Psychological Services Group

09/08/2023

Morning sunshine therapy

07/08/2023

Something very magical ✨

There is something very magical about this gorgeous photo of Flinders Street!
It’s a mixture of everything, the light, the rain, the bokeh… perfection.
Great photo by jonos.photos on Insta ❤️

20/07/2023

08/07/2023

Call them questions, checks, gates… use them 😌

Socrates: 'Before you speak, ask yourself these 3 questions'

Socrates (469 – 399 BC), the great Greek philosopher, was once stopped by an acquaintance as he passed through the markets.

“I’ve something important to tell you,” he said. “It’s about your friend.”

“That’s very kind of you,” Socrates said. “But, don’t tell me just yet. I run all information through the Three Filters Test to ascertain if I want to know it.”

The man looked somewhat puzzled as Socrates continued, “First is the filter of truth. Whatever you want to tell me, have you seen or witnessed it first-hand?”

“Umm…I actually heard it from someone,” the man said, “and, it is from a trusted source.”

“Alright. But that does not pass my first test,” Socrates added, “since you don’t know whether it’s true.”

“Second is the filter of goodness. Is that a good statement you want to make about my friend?”

“Not really. That’s the reason I wanted—”

Socrates interjected, “So, you want to tell me something bad about someone but don’t know if it’s true.”

“The last is the filter of utility.” He continued, “Your statement about my friend, is that gonna be useful to me?”

“Not really as such. I just wanted to share”

“Well, if the information is not necessarily true, it is not good, and, it is of no use,” Socrates concluded, “please, I don’t want to know about it.”

04/04/2023

🥹🥹🥹

08/12/2022

True story 😉

One is written. One is not. You are the writer. The author of your own story. You don’t have to be what you’ve been. ✏️

17/08/2022

Attention artists in the group, would you like to be featured on our postcards which go out to our professional network? Anonymously of course.

If you have a photo (especially if it show s local landscape), or photo of your artwork that you would be pleased to allow us to use, please get in touch with me via DM.

Natasha PSG

24/05/2022

A letter from your teen 😌

Dear Mum and Dad,

Please stick with me.

I can’t think clearly right now because there is a rather substantial section of my prefrontal cortex missing. It’s a fairly important chunk, something having to do with rational thought. You see, it won’t be fully developed until I’m about 25. And from where I sit, 25 seems a long way off.

But here's what i want my parents to know..

My brain is not yet fully developed

It doesn’t matter that I’m smart; even a perfect score on my math test doesn’t insulate me from the normal developmental stages that we all go through. Judgement and intelligence are two completely distinct things.

And, the same thing that makes my brain wonderfully flexible, creative and sponge-like also makes me impulsive. Not necessarily reckless or negligent but more impulsive than I will be later in life.

Please stick with me.

So when you look at me like I have ten heads after I’ve done something “stupid” or failed to do something “smart,” you’re not really helping.

You adults respond to situations with your prefrontal cortex (rationally) but I am more inclined to respond with my amygdala (emotionally). And when you ask, “What were you thinking?” the answer is I wasn’t, at least not in the way you are. You can blame me, or you can blame mother nature, but either way, it is what it is.

At this point in my life, I get that you love me, but my friends are my everything. Please understand that. Right now I choose my friends, but, don’t be fooled, I am watching you. Carefully.

Please stick with me.
......

Here’s what you can do for me

1. Model adulting.
I see all the behaviors that you are modeling and I hear all of the words you say. I may not listen but I do hear you. I seem impervious to your advice, like I’m wearing a Kevlar vest but your actions and words are penetrating. I promise. If you keep showing me the way, I will follow even if I detour many, many times before we reach our destination.

2. Let me figure things out for myself.

If you allow me to experience the consequences of my own actions I will learn from them. Please give me a little bit of leash and let me know that I can figure things out for myself. The more I do, the more confidence and resilience I will develop.

3. Tell me about you.

I want you to tell me all the stories of the crazy things you did as a teen, and what you learned from them. Then give me the space to do the same.

4. Help me with perspective.

Keep reminding me of the big picture. I will roll my eyes at you and make all kinds of grunt-like sounds. I will let you know in no uncertain terms that you can’t possibly understand any of what I’m going through. But I’m listening. I really am. It’s hard for me to see anything beyond the weeds that I am currently mired in. Help me scan out and focus on the long view. Remind me that this moment will pass.

5. Keep me safe.

Please remind me that drugs and driving don’t mix. Keep telling me that you will bail me out of any dangerous situation, no anger, no lectures, no questions asked. But also let me know over and over and over that you are there to listen, when I need you.

6. Be kind.

I will learn kindness from you and if you are relentless in your kindness to me, someday I will imitate that behavior. Don’t ever mock me, please and don’t be cruel. Humor me-I think I know everything. You probably did as well at my age. Let it go.

7. Show interest in the things I enjoy.

Some days I will choose to share my interests with you, and it will make me feel good if you validate those interests, by at least acting interested.

One day when the haze of adolescence lifts, you will find a confident, strong, competent, kind adult where a surly teenager once stood. In the meantime, buckle in for the ride.

and.. Please stick with me.

Love,

Your Teenager
....

By Helene Wingens
https://grownandflown.com/letter-from-teen-to-parents/

10/03/2022

It’s true 😉

Shorter workweeks could help reduce accidents, combat climate change, make the genders more equal, and more, contends historian and author Rutger Bregman.

03/03/2022

⬇️⬇️⬇️

Stinky. Sloppy. Starving. Are we describing your boy? How about supremely wonderful as well?

When our boys get to a certain age, they start to change. They’re often stinky, generally sloppy and ALWAYS starving.

We bemoan the state of their bedroom, the mortifying smells they are somehow now capable of conjuring, and their ability to empty the fridge faster than we can fill it! But mostly we worry about the kind of men they will become.

The better we can understand what’s happening with our boys, the better we can raise them to become the kind of men we want them to be.

Register for our webinar to get a guide on understanding your boy. Best part – it’s FREE.

Learn more here https://bit.ly/talkaboutboys

26/01/2022

Bringing the focus back to your self, might seem counter intuitive, perhaps even ‘selfish’ but relationships are more likely to flourish when you let go of trying to control or change (or always please) the other 😌

Coach Hailey Magee shares her personal story of trying to save a relationship, breaking up, and rethinking the illusion of control.

25/01/2022

Great article for parents regarding supporting kids with psychological therapy

AAPi's Sahra O'Doherty has prepared a parent’s guide to taking a child or teenager to therapy.
https://kiddipedia.com.au/a-parents-guide-to-taking-your-child-or-teenager-to-therapy/

23/01/2022

Be gentle and kind indeed ❤️

Sending you the reminder to be kind and gentle with yourself during this stressful time.
🖼 by the 🧠 ❤️

18/01/2022

😕😌

If you’re going through any type of trauma and want to do your best to help your child through difficult times:

👉🏻 Remember that in many cases, lasting trauma doesn’t come from the events that happened to a person - but the fact that they were not properly supported in processing and making sense of what happened to them.

So helping your kids PROCESS big changes, difficult news or any type of hardship is key for it to not have a lasting damaging effect on their lives.

Here are some ways to help support your children through difficult times:

✨ Keep your kids involved and be honest/real about whatever is happening (age appropriately)

✨Acknowledge and validate their feelings / fears / sadness / dissapointment.

✨Make space for BIG feelings and meltdowns during big changes or unexpected news in your life. Remember that feeling is healing.

✨Read appropriate books or use story telling to help make sense of difficult circumstances/big changes in your child’s life.

✨Keep yourself as emotionally balanced and healthy as you possibly can. Self care is not a luxury, it’s a necessity.

✨Focus on the RELATIONSHIP you have with your kids and partner because when it comes down to it - no matter your external circumstances - connection is that will keep your family unit tight and healthy through hardship.

✨ In case of anything serious, seek professional help (preferably a trauma informed therapist).



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🌻Peaceful Parenting Resources: http://t.co/T8goym3P6Z 🌻
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Please respect the work of authors, photographers, and artists. You are welcome to share provided you include appropriate credit and do not crop out author’s names from quote memes. Thank you. 🙂

www.LRKnost.com

Fighting a rare, incurable cancer, but I'm still here!💞 L.R.

03/01/2022

“… to kill its power…”

Karen Salmansohn's words are so good here. It is true not only for us big people, but also for our children.

Listen, without offering a solution.
Listen, without interrupting.
Listen, without judgement.

Let the thoughts roll out of their mouth without needing to fix. Your quiet compassion is often all they need in this moment. ❤️

graphic by The Life On Purpose Movement

30/12/2021

And it can feel quite confusing and awful until you start to understand what’s happening.

04/12/2021

🖤🖤🖤

04/11/2021

Relate?