Lara Patterson Psychology | Psychologist

Lara Patterson Psychology

Phone: +61 499 051 282

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25.01.2022 Welcome! Thank you for being here I'm Lara a registered psychologist with a special interest in perinatal mental health, parenting and self-compassion practice. ... I'll be sharing quotes, ideas and articles that I hope you'll find interesting and helpful. I'm currently accepting new referrals for in person appointments at my Nollamara office or via tele-health (video/phone). I look forward to connecting with you all . . . . . #perthpsychologist #perinatalmentalhealth #attachmentparenting #mentalhealthawareness #selfcompassion #parentingtips #telehealth #selfcare #selfhealers #psychologyquotes #telehealthpsychologist #psychologistsofinstagram #perthmums

24.01.2022 The Fourth Trimester Human infants are born more immature than many other species, meaning for the first three months of their lives, or "fourth trimester", they have an inate need to be close to their mother. They don't yet realise they are separate beings from their mother who they lived inside for the previous nine months (give or take). This means they will usually want to feed often, may cry when put down, be difficult to settle to sleep on their own and are calmed du...ring skin to skin contact. Given this, we should be encouraging mothers (and fathers/caregivers) to surrender to the cuddles, the safe* bed sharing, the never ending breastfeeding, the baby wearing, the holding, the rocking and the closeness. Expecting this and surrendering to it makes it so much easier for parents to mentally prepare and avoid doubting themselves and their baby's normal biological needs. It is also a great way to connect and bond with your baby . As a first time parent, were you prepared for the fourth trimester? Would it have helped if you were? *See The La Leche League Safe Sleep 7 for bedsharing guidelines . . . . . #fourthtrimester #perinatalmentalhealth #infantmentalhealth #perthpsychologist #australianpsychologist #attachmentparenting #consciousparenting #childpsychology #perthmums #attachmenttheory

24.01.2022 Sleep It's very easy to become fixated on your child's sleep and for good reason - it's exhausting! Why won't they sleep in the cot?... Why do they keep waking over night? Why won't they nap? Why do they still feed to sleep? Why do they wake so early? Why do they wake ready to party in the middle of the night? The truth is, in most cases this is biologically normal behaviour. Sleep does not develop in a linear fashion for most babies and multiple wake ups are now known to protect against SIDS. James McKenna, sleep and breastfeeding researcher, has released findings in support of this. He suggests that sleep expectations are actually values and culture based. Our modern western culture has unfortunately evolved to mean there is less support for parents from the village that used to surround them. As a consequence, expectations of baby sleep have changed to suit our new lifestyle. However, this often doesn't match the reality of what our babies need from us, which can result in constantly wondering whether something is wrong and trying to teach them to fit this mould. As Sarah Ockwell-Smith discusses in the below articles, babies will never "sleep through the night", just as adults don't. We all experience sleep in cycles which means we wake and go back to sleep multiple times a night. Babies have much shorter sleep cycles than adults and often cannot get themselves back to sleep without the comfort of a caregiver. Having an understanding of normal baby sleep, trying to follow your baby's individual sleep needs, and most importantly, being kind to yourself and asking for help may alleviate a lot of stress. If you are a parent struggling with meeting the demands of your child's sleep, know you are not alone and there is support out there. We can all help by becoming informed, setting realistic expectations for parents and being there to lend a hand

21.01.2022 Behaviour challenges When we move away from viewing a child's behaviour (and all human behaviour for that matter) as controlling, manipulative, deliberately harmful or simply "bad", we can move toward the understanding that all challenging behaviour is most often the communication of an unmet need. With this in mind, the next time your child or student "misbehaves", try to consider what it is they might be communicating.... Are they bored? Are they hungry? Are they tired? Are they self-conscious? Are they feeling sad, confused, frustrated or scared? Are they seeking connection with you, the adult, or a friend/peer? Sometimes it's not possible to meet their needs immediately or even at all. And that's okay. But being aware, and validating their need can certainly help them on their way to understanding their needs themselves, how to communicate them more effectively and how to regulate their associated emotions. It can also help you as the adult to understand why they are acting the way they are, so you are able to pause and respond purposefully instead of reactively. This is often easier said than done and can take a lot of practice, particularly if we ourselves find it difficult to name and have our own needs met, express and regulate our own emotions or validate our own experiences (often due to not receiving this as a child or in our adult relationships). If we are taking the time to reflect inward we can start to become aware of our own triggers and why we respond to challenging behaviour the way that we do. . . . . . #perthpsychologist #psychologistsofinstagram #childbehaviour #behaviourmanagement #attachmenttheory #perinatalmentalhealth #socialemotionallearning #childdevelopment #parentingtips #consciousparenting #attachmentparenting #teachertips

17.01.2022 Perinatal mental health The perinatal period includes pre-conception through to parenting 3-year-old children. It can involve ... ~planning a family ~fertility ~pregnancy anxiety ~pregnancy loss ~birth trauma ~post-natal stress & low mood ~attachment, bonding & settling ~parenting toddlers Working with a psychologist can help to process and feel more connected during this period. . . . . . #parentingpsychology #perinatalmentalhealth #postnataldepression #fertility #pregnancyanxiety #miscarriageawareness #perthpsychologists #childdevelopment #familypsychology #attachmenttheory #attachmentparenting #consciousparenting #psychologistsofinstagram #perthmums

15.01.2022 Self-compassion Self-compassion is the practice of showing yourself the same kindess you would show others, especially when going through a difficult time. Our internal critic can be very harsh, especially when we make a mistake, feel down, don't perform the way we want, say something we didn't mean and so on. This often leaves us feeling worse and can cause a spiral of unhelpful, hurtful thoughts.... A deliberate way to practice self-compassion can be by sitting down in a quiet space, closing your eyes and imagining yourself as a small child who is upset. Now imagine your adult self comforting your child self and telling them it is okay to feel the way they do. This is often a good way to start thinking of yourself as someone who deserves your own compassion. I'll be sharing more examples, tips and quotes to help guide your self-compassion practice . . . . . #selfcompassion #selfcompassionpractice #selfhealers #perthpsychologist #selflove #mindfulness #mindfulliving #selfcare #perthmums #consciousparenting #reparenting #selfforgiveness #psychologistsofinstagram

11.01.2022 Grounding exercise Take a quiet moment to pause and tune in to your senses and your surroundings. Look around and pick five things you can see that you didn't notice before, or havent noticed in a while. Take in the colours.... Close your eyes and pick out four things you can hear, near or far. Are there any you didn't realise were there? Feel around for three things. Maybe the ground, your chair, your clothing or pick something up nearby. Focus on the different textures. See if you can smell two things nearby. If not, imagine what you would smell if you walked outside or into your kitchen. Name something you can taste. Or a food you wish you could taste. Remember to really concentrate on that taste next time you get to experience it. Taking just a few moments out to ground and reset during a busy day at work, at home with kids, in the car or lying down before bed can help you to practice being more present, calm your mind and focus on tasks at hand. Once you've had a try, let me know how it felt in the comments

07.01.2022 Self care When we neglect ourselves and our needs, we can feel overworked, overwhelmed, stressed, bogged down, confused and drained. Investing time in yourself in a proactive way not only prevents burn out and compassion fatigue, but it allows you to feel content, satisfied, inspired and ready to help others. ... As a parent or carer (or working in a caring role), it is especially important as it otherwise becomes very difficult to meet others' needs. Self care is a very personal concept and looks different for everyone. For me, it is visiting the beach, connecting with a good friend, reading a book, hiking in nature, meditating or getting a beauty treatment What is your favourite self care activity and how often do you make time for it? . . . . . #selfcare #selflove #selfhealers #selfcompassion #mentalhealthawareness #perthpsychologist #australianpsychologist #telehealth #wellness #meditation #perinatalmentalhealth

02.01.2022 Parenting Parenting with attachment theory in mind helps to strengthen your relationship with your children, feeling more connected and ensuring their emotional needs are being met. According to John Bowlby, attachment theory suggests that creating secure attachments in childhood ensures healthy loving relationships as we grow into adulthood. This is because we tend to seek out a partner who confirms the familiar way our parents or caregivers related to us. ... As parents, it may be helpful to reflect on your own childhood experiences in order to heal certain wounds or unhealthy patterns you have unconsciously developed and may pass on to your children. Working through this with a psychologist may help you on the journey to re-parenting yourself and in turn be the best parent you can be . . . . . #attachmenttheory #attachmentparenting #perthpsychologist #consciousparenting #reparenting #parentingtips #parentinggoals #nurturedparenting #connectedparenting #perthmums #parentingpsychology #growthmindset #selfhealers #psychologistsofinstagram

02.01.2022 Connection Finding a way to connect to yourself and others by remembering we all share common ground in our humanity can be powerful. We can often become stuck in frustration or despair when it appears that others don't think the way we do or when we feel alone in our suffering.... But if we consider that everyone experiences their own suffering just as we all share similar desires to be loved, to love, to feel joy, to feel worthy and to live a life without regret, we can connect with even those we least expect. According to Kristen Neff, realising our common humanity is also one of the elements of self-compassion. She says "self-compassion involves recognizing that suffering and personal inadequacy is part of the shared human experience something that we all go through rather than being something that happens to me alone." This can help us to be kind to ourselves when we are experiencing painful or uncomfortable emotions or thoughts. Parents can utilise this practice as an antidote to isolation, which is a common experience. If we consider all parents feel the same love, fear, worry, doubt, guilt, joy and uncomfortable growing pains, it can help us to connect with others for support. Now more than ever it is important to reach out and find our village

01.01.2022 Barriers to therapy One of the barriers to accessing a psychologist is understandably, cost. It can be difficult to commit to longer term therapy (often beneficial for meaningful work to occur) due to financial stress. Even with a mental health care plan, which you may be eligible for after speaking to your GP, out of pocket costs are often still high due to the current medicare rebates being well below the standard private practice fees (as recommended by the Australian... Psychological Society). I believe that access to a privately practising psychologist should be for all, not just those who can afford it. To maintain a balance, I offer some appointments at a lower fee for clients who hold a concession card or are currently experiencing financial hardship. Please reach out to have a chat in more detail #psychologistsofinstagram #perthpsychologists #mentalhealthawareness #therapygoals #perinatalmentalhealth #telehealth #selfcompassion #selfhealers #availablepsychologists #psychologytips