Creating Pathways in Thornbury, Victoria | Mental health service

Creating Pathways

Locality: Thornbury, Victoria

Phone: +61 416 343 691

Address: 810 High St 3071 Thornbury, VIC, Australia

Website: http://www.creatingpathways.com.au

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• Medical and health
• Alternative & holistic health service
• Mental health service

25.01.2022 Ive been a bit quiet of late on the social media front.....which isnt such a bad thing. In the meantime Ive been illustrating a book at work. This is my final painting out of 11 images. I feel blessed to have been given a space to paint and reflect and its provoked me to keep up this practice with my private clients. So often words cant describe the stories that I hear and painting is a way that helps me to reflect and process what Ive been privy to listen to and to support. Painting is a way in which I can support myself so I am able to hold space for others.

24.01.2022 Beauty is found in all shapes and sizes.....

23.01.2022 So true. Often it is the simplest things in life that make the biggest difference. We so often forget about the simple things in life that make us feel better. Good sleep, good food, exercise....those 3 alone are just as good as any anti depressant! Add some reading, meditation, great tunes, and of course laugher and you are on the path to happiness! Trust me......give it a go for even a week and you'll see :-)

23.01.2022 The Worms Waking This is how a human being can change: Theres a worm addicted to eating grape leaves. Suddenly. He wakes up,... Call it grace, whatever, something wakes him, and hes no longer a worm. Hes the entire vineyard, and the orchard too, the fruit, the trunks, a growing wisdom and joy that doesnt need to devour. RUMI

23.01.2022 'The Worm's Waking' This is how a human being can change: There's a worm addicted to eating grape leaves. Suddenly. He wakes up,... Call it grace, whatever, something wakes him, and he's no longer a worm. He's the entire vineyard, and the orchard too, the fruit, the trunks, a growing wisdom and joy that doesn't need to devour. RUMI

23.01.2022 I painted this picture of myself as a little girl quite a few years ago.....as I look at it it reminds me of the innocence of childhood and at the same time it is at this time where most of our beliefs of who we are are formed. No matter how magical our childhoods may have been we still manage to somehow come to conclusions about ourselves that arent necessarily true - such as not being good enough or being unworthy, that we are not loved or that something inherently is wron...g with us. It may take a life time to unravel and challenge these beliefs, and for some they are never resolved, for some the story..... because that is all it is..... a story, becomes so ingrained in our very being that everything else flows from that. How is it that we can take ourselves back to the innocence of the child we all were when we arrived on this planet and remind ourselves that we came into this world as beings of light and love and in essence that is all we are.....light and love.....nothing more nothing less.....its time to dismantle all those false beliefs and stories that dont serve us and come back to the essence of who we are and to trust in that. See more

23.01.2022 Didnt the Dalai Lama once say that if every 8 year old was taught to meditate we would eliminate violence within one generation...........

23.01.2022 No problem is too big or too small. If you are struggling with not feeling great, past trauma's, toxic relationships, issues with food, come and have a chat to see how Creating Pathways can help you (or someone you know for that matter!) Feel free to visit our website: www.creatingpathways.com.au for more information

21.01.2022 Only you..... no body else can do it for you

20.01.2022 Creative expression is a universal language. Especially when working with children in therapy utilising these modalities cannot me underestimated. I am always amazed by the power of creative expression and how in a therapy session it can be a vehicle to build rapport, to explore subconscious themes and can be used as a form of expression when words don't come easy or there is no dialogue to describe one's experience.

20.01.2022 Never under estimate the power of animals. I saw a client last week in my home office and my dog ivy throughout the session was itching to come into the room. Once I asked my client if that would be ok and she agreed, ivy came in, jumped up on the couch and sat right next to her as my client gently patted her while she talked. It was so beautiful to watch and to witness Ivys calming presence on this client and that in itself was healing. Be warned you might need tissues watching this one!

20.01.2022 Heart Cards are being used far and wide.......this pack was sent to Tennant Creek in Northern Territory and being used at the community hub. For purchases visit www.creatingpathways.com.au

18.01.2022 I did this painting for a client. She made a comment in our session about how she felt: you know its like you are in an elevator and when the doors open all there is is a brick wall......such powerful words that I couldnt resist depicting in an image. I love giving clients paintings, it feels as though its such a powerful gesture.

16.01.2022 Didn't the Dalai Lama once say that if every 8 year old was taught to meditate we would eliminate violence within one generation...........

16.01.2022 No problem is too big or too small. If you are struggling with not feeling great, past traumas, toxic relationships, issues with food, come and have a chat to see how Creating Pathways can help you (or someone you know for that matter!) Feel free to visit our website: www.creatingpathways.com.au for more information

16.01.2022 Love Gabor Mate and all he has to say about addiction.

16.01.2022 What else do you do when your funding for work has expired, all client contact has ceased (but your organisation is still paying you)......make pottery mugs!

15.01.2022 Ive had a great day at work today. One of my colleagues is making a book for 2 of our little clients who lost their mum last year. My colleague asked me to paint a cover for the book.....the brief was lots of pink, 1 big butterfly and 2 small ones and this is the result. This book is a gift to give the girls in memory of their mum who was heavily involved in our service.

15.01.2022 THE THERAPEUTIC RELATIONSHIP. Sometimes if you move carefully through the forest... breathing like the ones in the old stories who could cross a shimmering bed of dry leaves without a sound, you come to a place whose only task is to trouble you with tiny but frightening requests conceived out of nowhere but in this place beginning to lead everywhere. Requests to stop what you are doing right now, and to stop what you are becoming while you do it, questions that can make or unmake a life, questions that have patiently waited for you, questions that have no right to go away. - David Whyte

15.01.2022 I did this painting for a client. She made a comment in our session about how she felt: 'you know it's like you are in an elevator and when the doors open all there is is a brick wall'......such powerful words that I couldnt resist depicting in an image. I love giving clients paintings, it feels as though its such a powerful gesture.

15.01.2022 The wisdom of the body cannot be underestimated in therapy and often you don't even need words for powerful emotional processing to occur. Working somatically with a client can allow old trauma's to emerge and to be processed without having to relive the event. It always amazes me how by simply just brining attention to someone's here and now experience in their body can provoke an emotional response. Working with those sensations, and allowing them to build and move in the b...ody, can often bring a client to tears, or images may emerge that then opens up a whole new dialogue. I had the privilege of working with a client where little words were spoken. I used touch to put pressure on persistent tingling in the arms that occurred whenever she delved into uncomfortable events. The moment I put pressure on her arms a flood of emotion came forth. For the next half hour we sat there in silence, I continued to put pressure on her arms, whilst the emotional release built and became heightened and then subsided. No words were spoken, just presence, connection and support and it was this that allowed the emotional process to occur. I didn't need to dive into the meaning of the tears, and perhaps there were no words to speak anyway, I trusted the body to do what it needed to process old locked emotions, and then to allow the nervous system to settle. Being present in this space allowed for a deeper connection to be felt and experienced. A connection that didn't rely on words, didn't rely on reliving a traumatic event and instead allowed for a greater release from the body to occur. It was a reminder of how powerful somatic experiencing can be in the therapeutic space.

15.01.2022 The wisdom of the body cannot be underestimated in therapy and often you dont even need words for powerful emotional processing to occur. Working somatically with a client can allow old traumas to emerge and to be processed without having to relive the event. It always amazes me how by simply just brining attention to someones here and now experience in their body can provoke an emotional response. Working with those sensations, and allowing them to build and move in the b...ody, can often bring a client to tears, or images may emerge that then opens up a whole new dialogue. I had the privilege of working with a client where little words were spoken. I used touch to put pressure on persistent tingling in the arms that occurred whenever she delved into uncomfortable events. The moment I put pressure on her arms a flood of emotion came forth. For the next half hour we sat there in silence, I continued to put pressure on her arms, whilst the emotional release built and became heightened and then subsided. No words were spoken, just presence, connection and support and it was this that allowed the emotional process to occur. I didnt need to dive into the meaning of the tears, and perhaps there were no words to speak anyway, I trusted the body to do what it needed to process old locked emotions, and then to allow the nervous system to settle. Being present in this space allowed for a deeper connection to be felt and experienced. A connection that didnt rely on words, didnt rely on reliving a traumatic event and instead allowed for a greater release from the body to occur. It was a reminder of how powerful somatic experiencing can be in the therapeutic space.

14.01.2022 Happy Friday! Geez, if I moved this well and looked half as happy as this bunch at this age then Id know Ive led a good life! Love it!

14.01.2022 I painted this for a client after she shared with me that she felt she had shared too much. She likened it to a flock of seagulls pecking at a chip...... and I am the chip.

12.01.2022 This is Ivy - my protective border collie x golden retriever. When at home she is never far from me. Ive been meditating every morning in my therapy room and each morning without fail she comes and joins me. Whether she is vibing of the energy of meditation or she is just wanting to be near me, it is comforting to have her in my space. There is so much about animals that is healing, and often we dont realise until their presence is no longer there. Forever grateful for this beautiful spirit.

12.01.2022 For those who have Netflix, this doco HEAL is well worth the watch. I watched it last night and I was impressed by the fact that many of my favourite authors were represented: Marianne Williamson, Dr Joe Dispenza, Deepak Chopra, Michael Beckwith, Bruce Lipton. One of my biggest take aways was from a research done by participants all over the world who had gone into remission. The common factor found with hundreds of these participants were the following 9 factors: Taking cont...rol of your health Following your intuition Releasing suppressed emotions Increasing positive emotions Embracing social support Deepening your spiritual connection Have a strong reason for living Radically changing you diet Using herbs and supplements Only the last two is external and changing something from outside of oneself whilst the remaining 7 are factors that come from within. This doco really shines the light on the mind body connection and that we really do have the power to heal ourselves. https://www.netflix.com/watch/80220013

12.01.2022 HERE HERE! Happy Friday!

11.01.2022 Happy Saturday!

10.01.2022 Wise words from a truely brilliant human being.

10.01.2022 So looking forward to sinking my teeth into this one.......Im a massive fan of Johann Hari!

08.01.2022 Happy Monday! Some life rules to think about as you start your week

08.01.2022 A reminder of spirit that lives in all living things.....

08.01.2022 Some of the many benefits of art therapy...... https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/art-therapy-reduces-heada/

07.01.2022 I have just completed another 6 days of Somatic Experiencing training. This has been my 3rd block of 6 and i am left feeling incredibly excited and grateful for my furthering understanding of how to work with trauma and how it presents itself in the body. I am in awe of this body of mine and i am left curious on the stories that it has to tell - the stories that exist as a felt sense, a movement, a twinge, a flutter, a story that has no words but a story nevertheless and one... that runs at a different pace, and perhaps to a different timeline to which i exist in the world of words, chatter and made up meaning. Most importantly i have walked away from this training with a deep understanding of the nervous system and the importance of slowing things down. Over the last year and a half since i embarked on this journey i have acknowledged this idea and now i understand the importance of embodying this idea of slowing - tuning into my felt sense, turning down the chatter, and whilst sitting across from someone the deep importance of presence in this embodied state. I am excited to continue working with clients this way, it is a gentle but incredibly powerful approach and one that i am only just beginning to understand the full depth of its effectiveness not just in the therapy room but in life. See more

07.01.2022 When I first started out as a psychotherapist my main objective was to help clients with eating disorders. Throughout my training all my research was on this illness, with a particular focus on anorexia. Over the years I have treated several clients with anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder, body image issues etc. The last 2 years has seen my focus take a different direction as I have been working in the family violence field as a child and adolescent counsellor and work...ing with clients with eating disorders has taken a back step. With a move to Melbourne and recently starting private practice its funny how the universe works as just in the last week alone 2 girls with anorexia have been referred to me. I also do a mentoring job at Eating Disorders Victoria and in the same week I started with a new client with anorexia there as well. In one week 3 girls with this eating disorder have come into my life. I often become conflicted when working with this illness, as there is no quick fix, it can be long and arduous and as a therapist often the rewards are few and far between. The client can oscillate between taking small steps to recovery and then diving back into the grips of the eating disorder in the matter of a day. This cycle can continue for years literally and at times no matter how much support they are receiving the eating disorder has the ultimate say and control. As I am once again exposed to this illness I notice my mind continually thinking and exploring new ways to be with these clients, as often I feel as though I am fumbling but ultimately realising that sometimes just to be there, standing by their side, holding their hand, witnessing these clients in the raw throws of an illness that swallows them up and takes control is enough. So here I am come full circle and once again going down the obvious path of working in the field of eating disorders, at times feeling ill equipped with the lack of a title that resembles psychologist or psychiatrist and learning to trust that in all of that my skills and experience are enough.

06.01.2022 This painting I have just finished painting for a client and it is my reflection of our session together. Its not the first time Ive painted for a client a reflection of our session and I find this gift does wonders for the therapeutic relationship and the rapport between client and therapist. I find it is a unique way to share my response to their story and affirms to them what I have heard and responded to. Often when I sit with a client I am filled with metaphorical images that I cant wait to put on paper......who knows there could be a body of work in this idea of client reflections and it helps me to process their story too.

06.01.2022 I liken the spiral to the peeling of an onion, with each layer you go deeper and deeper. It may be you revisit the same trigger, trauma, behaviour over and over again but each time you dive deep removing another layer, witnessing the issue from a different stand point, removing intensities, building awareness, discovering more of who you are, and as each layer is removed you become closer and closer to your truth, to who you are, discarding the layers that no longer serve you, and as you come closer to that core you become more of your true self and the soul that essentially is all you are made up of.

05.01.2022 So very grateful this has been my workspace all week. Its not often you get paid to paint and this is exactly what Ive been blessed to do......illustrating a book for two little girls in memory of their mum. I have found myself quite emotional as Ive asked workers about this beautiful woman and painting her portrait has bought much sadness and at the same time honour to be able to gift this to her children. I am filled with immense gratitude to be trusted with such a project.

05.01.2022 We cant change or influence what happens outside of us, but we can change how we respond to our external environment. Every step of the way we have choice in how we choose to be.....every second we have the option to change.....right this moment right now we can make the choice to choose happiness regardless of what is happening externally. The more you choose to come from this space of not letting life happen to you but making life happen for you the more you experience peace and happiness within. It all boils down to choice really......

03.01.2022 Nourishment. I have been pondering on the idea of nourishment this past week and what it means to nourish the soul. In my work with eating disorders I have also been pondering on the manifestation of starvation and the physical manifestation of the souls lack of nourishment. What is it meant by nourishing the soul - finding what it is that feeds us. I have been listening to Johan Hari of late and reading his book Lost Connection and he talks about mind junk - filling our ...minds with senseless useless things and likens it to the likes of junk foods effect on our bodies . Often we fill our minds with so much junk that we ignore the things that nourish us. When our mind, body and soul is nourished it is difficult to feel depressed. When our mind, body and soul is nourished addictions become absent. Johan Hari talks of a famous experiment called Rat Park where rats were put in a cage with nothing but 2 bowls of water. One was laced with cocaine or heroine. The rats would drink consistently from the laced water. Then they decided to put a heap of fun things in the cage that rats like..like a Ferris wheel, soft toys, squeaky things etc. They put the 2 bowls in the cage as well, one laced with cocaine or heroine, and amazingly the rats only drank from the pure water. Like seriously, who wants to be off their head when already you are having so much fun. This idea of what fills us up, what nourishes us is a question that should be asked on a continual basis. When I work with anorexia, the eating disorder is so consuming, and often has taken complete control of the person it is inhabiting, I start to ask these questions, and often the client will have no idea, would have forgotten, or even they might stare at me blankly without a clue of what I am talking about. I see my job to start exploring this idea of nourishment on all levels - the physical, the mental, the emotional, and the spiritual. It is pretty difficult to give up starvation as a coping mechanism when you cant actually identify what it is that nourishes you. But slowly, slowly, with tiny little steps, identifying and experiencing little snippets of joy, little moments of fulfilment, the soul begins to get a taste for more, and with each little step perhaps the starvation turns to hunger, hunger to be fed, hunger for the soul to be fed, the mind to be fed, the physical self to be fed. And the more we begin to feed our selves with all that is nourishing and ridding ourselves of all that is toxic the mind, body and spirit can become more sustainable and with sustainability comes balance and with balance comes stability.

03.01.2022 Nothing like a bowl of chocolates to welcome you to therapy! . I have been seeing this 12 year old girl for over a month now and the first session I offered her a chocolate...... now its become our thing.... god forbid me if I ever forget the chocolates! Theres something comforting about chocolate and therapy dont you think?

03.01.2022 Hug away I say!