EMpowerment Psychology in Townsville, Queensland | Psychologist

EMpowerment Psychology

Locality: Townsville, Queensland

Phone: +61 7 4799 6451

Address: 125 Thuringowa Drive 4817 Townsville, QLD, Australia

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

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• Medical and health
• Mental health service
• Psychologist

25.01.2022 This is me being real..... I just wanted to share this with you all as I think it is important to see that we are all human beings and sometimes being a human is hard. So I am one week post surgery today. And the last 3 days have been the toughest of my journey so far. I have been in so much pain as the nerve block wore off. When they talk about foot surgery they say it is worse than any other surgery as feet hurt. I remember getting my foot tattoos and the tattoo artist sayi...ng the same there is something about feet and pain. Well I have been on strong pain relief and last night was my worst. I was sobbing to Craig and saying I have done the worst thing and it was a mistake. I just wanted all the pain to stop. Craig said to me there is always a hard part in every journey you have overcome and this is the hard part of this one. It got me thinking and he is so right in every story there is a part where you feel that you cannot go on, that the weight of everything is too much, there is too much pain and that one more minute is too unbearable. However, you and I have done hard before we have overcome pain mountains before. Sometimes the only way is to go through the pain - emotional or physical. Sometimes it is just inhaling to the next minute and exhaling to reach the one beyond. Sometimes it is moving and getting out of bed, visiting or calling a friend, putting on something nice or doing your hair. It is sometimes the smallest of steps that get us over the peak of pain. As it does subside, it does allow you down the other side. But sometimes you just have to rise to the hard part and will yourself over. As life is hard and filled with these pain peaks - but you have done hard before......remember this when you think you are at your worst. You have done hard before and overcome mountains to be here today. Today I have lived past the pain and am over the other side. I love @glennondoyle words: I have learned two things about pain: 1. I can feel everything and survive and 2. I can use pain to become - pain is the fuel of revolution #IFStherapy #clinicalpsychologist #australianpsychologist #townsville #selfhealing #emdr #dbt #psychology #towsnvillepsych

23.01.2022 This is what has drawn me so much to IFS lately. I love this idea that inside of each of us is a self healing capacity. This energy never goes away and we can all access it. However, our experiences can often cover this up. It is about finding this self. What I also love is this self when we find it has the most amazing healing capacity. It is one that you can give to both yourself but also to understand and have compassion for others. It is my job to help you find this energy and connect to it again.

22.01.2022 I don’t know how many of you know but I have a very talented disabled artist sister. Her work is all about highlighting how she is regularly called to legitimise her disability. I felt so moved by her work this weekend. So much so I have gotten a piece of her work to hang in the practice as I think it starts a conversation. I have chosen are you sure it’s not just in your head as I really feel it highlights the struggle most people with mental illness go through with the w...ell meaning words from others. There is not recognition for the struggle that mental health has on people. I think this will create an understanding that unsolicited advice while it may be well meaning can do damage. Also, validating that mental health is more than just about the perception of others and that is is really about individual experience. Check out my sisters page @amy_claire_mills for more wonderful art. And when the show is finished wait for the art to decorate the walls.

22.01.2022 Today I was stuck in traffic for an hour. I got to work flustered and annoyed as I left home with plenty of time to get some things done. I got to work 10 minutes before I started. I was venting my frustration to my very wise patient. Stating how it was setting me up for a shit day. My client simply said be grateful you were not in the accident and you got here safe today what an amazing reframe that shifted everything. the way you think about something has the power ...to challenge and change you. It has the power to shift your mood and energy! gratefulness is a wonderful way to shift frustration and annoyance. Thanks to my very awesome patient for grounding me in some awesome thinking reframe and making me have a wonderful day

20.01.2022 Driving through Clermont today and this jumped out at me. So naturally I had to turn back and get a photo of it. I think it really sums up 2020. Life has been tough in many unimaginable ways but you have nearly made it to 2021. It has tested your resilience, growth and strength. You have nearly made it. This year I am sure there have been many times when you have questioned if this year would break you but you made it. You made it through the isolation, changes to employment, the loneliness and the struggle. So remember these words, from Glennon Doyle: life is hard - not because you are doing it wrong, just because it’s hard! It’s ok to talk, write, paint or cry about that. Then in the words of Dr Emily: Rise on up. As you have had a tough 2020 and you have survived.

19.01.2022 Each category is designed to protect you as a whole system. We are socialised to exile various parts of ourselves from childhood. No matter the severity, when we are asked to stop crying, get over it or turn our feelings off. - Managers - highly protective, strategies, and interested in controlling the environment to keep things safe. - Exiles - the most sensitive of parts. When these parts feel injured or outraged, managers will banish them for their own protection and the ...good of the whole system - Firefighters - tires to stifle, anaesthetise, or distract from the feelings of exiles, reacting powerfully and automatically, without concern for consequences, to their distress as well as to over inhibition of managers. They fight the flames of exiled emotions. #IFStherapy #clinicalpsychologist #australianpsychologist #townsville #selfhealing #emdr #dbt #psychology #towsnvillepsychology

18.01.2022 This is so positive that the government is adding to the session allocation. I have news it is starting on Friday the 9th of October. This will mean that if you have reached your plan allocation for this year you are entitled to 10 more sessions under Medicare. This has been lobbied by the APS which continues to work for mental health equity for all. Hopefully, after the 2 years the government extends this as the need is there! Originally it was 18 sessions and then cut to 10 in budget cuts. So fingers crossed the 20 per calendar year is here to stay.

17.01.2022 An excellent resource from Russ Harris the author from Happiness Trap. https://doc-14-a4-docs.googleusercontent.com//1YjGsKTP23PK

17.01.2022 I went to my physio @the Townsville hospital and it was my last F2F. All appointments will be telehealth from now on. It is good that I can get access to my amazing physio in a safe environment. Telehealth is not ideal and I love my F2F appointments but adaptability in these times is important. It is not forever and it will return to normal but in the meantime I am so grateful that I can continue my progress! @greghuntmp will be updating Telehealth options for allied health on Monday. So stay updated.....

17.01.2022 So today it was released that Telehealth would be extended to all patients, regardless of COVID risk factors. I will still be at work Face to Face this week. If you would like to change your appointment to Telehealth please call Fulham Consulting on 47285209 to change your appointment.

17.01.2022 I see this all the time where people don’t feel that they have suffered trauma. An invalidated child is often the worse for of trauma for a child. This happens a lot and I worry for our next generation with our busy lives where they will sit. Remember always your trauma is valid for you. Own your story and don’t compare to others. It was a big deal to you and that is what matters. Not having a good memory for childhood is one sign that maybe there was chaos present and you dissociate.

15.01.2022 Sometimes self care looks like a cup of tea, and connection. Connection is so important. There is a famous psychological study on monkey babies. They gave the monkey babies stuffed mummies that provided food, shelter and safety but not connection and those poor baby monkeys failed to thrive and some died. Connection to other humans is so important. My heart breaks for Victorians that are prevented from human connection. It is so important in isolation to reach out to other people for connection. It is never going to be as good as a hug but I promise when we are out of this trying time a lot of hugs are in order. Reach out to someone today. Let them know you are thinking of them. Let them know you care as we as humans need a lot of love right now.

15.01.2022 Today I rode my bike to the new practice. I had to deal with a LOT of emotions during this ride. The biggest one is fear......my biggest fear was not being able to clip out in time and falling off my bike. Since my ankle being broken this was my first road ride. So I spent a good 20 minutes of the ride in my head FREAKING out. Then guess what I couldn’t clip out and I fell off and everything was ok. Then I spent the next 20 minutes just enjoying my ride. I think the biggest t...hing with fear is the impact it has on your enjoyment. Instead of being able to enjoy the ride I spent the portion in what ifs? Sometimes our fear is greater than the reality of what will actually happen. Sometimes you just have to be brave face those fears even though they are scary, hard and interrupt your joy. As the other side of that is confidence, learning and growth. Sometimes with fear the only way out is through it. What fear will you face today? Remember it is ok to fall off as long as you get back up and try again.

15.01.2022 It makes me so happy as a clinical psychologist to help my children. My young man had a sensory issue when he was touched around the neck at footy. He was anxious that he would vomit and had become sensory worried when his neck was touched. This affected his enjoyment of the game and him being able to really do what he enjoys. I brought in some EMDR. Got him to visualise the sensory sensations with being touched in the neck. His negative cognition was I can’t handle it, his... positive cognition I can handle it. In doing this he was able to process his fears and then install positive coping skills. This completely changed his game. He played the whole match with no anxiety. His confidence after the game was amazing. His comment to me it’s working mum filled my heart with joy. EMDR works. It shifts and changes your brain it allows for the real you to shine through. It can be used for sensory limitations and also negative beliefs.

12.01.2022 The emotion wheel is a great way to identify core emotions. I just did a post on my FB page that is a short video on how to feel an emotion. One of the steps is identifying and naming the emotion. Sometimes this can be hard and using a visual tool can help with being able to label your emotions. Remember the label you chose just has to be valid for you and not validated by others.

11.01.2022 I am joining forces with Clinical Psychologist, Dr Emma Black to bring you a free webinar. This Webinar will be really informative and a great opportunity to ask us questions about maintaining your mental health in lockdown. I really can't wait to connect with you all there!

10.01.2022 How to feel a feeling

09.01.2022 As most of you know I have surgery tomorrow. I will be out of action for a little bit while I focus on recovery. Thanks to everyone for your well wishes and thoughts. See you when I am not the bionic woman anymore

09.01.2022 Today I started Telehealth with some patients that were worried about attending their appointments but also really wanting to maintain their mental health. Please know that if you are worried about attending face to face I can support you on telehealth. The health minister should announce changes in the telehealth package on Monday, which I will inform you ASAP. Otherwise, I am still working face to face during this time. Your mental health is important as anxiety peaks aro...und the world. I am thinking of you all. Stay safe

09.01.2022 One thing I have always tried to bring as a psychologist is joy. I know that seeking help can be hard but I have always been seeking to be a light in that dark time. Our new building has just been Emily touched with a blue door to create joy. It is always a beacon that no matter how blue things are always it is always the shade that determines the impact!

07.01.2022 I love this as I am the belief that being invalidated as a child by a parent is one of the worst traumas that you can experience. It allows to you not trust yourself, it allows you to not feel emotions, it allows you to engage in self-betrayal for others. Trauma is when the experience was too big for you to process. As a child there are a lot of feelings that invalidate as you are literal and your world is very black and white. You don’t see as a child my parents are stressed about money so they were working a lot of the time. You don’t see that your mum has trouble with controlling her emotions so she cannot hold yours either. I

06.01.2022 Just letting you all know surgery is done and I am resting at home (aka learning and reading which is my happy place) I have the rain, coffee, good books and recovery cookies (thanks Kate ) We won’t know if surgery was a success until 6 weeks so for now it is just recovering, taking it slow and letting my body have the space and time to heal. Slowing down has been a nice change. Although, I did struggle the first day with just being. Obviously, I need to work on doing it more

06.01.2022 How cool is the new addition at Fulham. Every patient washes their hands in the outdoor sink. Keeping both you and I safe during this difficult time. Remember I am still seeing patients F2F with the appropriate precautions. If you are sick or don’t want to come to the office we are offering phone or telehealth options. Stay safe

05.01.2022 This is so true today. I love this!!! Accept your feelings - give them a name, acknowledge some reasons why. Give them permission to feel them. ... Then spend the energy they create. Today, I have some bad news in physio. I was angry and sad at the same time. I accepted those feelings, allowed them to rise and then I spent the energy. I got home, dumped the kids with my partner said little words and grabbed my bike and rode as fast as I could for 30 minutes. I came home and was reset. The burning anger and sadness was reduced. I was able to have a calm conversation and I didn’t rage at anyone. Thanks Jess so what I needed today

04.01.2022 - Children are commonly taught to fear and hide emotional pain or terror because adults react to them in the extreme way they react to their own hurt child parts: with impatience, denial, criticism, revulsion or distraction. - Managerial parts of the child then follow suit, adopting the same attitudes towards vulnerable young tribe members inside, pushing them out of awareness, blocking access to self, and making them ever more vulnerable to trauma. - Exiles are parts who hav...e been exploited, rejected or abandoned in external relationships, and then subjected to negative judgements from other parts of the system. - Managers want these parts in prison and out of mind. In general, managers have no tolerance for fear, shamefulness, and emotional pain. To them, injured parts are defective, weak, threatening, and pitiful. - While exiles are frozen in the past and left behind, they are actually less vulnerable to alarming events in the present, so there is a rational for the managerial perspective. #IFStherapy #clinicalpsychologist #australianpsychologist #townsville #selfhealing #emdr #dbt #psychology #towsnvillepsychology #empowermentpsychology #dremilymills

03.01.2022 One way to create some control in an uncontrollable situation......Pick 1-2 values you want to live up to today. This could be - a good friend, eat only white meat, be a good listener, be productive, be kind. Set the intention to live out those values today. Throughout the day notice opportunities to live out these values and practice them. At the end of the day reflect on your values and if you achieved meeting those. If you don’t feel you met those values then how can you g...et closer to them tomorrow? Comment with a value you are working toward today........mine is bringing joy through kind actions. I am thinking of you all stay safe #psychology #clinicalpsychology #positivepsychology #emdr #aussiepsychs #everydaypsychologist #injury #recovery #mindoveranything #yougotthis #youarepowerful #selfhealer #change #staysafe #stayhome

02.01.2022 This I totally believe is the BEST stuff the holistic psychologist posts. It is the removal from the expectation that trauma has to be big to be significant. Attachment trauma is one of the most damaging things to our development and later adulthood.

01.01.2022 Doing Telehealth from the new office. I am so excited to see you all here. To say I am excited is an understatement!!!!!! I cannot wait to welcome you to my practice

01.01.2022 Avoidance Defence The purpose of a defence is to protect the person by minimising or excluding from awareness realisation, a disturbing memory, or a trauma reliving part. It contains relief or containment rather than the negative effects of the material that is being avoided. ... Features of avoidance - it is quick, automatic, doesn’t involve much thinking and it provides instant relief which strengthens the defence. It initially is an adaptive function that helps us cope. However, it can last long after you are safe and the trauma is no longer a threat. This is why sometimes we stick our heads in the sand, it is also why we don’t talk about things that have affected us, why we are not vulnerable with people, why we avoid people seeing the real you, why we can feel nothing when talking about trauma, or why we cannot let others know our feelings. #psychology #clinicalpsychologist #trauma #avoidancedefense #emdrtherapy #townsvillelocal

01.01.2022 You succeed sometimes, you fail at other times, but either way you grow. You start to discover the boundaries of who you really are instead of the boundaries your teachers and parents held about you. Our childhood beliefs don’t have to dog us through life. As we take responsibility for change and practice desirable habits of mind consistently, we can shift dramatically. The changes might not show up in a week or a month, but consistent practice over time can turn you into a completely different person.