Author: Stephanie Hills

  • Same behaviour, different meaning

    A client of mine came to realise that in his most difficult moments, he would start mindlessly watching K-pop videos on his phone, unable to concentrate on anything else. Once he was aware of it, the compulsion to watch videos became a clue, alerting him that he was avoiding something. He could then tune in […]

  • Courtesy on our roads

    Shout out to the courteous drivers out there.  We tend to remember the rude ones, but considerate drivers are all around us. Just this week I’ve had vehicles make space for me to pull out of a service station into heavy traffic, and to back out of a space in a crowded parking lot. Without […]

  • Showered with love

    Sam walked into his sister’s kitchen and found his nephew, Mitch, having a snack. “Where’s your mother?” he asked. “She said she was going to have a shower. Just a minute, I’ll see.” Mitch went to the kitchen tap and turned the hot water on full blast. A sharp yell came from above. Mitch calmly […]

  • Love, Loyalty and Ethics

    ‘A true friend will help you hide a body,’ is an oft-repeated sentiment on social media. It’s meant as a joke, but it reinforces a misconception about what friendship and loyalty mean.  What can we do when someone we love – a family member, partner, or a close friend – expects us to back them […]

  • Unbreakable Spirit: 18 Stories of Feminine Resilience, Blessing and Renewal

    Unbreakable Spirit. 18 Stories of Feminine Resilience, Blessings and Renewal Compiled by Laura Joan Cornell, PhD. The inspiring title hints at deeds of extraordinary heroism followed by victorious endings, but these stories are about women we might pass on the street every day. They could be any one of us. Lives of courage, grace and […]

  • All in a day’s work

    My grandfather worked as a blacksmith in a butcher shop. He shooed flies. * * * * I once worked in a factory that made fire hydrants, but there was nowhere to park. * * * * Barry calls his boss and says, “I’m having trouble with my eyes.”“What’s wrong with them?” the boss asks.Barry: […]

  • Strengthen Your Inner Witness

    Do you feel guilty going through customs, even when you have nothing to hide? Are you extremely nervous at job interviews, or meeting new people? Chances are you have a mean inner critic. An inner critic is an imaginary character who holds the worst possible opinions of you and tells you exactly what they think, […]

  • Helping with a house move

    Phillipa,* a sole parent, had just come out of hospital after surgery and was convalescing, when she was faced with having to move house. The people she would normally turn to for help were not available, leaving her worried about how she would cope. To her delight, several people she hardly knew stepped forward and […]

  • Ditzy Drivers

    A driving instructor was giving lessons to an extremely nervous student, who panicked whenever another car approached on a particular two-lane road. One day, however, they got to the same stretch of road and the student was completely calm. “You’re doing fine, today!” exclaimed the instructor.“Yes,” agreed the learner. “Now, when I see another car […]

  • The Chicken or the Egg? The Person or Their Opinion?

    Which came first, the chicken or the egg? Of course, there’s no definite answer, and if there was, it would make little difference. Yet last year, an argument about this very question led to an Indonesian man killing his friend. News reports never mentioned which side he took, but consider this – did killing his […]