Counselling at Life Focus

We All Face Life Challenges…

We all face challenges in one form or another at various times in life. ‘Life is what happens while we are making other plans.

Perhaps its coping with becoming a new mum, overcoming an addiction, coping with the death of a loved one, a feeling of emptiness when the kids leave home or the flood of feelings when a relationship is not working or an affair shatters your world.

Whether its learning to forgive yourself nd others, struggling with the challenges of a diagnosed mental disorder or coming to the realisation that you are capable of much more, take heart, help is at hand. We can help you.

You Can Live a life of Peace, Happiness and Fulfillment

When the going gets tough, having the right person there to help you can make such a difference.

You want someone to listen to you and offer you practical help.

You want someone who can show you effective strategies and give you the support you need to get the results you want. Either Patricia Michalka or Donatus Michalka can be that person for you.

Patricia and Donatus are experienced, qualified and trained to help you find a way through the confusion, distress or struggle you may be facing.

With their help, you can find new solutions to long standing problems, or satisfying solutions to fresh challenges, whatever your age or wherever you are along the journey of life.

Give them a call on 0474 124 185 to make an appointment, or email enquiries@lifefocus.com.au.

Challenges at Midlife

Being a teenager, getting married and having a family, being single, developing a career path, turning 50, getting a seniors card, are all expressions of various developmental stages in life.

Midlife is one example of a phase in your lifes journey that can have its own challenges.

Obviously there are others.

Midlife is an important milestone for both men and women. The challenges you address and decisions you act at this time can make such a positive difference to the quality of your life in the years that follow.

At this time in life, partner relationship issues that have been neglected, swept under the carpet or have come to a head, can demand our attention.

We are sometimes overwhelmed by additional pressures, that can include caring for aging parents, children leaving home, hormonal changes, managing weight, poor sleep, depression, overall physical and mental health, life style issues, or financial concerns.

Coming for counselling can give us much needed support and direction to navigate turbulent waters covering submerged obstacles that can jeopardise safe and smooth sailing.

Making the right choices at this time can be the difference between creating new possibilities or remaining stuck in a rut and stagnating.

As Shakespeare wrote:

There is a tide in the affairs of men,
Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune;
Omitted, all the voyage of their life
Is bound in shallows and in miseries.

Perth Counsellor & Psychotherapist – Patricia Michalka

Patricia has a passion for helping people in mid life. In the popular book “Is It Me or My Hormones,” co-authored with her friend and colleague, Dr Margaret Smith, she shares practical insights, and strategies for positive change and fulfilment in midlife.

Patricia encourages women (and men), to rediscover their self worth and meaning as they negotiate their way through the challenges and possibilities that they are presented with in this phase of their lifes journey.

As you meet with her for counselling, benefit from the wisdom, experience and expertise that has inspired and assisted so many of the clients she has worked with as a health professional for over 35 years.

Feel at home as she listens and explores resolutions and new possibilities for you at this important time in your life. She has found that learning to forgive yourself and others is a worthwhile thing to do.

Let her teach you, and learn new approaches and skill sets as you ‘manage the muddle to help you find a deeper meaning and fulfilment in your daily life and relationships.

See Patricia for details of her training, qualifications, experience and approach.

Patricia would love to hear from you. Why not call Olivia her PA on 0474 124 185 to book an appointment or contact her at enquiries@lifefocus.com.au.

Mens Business – Donatus Michalka, Perth Psychologist

Mens roles are changing. Blokes can feel lost and despite the facade presented to others, they sometimes struggle to cope.

Donatus Michalka has an interest in helping men as they make their way in a changing world.

These are some of the things we have heard men say in our counselling sessions:

• I’ve come to counselling not because I want to but because my manager says I need to get some help. He thinks I’ve got an anger problem.
• I don’t understand women. My mates say they don’t either. My father said that he could never understood ‘chooks My wife yells at me and says I don’t do enough around the house. I say: ‘Well get a cleaner then She screams that I’m not listening to her.
• I’m drinking too much. I’ve put on weight. I work hard. Its tough out there.
• She told me shed lost her feelings for me. That if we didn’t get counselling she’d leave and take the kids. She says had a problem. I disagreed. She had the problem, not me. I was working hard. I was doing it all for us. I said that we could sort it out ourselves. Now she’s gone and I can’t stop crying.
• I keep waking at 3 am and can’t get back to sleep. I worry a lot. I’ve lost interest in things I used to get excited about. Maybe I’m depressed.
• My ex and I don’t get on. I’ve been going out with a really nice woman for a year now but we’re starting to argue the way my ex and I did. I don’t want to lose her.
• A work mate treats me like dirt. I’m scared to stand up to him. He’s nuts and he is driving me nuts. I like my job.
• I’m lonely and have gone to internet porn. I’m hooked. I fantasise about young girls. I’m scared I’ll do something stupid.
• I want a woman in my life. How can I find the right one? And how can I stop her leaving me like the last few did? I’m sick of the pub scene.
• Dad was a pig and treated Mum badly but she put up with it. My boss is a woman. She says I’ve got a problem with the female staff. Women want more than they used to. Everything’s changed.

If any of the above scenarios rings a bell for you, Donatus would love to hear from you. You can reach him on 0474 124 185 or through enquiries@lifefocus.com.au.

What is Counselling?

So, what is Counselling? It is a safe space to help you sort out your challenges to find resolution and peace, by talking to a trained professional.

No matter how big or small the challenges you face, you do not have to face them alone.

Click Frequently asked Questions for more information about Counselling at Life Focus.

Solutions for Your Problems

Whether your problems relate to self esteem, lifestyle choices, relationship concerns, mental health issues, personal development or understanding yourself better, Counselling can help.

Counselling gives you the chance to sort out your personal issues and problems in a positive way, It can create clarity, hope, support and practical skills to get more fulfilling results.

With the right help, you can identify the core issues, gain self awareness, personalise strategies and receive coaching and support to help you put them into action.

Does Counselling Work?

Counselling has been extensively researched and the evidence is impressive. With the right variables in place, its effectiveness and efficacy has been well established.

A trained, qualified and experienced counsellor can make the world of difference. For you, it can be life changing.

What Problems can Counselling Help You With?

Counselling can help you with anything that is important to you, to your happiness and fulfillment. It extends its support to issues that concern you personally, including your close core relationships, family interactions, life and lifestyle challenges, mindset and mental health issues, food, alcohol and other addictions as well as career path and work related challenges.

Think of an issue that is causing you concern right now, either within yourself or in relation to others. That’s probably an area that counselling can assist with.

Can You Relate to Any of These?

• You’ve lost interest in life, cant sleep, are worrying a lot, get emotional easily, and have negative thoughts much of the time.
• You and your partners argue and go round and round in circles to nowhere. You’re weary of it all and your love life is a distant memory.
• You feel anxious a lot of the time and you can’t really put your finger on why.
• You know you are binge eating, drinking, escaping into internet porn or drug taking, (or your partner is) and its got a grip on you.
• You and/or your partner are having an affair, but you don’t want to lose your marriage and you worry about the kids.
• You can’t control your anger and it gets you into trouble.You wonder if you have a mental health issue.
• You want that someone special but nothing has worked so far.
• You’ve lost a loved one, a friend, or a career and feel empty inside.
• You experience yourself as gay/lesbian but can’t be open about it.
• You and/or your partner are having an affair, but you don’t want to lose your marriage and you worry about the kids.
• A parent has just died, there’s conflict in the family members and unresolved issues swept under the carpet, have come to the surface.
• You and your partner have a blended family of five and the challenge of getting it to work just feels too big.
• You hate your job, or are about to lose it, and know that you can do better in life.
• You know that your life is not a dress rehearsal, and you want to live life to the full.

Why Choose Patricia or Donatus Michalka at Life Focus?

…because at Life Focus, their Focus is your Life and Happiness.

…because their approach is positive, effective, and up to date.

…because as highly trained, qualified and experienced counsellors, they are in a position to help you.

…because you can choose either a male or female counsellor.

…because they have counselled individuals with a very wide broad range of challenges over many years.

…because they can help you get the love you want.

…because as trained and experienced Imago Relationship Therapists, they have enjoyed the benefits of applying this evidence based, tried and tested framework in their own relationship, and know it works.

See Frequently asked Questions for more detailed information of Imago Relationship Therapy.

…because you can benefit from their experience as a married couple, living in a committed relationship with each other for over 35 years.

…because you learn not only from their wide experience and extensive training as Family Therapists and Family Counsellors, but also from their personal experience of dealing with the challenges and triumphs of living in their blended family with 4 children, who now have 4 children of their own.

See Frequently Asked Questions for more information on Family Therapy.

…because they give you the benefits of their experience of coaching and consulting to the management and staff of some Australia’s largest Companies, including BHP, Woodside and Westpac as well as business owners and entrepreneurs.

…because they know and understand what it means to run their own businesses.

…because they coach and consult with practical ‘hands on experience’. As business owners, they are well versed in the processes necessary to create dreams, set goals, create strategies and take action to bring them to reality. Their coaching is practical and effective. It can help you.

See Life Coaching.

…because you have access to psychological services where you may qualify for medical rebates.

…because you want to be listened to without judgement and to feel understood and validated.

…because you want to know that you are safe enough to say it how it is for you.

…because you want effective help to identify and address the root causes of what is causing you distress, and then be shown and supported in doing something about it.

…because through the expertise and experience of trained professionals, you will discover and use practical tools and effective evidence based approaches that help you find your way.

…because as part of their ongoing professional and personal development, Patricia and Donatus have experienced personal counselling and peer supervision themselves. They can empathise with you. They can identify with you. They know first hand how vulnerable you may feel and the courage it can take to seek help and address issues. And they know the satisfaction and joy you can feel when you overcome challenges and fulfil your dreams.

…because you want up to date approaches to counselling, underpinned by the highest professional standards. You expect your counsellors to stay in touch with current developments in the profession.

…because you want to get maximum results from your counselling experience so that you can be the best you can be.

…because you want to be assured that ongoing Clinical Professional Development is an integral part of your Life Focus counsellors’ core commitment.

For further information about what happens in Counselling, what you can expect, and other details please see Frequently Asked Questions.

If any of the above resonates with you, or you would like help with challenges you may be experiencing, we would love to hear from you.

To make an appointment with either Patricia or Donatus, please phone Olivia our Practice Manager, at Life Focus on 0474 124 185 or email us at enquiries@lifefocus.com.au.