Skyla Steele: Provisional Psychologist

02/03/2024

😴 Taking the time to rest 😴

Hustle culture is still quite prominent in our society, especially with the cost of living crisis we're experiencing at the moment. Hustle culture emphasises that hard work and long hours equal sucess, but it also perpetuates the idea that rest is for the weak.

Our body and mind need time to relax and recharge. If you continue to carry on without getting enough rest, you can become very unwell and your body will force you to rest, which can be at an inconvenient time.

It's important to listen to our bodies and notice what the signs of physical and emotional fatigue are in ourselves.

22/02/2024

😎 Self-Care 😎

I'm sure my clients are tired of hearing me emphasise the importance of self care and how we cannot poor from an empty cup.

I'll let you in on a little secret. I was really slack with practising self-care for most of last year. Whoops! This year is the year I intend to practice what I preach.

One thing I've shaken up is extending my lunch break from 30 minutes to an hour. This gives me the opportunity to get outside and either go for a walk or a short drive to the beach or lake to eat my lunch. Doing this has allowed me to fill my cup so that I can be more present with my clients in the afternoon.

This was my view for my lunch break today. Can anyone have a guess as to where I was?

21/02/2024

The struggle was real for quite a while, but I'm so grateful to have had some amazing people take a chance on me. I have learnt so much over the last 18 months.

🤣🤣🤣

18/02/2024

❓️ What exactly is a Provisional Psychologist? ❓️

This is a question I get asked a fair bit, so I thought I'd break it down a bit.

Long story short, a provisional psychologist is very similar to an intern, resident or registar in the medical world. They have completed their tertiary studies and are completing a supervised practice program to obtain general registration as a psychologist.

They are our emerging psychologists who will shape the future of mental health care here in Australia. I have been doing my internship program for almost two years and I'm hoping to finish by the end of the year.

I have appointments available 5 days a week at Clinical Psychology Services Australia in Wyee. If you would like to book an appointment, feel free to give us a call or shoot us an email.

18/02/2024

Hello there 👋

My name is Skyla and I am a provisional psychologist currently working at Clinical Psychology Services Australia on the Central Coast and Port Stephens. I completed my psych degree with honours at the University of Newcastle in 2020. I started my psychology internship journey in 2022 and I am currently halfway towards becoming a fully registered psychologist.

I am incredibly passionate about my work and I feel that it is an absolute privilege to help someone find the light in the darkness. I mostly work from a cognitive behavioural and trauma informed approach leading towards values based behavioural changes. I also love utilising narrative therapy to help people find and develop their own authentic stories about themselves.

In addition to therapy, I am also well equipped at conducting various assessments. These include cognitive, achievement, developmental and diagnostic assessments. I have also recently developed a passion for conducting neurodiversity affirming assessments and moving on to utilising ND affirming practices with my neurodivergent clients.

I am a strong advocate for a holistic approach when it comes to both mental health and psychological assessment, helping you to explore the importance of all areas of life. I work with people of all ages and with those of diverse cultures, sexuality and gender.

Outside the therapy room I love to sing, dance, read a good book, go for walks and explore my own backyard.