Ruth Turnbull Psychology

12/01/2026

🤭

08/01/2026

One of my children certainly humbled me 🤭 and I believe made me a much more empathic psychologist when working with kids, teens, young adults and their parents 🙌🏻 She showed me in real time how traditional parenting methods and “rules” don’t work for all children and how being headstrong and having a strong desire for independence (although challenging for parents 🤪) are strengths that will serve them well as adults 🤩

This in no way means permissive parenting…instead it is placing yourself firmly as parent leader and using coaching and authoritative methods that invite cooperation vs authoritarian methods that invite opposition.

Be the calm in the chaos and lead with acceptance, flexibility, kindness, boundaries, good communication, respect and a whole lot of love ❤️

27/10/2025

Best wishes and lots of calming vibes 😮‍💨 for all the Year 12s heading into their first exam today.

Remember that you are not a number, you are so much more than that 🙌🏻

You have already participated in one of the most demanding years of your school life 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 so you are already so capable and prepared.

You are amazing, loved by your friends and family, and your future is bright. No matter what happens during this exam period, you will thrive in life.

There will be good times and hard times and you will come through them all, gathering skills along the way.

There are so many pathways to what you want to do in life, so
B R E A T H E and believe in yourself and your ability to cope with whatever life throws at you and always ask for support if you need it….you will be surprised by how much is available if you just ask 💙

26/10/2025

🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻

24/10/2025

What Friday “Report Writing and Clinical Admin” can look like. One of us gets to do all the writing and one gets to snooze and offer the occasional barks of encouragement

03/06/2025

😀

17/05/2025

This is a great example of what neuroaffirming approaches are 💙

20/04/2025

I believe neurodivergence is just that. A different way of thinking in a world built for neurotypicals. As a psych who has worked in the field of ND for 25+ years I now think that we need a much more adaptable world rather than more expectations placed on ND people to “fit in”

Your thoughts?

27/03/2025

We are in a stage of flux with the NDIS. I have worked with young people with disabilities and differing abilities for nearly 30 years and this scheme is LIFE CHANGING for participants and their families.

We should all feel passionate about the longevity of the NDIS, after all we are all just one accident away from needing it.

14/03/2025

Some of you may have already seen this. It is very powerful.

As a psychologist who has worked in the field of autism and neurodivergence for nearly 30 years I have seen many shifts in how we think about neurodivergence.

Today the onus is on us, to understand. The onus is not on neurodivergent people to change who they are.

I am often asked by professionals, by organisations, by funding organisations, by support workers, and many others about “strategies” “What are their strategies?” “How do we get them to use their strategies?” “Why aren’t they using their strategies?” “What strategies can you recommend?”

The strategy is to understand, to reduce expectations that neurodivergent people behave like a neurotypical person.

The strategy is to provide neurodivergent friendly education, schools and workplaces.

The strategy is to find a ND person’s skills and allow them to use them.

The strategy is inclusion.

The strategy is to ASK a ND person what they need and not tell a ND person how they are meant to be.

The strategy is not to view distressed behaviour as “bad” behaviour that has to be corrected, rather it has to be understood.

The strategy is to get EDUCATED in neurodivergence by neurodivergent people.

My clients have taught me more about neurodivergence than my 3 university degrees. I will be forever grateful for their insights, their stories and their patience with me.

Ask a ND person what they need. They will tell you. Then be flexible enough, kind enough, adaptable enough and educated enough to action it.

That is the “strategy”