Mini Minds Child & Adolescent Health

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Mini Minds Child & Adolescent Health

Educational & Developmental Psychology | We understand that each child’s brain develops in its own unique way.

As such we offer a holistic view to treatment, considering the ‘whole’ child when forming a diagnosis developing appropriate strategies.

07/01/2026

School mornings shouldn’t feel like a battle ⚔️🥺

if getting out the door, drop-offs, or even the lead-up to school next month has been feeling tense, teary, or full of worry…you’re not alone.

Our one-hour parent workshop is designed to help you feel more confident supporting your young person through school worries, with practical strategies that build safety and steadiness (without accidentally feeding the worry).

🧠 What we’ll cover:
✨ Why the anxiety is there and what it’s trying to do
✨ How to respond in ways that help your child feel safer
✨ Simple tools for calmer mornings and smoother goodbyes
✨ Gentle group discussion + solution-focused brainstorming with other parents

📅 Limited spots available — bookings via Eventbrite (link in bio)
or email info@minimindshealth.com.au for details.

29/12/2025

This Useful Tip Tuesday, let’s make the holiday chaos a little calmer with one tiny, predictable routine that really helps 🌱

Tip: Do a “Two-Minute Preview” before transitions.

Holiday days have a lot of mini-transitions (screens off, getting out the door, visitors arriving, bedtime). When kids feel surprised or rushed, their nervous system can flip into “nope!” mode. A calm preview gives their brain time to shift gears, especially for kids who find change, stopping, or waiting tough.

Here’s how:
🟣 Preview the next two steps (only two!).
Try: “In two minutes, screens off. Then we’ll put shoes on.”
🟣 Name the hard part with warmth.
Try: “Stopping is tough when you’re having fun.”
🟣 Offer one small choice inside the plan.
Try: “Do you want to turn it off, or shall I press the button with you?”
🟣 Use a simple timer they can see.
Try: “When the timer beeps, it’s time.” (Then follow through calmly.)
🟣 Finish with a connecting bridge.
Try: “First ___, then ___. After that, I’m keen to hear what you were building/watching.”

Quick Win: Make a “Holiday Transition Phrase” and stick with it (i.e. “First ___, then ___.”). Write it on a note on the fridge. The repetition is what makes it work.

Why it works
Previewing reduces uncertainty, and choice reduces power struggles. The timer becomes the “boss,” and your calm, predictable language helps your child shift from one activity to the next without feeling blindsided.

If the holidays feel loud and messy, you’re not alone. Tiny predictable moments can steady the whole day 💜 See you next month for another practical tool.

Note: This is general information only — not a substitute for individual professional advice.

24/12/2025

We’d like to wish our clients and the Mini Minds family a very Merry Christmas Season and a happy start to the New Year🎄✨⁠
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We’re hoping this break brings you a little more rest, kindness, time together, and that you’re able to look after each other in the small, everyday ways that matter most 💜
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Our team will be having a well-earned break and will be returning early in the New Year.⁠
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Take care and we look forward to seeing you in the New Year! Warm wishes from all of us (and Bonty 🐾⁠) 🥰⁠⁠⁠
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Please Note⁠
Mini Minds does not provide emergency mental health services. If you need emergency support, call 000 or visit your nearest emergency department. If you need to speak with someone urgently, call Lifeline on 13 11 14.

25/11/2025

This Useful Tip Tuesday, let’s help kids build a kinder inner voice through simple language swaps 🌱

This Week’s Tip: Turn Fixed Self-Talk into “Growing” Self-Talk.

The way children speak to themselves shapes how they face hard tasks. Small word changes can turn “I can’t” into “I’m learning”, helping to build confidence and self-esteem.

Here’s how: 
🟣 Spot the fixed story. When you hear “I’m dumb / I’m just slow / I’ll never get this,” pause and name the feeling first: “This feels really hard and that’s frustrating. I get it.”

🟣 Add a tiny bridge word. Could you try swapping “I can’t” → “I can’t yet.” “I always mess up” → “I sometimes mess up, and I’m practising.”

🟣 Praise the doing, not the label. Instead of “You’re so clever,” try: “I noticed you tried two different ways and kept going.”

🟣 Offer a micro-strategy. “Let’s do the first step together.” “Set a 3-minute timer, then quick break, then another 3.” 
Short, doable steps help to navigate big feelings.

Quick Win: Create a “Helpful Word Flips” bookmark for home or school. On one side: common fixed phrases (e.g., “I’m terrible at this.”). On the other: growing swaps (e.g., “I’m still learning this.”). Keep it on the desk or in the pencil case so kids can flip it when they get stuck.

Why It Works: Kids often turn our words into their inner voice. Naming feelings lowers stress; tiny swaps like ‘yet’ keep effort alive; specific praise teaches what to repeat next time. Bit by bit, that builds a steady growth mindset.

Remember, strengthening a growth mindset is a continuous journey. Each tiny step brings us closer to steady confidence! Don’t miss our next Useful Tip Tuesday, where we’ll share more easy, evidence-informed strategies to support your parenting journey 🤗 . . 

Disclaimer: This content is for general informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional advice. Individual circumstances vary, so we recommend consulting with a qualified professional for personalised guidance.

16/11/2025

This Monday’s quote is from Thomas Edison who once said, “My mother was the making of me.”

Thomas Edison, the inventor of the lightbulb, didn’t fit the classroom. In a later interview, he recalled his teacher calling him “addled”: basically ‘not right in the head’ and not worth keeping in school. His mum refused to accept that and chose to teach him at home instead.

Over the years, people have shared a (likely embellished) story that when the school sent home a harsh letter, his mother read it out as if it said something completely different – that he was bright and that the school couldn’t meet his needs. Whether or not the letter story is exact, the idea fits: her words helped him see himself as capable, not broken, and that belief shaped the way he approached learning.

Many children who are labelled “lazy,” “naughty,” or “slow” are often overwhelmed, under-supported, or being asked to learn in a way that doesn’t match how their brain works.

Of course, we don’t have to raise ‘geniuses’, but we can be the adult who says:

“I see you. I believe in you. Your brain is still growing.”

This is the heart of a growth mindset, and on its own, can change a child’s whole story 💡

15/10/2025

🧸✨ A big thank you to Louise and the Tedology team! ✨🧸

We loved being part of the Teddy Bear Picnic and information session last Saturday!! It was such a beautiful day filled with connection, play, and great conversations about supporting children’s wellbeing. 💜

A huge thanks to everyone who came along, and an even bigger cheer for Louise as Tedology continues to grow and gain traction! It’s so exciting to see such a fresh, creative, and fun approach to therapy and feelings…just as it should be!

The Tedology bears are now available! 🧸💖
Head to www.tedology.com.au to learn more and sign up to the newsletter for updates on the bears and upcoming releases!

21/09/2025

🧸 Mini Minds & Tedology invite you to a Teddy Bear Picnic!

Our own Dr Louise Mansell has been quietly creating her independent project – ‘Tedology’; a multi-sensory teddy designed to help children grow their emotional wellbeing.

Many families may already recognise this little bear…
Several children helped shape his design as “teddy bear testers” during special sleepovers!
Tedology has even been featured on Nine News and in The Sunday Times 🌟

To celebrate Tedology’s launch, Mini Minds and Tedology are delighted to co-host a FREE Teddy Bear Picnic:
📅 Oct 11, 9-11am
📍 North Freo Bowlo

Bring your favourite teddy and the whole family for a morning of fun, light snacks and a first look at this wonderful new way to support children’s emotional growth.

👉 Reserve your spot via the link in bio https://www.eventbrite.com/e/teddy-bear-picnic-hosted-by-tedology-mini-minds-tickets-1687158549639?aff=oddtdtcreator

26/08/2025

This Useful Tip Tuesday, let’s gently shake off the winter blues and bring in a bit more energy and ease as we enter the tail-end of the colder months in Perth! ❄️➡️🌱

Tip: Small Sensory Resets for Big Shifts

During winter, our nervous systems often slow down. This can affect both mood and motivation. For adults and kids, try weaving in gentle movement and fresh air to activate the body and refresh the mind.

Here’s how to bring this to life:
🟣 Sunlight & Motion: Step outside first thing in the morning. Even 2 minutes in the sun can shift the nervous system.
🟣 Wake-Up Wiggle: Do 5 jumping jacks as a family before breakfast, or a silly dance to a feel-good track.
🟣 Seasonal Sensory Check-In: Offer warm, comforting textures (socks, blankets, wheat packs) alongside energising inputs like citrus scents or cold water splashes.

Quick Win: Pick a family 'reset movement track' and use it each morning this week. Let your bodies move freely; shaking, stretching, or dancing to kickstart the day.

Why This Matters: Movement and sensory activation release endorphins, improve emotional regulation, and help both adults and kids transition out of that sluggish winter mode into a more energised, connected state.

Stay tuned for more grounded tips each month in our Useful Tip Tuesday! ☀️🍂

11/08/2025

This quote from Dr Ross Greene shifts the lens: Instead of asking ‘why won’t they?’, ask ‘what’s getting in the way?’.

It’s a reminder that behaviour is communication. When things feel hard, your curiosity matters more than your control.

Challenge: Try to pause and reframe 1 challenging behaviour this week

17/06/2025

Winter doesn’t have to mean worn-out kids and endless colds ❄️💤🦠

🧠 Our latest blog explores how managing winter stress and immunity for children can be simple, supportive, and even soul-soothing for the whole family.

Discover calm-building routines, nourishing habits, and gentle ways to help your child stay well this season: emotionally and physically.

Read the full blog via the link in bio! . . . 

12/06/2025

Meet Sarah. She’s one of our Psychologists at Mini Minds!⁠

Sarah is a provisionally registered psychologist currently completing her Master of Professional Psychology at La Trobe University, after graduating with a Bachelor of Psychology (Honours) from UWA. She’s on the 5+1 pathway and working toward general registration.

Sarah brings a unique background to her role, having worked as a Sleep Technician in a busy Perth hospital and as a Research Assistant at UWA. She also completed an internship with the Alzheimer’s Research Foundation before finding her passion in supporting children, teens, and adults with complex disabilities as a Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) Clinician.

She is particularly interested in helping clients build independence, strengthen social connections, and achieve meaningful NDIS goals. Sarah uses a range of therapeutic approaches to support those navigating anxiety, depression, trauma, OCD, selective mutism, emotional regulation challenges, and behavioural difficulties.

Sarah is known for creating a warm, compassionate space where clients feel safe, respected, and empowered throughout the therapeutic journey 💜

When she’s not at Mini Minds, Sarah can be found café hopping ☕️, enjoying beach days 🏖️, or working on her next creative project 🎨

If your child needs any help in the areas of Anxiety, Depression, Trauma, OCD, Selective Mutism, Emotional/Behavioural Dysregulation, Family Therapy, or Assessments, or if you you would like to know anything more about Sarah & our Mini Minds services, then head to our website at www.minimindshealth.com.au
Alternatively you can call Mini Minds directly on 0452 566 463! Sarah would love to help your child realise their true potential 😊⁠�.⁠�.⁠�.⁠�

09/06/2025

This powerful statement from youth advocate Josh Shipp reminds us of the profound impact a single adult can have on a child’s life 🧑‍🧒

Your presence matters more than you realise. Be the steady⛵️and caring 🤗 adult who helps a child believe in themselves!

Challenge: This month, make a conscious effort to be that supportive figure in your child’s life - listen actively, encourage their passions, and show up consistently.

Remember, your involvement can transform a child’s trajectory, fostering confidence and resilience 🙌

Address

Suite 5, 163 Canning Highway, East Fremantle
Perth, WA
6158

Website

http://www.minimindshealth.com.au/

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