Kate Swann's Blog

Each week Melbourne psychologist Kristina Mamrot responds to a question from a reader. This week, the topic is managing stress. In this week’s Q and A, Kristina answers an email from Andrea who is in her early 50’s and sandwiched between the needs of her elderly parents and her teenage kids. She’s chasing her tail trying to keep up with everything and hold down her […]

One of the most paralysing aspects of perfectionism is the expectations. A perfectionist will have expectations of themselves, of others, and of what will happen if expectations are not met. Why is having expectations such a bad thing? When you are dealing with perfectionism, the main issue is that your expectations are not based in reality. They are demanding, unrealistic and relentless. A perfectionist might […]

All of us have experienced racing thoughts before. Anything stressful can trigger them, leading to a tumble of worries and concerns that can overwhelm us.   For some of us, they continue to return again and again. However, it doesn’t mean that we cannot slow those thoughts down and regain control of our minds.   Racing thoughts tend to be a common symptom of both […]

Many of us have perfectionist tendencies when it comes to everyday situations. But does it really serve you, or is it holding you back from achieving more? The evidence suggests the latter. So what is perfectionism? There’s no one definition according to psychologists and researchers, but there are three key parts that are commonly connected. First is the tendency to constantly strive for very high […]

Uplifting Ideas to Improve Your Wellbeing Kate Swann   Our Australian bloggers are full of inspirational ideas to motivate you to live the best life you can. Here’s Melbourne Psychologist Kate Swann’s monthly roundup of the stories that have caught her attention.   Cassie Mendoza-Jones describes that brain-whirling and exhausting feeling we get when we fall prey to the I’m-not-good-enoughs.   If I could just […]

Ready to be rescued from perfectionism? Kate Swann   Is being a perfectionist your default position?   Do you find your life has become one giant chore where you labour like a slave trying to achieve the impossible while you drag yourself through life, terrified of failure? Do you fear the impact of your perfectionism on your family? Are you worried your relationships have lost […]

Stress Management Each week Melbourne psychologist Kristina Mamrot responds to a question from a reader. This week, the topic is stress management. In this week’s Q and A Helen wrote in asking for help to manage her stressful life. ‘Can you help me get my life back under control? She’s in her late 40’s – she’s a perfectionist (you know ‘perfect is good enough’), works […]

Common Themes with Male Clients   Men and women can be very different in their approaches to life, and the issues they face. Nobody knows this better than our counselling team. When it comes to counselling men, there are a number of themes that arise over and over again. Due to the way that our society has developed, men today often struggle to reach out […]

Uplifting Ideas to Improve Your Wellbeing Kate Swann Our Australian bloggers are full of inspirational ideas to motivate you to live the best life you can. Here’s Melbourne Psychologist Kate Swann’s monthly roundup of the stories that have caught her attention. Over at Styling Curvy, the fab Jenni Eyles discusses one of my pet topics in an article about making changes. When I talk to […]

The Lowdown on Chronic Stress As modern women we are all well acquainted with stress. I personally have already had to contend with traffic jams and an unhappy toddler today, as well attempting to maintain the semblance of a cool, calm and collected professional at work! While we all frequently describe ourselves as stressed out, we may not truly understand the meaning of the word. […]