Melbourne Clinical Psychologist

02/07/2025

In Dialectical Behavioir Therapy (DBT) there are 3 terms used to refer to states of mind. They are: Emotion Mind, Rational Mind, and Wise Mind.

Emotional Mind occurs when your thoughts are controlled by your emotions. Logical thinking and planning are difficult, facts may be distorted or made larger or more important than they really are and actions are usually impulsive. Some examples include:
🔴 Fighting with someone you disagree with
🔴 Taking an impulse trip without planning
🔴 Cuddling a puppy
🔴 Flying a kite for fun
🔴 Snapping at a salesperson because they don’t have what you want
🔴 Purchasing something you can’t afford

Rational Mind is when you can think logically or be rational and reasonable about what is occurring. Analytical and empirical thinking are predominant. Thoughts and behaviors might be said to be “cool,” that is, not emotional in their approaches to solving problems. Some examples include:
🔴Looking up the bus schedule before walking to the stop to wait
🔴 Planning for an outing several days in advance
🔴 Measuring the ingredients to bake a cake
🔴 Asking a salesperson for details about something you want to buy
🔴 Studying for a test

Wise Mind is the point of overlap between emotion and reasonable mind; it is part reason and part emotion and what makes you know you’re in this mind is often a sense of intuition. Wise mind can be difficult to find. Everyone has a wise mind even if they struggle to access it.
🔴 Wise mind is sometimes experienced in the center of the body (belly), in the center of the head or between the eyes.
🔴Sometime a person can find it by following their breath in and out.
🔴You might have a sense that you’re stepping back from the situation.
🔴Some people experience wise mind when making a decision that they know is absolutely the right thing to do. They know they are in wise mind because they don’t have any sense of dread or anxiety. There is absolutely no doubt.
🔴It is like the calm that follows the storm, something experienced immediately following a crises or enormous chaos.
🔴It is grasping the whole picture when only parts were previously understood

17/05/2025

High Functioning Anxiety is a term used to describe individuals who experience anxiety symptoms but still maintain a high level of functioning in their daily lives, often seeming successful and composed. Essentially, they may excel in work, school, or relationships while internally struggling with anxiety. Often, individuals suffering from High Functioning Anxiety excel at hiding their internal struggle from those around them, setting themselves further expectations that they continue to maintain.

Can you relate to this?

16/03/2025

Emotional Resilience is your ability to adapt and bounce back when life throws challenges your way. It's about cultivating inner strength and responding to difficult situations without getting overwhelmed or stuck. When you're emotionally resilient, you become more empowered to navigate triggers, manage stress and face life's uncertainties with courage and grace. It's like having an anchor that keeps you steady in the face of life's storms 🌊💪

In the process of healing and nervous system regulation, building emotional resilience is key. It allows you to process emotions without judgement, embrace self-compassion, and maintain a sense of hope. It helps you learn from setbacks instead of being defined by them, transforming challenges into opportunities for growth. Remember, resilience isn't about being unbreakable, it's about becoming adaptable. Each step you take toward building resilience brings you closer to freedom, healing and peace.

13/03/2025

12/03/2025

The next time you're feeling stressed, anxious or overwhelmed, consider this technique, focusing on controlling your breathwork.

Deep breathing activates a part of your nervous system (called the parasympathetic nervous system) which sends a signal to your brain to tell the anxious part of you that you're safe and don't need to use the fight, flight, or freeze response.

10/03/2025

Anxious thoughts can be automatic and irrational, although people often believe them to be true and accurate. Next time you notice yourself overthrowing, worried or stressed, ask yourself:

🔸️ Is this a thought or a fact?
🔸️ What evidence do I have for this thought?
🔸️ Is there any evidence that this thought isn't true?
🔸️Am I jumping to conclusions or assuming the worst?
🔸️ If my friend had this thought, what would I say or hw would I reassure them?
🔸️ Are there positives in this situation that I'm ignoring?
🔸️ What's the most realistic outcome? How could i cope even if the worst did happen?

27/02/2025

ADHD can present with contradictions that don't male sense, except to the person experiencing it. It can be even trickier to explain this to family & friends

21/02/2025

💭

23/08/2024

Therapy is a process and there's so much to gain once you start the journey ✨️