Affirmotive's time and cost effective professional counselling is based on extensive experience and designed to resolving conflict, and restoring radiance to individual life and relationships faster.

We provide a private, confidential, and non-judgmental environment, where you can speak to a professional counsellor and gain awareness into the circumstances that have contributed to shaping your life. We also provide support and 'take home tools' for long lasting problem solving.

The greatest discovery of any generation is that human beings can alter their lives by altering their attitudes of mind. Albert Schweitzer

Affirmotive's Heide McConkey is an experienced professional counselllor and clinical sex therapist. Heide's holistic counselling and therapy is tailored to benefit individuals, couples and families of all backgrounds and cultures.

Stress.
Stress is a normal part of human life. Most peole cope well in stressful situations, but in some cases the capacity of coping with stress can overload, with stress becoming toxic and seriously debilitating. There is growing scientific evidence that long term unmanaged stress can negatively influence the immune system and contribute to mental and physical health problems.

Furthermore, unmanaged stress can trigger anxiety, panic, depression, mood disorders, disordered eating, sleep disorders, sexual imbalance, and addictions.

Anxiety.
Total relaxation is a myth. A certain amount of anxiety is a healthy necessity to (top) perform. Untreated abnormal high anxiety however is disabling and can lead to non performance, fear of failure, shyness, avoidance, impaired physical health, and addictions.

Obsessions and Compulsions.
Obsessions are unwanted recurrent and mostly unrealistic intrusive thoughts that interfere with a healthy judgment and can lead to over-concerns and undue worries. Affected individuals may be aware of the fact that their fears, concerns or worries are over the top and often unfounded, but cannot stop.

In an effort to control intrusive thoughts, ritualistic behaviours may be compulsively performed. For example; a person may be obsessed with thoughts of negative consequences posed by dirt and germs, and may resort to endless and compulsive hand washing rituals in order to control contamination.

Obsessive thoughts and compulsive control behaviours can also have a sexual content. People affected by obsessions or compulsions may suffer from treatable mental distortions.

Panic attacks.
Panic attacks are a form of high level anxiety and typically trigger an unpleasant physical response. Panic attacks can come out of nowhere and can even happen during sleep.

The physical symptoms of a panic attack may mimic the symptoms of a heart attack and can include chest pain, heart palpitation, temporary short term loss of sensitivity in limbs, pins and needles, dizziness, pale skin, sweating, and shortness of breath.

Panic attacks present no physical risk to a person's life. Panic is a treatable mental condition.

Phobia.
Phobia is a form of anxiety triggered by a specific event or object of a typically non threatening nature. Very few people really love creepies and crawlies, but they can be a source of a real fear for some individuals.

Others find it impossible to get into a lift or other closed environments, some persons intensely dislike and fear heights, and some folks might give up a holiday to avoid plane or train travel.

Sexuality and sexual events can also trigger a phobia. Phobias are treatable mental conditions.

Depression.
Coming to terms with sadness, grief and significant loss can be hard. Some people may find adjusting to a new life situation more than they can cope with. Others may feel distressed, sad and low for no obvious reasons.

Negative experiences and emotions can create tunnel vision and may become all consuming to the point of life losing all meaning. Sadness may become overwhelming and dark thoughts may take over.

If you have recurrent thoughts of self-harming or suicide you must immediately contact your doctor, psychiatrist, counsellor, or local hospital. Depression is a treatable disorder.

Rage destroys happiness and relationships. Affirmotive teaches impulse control skills, and 'anger-from-rage separation' techniques.

Communication.
Affirmotive is teaching effective and assertive comminication techniques of fearlessly and adequately expressing thoughts, ideas, needs, feelings and wants.

Mediation.
The counsellor takes a non-judgmental middle position between disagreeing parties, and negotiates a common ground as a basis for settlement. 

Addiction.
It is important to realize that addiction is NOT a moral failure, but can be defined as a stress-induced defect acting on a genetic vulnerability in the reward-learning (dopamine) system of the midbrain and the memory-choice (glutamate) system in the prefrontal cortex, leading to loss of control and persistent cravings despite an awareness of negative consequences.

There is growing evidence of genetic, biological, physical, social, and environmental factors being involved in the development of addictions.

Addictions are treatable disorders and require professional intervention. If left untreated, addictions tend to escalate in severity. 

Disordered eating.
Disordered eating or eating disorder is an unhealthy attachment bond to food and body image. Affected people typically suffer from low self esteem and may live restricted life styles including missing out on social life, sex life, relationships, marriage, or parenthood.

Excess weight loss or weight gain may lead to severe health complications. Out of control eating requires professional help. In some cases, referal to a medical professional may be necessary.