Author: Adam Szmerling

When we get asked “does hypnotherapy work?” (as we do innumerable times) a torrent of assumptions underpin the question. Typically we appreciate the wishful element in such a question but, in general, we recommend a healthy sense of scepticism. Recently, Bayside Psychotherapy received a visit by an intelligent, young Google employee for a survey. He […]

Mindfulness meditation has gained enormous popularity in the last decade and is now being offered as a ‘self help’ or therapy method. It has also been incorporated into mainstream psychological treatments, namely CBT, despite mindfulness and CBT coming from completely different ideological frameworks (interestingly, it sometimes appears proponents of mindfulness are unwittingly promoting CBT, but […]

What is germ phobia? Sometimes articulated as Mysophobia (Germophobia), a germ phobia characterises a disproportionate emotional arousal in response to a thought associated with contamination through contact with germs (whether real or imagined). Germophobia is often thought to arise in some instances of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) however it’s possible to also have germophobia and […]

A little known condition called trichotillomania (otherwise known as compulsive hair pulling) was once thought of as rare. This is no longer the case with estimates ranging from 0.6% to 3.4 % (Christenson, Pyle, & Mitchell, 1991). This means that approximately 285,000 individuals in the state of Victoria have firsthand experience of hair pulling. This […]

Anxiety disorders manifest through many different symptoms, and one of these can be mysophobia (aka germophobia). It is an issue that is more common than you may have realised, one which often leads to disrupted lives with increased levels of stress and anxiety. In order to find out more about this condition from the inside […]

Although there are many aspects to anxiety disorders, one of the most debilitating can be panic attacks. We have spoken with Kayleigh Johnson about her experiences with anxiety and panic attacks, and she has given us an insider view of how it has affected her everyday life. We hope that Kayleigh’s story can show how […]

Anxiety disorders are an issue that can affect anyone. Even those who seem to be the most courageous, strong willed and outgoing people that you know can have days when they have trouble leaving the house. Professional adventurer, John Cantor, has work stresses that can trigger anxiety at the least opportune times, disrupting work and […]

There are a million and one things to do. You have so many deadlines, you couldn’t meet them if you worked until Christmas. The family need dinner, the house needs tidying, the car has broken down and you want to curl up in bed until they all go away. We all feel overwhelmed sometimes. Everyone. […]

We’ve all done it. You are minding your own business when a co-worker snaps at you for no reason or a customer raises their voice. At some point you will meet one, a rude person, and all too often we walk away from these encounters feeling frustrated, angry or upset. This is when a few […]

Anxiety is an increasingly common presentation seen across Australia, and around the world, today. With 1 in 6 people diagnosed with an anxiety disorder in Australia it is up to us to gain a better understanding of the issue and learn to recognise the signs and symptoms in both ourselves and others. We’ve created this […]