Alchemy Therapy | Mental health service

Alchemy Therapy

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25.01.2022 Unfortunately, the clinic is closed today. We hope to resume sessions tomorrow. In the meantime, we’re thinking of you all. And for the parents, remember, no guilt in relation to your choices! We’re all doing the best we can in extraordinary circumstances .

25.01.2022 Credit to Nina Mutik - Comics and Art https://www.facebook.com/ninamutik/

25.01.2022 If this is how you’re feeling amidst all the Christmas chaos, try and prioritise some time to rest and replenish!

25.01.2022 As a couple slows down their negative interactions, they are able to see their whole dance from a meta-perspective. Then they can reach for their vulnerabilities, own them and express the needs inherent in them, responding to each other with compassion. When this happens, the relationship and their sense of self opens up and grows. What does all this mean for science and society? It means that we can have a science of close relationships that enables us to shape them. This is the key, not just to more harmonious connections, but to more stable families and more emotionally resilient children. On a broader level, the attachment perspective tells us who we are and what we need to thrive.

25.01.2022 Meet the beautiful Miss Lottie! Lottie is Alchemy’s new therapy dog She’s an off-the-track greyhound who has been through a rehabilitation program and has successfully passed her behavioural assessment. We’re very excited to let you know that she will start ‘working’ in our rooms from January!!

24.01.2022 Whether trauma is deemed severe or low level in relation to social context matters less than our individual experience of it. We cant quantify trauma, only consider its impact on ourselves or the ones we love. Great little set of graphics explaining how we can respond in the face of fight, flight, or shutting down, and how to move towards a more relaxed way of being.

24.01.2022 Regardless of your child’s difference, this beautiful video clip may resonate.

23.01.2022 One for the boys... We have the privilege of working with many wonderfully sensitive and empathic men at Alchemy. It’s a beautiful thing to see them fully embrace these qualities and step into their true power. The candour of a vulnerable man has the potential to effect more change than he’ll ever know. While we need to acknowledge the notion of toxic masculinity, it’s also imperative we recognise the beauty that can be found in the space of what it means to truly be a man. Only then will we reduce the stigma surrounding male mental health and decrease the suicide rate that is so shockingly high in this population.

23.01.2022 Interviewed about imposter syndrome for an article in today’s West. Feeling like an intellectual fraud? Be kind to yourself

23.01.2022 Because identifying and understanding twice-exceptionality can be life changing :)

23.01.2022 I’ve met others like him in my adult life, and they all amaze me. It takes superhuman strength and stamina to fight the good fight every day, to drown out the dysfunctional dialogue in your head, to overcome anger and abuse. Cycle-breaking parents face a megalopolis of tall buildings, and those single bounds have got to be exhausting.

23.01.2022 For your little heroes .

23.01.2022 Lottie ‘helping’! She was particularly excited yesterday when one of our lovely clients brought her a dog chew!

22.01.2022 This. So very, very important

21.01.2022 Home schooling is on the rise because of mainstream education "failing to accommodate the needs of children who are different to their peers in some way," Edith... Cowan University's Dr Eileen Slater has told the ABC. Both Dr Slater and Gifted WA's founder and ECU adjunct at the Institute for Education Research, Dr Kate Burton, interviewed many people for the study: 'Reasons for Home Educating in Australia: who and why?' "For many parents in this sample, home education was not their first choice but after engaging with multiple schools, they found they had no choice other than to educate their child at home," according to Dr Slater. Gifted WA knows a Ayla. She is charming, engaging and lots of fun, intensely curious and exceptionally gifted. She comes from a loving family who have been very brave in speaking out. In kindergarten Ayla often became extremely dysregulated. Her parents researched and tried different school options before deciding to home school, but could not find anything that could teach to Ayla's giftedness and emotional asynchronicity. Now, with home school, Ayla is flying and her emotional health is so much better. According to the ABC article, in WA more than 3000 students home school. In Australia the number is close to 20,000. Home Education WA committee member, Saani Bennetts says people "are not removing children from school because of one bad day or a minor upset, but because many children are deeply unhappy, suffering depression, anxiety, health issues and not able to be catered for at school." We'd be interested in letting us know your journey in the comments section. Meanwhile, read the full article here. https://www.abc.net.au//homeschooling-helped-end-/11994496

21.01.2022 Because it doesnt matter how big they get!

21.01.2022 For a lot of our clients - whether children, adolescents, or adults - guilt and/or shame are huge drivers in both their daily interactions and overall sense of well-being. Often, individuals who appear to care the least about how their behaviour is negatively impacting others secretly care more than we can possibly imagine, but feel their emotional responses are outside of their control, leaving them no choice other than to feign indifference to the consequences of their acti...ons. Some may be drowning in a sea of shame that feels inescapable. This doesn’t mean that as their loved ones we should accept these negative behaviours and not maintain our boundaries to protect ourselves, or else we risk enabling the individual’s difficulties and potentially damaging our own mental health. However, often reframing such behaviour from a shame-informed perspective can be hugely beneficial See more

21.01.2022 While its true that mindfulness and meditation work, theyre not cure-alls. Sometimes what we need to feel better is not detachment but other people and release. Sometimes we just need to dance.

20.01.2022 After just finishing over 40 hours quarantined in a hospital room awaiting my son’s Covid test results (all clear, thankfully!), we’re focusing on staying in the Growth Zone! We used the time to watch feel good videos; connect with friends and family on the phone; research favourite interests; read some philosophy; listen to audio books and music; tell silly jokes and share puns; and he instructed me on how to do silly dances, which I was terrible at (including the floss?!). We’ve also been practising gratitude. What has brought you joy while you’ve been stuck at home? Maybe sharing your ideas for others to see will bring someone else happiness today

19.01.2022 Owners of hypersensitive brains reduce stimulation by avoiding group activities, tuning out of conversations, and isolating themselves. They shun busy department stores, loud concerts, big parties, and prefer to stay where they can control the level of stimulation. These brains find comfort in the self-contained world of video games. With an internal structure that offers complete control over the kind and amount of stimulation, they select games with rewards that are strongly reinforcing to their brains. These rewards offer pleasure within a cocoon, shielding them from the unpredictable minefield of personal interaction. As a result, video games have incredible habit-forming potential for the inattentive ADHD brain.

18.01.2022 After just finishing over 40 hours quarantined in a hospital room awaiting my sons Covid test results (all clear, thankfully!), were focusing on staying in the Growth Zone! We used the time to watch feel good videos; connect with friends and family on the phone; research favourite interests; read some philosophy; listen to audio books and music; tell silly jokes and share puns; and he instructed me on how to do silly dances, which I was terrible at (including the floss?!). Weve also been practising gratitude. What has brought you joy while youve been stuck at home? Maybe sharing your ideas for others to see will bring someone else happiness today

17.01.2022 While there are many, many people experiencing difficulty with the current situation in having to be physically distant, there are a number of us for whom the current scenario of no regular interpersonal contact no small talk, hand shakes, cheek-kisses, unexpected visits, customer-facing work roles is our much preferred environment.

17.01.2022 ‘Tom finds it hard to relate to other children and has few friends. At school he has been shunted out on his own into corridors and offices. They didn’t want him in the class because he’s doing different stuff, Chrissie says. To distract his mind from dark thoughts, Tom turns to puzzles and calculations, often late at night. He has long suffered from insomnia. The strain affects the whole family: I don’t understand parents who seek this, says Chrissie. I can’t cope with it. I just want to take it away.’

17.01.2022 Whether trauma is deemed ‘severe’ or ‘low level’ in relation to social context matters less than our individual experience of it. We can’t quantify trauma, only consider its impact on ourselves or the ones we love. Great little set of graphics explaining how we can respond in the face of fight, flight, or shutting down, and how to move towards a more relaxed way of being.

17.01.2022 T H I S. a beautiful reminder

17.01.2022 Ive met others like him in my adult life, and they all amaze me. It takes superhuman strength and stamina to fight the good fight every day, to drown out the dysfunctional dialogue in your head, to overcome anger and abuse. Cycle-breaking parents face a megalopolis of tall buildings, and those single bounds have got to be exhausting.

17.01.2022 Weve been blown away by the resilience, flexibility, and compassion you guys have demonstrated during these uncertain times. Some of the acts you have undertaken to support your local community have been incredibly touching. Well endeavour to make posts that will help you and your family navigate these challenging circumstances. Maintaining a sense of community is essential, and if there are specific types of resources you would like to see us post, please feel free to comment below and well do our best to share them! Take care of you, and remember were all in this together. So, reach out, and remember to ask for support when you need it .

17.01.2022 Its Gifted Awareness Week! So heres a blog post on navigating that age old worry, parental guilt . #GAW2020

17.01.2022 Interviewed about imposter syndrome for an article in todays West. Feeling like an intellectual fraud? Be kind to yourself

16.01.2022 For those who feel more empowered by having access to information in relation to Covid 19, here’s a free online course examining epidemiology in public health that investigates outbreaks and epidemics. It starts today and is courtesy of John Hopkins .

16.01.2022 Because it doesn’t matter how big they get!

16.01.2022 Merry Christmas from us to you! Many, many of our clients are introverts, so here is a survival guide for what may feel like a very overwhelming time of year! Don’t forget to care of you, Kate I like going out, but I don’t like staying out. There’s only so much socialising I can take. I once fell asleep in the toilet of a club in Islington, because I’d been hiding out in there for a little too long. (In my defence it was a really nice, exceptionally clean cubicle.) You will always find me in the kitchen at house parties, not just because I’m greedy, but because years of experience have taught me that kitchens are where the quieter people hang out and have conversations. There, or on the stairs.

15.01.2022 We’ve been blown away by the resilience, flexibility, and compassion you guys have demonstrated during these uncertain times. Some of the acts you have undertaken to support your local community have been incredibly touching. We’ll endeavour to make posts that will help you and your family navigate these challenging circumstances. Maintaining a sense of community is essential, and if there are specific types of resources you would like to see us post, please feel free to comment below and we’ll do our best to share them! Take care of you, and remember we’re all in this together. So, reach out, and remember to ask for support when you need it .

14.01.2022 Don't silence your voice. There is healing in sharing your story.

14.01.2022 The positive impact of a mentor on the lives of children and young people cannot be overstated. However, it can be difficult to find someone to fulfil this role and know your child is in good hands. From next month, Alchemy will be offering a mentoring service. Our first mentor is Emily. Emily is seventeen years old and is currently in the third year of her studies at UWA. She has personal experience of accessing a GATE program, acceleration and twice-exceptionality. Emily i...s also a writer and a musician. She regularly performs in Perth's spoken word poetry and music scene, and most recently helped devise and performed in a play at the Perth Fringe Festival. Emily is also an active volunteer in the Perth Arts' Scene where she is a committee member for the KickstArt Festival. In the near future, Emily will be hosting a workshop for Propel Youth Arts that is focused on the importance of creative expression for mental wellbeing. If you are interested in your child accessing a mentoring session with Emily, please email [email protected] to find out more. :)

13.01.2022 Sound familiar?

12.01.2022 Remember to be kind to yourself .

12.01.2022 Excited at the opportunity to share the research Dr. Eileen Slater and I have undertaken over the last year or two looking at why more families are home educating their children, including gifties! You can hear more about it on ABC Focus tomorrow morning :).

12.01.2022 Or hard work! Find a balance: let them experience what it feels like to struggle, and support them along the way while they develop distress tolerance. Resilience

12.01.2022 Sound familiar?!

11.01.2022 It’s my first day at work today and I’m doing great! Lottie x

11.01.2022 Here at Alchemy, we love specialising in gifted and 2e kiddos! And we’re excited to be able to increase the services we provide . The practice is lucky to have gained Les. Les has many years’ experience identifying at-risk students in schools. She is a registered psychologist and has been involved in undertaking IQ testing with gifted children for research projects at ECU. We’re also pleased to advise we are now offering assessments to diagnose Specific Learning Disorders (...SLD): dyslexia, dysgraphia and dyscalculia. Additionally, the WISC-V is available for utilisation in gifted assessment should this be your preference. At Alchemy, we follow best practice guidelines as this relates to the identification of giftedness and SLD’s in twice-exceptional students. Please email Kim: [email protected] for further information .

11.01.2022 It’s Gifted Awareness Week! So here’s a blog post on navigating that age old worry, parental guilt . #GAW2020

11.01.2022 ‘Super stealth’: women on the spectrum.

10.01.2022 Alchemy offers mentoring for gifted and twice-exceptional students. Spaces are currently available with our mentor, Emily, at 4pm and 5pm on a Monday. Emily recently completed her undergraduate degree in Literature at UWA. While at school, Emily was radically accelerated in a full-time GATE program which resulted in completing both her schooling and degree three years ahead of her peers. Emily is available to help students with any social and emotional issues they may be expe...riencing as a result of being gifted and/or 2e, and can also provide support in the areas of study and executive functioning skills. Emily is passionate about providing a safe space for children to share their concerns in relation to being accelerated and/or diagnosed with a special educational need, including a neurodevelopmental disorder. Please email us: [email protected] if you are interested in securing a mentoring slot with Emily. See more

10.01.2022 Unfortunately, the clinic is closed today. We hope to resume sessions tomorrow. In the meantime, were thinking of you all. And for the parents, remember, no guilt in relation to your choices! Were all doing the best we can in extraordinary circumstances .

10.01.2022 Just in case any parents need an idea for five minutes peace and quiet!

09.01.2022 With thanks to a friend for sending me this to share on here as she thought it may be helpful. A guide to living with worry and anxiety amidst global uncertainty .

09.01.2022 Super stealth: women on the spectrum.

07.01.2022 Because of my trauma history, Im used to thinking about worse-case scenario situations. I do it on the daily. So, right now, I feel calm, because I know Ive got this. As someone who lives with complex PTSD (C-PTSD), emergencies are easy for me.

07.01.2022 I promise you this: autistic people do not lack empathy. If we do fail to acknowledge your pain, this means there are gaps in our understanding. The challenge is to figure out what we need and then figure out how to provide that lesson or experience.

07.01.2022 We would like to extend our gratitude to everyone for the patience that has been shown over the last few weeks while many appointments have been rescheduled due to Kate being unwell. We know that this has inconvenienced many people and send our sincere apologies. We’re pleased to let you know that Kate is now back in clinic and normal services have resumed! We have been trying to reschedule missed appointments as best as we are able but this has been quite a complex task. The...refore, if you have not been contacted and require a replacement appointment, please feel free to contact us at [email protected] Thank you again for your understanding while we are reshuffling the calendar, and also for all of the beautiful well wishes. We are very blessed to have such kind hearted clients. Have a lovely day! Kate, Kim and Emily

07.01.2022 And remember to decompress! Being informed is good, but feeling overwhelmed requires some grounding time - for our kids and ourselves .

07.01.2022 Amidst these difficult times, Lottie would like to say hello and let you all know that as we transition to seeing some of our clients online, she is still able to offer her support via virtual pats . She is also preparing for the colder months ahead and currently trialling her winter wardrobe . She has this little number in both blue and pink. We hope youre finding some light relief during these dark times too, and if you have pets that youre enjoying your extra time with them. The evidence is clear that they support our mental health immensely. So, if youre an animal lover, stock up on cuddles!

06.01.2022 Were very excited and grateful to let you know that ECUs School of Engineering has been really interested in the needs of our children and has devised a series of opportunities in STEM for them to access. Please share this widely to ensure their hard work is appreciated and we can continue to offer more opportunities in the future! Just follow the three links below to find out more and contact them directly for information https://cdn.fbsbx.com//STEM-Engagement-Activitie...s-List.pdf https://cdn.fbsbx.com//STEM-Engagement-Invitation-Letter_F https://cdn.fbsbx.com//STEM-Engagement-Registration-Forms.

06.01.2022 While it's true that mindfulness and meditation work, they're not cure-alls. Sometimes what we need to feel better is not detachment but other people and release. Sometimes we just need to dance.

05.01.2022 Provided commentary for the ABC this morning re schooling from home, or more accurately ‘crisis schooling’. In summary, if you’re doubting your ability to respond to your child’s needs, don’t! Just enjoy each other’s company, or at least know that if you haven’t killed each other yet, you’re winning .

05.01.2022 ‘Let It Land is one of theater improvisation’s basic guidelines. When improvising, make sure that whatever your partner offers you on stage, you let it land letting whatever they say enter your psyche and reverberate in your body before responding. In couples therapy, this ability is considered one of the best predictors of marital happiness and is called the ability to accept influence. Accepting influence is the ability to let your partner’s input affect your position and change your behaviors accordingly. This acceptance encourages your partner to bid and share more of themselves in the relationship.’

05.01.2022 Emotions are not by definition at odds with rationality, but can be an important source of moral reflection. They point to what matters to us morally. Emotions can draw attention to important ethical considerations that frequently get overlooked in quantitative, science-based approaches to risk.

04.01.2022 Smart people are happier alone... However, just in case this makes too much sense, the study also found that spending more time socializing with friends is actually an indicator of higher intelligence! This baffling contradiction is counter-intuitive, at least. Unless these smart people are not so much social as they are masochistic. Perhaps the issue is more that they find it harder to find like minds and spaces where they feel comfortable being their authentic selves?

04.01.2022 Unsurprising results, but helpful to confirm the necessity of self-care for empathetic parents . A team from Northwestern University has examined the hidden costs of parental empathy. They found that while the children of empathetic parents are better off physically and emotionally, the parents cells reveal chronic, low-grade inflammation. When their children suffer psychologically, empathetic parents immune systems take a hit.

04.01.2022 Especially for the perfectionistic parents out there!

04.01.2022 She’s still in there.

04.01.2022 This. Hits. Hard. The inability to receive support from others is a trauma response. Your I don’t need anyone, I’ll just do it all myself conditioning i...s a survival tactic. And you needed it to shield your heart from abuse, neglect, betrayal, and disappointment from those who could not or would not be there for you. From the parent who was absent and abandoned you by choice or the parent who was never home from working three jobs to feed and house you. From the lovers who offered sexual intimacy but never offered a safe haven that honored your heart. From the friendships and family who ALWAYS took more than they ever gave. From all the situations when someone told you we’re in this together or I got you then abandoned you, leaving you to pick up the pieces when shit got real, leaving you to handle your part and their part, too. From all the lies and all the betrayals. You learned along the way that you just couldn’t really trust people. Or that you could trust people, but only up to a certain point. Extreme-independence IS. A. TRUST. ISSUE. You learnt: if I don’t put myself in a situation where I rely on someone, I won’t have to be disappointed when they don’t show up for me, or when they drop the ball... because they will ALWAYS drop the ball EVENTUALLY right? You may even have been intentionally taught this protection strategy by generations of hurt ancestors who came before you. Extreme-independence is a preemptive strike against heartbreak. So, you don’t trust anyone. And you don’t trust yourself, either, to choose people. To trust is to hope, to trust is to be vulnerable. Never again, you vow. But no matter how you dress it up and display it proudly to make it seem like this level of independence is what you always wanted to be, in truth it’s your wounded, scarred, broken heart behind a protective brick wall. Impenetrable. Nothing gets in. No hurt gets in. But no love gets in either. Fortresses and armor are for those in battle, or who believe the battle is coming. It’s a trauma response. The good news is trauma that is acknowledged is trauma that can be healed. You are worthy of having support. You are worthy of having true partnership. You are worthy of love. You are worthy of having your heart held. You are worthy to be adored. You are worthy to be cherished. You are worthy to have someone say, You rest. I got this. And actually deliver on that promise. You are worthy to receive. You are worthy to receive. You are worthy. You don’t have to earn it. You don’t have to prove it. You don’t have to bargain for it. You don’t have to beg for it. You are worthy. Worthy. Simply because you exist. -Jamila White, @inspiredjamila

03.01.2022 Here at Alchemy, we love specialising in gifted and 2e kiddos! And were excited to be able to increase the services we provide . The practice is lucky to have gained Les. Les has many years experience identifying at-risk students in schools. She is a registered psychologist and has been involved in undertaking IQ testing with gifted children for research projects at ECU. Were also pleased to advise we are now offering assessments to diagnose Specific Learning Disorders (...SLD): dyslexia, dysgraphia and dyscalculia. Additionally, the WISC-V is available for utilisation in gifted assessment should this be your preference. At Alchemy, we follow best practice guidelines as this relates to the identification of giftedness and SLDs in twice-exceptional students. Please email Kim: [email protected] for further information .

03.01.2022 On overthinking and too muchness! Sometimes the term overthinking is meted as a judgement on the way a PG person naturally processes experience. This happens when the natural but uncommon (and extraordinary) capacity for complex processing is measured by average standards. It can easily (and mistakenly) be viewed as more than what is necessary; an overage, if you will. ... The inborn processing of the PG is always more than, and different than, a more average way of processing. That is not to say that a PG person cannot, and does not, overthink. The point is that the cognitive and affective baseline is radically different from even a more mildly gifted child or adult, and it is more advanced.

02.01.2022 I have had the great pleasure of knowing many women who have been told, over and over again, that they are "too much." Take it down a few notches, they are told, over and over and over again, in fourteen million different ways. Men don't like you because they feel like you're stronger than them. Women are intimidated by you. You're too opinionated, too loud, too direct, too sexy, too bossy, too bitchy, too emotional, too moody, too funny. Too much like a guy. This is for all the amazing women who have been labeled "too much" their entire life by the small men and women who didn't, or couldn't, see you. It's time to burn that metaphor like a 70's polyester bra. You're not too much. You probably haven't shown the world nearly enough.

02.01.2022 Provided commentary for the ABC this morning re schooling from home, or more accurately crisis schooling. In summary, if youre doubting your ability to respond to your childs needs, dont! Just enjoy each others company, or at least know that if you havent killed each other yet, youre winning .

02.01.2022 We're very excited and grateful to let you know that ECU's School of Engineering has been really interested in the needs of our children and has devised a series of opportunities in STEM for them to access. Please share this widely to ensure their hard work is appreciated and we can continue to offer more opportunities in the future! Just follow the three links below to find out more and contact them directly for information https://cdn.fbsbx.com//STEM-Engagement-Activitie...s-List.pdf https://cdn.fbsbx.com//STEM-Engagement-Invitation-Letter_F https://cdn.fbsbx.com//STEM-Engagement-Registration-Forms.

02.01.2022 Perhaps we’d all feel more connected and less lonely if we suspended the isolating belief that we should be independent and not need anyone. We could add spiritual richness and joy to our lives by embracing our interdependence, relishing opportunities to lower our guard, and receiving others’ kindness with grace and humility.

01.01.2022 Because of my trauma history, I’m used to thinking about worse-case scenario situations. I do it on the daily. So, right now, I feel calm, because I know I’ve got this. As someone who lives with complex PTSD (C-PTSD), emergencies are easy for me.

01.01.2022 For those who feel more empowered by having access to information in relation to Covid 19, heres a free online course examining epidemiology in public health that investigates outbreaks and epidemics. It starts today and is courtesy of John Hopkins .