Mental Health

Mental health plays a vital role in overall wellbeing, and is just as important (if not more so) than physical fitness and eating well. 

Almost half the population of Australian's will suffer from either anxiety and/or depression in their lifetime. These mental health conditions may impact individuals for a short period of time only, where others will suffer from ongoing symptoms of their condition throughout their lives. Regardless of the type of condition and its impact, it is important to understand the importance of maintaining mental health in all aspects of life.

For more information relating to general mental health, please click here to visit Beyond Blue, Australia's mental health charity. For teenagers and young-adults, click here to visit Headspace. If you believe you are suffering from a mental health condition, speak to your GP about developing a mental health plan.

Sexuality, sexual functioning and relationship issues can heavily impact an individuals mental health, even in those who have not previously had any symptoms of a mental health condition. Our specialist Sex and Relationship Therapist Christine Rafe covers common mental health implications of sexuality, sexual functioning and relationship issues, and offers tips on how to work through these issues if they relate to you.

The below articles relate to the inter-relationship between mental health, intimate relationships, sexual functioning and satisfaction.

What stress and anxiety is doing to your sex life

Stress, anxiety and depression can have negative and lasting consequences on your overall quality of life and often impacts your sex life first. This is not ideal, especially when we know that poor mental health is already interfering with your productivity at work, your personal relationships, and your overall physical and psychological wellbeing. If maintaining or improving your sex life is important to you and/or your partner as part of your overall quality of life, there are some things to be aware of that may help address the situation.

the complexity of sexuality

If you have never had a thought, feeling or action that made you question what you thought you’d always known about your sexuality, this post probably isn’t for you.

For those of you who occasionally, or (if you’re like most people) always have this realisation and are left wondering what that particular thought/feeling/action means, welcome! I hope to explain to you, in 500 words or less, everything you need to know about your sexuality.

Since approximately 1950, research on human sexuality has proven that sexuality is not as straightforward as boxing people in to ‘gay’ or ‘straight’.