Tracey Cairns - Psychologist

01/06/2026

Learning how to safely express feelings can be the tricky part

26/05/2026

With deepest respect

National Sorry Day is a day to acknowledge the strength of Stolen Generations Survivors and reflect on how we can all play a part in the healing process for our people and nation. While this date carries great significance for the Stolen Generations and other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, it is also commemorated by Australians right around the country.

The first National Sorry Day was held on 26 May 1998, one year after the Bringing Them Home report was tabled in Parliament. The Bringing Them Home report is a result of a Government Inquiry into the past policies which caused children to be removed from their families and communities in the 20th century.

Following this, in 2000, there was one issue that was high on the agenda at the Sydney Harbour Bridge walk for reconciliation – an apology to the Stolen Generations.

It was also high in the sky, when a group of people – independent to the organisation of the walk – had the word ‘sorry’ written in the clear blue skies above the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

Such was the intensity of feeling and support for Stolen Generations members – many of whom were among the huge crowd that day.

Today, twenty-three years after the Bringing Them Home report and twelve years since the National Apology, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children are still 10.6 times more likely than non-Indigenous children to be removed from their families.

We cannot begin to fix the problems of the present without accepting the truth of our history. Sorry Day asks us to acknowledge the Stolen Generations, and in doing so, reminds us that historical injustice is still an ongoing source of intergenerational trauma for Aboriginal and Torres Islander families, communities, and peoples.

15/05/2026

A reminder that it’s ok to have feelings. You can manage the tough time by -

💡Labelling the feeling (sad, anxious, overwhelmed)
💡Noticing what impact the feeling has on your body
💡Remind yourself that your safe and a feeling will pass through you - no feeling lasts forever
💡Take a pause to think about what has triggered the feeling
💡Make a healthy choice about how to manage the situation impacting you
💡Do something nice for yourself, music you like or go for a walk or talk to a trusted person or enjoy a cup of tea

10/05/2026

Kindness to all includes kindness to yourself

01/05/2026

What is self confidence? -

Self acceptance (positives and the bits your working on)
Trusting your decisions
Believing in your right to your opinions and values
Having a sense of control in your life
Setting realistic goals with optimistic expectations
Communicating your wants and needs
Being able to reflect on criticism
Enforcing healthy boundaries
Feeling comfortable alone

It’s how you think about yourself, how you connect with others, how you practice self care - and how you allow others to express themselves, including how they may be different to you.

28/04/2026

This will not be true for everyone - if it is for you, Celebrate! And seek support if needed to believe it.

17/04/2026

An update from AAPi regarding the NDIS - reproduced in part. We are a country that can afford to help those who need some extra support, we just need to care enough to make it a priority.

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(There are reports suggesting) the Government is considering NDIS changes that could impact people with psychosocial disability, with reporting indicating the scheme’s mental health spend (approx. $6 billion supporting approx. 65,000 participants) may be a focus.

Once again narratives are emerging about who is “disabled enough” to access support. First, it was Autistic children, now it is people with psychosocial disabilities.

These debates don’t occur in the same way for physical disabilities or medical conditions. We don’t see public discourse questioning whether someone is “disabled enough” for cancer treatment or suggesting chemotherapy be rationed to balance the budget.

After decades of work to reduce stigma, seeing this debate resurface is frustrating and, for some, deeply distressing.

Psychosocial disability is a legitimate and recognised disability, reflecting the real and sometimes severe impacts of mental health on daily functioning and participation.

15/04/2026

Everything can be taken…but one thing, the last of the human freedoms - to choose one’s attitude in any given circumstance. (Victor Frankl, who survived a childhood in a concentration camp and went on to to help people find positive meaning in life).

Resist the pull towards anger and anxiety in our current world. Chose peace.

12/04/2026

Even though this is light hearted, I think light hearted is what we are needing. Many people are coming to see me weighed down with sadness and anxiety. Life can be hard. Remember it can also get better ❤️‍🩹

07/04/2026

More wisdom from the walk fir peace - ways to create a peaceful mind