapeutic conversation
✨ Social connection
✨ Shared understanding
✨ Education and reflection

Whether you are new to caring or have been supporting someone for many years, you are warmly welcome. No need to have it all together – just come as you are.

Sometimes support begins simply by walking into a room where people understand.

If you would like to learn more, please contact me at [email protected]

Hope to see you there there if you can make it.

Warmly
Kate

26/06/2026

Are you a family carer or partner of someone living with dementia and brain change?

If you have ever felt isolated and overwhelmed as a carer, the new Southside Dementia Sharing Circle might just be the welcoming space you have been looking for 😀

The Southside Dementia Sharing Circle is an initiative of the Brisbane Southside Dementia Network and proudly sponsored by the Brisbane City Council.

Research into dementia caregiver support groups found that carers benefited enormously from emotional validation, shared understanding, practical advice, and the opportunity to safely express difficult emotions.

That’s because there is something profoundly healing about sitting in a room with people who simply “get it.”

In support groups, carers often discover:
• “I’m not the only one feeling this.”
• “What I’m experiencing is normal.”
• “Someone else has survived this stage.”

Rather than waiting until carers reach crisis point, groups offer regular emotional and practical support that sustains wellbeing over time.

Humans are relational beings and sometimes the most healing thing is simply sitting with people who understand.

It is so common for carers to put their own emotional wellbeing last and become isolated. Support groups remind carers that they are still people in their own right — not just caregivers.

Ground Zero Counselling and Dementia Services will be commencing a free Dementia Carers Support Group from July 14 at Coopers Plains Library in Brisbane. Contact me for more details at kategroundzero@gmail if you would like to know more.

Hope to see you there.

Warmly
Kate 🌿

13/06/2026

Carers of people living with dementia need support too!

One of the least understood parts of dementia is grief. Not only after death — but throughout the journey itself.

Many carers experience what is known as anticipatory grief - we grieve the often gradual yet constant changes that impact the people we love. This grief is often invisible to others.

Support groups can provide space for carers to talk honestly about these experiences with people who truly understand.

From July 14 next month, Ground Zero Counselling and Dementia Services will be offering a free monthly Dementia Carers Support Group at Coopers Plains Library proudly sponsored by BCC.

It is a space dedicated to emotional support, connection and community. A space to take some time for YOU - the family members and partners who provide care to those living with dementia.

I hope you can join us. Please share with anyone you know who is caring for someone living with dementia on the Southside of Brisbane.

If you would like more information, please reach out to me at [email protected]

Warmly
Kate