Calming Waves Mental Health and Family Support

22/05/2026

Whilst Calming Waves is not currently able to take on new referrals at this point in time, we did still want to share that we have moved office locations to a beautiful new space.

13/04/2026

✨ Sometimes asking for help is hard… even when we need it most ✨

This beautiful drawing was created by a child, who thoughtfully described the therapeutic process and kindly gave permission for it to be shared 💛

It says so much without needing many words.
On one side, we see a child being asked, “Are you ok?” and “Can I help?”
And the answer is “no”… even when they’re clearly not okay.

On the other side, something shifts, a gentle moment of connection, where the words “I feel better” begin to emerge.

💭 Sometimes children tell us what’s going on through:
🔹️ Words
🔹️Drawings
🔹️Writing
🔹️Play
🔹️Craft
🔹️Behaviour

We just need to know how to listen.

Because the reality is, talking about big feelings can feel confusing, overwhelming, or even unsafe.

Sometimes:
• They don’t have the words yet
• They don’t want to worry others
• They’re not sure how to accept help
• Or it simply feels too big to share

But when we create safe, patient, and understanding spaces, something shifts.

Little by little…
Trust grows.
Expression becomes easier.
And healing begins.

At Calming Waves Mental Health and Family Support, we gently support children and families to:
🌿 Find their voice
🌿 Feel safe expressing emotions
🌿 Build connection and understanding
🌿 Learn that it’s okay to accept help

Because no one should have to carry big feelings alone 💛

If you’re noticing your child is finding it hard to communicate what’s going on, you’re not alone — and support is available.

Info@calmingwaves.com.au
Www.calmingwaves.com.au
03 9999 7393

19/03/2026

🌿 World Happiness Day 🌿

Today is a gentle reminder that happiness isn’t about feeling good all the time — it’s about having the support, connection, and inner resources to navigate life’s ups and downs.

Australia is currently ranked 15th in the world for happiness, which is something to celebrate — and also reflect on. Behind every statistic are real people, with real stories, doing their best to manage stress, relationships, loss, growth, and everything in between.

Happiness can look like:
✨ Feeling understood
✨ Having someone to talk to
✨ Finding moments of calm in a busy mind
✨ Learning how to cope when things feel overwhelming

At Calming Waves, we’re here to support you in building those moments — whether that’s through therapy, reflection, or simply having a safe space to be heard. Mental health support is not just for the hard times; it’s an important part of caring for yourself and the whole journey.

Wherever you are today, be gentle with yourself. Small moments of care, connection, and kindness matter more than we often realise.



Image credit: Ashley Topacio

09/02/2026

🌊 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗦𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗖𝗮𝗻 𝗧𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗕𝗶𝗴 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀

Have you ever been told you’re “too sensitive”, “overreacting”, or that you “take things too personally” — even when your emotions feel overwhelming and very real?
You’re not alone. And importantly:
𝗬𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴. 𝗬𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴.

🧠 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗴𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗻?
Sometimes what looks like a “big reaction” to others is actually your nervous system responding to a trigger — something that reminds your body of past stress, hurt, or feeling unsafe.
That trigger might be linked to:
• past emotional or relational experiences
• times you felt dismissed, criticised, or unheard
• ongoing stress, burnout, or trauma
• growing up having to stay alert to other people’s moods
So when someone says “it’s not a big deal”, your body may disagree — because it remembers something deeper.

🌪️ 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘂𝗽:
• intense emotions that feel sudden or confusing
• shutting down, withdrawing, or going quiet
• snapping, irritability, or defensiveness
• panic, tears, or overwhelm
• feeling embarrassed or ashamed afterwards
Being described as “sensitive” often isn’t a flaw — it can mean you are highly attuned, perceptive, and emotionally aware. The challenge is when your nervous system has learned that the world isn’t always safe.

🌱 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽𝘀:
✔️ slow down and calm the body first
✔️ replace self-criticism with curiosity
✔️ gently ask: “What might this be reminding me of?”
✔️ learn regulation skills that support your nervous system
✔️ seek support — healing doesn’t have to be done alone
Healing isn’t about toughening up or shutting emotions down.
It’s about understanding your reactions, softening them, and learning safer ways to respond.
💬 If this resonates, remember:
𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 — 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗮 𝗳𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘂𝗿𝗲.

🌊 Learn more about trauma-informed support at www.calmingwaves.com.au

06/02/2026

🌊 How Anxiety Shows Up Differently for Everyone

Anxiety doesn’t look the same for all of us — and that’s totally normal.
Some feel racing thoughts 🌀
Some feel muscle tension, restlessness, or stomach knots 💪😣
Some avoid situations or withdraw socially 🚪
Some pace, fidget, or struggle to sit still 🏃‍♂️

💡 Managing anxiety is also unique for each person & situation.

Here are some helpful ideas to manage anxiety:
✨ Progressive muscle relaxation
✨ Deep breathing
✨ Self-talk & gentle reminders
✨ Physical movement or exercise
✨ Relaxation activities like journaling, music, or colouring

Your anxiety isn’t a failure — it’s your body trying to protect you. Learning your patterns and tools that work for you is powerful. 🌱

🌊 Learn more at www.calmingwaves.com.au

CalmingWaves

06/02/2026

Having an internal felt sense of safety is so important, it determines how we are in the world. When we don't have this felt sense of safety it can limit all areas of life. One cannot be told they are safe, it needs to be felt.
This explanation from Neurowild really explains this well.

Safety is something a person decides internally.

It doesn’t matter if someone tells us ‘you’re safe’.
People who say that are usually referring to physical safety.
‘Physically you are safe here.’

It’s often not as simple as that.

If we don’t feel safe, we don’t feel safe, and we often don’t mean physically.

The thing we’re missing might be relational safety. It might be sensory safety. Emotional safety. Environmental safety.

We may not be able to explain what exactly is happening in our bodies, or why.
We may not have the words to wrap around our experience.
If our nervous system is heightened, for whatever reason, it can be hard to identify messages from our bodies. It can be even harder to explain that to someone who clearly is not experiencing the same thing as us.

It’s a big ask. We may not be able to.
But you might see clues in our actions, our emotions, our energy, our capacity, our behaviour.

Returning to authentic connection and coregulation in these moments is always a good move, whether you believe we have reasons to feel unsafe or not.

If we don’t feel safe, for whatever reason, it’s not up to you to decide something different.

It’s your job to recognise that our nervous system may be different to your own, and support us in our tricky times. And make sure that support is kind, curious, and empathetic, otherwise you are only pushing that sense of safety further and further away from us.

Yes?

Em 🌈

17/01/2026

🎥 𝗟𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗘𝘅𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗻🌈

(Adults can try this too!)

Children can experience big emotions just like adults; anxiety, frustration, sadness, or overwhelm.

Sometimes they need a simple, calming tool to help them settle and feel safe in their bodies.

The Light Stream exercise is a gentle visualization that can help children soothe distress when practiced regularly. It invites them to imagine a soft stream of colored light flowing through their body, melting tension, and helping them feel grounded and calm.

How it helps children:
✨ Provides a safe way to manage big feelings
✨ Teaches the body to relax and settle after stress
✨ Can be practiced anytime, before school, bedtime, or after a challenging moment

Simple steps to try with your child:
🔸️Sit or lie comfortably.
🔸️Take a few slow, calming breaths together before doing the excersise in the video clip.
🔸️Encourage your child to notice their body softening as the light moves through.

With practice, this exercise can become a powerful tool for children to self-soothe and build emotional resilience. 🌱

🎥 Watch here: Light Stream Exercise Video https://youtu.be/01urRQshK5M?si=e94IiEFGLDZ6wS1M
(Credit to EMDR for Kids)

💬 Tip: Keep it short and playful at first, the goal is connection, calm, and a sense of safety.

Welcome to our child-friendly "Light Stream" video!Our videos go hand-in-hand with Christine Mark-Griffin, LCSW's book "EMDR Workbook for Kids". Please note ...

16/01/2026

🧠 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗙𝗲𝗲𝗹 “𝗧𝗼𝗼 𝗠𝘂𝗰𝗵” (𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗬𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝗡𝗼𝘁)
Do you sometimes feel like your emotions are too big, too fast, or too intense? Like you’re constantly on edge, overwhelmed, or just… “too much” for the world?

Here’s the truth: 𝗬𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝗼𝗼 𝗺𝘂𝗰𝗵 — 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺 𝗶𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝗶𝘁 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀 𝘁𝗼.

For young people and adults feeling “too much” can show up as:
• Strong emotional reactions to small triggers
• Overthinking or rumination
• Anxiety, irritability, or overwhelm
• Crying or shutting down when others might stay calm
• Feeling drained by social interactions

These experiences are common, valid and real, especially if you’ve lived with stress, trauma, or uncertainty.

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗶𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀:
🦋Your body’s nervous system is built to protect you.
🦋When life feels unsafe, it reacts before your brain can process it.
🦋Trauma, stress, and high emotional sensitivity can amplify these responses.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽𝘀:
⭐️𝗡𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗶𝘁: Recognize the feeling without judging it.
⭐️𝗦𝗲𝗹𝗳-𝘀𝗼𝗼𝘁𝗵: Gentle breathing, movement, music, or journaling.
⭐️𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝘂𝘁: Talk with someone you trust or a therapist — you don’t have to do it alone.
⭐️𝗦𝗲𝘁 𝗯𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀: Protect your energy from unnecessary overwhelm.

Feeling “too much” is 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗮 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗴𝘁𝗵 — it means you notice, care deeply, and feel life fully. 🌱

Learning to understand and regulate these emotions is part of growth, not a flaw.

💬 If this resonates, take a deep breath and remember: 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗯𝗿𝗼𝗸𝗲𝗻. 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲, 𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗮𝗽𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲.

🌊 Learn more about trauma-informed support at www.calmingwaves.com.au

13/01/2026

✨ We’re Back for 2026! ✨

Calming Waves has reopened after the Christmas break and we’re now welcoming new enquiries and referrals for therapy, proffessional supervision, mentoring and consultations.

If the start of the year feels heavy, uncertain, or overwhelming, you don’t have to navigate it alone. We provide a safe, trauma-informed space to explore, heal, and grow at your own pace.
🌊 Therapy & Counselling
🌊 Trauma-Informed, Compassionate Care
🌊 New Referrals & Enquiries Now Open

📧 info@calmingwaves.com.au
📞 0399 997 393
🌐 www.calmingwaves.com.au

We look forward to supporting you this year.

19/12/2025

As the year draws to a close, we want to take a moment to acknowledge the incredible work our clients have done in their therapy sessions this year. Healing is not linear, and the courage it takes to show up, reflect, feel, and grow does not go unnoticed. It has truly been a privilege to witness the strength, resilience, and transformative change that has unfolded in the therapy space.

We also recognise that this can be a particularly difficult time of year for many. As we head into the holiday period, our thoughts are with everyone who has been affected by the recent Bondi tragedy.

Our practice is now closed for the holiday period. If you or someone you care about needs support while we are closed, please reach out to the following services listed in the pictures.

Thank you for trusting us with your journey this year. We wish you gentleness, safety, and care over the coming weeks, and we look forward to reconnecting in the new year.

01/08/2025

🔒 𝗕𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀: 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗔𝗿𝗲, 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿, 𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝗛𝗮𝗿𝗱

Let’s talk about something essential to emotional wellbeing — but often misunderstood:

➡️ 𝗕𝗢𝗨𝗡𝗗𝗔𝗥𝗜𝗘𝗦.

Boundaries are not walls. They are guidelines we set to protect our time, energy, values, and emotional safety.
They help us say:
✔️ What’s okay
❌ What’s not okay
❤️ How we want to be treated

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📚 𝗧𝘆𝗽𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗕𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀:

🔹 Emotional: Protecting your feelings, not taking on others’ emotional burdens
🔹 Physical: Personal space, touch, rest
🔹 Time: Saying no to overcommitting or burnout
🔹 Mental: Holding your own thoughts and beliefs, even if they differ
🔹 Digital: Limits around phone use, texting, social media access
🔹 Relational: Deciding how much you give, share, or engage with certain people

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❓ 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗕𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗦𝗼 𝗛𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗧𝗼 𝗨𝗽𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱?

Because many of us were never taught how. Or worse — we were punished, guilted, or ignored when we tried.

Especially if you’ve experienced trauma, you might:

Say “yes” to avoid conflict or rejection

Feel responsible for others’ feelings

Confuse boundaries with being selfish

Struggle to trust your own needs

Feel anxious or guilty when you try to say “no”

🌪️ Trauma can blur your sense of what’s safe or fair, making it hard to feel like you even deserve boundaries.

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💥 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝘂𝗺𝗮 & 𝗕𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀: 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗦𝗮𝗳𝗲𝘁𝘆 𝗛𝗮𝘀 𝗕𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗩𝗶𝗼𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱

If you grew up in a home where:

Your privacy was ignored

You had to “keep the peace” to stay safe

You were expected to meet everyone else’s needs

Saying “no” meant punishment or shame

… then boundary-setting might feel threatening or impossible now.

But here’s the truth:
🧠 Boundaries are a form of healing.
🫶 They rebuild your self-worth.
🌱 They teach others how to care for you.

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💡 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗧𝗼 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁:

1️⃣ Name your needs. “I need time alone after work.”
2️⃣ Use kind but clear language. “I’m not available to talk about that right now.”
3️⃣ Expect discomfort — not danger. It’s okay if it feels awkward at first.
4️⃣ Get support. A trauma-informed therapist can help you build confidence in setting and keeping boundaries.

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🌀 You are allowed to take up space.
🌀 You are allowed to protect your peace.
🌀 You are allowed to change patterns that no longer serve you.

💬 Let this be your reminder:
𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘀𝗲𝘁 𝗯𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 — 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗶𝗳 𝗶𝘁 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹𝘀 𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲.
𝗘𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗶𝗳 𝗶𝘁 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹𝘀 𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲.
Because that’s often how healing begins.

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🌊 At Calming Waves, we help individuals explore their boundaries, build self-trust, and learn new ways of showing up in relationships — with self-respect and compassion.

📲 Visit www.calmingwaves.com.au to find out how therapy can support your boundary journey.