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Monday 9am - 8:30pm Tuesday 9am - 8:30pm Friday 9am - 12pm

Ikigai Psychology Clinic

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Fortitude Valley, QLD
Ikigai Psychology Clinic

At Ikigai Psychology Clinic we provide in-person and Telehealth appointments to our clients.

10/06/2025

Fear of rejection is an emotional response to the possibility or experience of being excluded, criticized, or dismissed by others. It’s a common human experience that can range from mild discomfort to intense anxiety, and it often influences how people behave in relationships, work, and social situations.

Psychologically, it can look like:
• Avoidance: Not speaking up, asking for help, or pursuing opportunities due to fear of being judged or turned down.
• People-pleasing: Going along with others’ needs at the expense of your own to avoid disapproval.
• Overthinking or rumination: Replaying interactions and fearing you said or did something wrong.
• Low self-worth: Believing you’re not good enough, which fuels the fear of not being accepted.

It often stems from:
• Past experiences of rejection, criticism, or abandonment
• Childhood attachment wounds or trauma
• Cultural or social conditioning (e.g. perfectionism, pressure to belong)
• Neurodivergence, where rejection sensitivity can be more intense (e.g. Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria in ADHD)

Why it matters:

Fear of rejection can limit personal growth, connection, and self-expression. While it’s a natural protective instinct, when it’s too strong or chronic, it can lead to:
• Social anxiety
• Depression
• Loneliness
• Burnout from masking or emotional labor

Healing or managing it may involve:
• Building self-compassion and a sense of self-worth that isn’t dependent on others’ approval
• Exploring the roots of the fear (through therapy, journaling, or reflection)
• Practicing tolerating discomfort and taking small interpersonal risks
• Learning to challenge distorted beliefs (e.g., “If they say no, it means I’m not lovable”)

05/06/2025

“Peace does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble, or hard work. It means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart.”
— Unknown

22/05/2025

✨ What to Look For When Searching for a Therapist ✨

Choosing a therapist can feel daunting — especially when you’re already feeling vulnerable. Whether it’s your first time or you’re returning to therapy, here are a few things to look for when finding the right fit:

💬 You feel heard, not judged.
A good therapist won’t have all the answers — but they’ll hold space for you to find yours. You should feel emotionally safe, respected, and understood.

🧠 They understand your needs + context.
If you’re neurodivergent, exploring identity, grieving a loss, or navigating trauma — look for someone who has experience (and humility) in these areas. Lived understanding matters.

🪴 It’s a relationship, not a transaction.
Therapy works best when there’s a sense of connection. You don’t need to “click” instantly, but if it consistently feels off or you’re masking to get through sessions — that’s a cue to reassess.

📚 They keep learning.
Therapists are people, too — and the good ones are committed to growing. Ask about their approach and how they stay up to date with what’s relevant to you.

🌿 There’s space for your whole self.
Look for someone who can meet you with curiosity, not a checklist — someone who sees your humanness, not just your “symptoms.”

—

💡Remember: it’s okay to try a few therapists before settling on the right one. The most important thing? You deserve support that feels safe, affirming, and real. 💛

02/04/2025

At Ikigai Psychology, we value each client’s unique experiences. We consider their identity, culture, gender, and life stage, ensuring everyone feels welcome and understood. Therapy at our clinic is a place to reflect, reprocess, and redefine yourself and your relationships.
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01/04/2025

"The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

24/03/2025

“You’re not a wave; you’re a part of the ocean.”-
Mitch Albom

12/03/2025

Embracing change rather than fearing it allows us to grow, adapt, and find meaning in life’s transitions. What’s your relationship with change—does it excite you, challenge you, or a bit of both?

04/03/2025

“Your path in life isn’t something you find—it’s something you create. Step by step, choice by choice, moment by moment. Trust the process, embrace the detours, and follow what feels true to you✨”.

27/02/2025

Shadow psychology, rooted in Carl Jung’s concept of the shadow self, refers to the unconscious parts of our personality that we repress, deny, or are unaware of. These aspects often include traits, emotions, desires, or impulses that we find unacceptable or incompatible with our conscious self-image.

Key Ideas in Shadow Psychology
1. The Shadow Self – The hidden part of our psyche that holds suppressed emotions, fears, and traits we reject or disown.
2. Projection – When we unconsciously attribute our shadow aspects to others, often judging or reacting strongly to traits in them that exist in us.
3. Integration – The process of acknowledging and accepting our shadow aspects to become more whole, self-aware, and authentic.
4. Inner Work – Shadow work often involves therapy, journaling, or self-reflection to uncover and integrate hidden parts of the self.

Why It Matters

Ignoring the shadow can lead to emotional repression, self-sabotage, and unconscious patterns in relationships. Integrating it helps with personal growth, emotional resilience, and developing a more balanced, authentic sense of self.

Therapy can help uncover and integrate the shadow self by creating a safe space for self-exploration, reflection, and acceptance.

25/02/2025

Post-traumatic growth (PTG) is the positive psychological change that can occur as a result of struggling with highly challenging life circumstances. It doesn’t mean that trauma is inherently “good” or that suffering is necessary for growth, but rather that some people, through their healing process, develop a deeper sense of meaning, personal strength, or new perspectives on life.

PTG can manifest in different ways, including:
• Deeper relationships – Increased appreciation for loved ones, stronger social connections, or more compassion toward others.
• Greater personal strength – Recognizing resilience and the ability to cope with future difficulties.
• New possibilities – Exploring new paths in life, whether in career, relationships, or personal development.
• Enhanced appreciation for life – A renewed sense of gratitude for everyday experiences.
• Spiritual or existential growth – Finding deeper meaning, whether through faith, philosophy, or a shift in personal values.

PTG isn’t about denying pain or rushing through grief—it often coexists with ongoing struggles.

23/02/2025

Dr Tara Crandon is a Psychologist and Researcher located in Tasmania. She supports clients at Ikigai Psychology Clinic online via Telehealth.

Dr Crandon takes a conversational, curious, and contemplative approach to therapy. Her focus is on helping people understand what they might need from life, others, or themselves. This often involves developing self-compassion, exploring emotions and memories, understanding relationship patterns, and learning new coping strategies to align with values, purpose, and meaning.

She frequently works with clients on themes of identity, trauma, purpose, and grief processing. In grief work, she incorporates inner child work, using schema therapy to help clients heal deep-seated patterns such as abandonment and emotional deprivation.

Through reparenting techniques and chair work, she guides clients in connecting with and caring for their inner child, allowing them to process loss while addressing past unmet needs.

20/02/2025

The good life is a process, not a state of being. It is a direction not a destination.

Carl Rogers

Address

629 Brunswick Street
Fortitude Valley, QLD
4005

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 8:30pm
Tuesday	9am - 8:30pm
Friday	9am - 12pm

Telephone

+61451167764

Website

http://www.ikigaipsychology.com.au/

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Living With Purpose

The Marie Condo for Your Mind, Body and Spirit.

Imagine feeling excited about jumping out of bed each day. You feel organised, healthy, calm and mindful. You know your priorities and intentions, even the minuscule tasks that you’re not so fond of doesn’t seem to bother you as much as it had. You understand that every little thing you do is as important as each other, and that’s how you see life, as a whole rather than meaningless parts.

Ikigai is the key to finding your purpose, or value in life. One way to encapsulate this philosophy is by looking at the Ikigai Venn diagram which displays four main qualities: Your passion (What you love), Your Mission (What the world needs), Profession (What you can be paid for) and Vocation (What you are good at).

The word Ikigai is made up of two Japanese characters "IKI" (生き) as "life" and "G*I" (甲斐) as "values". Japanese words and characters has different meaning depending on the context in which the word is used.

The Japanese character G*I in IKIG*I can also be read as KAI, which means shells. The origin of the word Ikigai goes back to the Heian period (794 to 1185). This time in history is known as the “Golden Age”, greatly influenced by art and architecture, a 400-year period of relative peace and prosperity where shells were seen as valuable commodities.

A game called Kaiawase (Matching Shells) also started during this period, which is quite similar to the card game “concentration”. Pairs of clam shells were polished and intricately painted by hand. The images depicted everything from nature to ancient Japanese scenes of noblemen and scriptures. To play, the clam shells are placed painted side down and the players take turns trying to find the matching pairs.

Now in this day and age, many of us can barely find time for enjoyment, for our hobbies and to play. We tell ourselves we don’t have time for games amd finding our match is no-longer an enjoyable task. As we focus so hard on finding the "perfect", job, career, tittle, position, location and partner, we get lost in the business of life. Sure, we concentrate very hard on our careers, but instead of playfully living our life, we end up stressed and anxious.

But what if by allowing ourselves to play, we are creating opportunities to engage in "flow" a mind state where we are fully immersed in a feeling of energized focus. Flow states leads to less stress and greater life satisfaction. Flow allows us to express ourselves and our identity. By engaging in play and allowing ourselves to find our flow we are creating greater understanding of our strengths along with where our boundaries and limitations lie.

Taking the playful approach to discovering our ikigai is ultimately leads to better engagement with life. We allow ourselves to try new things, make mistakes and get lost in the process of life as an adventure.

During the "Golden Age" in Japan, people knew their values, they lived in harmony and spent time appreciating the beauty of life. Even now a place called "Okinawa" in Japan is known for having one of the highest number of centenarians living in the world.

Our values or understanding our ikigai is like a compass that can help us find direction. Living a balanced lifestyle and knowing your Ikigai leads to more productivity and prevents burnouts, our modern-day disease.

If you would like to find out more about Ikigai Psychology Clinic please book an appointment or send your enquiry to: contact@ikigaipsychology.com.au