Thrive Launceston in Launceston, Tasmania | Medical and health

Thrive Launceston

Locality: Launceston, Tasmania

Phone: +61 421 623 298

Address: Brisbane St 7250 Launceston, TAS, Australia

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

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• Medical and health
• Mental health service
• Counsellor

25.01.2022 How are you going with the isolation and social distancing measures? It’s not easy, that’s for sure. I imagine my coping and feelings like a wave. Some days are more up, other days very down, and I’m just riding the wave, trying not to put too much pressure on myself to be a certain way or achieve particular things. Your feelings through this time are probably all over the place too, and that’s normal. The changes we are living with are big and disconcerting and stressful. ... This article has an idea for helping you find some calm and relief in the storm - make art. It doesn’t matter what type of art... music, dance, writing, painting, singing, knitting, crochet, paper mache. Anything that lets you be creative, feel your body and express your feelings when words don’t cut it. Whatever you decide to try, may peace and health be yours during this time.

25.01.2022 I was at the beach on the weekend and it was lovely but a little bit... scrappy. The tide had dumped seaweed along the shoreline and it was a mess. But as I walked along I started tuning into individual clumps of seaweed. And they were stunning. Each little pile was a work of art, nature’s art. I like a good analogy, and it got me thinking about how life can be terribly messy. Stress, worry, conflict, too much going on... our lives get cluttered and scrappy. But if we can p...ause, focus in on one or two details - bam, there’s the beauty. I go on about mindfulness a lot because it works. When we take a moment to give our attention to what’s around us, it helps us see things differently. Or at least gives us a break from whatever it is that is stressing us out. My beach walk turned from messy to beautiful with a bit of mindfulness. We can ease the burden of life in this moment, by taking time to notice the goodness at hand. May your life be like my weekend beach walk, with beautiful bits to discover even in the mess of living. And if you’d like to explore mindfulness or how to search for the goodness amongst the mess, send me a message or give me a call and we can arrange an appointment to catch up and explore ways to help you get through the hard stuff.

24.01.2022 This year is turning out to be quite a humdinger hey! So many strange things have happened, so much we need to adjust to... and most of it is outside of our control. In situations like these, it’s normal to feel stressed. We aren’t used to this and it all feels very unsafe. Our body’s natural response is to switch to high alert, always looking for danger and ready to react at a moment’s notice. We become more easily irritated, snap at our family, eat more (or eat less), sle...ep less (or sleep more), and concentrating on anything is hard work. We can’t fix this by fixing the situation - this stuff is all beyond our control! Instead, we need to find ways to help our body find calm. The goal is to give our brain and bodies a way to feel safe, even in the middle of stressful situations. There are a few ways to do this, but one I particularly like is self compassion. With self compassion, we take a moment to notice how we are feeling and offer ourselves kindness and care... which reduces the stress and helps us feel more safe. This video is a great little intro to the practise of self compassion. Give it a try and see if you can feel the difference.

23.01.2022 Today’s day trip was all about the trees - went for a walk in one of Launceston’s many reserves and didn’t see another soul. Meanwhile, the trees worked their magic on our souls. (Did you know trees are full of fractals, and fractals have been shown to calm our minds and bodies when we see them? Sounds like perfect medicine for these days!) How are you keeping calm and sane while distancing?

18.01.2022 Sand patterns at the beach gave me some happy today. Did something give your heart a bit of delight today? Feel free to share the joy by posting a photo in the comments.

17.01.2022 Oh I love this! Self compassion right here, recognising that sometimes our system is overwhelmed and it isn’t pretty - not because we’re a bad, horrible, no good person, but because sometimes life just throws too much our way. Go kindly my friends, in this strange time that is making all of life that little bit (or big bit) harder.

17.01.2022 So much of our struggle is in the mind, hey, the way we think. We can’t make life perfect with a quick switch in our thinking (life would be a dream if it was all that easy!). But noticing our negative, incorrect, judgey thoughts and swapping to something more kind can shift the way we feel and give us strength to keep going. Here’s to remembering how worthy every one of us really is!

16.01.2022 One day I’ll create a mental health sound track, and this song from Kate Miller-Heidke is definitely in! Boundaries ftw.

15.01.2022 The Princes Square flower beds were awash with colour today and they made my heart happy. What brought colour to your day? Post a pic in the comments if you like, because I reckon we can all do with a bit more colour!

14.01.2022 I've shared before about how much I like self-compassion, for myself and for clients. Let's face it, who doesn't do better when they are talked to kindly?! Self-compassion helps us pick ourselves up, patch things up and get going again when we've made a mistake. It improves mental health, and lately researchers have found people who use self-compassion have better physical health. It's an all round winner, and it can be learned! Thumbs up I say.

13.01.2022 How are you going with all of the COVID-19 happenings? It's a stressful time for sure! I hope you are safe and cared for and have all you need as we hunker down to stop the spread. With COVID-19 in mind, I've decided to cancel the Wander scheduled for Cataract Gorge tomorrow morning. Our best way through this time is by keeping apart and stopping the spread of the virus. I'm working on an online alternative to share in the morning - maybe a guided walk through my backyard?! J...ust kidding, but I will post a mindful activity you could use instead of the Wander to help you take a little break from the news and uncertainty and worry that is everywhere. In the meantime, let's breathe, wash our hands, stay connected with our people through online catch ups, reach out to neighbours and friends who need a hand, and look for the beauty that is still very much all around us. (Here’s some of the goodness in my day - raspberries fresh from my garden and finally ripe. The most beautiful bowl of raspberries ever, reminding me that the earth still gives to us and life is still beautiful.)

11.01.2022 How are you going with the pandemic and social distancing and the total upheaval of everything we're used to? It's mammoth, hey! A few clients have told me they've found that, hard as this time is, living with anxiety has prepared them for living with the uncertainty of what's happening now. This article says the same the thing: "I'm not saying we are ready for this moment because we have our shit together. I'm saying we are ready for this moment because we are used to not be...ing ready for anything... Those of us who worry, who dwell, who often find our way blocked by obstacles of our own making, we learn something from all this doubt and anxiety. We learn how to live without an answer (because we have to)." I wonder if it's like that for lots of us - that difficult times in our life have prepared us for this turbo-charged difficult time? That through the tough things in the past we have become stronger than we know, and able to cope with more than we realised? What's your experience? Are there positives you've discovered about yourself while being cut off from others and not knowing what the future holds? Hoping you are all safe, well and have all you need right now.

11.01.2022 We’ve decided to practise social distancing at our house and it hasn’t taken long for little (and big) legs to become restless. So this evening we went for a quick walk around the block and found these lovelies. Was a sensory feast of sites and smells. Delicious. How are you coping with the COVID-19 craziness? What are your favourite ways to take a break from it all?

10.01.2022 Couldn’t make it on the Wander to Tamar Island this morning? Here is a little recording of the soothing sound of water trickling under the bridge (and a bit of wind sorry). The whole walk was a feast for the senses - so much to see, feel, hear and smell. And those dragonflies that kept dancing around in front of us? Perfect! Next Wander is in two weeks, Cataract Gorge on Friday 20 March at 10.30am.

10.01.2022 I love this. Because staying home and staying motivated is hard. And because it’s the perfect example of self-kindness, and I have a hunch self-kindness is going to help us get through this time.

09.01.2022 Usually I take spring blossom photos against a blue, blue sky. But this year is not usual is it?! It’s strange and a bit scary and kind of grey. So it seems appropriate to capture these beauties on a grey day. ... Because they’re still lovely and delicate and wonderful, even in the greyness, and I think there might be a life lesson right there... Even in our hardest, most miserable, sucky, awful moments there are little bits of beauty to notice and hold onto. And that beauty can break through our misery and give us a little lift that makes life a bit more bearable. So here’s to beauty in grey days and taking the time to notice it.

09.01.2022 Counselling isn’t all about talking. Sometimes we can’t find the words to describe what’s going on inside. That’s why I use toys, books and creativity to help children (and adults!) express where they are at. When I saw these blocks the other day I couldn’t resist them. So many feelings! Such beautiful pieces, and so many ways to put them together. And best of all, they help put words to those hard-to-say things we feel inside. Perfect. I’m definitely looking forward to using these with clients!

09.01.2022 This morning’s mindful Wander at Cataract Gorge didn’t happen because... Corona. I wanted to help keep each other safe by keeping our distance. But the good news is we can be mindful anywhere, anytime... so I’ve recorded a little mindfulness in nature exercise that you can do outside, including in your backyard. And if you can’t get outside, close your eyes and go to your favourite place in your mind and imagine how it looks. Have a listen and tune into what you can see aro...und you. It will help you take a break from the endless news and worry about viruses and washing hands and staying away from people. I’m fairly new to videos so if you have any feedback, please let me know. And feel free to share a photo or video of something you noticed while you were outside doing the exercise. We’d all love to see it! Enjoy, and may you have peace and calm in your life.

08.01.2022 Dark days are hard (is it the shortest day yet?!) and when life is dark and hard we have to be deliberate about looking for the good that lets the light in. This little exercise is great for helping find the goodness. So, what makes you GLAD today?

08.01.2022 That definitely feels good! Belly breathing ftw. Thanks Sesame Street!

07.01.2022 The Princes Square flower beds were awash with colour today and they made my heart happy. What brought colour to your day? Post a pic in the comments if you like, because I reckon we can all do with a bit more colour!

07.01.2022 What a ride it's been the last few months! Like you, I have been hunkered down, juggling the demands of COVID-19, finding the good and the bad of this time... and some days just getting through. But today the sun is shining, restrictions are slowly being eased and, with children back at school, Thrive Launceston can come out of hibernation. Yay! That means I am available for online counselling sessions. Once it looks safe to do so, I will open things up for face to face coun...selling, with physical distancing and hand sanitising measures in place. It looks to me like our mindful Wanders fit within current government guidelines, so watch this space for info about a Wander in the great, beautiful outdoors very soon. And when we get back into the office, here are the ways I will be you stay COVID safe while you are with me. In the meantime, enjoy that gorgeous sun, notice something beautiful and may you be well.

05.01.2022 The last few months I’ve been providing counselling via video platforms, but today the plants are back in the office, the seats are physically distanced and the hand sanitiser is at the ready... Yep, Thrive Launceston is all set for face-to-face counselling again! So if you need to talk about things going on in your life, send me a message or call 0421 623 298 to arrange an appointment.

05.01.2022 If you’re following the Thrive Launceston Instagram account, you’ll know one way our family is coping with social isolation is by paying attention to the little pieces of natural beauty we discover on our walks. There’s a lot to see! And it turns out lots of people are tuning into animals and plants they usually ignore... doesn’t change the situation we are all in, but it does make it a bit easier to live with it. Shall we have a photo share? What have you seen that made you smile and reach for the camera?

03.01.2022 It's been a while between Wanders! I don't know about you, but even though it's been cold and grey lately, the outdoors are calling. Come join me for a walk into and around parts of Punchbowl reserve and we'll pause for some mindfulness along the way. Good preparation for the start of the week perhaps, because {Mindfulness + Nature + Walking = Calm} If you do come along, please dress for the weather and wear sturdy shoes.... Book your ticket here:

02.01.2022 Yes! (I’m not sure who the artist is for this pic, but if this is your picture or you know who drew this, please let me know and I’ll credit the person)