The Soulful Psych

21/11/2023

My loves!!

I’ve finally found a forever work home 🏡 😍🥰

Unfortunately, she won’t be ready for us until January as she needs some TLC 💕

Whilst she’s being tended to, I have made some temporary arrangements because I know so many of you have been holding out and waiting for in-person appointments!

I’ll be working from an office in Bundall from next Monday, 27/11, until Christmas. Check your emails for details, or call 0482 849 689 for more info!

I’ve missed your faces! Can’t wait to see you in person again! 😍

Dani 💕

31/10/2023

Hello my loves! I’ve been quiet on the socials for a while so I’m popping in to let you know I’ve returned to work after having some time off 🤗

I’m currently doing online sessions until I secure a new location. Sing out if you’d like an appt!

————————————

As some of you know, I spent recently some time in the Amazon in Peru.

I learned so many things during this time but the jungle itself reminded me of something so important - the interconnectedness of everything.

So many times I stood in awe of the symphony and the pure aliveness of the jungle. I could FEEL the aliveness of everything - trees, plants, birds, monkeys, ants, the lake, even the rocks. Everything had a place and a purpose. Everything worked together, and there was a felt sense of coherence between every living thing. Even the jungle debris was alive - the ‘dead’ leaves and trees, banana skins and coconut hulls - because it was in a process of decay, a process of cellular transformation, a process of shapeshifting of energy.

When I thought about our life here in the west, I could see the disconnectedness of everything. We are living in electrified concrete jungles, separated from each other, separated from nature, separated from the cycles of life… We live in relative isolation (more people live alone now than ever before) with a distinct lack of meaning and heartfelt, genuine connection.

It made me think that we have truly forgotten what we - as living breathing human beings - are actually a part of; because life is not really about social media, or the newest model car or iphone, or promotions...

And it left me thinking it’s no wonder we have a mental health epidemic.

And wondering, how do we balance that…?

If nothing else, I urge you to spend a little time in nature - remind yourself what you’ve potentially been missing!

Big love,

Dani 💕

12/05/2023

My loves,

My loveliest friend, Ashlee, has a new boundaries course up and running! Great for those of you who struggle with the pitfalls of dating and the tendency to paint red flags white!! 🚩 🚩🚩

https://events.humanitix.com/crave-love-without-the-suffering-boundaries-and-standards?fbclid=IwAR2aMbZi2lN9THVNU90MedsgRMGcznu6ZTLzfFLwZfQmvHQ-QaXUzIBcbLU&mibextid=Zxz2cZ

Hey Ladies, *EDIT* Originally this workshop was only about dating, however due to the 4 most important pillars in life being connected, we’ll expand this workshop to talk about all 4: Love (dating & relationships)Friendships Family Work We’ll cover: > Boundaries & standards ⚖️ > Red flags .....

05/05/2023

Who’s making a wish this weekend?! 🧚🏼‍♀️

04/04/2023

This is beautiful example of parenting and learning emotion regulation 💕

https://fb.watch/jInZm0vojC/?mibextid=q5o4bk

29/03/2023

My loves,

I'm back from the weeklong advanced retreat with Dr Joe Dispenza. I'll be sharing my experience in my monthly newsletter (send me a DM if you want to be added!) and we'll be talking in depth at next week's healing circle. If you'd like to come along and hear more, grab your ticket using the link in the comments ☺️

Big love,
Dani 💕

https://fb.watch/jznRmnGn_j/

13/03/2023

My loves, it's my birthday month!

Normally, I’m not one to fuss too much about my birthday, but this one is a milestone - I’m turning 40. And I’m sharing this with you because I know so many people have so much angst about these turn-of-a-decade numbers and what it means to be getter older.

For me, these points in time offer an invitation for reflection on my growth, the lessons learned and the wisdom earned. When I transitioned out of my 20s, I felt proud of my achievements and excited for my 30s. I marveled at what I could possibly achieve given all I’d done in my 20s. As I approach 40, here’s some professional milestones this year marks for me:
💫 23 years since I started my career in psychology
💫 20 years since my first graduation
💫 10 years since my last graduation
💫 8 years of running my own private practice

And here’s some life milestones from this last decade:
💫 took my travel tally to 33 countries
💫 lived and volunteered in Kenya and Uganda
💫 fell in love, and, had my heart broken
💫 bought a house and got a Pumba (officially a grown up now, right?!)
💫 learned how to experienced the wonderland that is my inner world

But my 30s didn’t really go as I’d hoped or expected, and I certainly “failed” to meet the social and cultural expectations for women of my age because I’m not married and I don’t have children yet.

Instead, for the most part - like many of you, I’ve spent the last decade traversing the valley of my own shadow. I’ve navigated many a dark night of the soul, faced my greatest and deepest fears, tended to grief, heartbreak, and loss… It’s been wild, grueling, and unimaginable in so many ways. It’s been a deep cracking open and a perpetual process of internal death and rebirth; an unbecoming of everything I believed about myself.

The one constant through this last decade has been my curiosity and drive for understanding the psyche, the human experience, and the interconnectedness of everything. It’s gifted me my profession, global travel, opportunities to meet and learn from local and international thought leaders, direct experiences of connecting with the Divine through multiple modalities, and forming heart-centered bonds with the most incredible souls.

The best thing that’s come from this past decade is a deep inner knowing and wisdom beyond my years. As I stand here on the threshold of a new decade, I wouldn’t change any of it. Every little moment is what made me who I am today, even the worst of it. I wonder if you can see that reflected in you, too?

I’m celebrating this transition by sitting in a two day sacred ceremony with some of my loved ones as the clock ticks over. Then I’m heading off to a week-long advanced retreat with Dr Joe Dispenza - if you were around in 2019, you might recall my excitement and joy at that life changing experience, and I’m keen as a bean to be going again! I’m excited to come back and share with you all in a few weeks!

Big love until then,

Dani 💕

07/03/2023

Will you do me a favour please?

Will you share you compliments, feedback, innermost thoughts that you hold back with a woman in your life today?

Tell her if she inspires you.

Tell her if she nourishes your soul.

Tell her if she ignites a passion within you.

Tell her if she helps to soften your edges.

Tell her if you’re proud of her.

Tell her you’ve seen her growth.

Tell her if she’s touched your heart with her strength and vulnerability.

Tell her if she’s your person.

Tell her if you loved her.

Tell her because she probably doesn’t know - as magic as she is, she’s not a mind reader!

Tell her because even though she may have heard it before, it probably hasn’t landed.

Tell her like you mean it with every ounce of your being and see her walk a lighter taller, with a smile that’s a little bright and a heart that’s a little fuller.

Tell her 💕

And, if it happens to you on the receiving end - receive! Soak in the moment of someone acknowledging and honouring you 💕

Happy International Women’s Day, my loves 💕

01/03/2023

For those of you who care for my office plants 🌷💕

27/02/2023

Are you too in awe of the wonders of this world? I certainly am! 🥰

“Truly, we live with mysteries too marvelous
to be understood.

How grass can be nourishing in the
mouths of the lambs.
How rivers and stones are forever
in allegiance with gravity
while we ourselves dream of rising.
How two hands touch and the bonds will
never be broken.
How people come, from delight or the
scars of damage,
to the comfort of a poem.

Let me keep my distance, always, from those
who think they have the answers.

Let me keep company always with those who say
“Look!” and laugh in astonishment,
and bow their heads.”

— Mary Oliver

[ Art • “Rainbow” by Tim O’Brien ]

14/02/2023

💗

❤️LOVE SONG TO MYSELF❤️

You are the one I wake with every morning. The one I breathe with, the one whose every heart beat I feel as my own. You are the one I walk with, the one I speak and sing with, the one who stays with me through every waking moment of every sacred day. You are the one I get sick with, the one I cry with, the one whose anger and joy and doubt surges through me like fire. You are the one I will die with, the one whose arms I shall return to. You are the one I see in every face, shining through every pair of eyes, shimmering through the silences, the trails of dust and the spaces in the canopy. You are my constant companion, my home, my reason, my joy, my life. We cannot be divided, we cannot be two, and even 'One' is too far for us.

I sing this song to myself, disappearing into the song, and I am never alone.

- Jeff Foster

14/02/2023

With love and grace 💕

“When you feel unseen
I will see you

When you feel unappreciated
I will celebrate your brilliance and applaud your success

When you feel unwanted
I will welcome and embrace you

When you feel unheard
I will listen to you

When you feel unloved
I will shower you with love and affection

When you feel weak and powerless
I will remind you of your inner strength

When you feel exhausted and weary
I will let you rest and recuperate

When you feel hurt and betrayed
I will give you space to heal and mend your heart

When you feel stuck and stagnant
I will empower you to regain momentum

When you make mistakes
I will celebrate your growth and progress

When you stumble and fall
I will help you recover, then rise

When you feel shame
I will remind you that no single human being is perfect

When you feel insecure
I will remind you of your gifts, talents and strengths

When you feel strange, weird or quirky
I will embrace your uniqueness and authenticity

When you feel ugly
I will remind you of your unique beauty

When you feel like giving up
I will remind you of the reason you first began

When you feel discouraged
I will comfort and reassure you in your depths

When you feel suffocated by life
I will hold your hand through the darkness

When you feel lost
I will help you navigate through the murkiness of life

When you feel lonely
I will show up fully for you

When you doubt yourself
I will remind you of your potential

And when you feel invisible and insignificant
I will remind you who you are.”

~ Love

— Tahlia Hunter

[ Artist • Aykut Aydoğdu ]

07/02/2023

Don’t leave your love unspoken and unreceived.

Don’t wait for death, or even for birthday parties.

Imagine how differently we would all feel if we actually shared those kind and loving thoughts and feelings with each other AS OFTEN AS POSSIBLE?! 💕

05/02/2023

I see you 💫

If you saw the movie Avatar remember that the Na'vi, the natives of Pandora, instead of saying "I love you"

They used to say "I see you."

To see the other is to recognize him as someone very similar to you, go beyond surfacing and immerse yourself in Being.

It means more than seeing the other physically. It means to see a look loving inside the other, with understanding, acceptance and connection of our common vulnerability, humanity and Divinity.

I see your pain.

I see your strengths.

I see you and accept Everything see,

even what I dislike even what is different to my beliefs.

I see your light

I see you without judging you without blaming you

I see you beyond any
expectation and projection, since they can harm you and hide your identity deeper.

I see you in all your dimensions and in the wealth of all your experiences.

I see you, it is my way of receiving you unconditionally, and by doing so I allow you to see and receive you as you are.

I see you, it means letting yourself be irradiated, without filters, without masks and without fears.

When say "I see you" is that I'm leaving aside my judgment, my prejudices to see you for real entirely, how you really are and I accept you exactly how you are

I see you because

i can see myself too

Something beautiful,among the tribes from South Africa, the most common greeting (In Zulu) is Sawubona, Means "I see you"

It is a way of seeing the other, to accept it as it is, with his virtues, with his light, and also with its flaws

"That's how I exist for you." I respect you, I value you, You are important to me and I accept you

"I accept you as you are, and you are part of me"

I SEE YOU.❤️❤️

Beautiful words shared by Maureen Araullo in the FB group Psychology in our life 🙌😍

03/02/2023

Which place will you go to this weekend? 💕

30/01/2023

It is so important to understand this boundary breach and how it impacts us.

21/01/2023

New moon rituals are ceremonies or practices that are performed at the beginning of a lunar month, when the moon is not visible. These rituals often involve setting intentions, making wishes, or reflecting on personal growth.

As the new moon is associated with new beginnings, it’s also a time of cleansing, purification and letting go.

What are your favourite new moon rituals? 🌙

13/01/2023

It’s Friday the 13th! What are your superstitions?

08/01/2023

My loves,

If you don’t know already, I’m a huge fan of gratitude and all the good things it does for our mindset and our happy hormones 🤗

A few years ago I did the challenge and I loved it so much that it turned into 1000 days!

The goal is find something every day for 100 days in a row that makes you happy and document it in a journal, social media, or via their website (I believe there’s a certificate upon completion).

I used Instagram to document my days and I’m so glad I did because it became a beautiful visual journal of all the moments of my life that I loved. It also taught me about what I loved, what filled my cup, and, when I hadn’t posted for a few days(*), it reminded me of what was missing.

*I have to confess that last time I did it, I wasn’t 100% consistent in doing it daily but that taught me about the practice of continuing to pick up where I left off.

I’ve decided to start again on my next 100/1000 days. Would you like to join me?! 🙋🏻‍♀️

Big love,
Dani 💕

07/01/2023

This week I said farewell to a dear friend.

This week was also the 10 year anniversary of my father’s passing.

Here’s some things I’ve personally learned about grief in the last 10 years.

What have you learned about grief that might be helpful to share with someone who’s grieving now? 💕

06/01/2023

I’ve been having conversations with people this week about their goals for the year and the procrastination that is coming up because they’re afraid of failing.

Did you know I went back to uni 7 years ago to study midwifery?! 👶🏼👶🏽👶🏾

16 years ago I was a birthing partner when my niece was born. It was such an incredible experience for me and it sparked something deep within me.

I’d toyed with the idea of midwifery whilst doing my psych post grad but didn’t take any action until 7 years ago when I found myself disillusioned and burnt out, considering whether I wanted to continue as a psychologist at all.

So, I enrolled in a midwifery degree part time. I loved it - I loved learning about the miracle of the human body, how life comes into physical form, and all that goes along with it - it’s magic! 💫

However, there were a bunch of factors that meant continuing would be an uphill battle and it was a battle I didn’t think I could win, so I chose not to continue.

I share this with you because I’m curious to know if you would consider this to be a failure - to start something you didn’t/couldn’t finish? 🤔

If procrastination and fear of failure is coming up for you as you consider your hopes and dreams for the year ahead, pause and ask yourself:

~ Will you be better or worse off for having tried?

~ Is some action better than not at all? (Think baby steps rather than giant leaps)

~ Is there learning to be had in the process?

~ Can that learning then inform your next steps?

~ When you come to the end of your days, will you regret not having tried?

It’s all about having a growth mindset and viewing ourselves as an evolving work in progress, rather than a finished product that “should” be able to do whatever we put our mind to…

Life happens to and for us in all sorts of different ways. It’s a choose-your-own-adventure journey in which we have to adjust and adapt along the way.

What adventure will you choose for yourself this year? 💕

03/01/2023

At the fresh dawn of every new year, there’s a lot of noise about resolutions, intentions, and choosing a word for the year.

I encourage you to tune into what feels right for you - not what’s right for someone else, not what your mentor, teacher, spiritual guru or best friend thinks is right - but what is good and true for you in this moment (because there is only this moment and there is only one you 😉).

And perhaps consider that this day, this week, or even this month of January may not be the best time for you personally to be recalibrating to a new set of goals and intentions… 🤔

And, as you choose your own path forward, it may be helpful to make time for reflection on the past 12 months.

💫What lessons showed up for you over and over again? The big ones and the small ones…
💫 Did you master them, or is there still work to do?
💫 What learnings did these lessons reveal to you?
💫 How will you carry those learnings into 2023 as an embodied strength now?

And perhaps, rather than setting lofty, idealist goals and intentions, the best and most we can ask of ourselves is to aim to be better than we were yesterday.

Go gently my loves,
Dani 💕

Pic credit: srwpoetry

02/01/2023

How wonderful it would be if we resolved to shed the weight of all that is not ours to carry! Happy new year’s, my loves! 🌟💕

~ This year, dear friends, may we all lose weight!

The weight of expectations. The weight of self-criticism. The weight of disconnect that fills us with a deeper hunger. The weight of not always loving. The weight of a worn and weary world. Of not always accepting, seeing and inhabiting this precious and sacred body, that we're in.

~ This year, dear friends, may we all exercise!
..our holy will! Our sacred sense of purpose. Our vision and hard-earned wisdom. Our discernment and our shining hearts. In ways that enrich connections, with our bodies, our souls and those we love. And even to the world. ❤

~ This year, ah yes... may we all start the work of quitting...
..that collective Kool-Aid. The negative self-talk. The small-a**ed living. That cacophony of cockatoo-voices that drown out our souls. And old habits: Those used to stop us hearing our pain, our disappointments, and all things much better loved, seen and accepted right down to the very bottom ~ and to find true freedom, through a connection with our deepest souls.

And...

~ This fine new year, (well, here's the best...) May we all be rich!

Yes, utterly and completely rich. Wildly and unapologetically. Rich in love. Life. Connection with one another and all that really matters. Filled to the brim and bubbling over; more again and spilling over that. Full of laughter, acceptance, joy, and less of worry. Less of sorrow ~

Rich in renewed experience, of a whole new year! ❤

Happy 2023, dear friends!

~Rachel Alana (R.A Falconer)
Midwives of the Soul

art | John Collier

#2023

28/12/2022

If you’d like a gentle and nourishing way to start 2023 with some self care and healthy habits, my beautiful friend Fiona is offering this workshop 🙌🏼💕

Tickets: https://events.humanitix.com/beautiful-you-nurturing-your-beauty-with-fiona

🧚‍♀️ Fiona is hosting a wonderful workshop on Saturday the 7th of January
‘Beautiful You’ is all about learning how to incorporate self-nourishment into your everyday life.
Tickets are available via humanitix - link in bio.

26/12/2022

❤️❤️❤️

25/12/2022

~ 𝒟𝑒𝓈𝒾𝒹𝑒𝓇𝒶𝓉𝒶 ~

Go placidly amid the noise and haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible without surrender
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others, even the dull and ignorant;
they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons,
they are vexations to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain and bitter;
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs;
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals;
and everywhere life is full of heroism.
Be yourself.
Especially, do not feign affection.
Neither be critical about love;
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment
it is as perennial as the grass.
Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe,
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.
Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be,
and whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.
With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be careful. Strive to be happy.

© Max Ehrmann 1927