Dr Zoe

A trauma-informed approach to psychological wellbeing, driving growth and resilience.

I’m Dr Zoe, a Clinical Social Worker and consultant passionate about wellbeing, trauma-informed care, and resilience. With over a decade of global experience, I support individuals, teams, and organisations in creating healthier, more sustainable ways of living and working.

11/09/2025

You cannot pour from an empty cup.
Today is R U OK? Day in Australia - a national reminder to start real conversations by asking “Are you OK?” and listening with care. I love that message, and I also believe it starts with us.

Before you check in with someone else, do a quick self-check:

• Where am I on the green–yellow–red spectrum today?
• Do I need a break now, before I tip into red?
• What actually refills my cup?

That’s the point of the image: choose to take a break at the green bottle – before you need one. Prevention beats repair.

Quick refill ideas (pick one you’ll actually do): step outside for fresh air, a big glass of water, slow exhale breathing, a 10-minute lie-down, gentle stretch, quiet tea without your phone, three lines in a journal, notifications off for 20 minutes, or messaging a friend to book a proper chat.

Then, from that steadier place, check in with someone you care about: “Are you OK?”

04/09/2025

💙 On World Su***de Prevention Day (10 Sept), I’ll be walking 63 km over the week - one kilometre for every life lost to su***de each week in Australia. While these numbers are local, the reality is global: su***de touches every community, everywhere. 🌍

👉 Learn more or support my walk here: https://tinyurl.com/3ytynhpu

17/08/2025

There’s real brain science behind how we listen - and why it matters. 🧠

When you listen to respond, your brain activates areas linked to problem-solving and defense - you’re prepping your reply, not really hearing the other person. It’s more about being “right” than being present.

But when you listen to understand, a different network lights up: the default mode network. That’s the part tied to empathy, reflection, and connection. You’re not just hearing words - you’re feeling the meaning behind them.

One style builds arguments.
The other builds relationships.

Your brain already knows the difference. The question is: which part are you letting lead the conversation?

07/08/2025

So many of us were raised in cultures or families where silence was strength and emotions were seen as weakness. For some, especially men, expressing vulnerability was never modelled - or even allowed. For others, being the strong one, the fixer, the carer became part of our identity.

But here’s the thing: carrying everything on your own doesn’t make you stronger - it just makes you heavier.

This isn’t about oversharing with 50 people or unloading your deepest pain on anyone who'll listen. It’s about choosing who you trust. Who’s earned the right to hear your story? Who’s got your back when it matters?

You don’t have to carry it all alone.
Find your person. Speak your truth. Lighten the load.

24/07/2025

I am delighted to have just become a professional member of the Middle East North Africa Trauma Alliance (MENATA).

MENATA brings together clinicians, researchers, and community leaders committed to advancing trauma-informed care across the region. Their focus on culturally responsive, evidence-based practice resonates deeply with my work.

I’m looking forward to learning, contributing, and connecting.

14/07/2025

10,000 reads and counting...

📖 https://tinyurl.com/3ypk6na4

My article on toxic positivity clearly struck a chord - and for good reason. People are tired of toxic positivity.

"Just be grateful."
"At least you have a job."
"Think happy thoughts."

We’ve all heard it. But when positivity is used to silence pain, it’s not support - it’s dismissal.

It’s time to talk about the dark side of - and what real wellbeing actually looks like.

27/06/2025

🌿 World Wellbeing Week 2025 | 24-30 June 🌿

Wellbeing isn’t just a personal goal - it’s a collective responsibility.

As we mark World Wellbeing Week, I’ve been reflecting on what it truly means to feel well, live well, and lead well. It’s also the heart of the book I’m currently writing - exploring the neuroscience of wellbeing through clinical insight, lived experience and global perspectives.

Across my work with individuals and organisations, one thing remains clear:

Wellbeing isn’t about perfection.
It’s about connection, safety, rest, and meaning.
Sometimes that looks like strategic leadership conversations.
Sometimes it looks like taking a breath and letting a cat interrupt your photo shoot.

This week is a timely invitation to ask:
💬 What does wellbeing look like in your life - and in your workplace?
💬 Are we creating space for real conversations, not just curated ones?
💬 And how can we better support ourselves and each other?

Whether you're leading a team, holding space for others, or simply trying to hold it together - your wellbeing matters.

📸 Because sometimes, the smallest moments say the most.

20/06/2025

🎤 Keynote Preview - PAWC 2025

The Psychiatry and Addiction World Conference kicked off today in Singapore, and I’m honoured to be delivering the keynote virtually this coming Sunday.

Beyond Substance: Dopamine, Habit, and the Rise of Behavioural Addictions unpacks the neuroscience behind modern compulsion - how reward loops and dopamine cycles drive not just substance use, but an emerging wave of behavioural addictions.

If you’re curious about the topic, I’ve made the keynote recording available ahead of time for those who can’t attend the live event:
📽️ Watch on YouTube here: https://shorturl.at/0Xsrm

And for a deeper dive, here’s the companion article I contributed to the conference proceedings:
📄 Read on ResearchGate here: https://shorturl.at/M21s2

Grateful to be part of this global conversation on addiction in the digital age.

09/06/2025

Something I keep coming back to lately:

Are we rewarding busyness more than we truly value wellbeing?

It still amazes me how many workplaces treat rest like a luxury - or something you get after you’ve earned it. But our brains don’t work like that. We need rest to process, reset, and stay resilient.

If we actually want sustainable performance (not just productivity at any cost), then recovery has to be part of the plan - not an afterthought.

It’s not laziness. It’s neuroscience.

26/05/2025

🧠 May is Mental Health Awareness Month 🐾

Facilitating mental health sessions around the globe has shown me one thing: we’re talking about it more than ever—and that matters.

From boardrooms to break rooms, people are starting to really understand the value of psychological wellbeing. It’s not a luxury. It’s essential.

And sometimes… mental health looks like taking a break from Zoom calls to let your cat chew on your finger.

Here’s to progress, awareness, and making space for what matters—at work and at home. 💬🌍💚

07/05/2025

Ever feel like you're stuck in a loop — scrolling, watching, tapping — and not quite sure why you can’t stop?

It’s not just habit. It’s dopamine.
But not the way we’ve been told.

In her latest peer-reviewed paper, Wired for Want, Dr Zoe Wyatt explores how dopamine — often misunderstood as the “pleasure chemical” — is actually the driver of anticipation, not satisfaction. It’s what keeps us chasing that next post, episode, or notification.

Behavioural addictions like compulsive social media use, binge-watching, online shopping, or gaming aren’t fringe issues. They’re increasingly present in therapy rooms, disguised as productivity or downtime — yet quietly hijacking the brain’s reward system in much the same way as substances do.

This article offers a sharp, evidence-based look at how modern digital environments are designed to exploit these neural pathways — and what we can do about it.

From CBT to mindfulness to values-based approaches, the paper outlines tools clinicians can use to help clients reclaim agency and rebuild intention in a world that’s wired to keep us wanting.

📄 Full article published in Psychiatry & Behavioural Health (April 2025):
👉 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/391327543_Wired_for_Want_How_Dopamine_Drives_the_New_Epidemic_of_Everyday_Addictions

21/04/2025

Just finished presenting at the 3rd International Congress on Behavioral & Social Science Research (ICBSSR 2025) in Dubai, where I had the privilege of sharing my latest research on biophilic design and the therapeutic role of smellscapes.

My presentation explored how natural scents can serve as powerful tools for psychological restoration. From trauma-informed interventions to sustainable urban planning, the evidence for olfactory environments is growing, and I’m excited to be part of this evolving conversation.

If you’re interested in how scent-based design intersects with mental health and sustainability, you can watch the full talk here:
https://lnkd.in/dhPZGFN6?

And access the full paper here:
https://shorturl.at/0gc4i

Thanks to everyone who attended the session and contributed to such a thought-provoking dialogue.

Address

Cairns, QLD

Website

https://www.drzoewyatt.com/

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Facilitating Wellbeing

For several decades’ the field of psychology has mainly focused its energy in alleviating problems, healing and fixing harm in different spheres of life. However, at the dawn of the twenty-first century, we are seeing a rise of the positive psychology movement, that aims to diminish suffering and increase flourishing, happiness, well-being and meaning. This innovative new field, aims at increasing positive emotions, attitudes and behaviors which aims to increase optimal functioning and diminishing ill-being.

Five simple steps you can take in your life today to facilitate your own wellbeing:

1. Connect: Build connections with people around you.

2. Be active: Boost your energy and mood by doing something active.