ĀHUA Psychology

22/09/2025

I keep seeing people talk about “nervous system regulation” like it’s some kind of permanent zen mode, but it’s not 😑

That thinking is a slippery slope. It’s unrealistic (and honestly unhealthy) to expect to stay “calm” 24/7 🧘🏽

Regulation is about way more than staying chill.. but it’s not about losing your s**t either (in the form of yourself and others through a complete loss of control) 😓

True regulation isn’t about shutting our response down, it’s about working with it 🤝

Lettingg the energy move through so your body can reset.. (without causing harm) 💃🏾😌👌🏽🥲😮‍💨🏃🥵💦🫨🪇🫠

What helps you come back to centre?

09/09/2025

Self assurance is a quiet confidence in one’s own ability and character, independent of success of failure.

Is your self assurance built on outcomes, or something deeper?

04/09/2025

Pressure isn’t the problem. Overcontrol is.

When the heat is on, your brain scrambles for safety by gripping tighter.

This can look like:

Fixating on skills that normally flow with ease

Forcing “positive” thoughts while wrestling with the negative ones

The result?

Skills feel clunky instead of automatic (reinvestment theory).

Negative thoughts grow louder the harder you try to shut them down (ironic process theory).

You end up stuck in your head, not in the moment…making it harder to actually perform.

The good news: there’s a better way than white knuckling control…

24/08/2025

Medication and surface level strategies can be helpful, they quiet the noise. But they don’t rewire the system that created the noise in the first place.

You’re not born anxious or depressed. What happens is your genetics, temperament, and life experiences interact… and that cocktail shapes your risk.

Genes set the stage, but environment writes the script.
That’s the diathesis stress model (Caspi et al., 2003; Sullivan et al., 2000).

Your biology may make you more sensitive but it’s your environment, relationships, trauma, and coping patterns that pull the trigger.

That’s why symptom only treatment is often short lived. Relapse rates are high unless you address the underlying causes (Hollon et al., 2005).

And that’s also why you can’t just “think” your way out of it.

Those patterns are stored in the body and brain, and until they’re properly reprocessed, your system keeps firing as if the threat is still here.

Real healing means getting to the roots:

🌱 Untangling the old patterns your brain wired for survival

🌱 Reprocessing the experiences your system never fully digested

🌱 Teaching your body it’s grounded in the present, not stuck in the past

That is how anxiety and depression become part of your past, not your daily reality.

22/08/2025

It’s good to see the government finally taking Aotearoa’s mental health crisis seriously, but it’s concerning that this is their chosen solution. Right now, we’ve got hundreds of capable psychology graduates who’ve already done the hard yards with a Master’s degree, only to be shut out of Postgraduate Psychologist Training programmes. Not because they’re not capable, but because these programmes are so under resourced and hypercompetitive that only a handful can get through each yearr.

Instead of lowering the bar to a bachelor’s level and asking under-trained grads to handle mental healthcare, why not invest in expanding postgraduate training so more people can become fully registered psychologists? That way we strengthen the workforce properly and the public gets the quality of care they deserve.

It’s good to see the government finally taking the mental health crisis seriously... but it’s concerning that this is their chosen solution. Right now, we’ve got hundreds of capable psychology graduates who’ve already done the hard yards with a Master’s degree, only to be shut out of Postgraduate Psychologist Training programs. Not because they’re not capable, but because these programmes are so under-resourced and hyper competitive that only a handful can get through each year :/

Something to be mindful of over the next year or so...

https://www.thepress.co.nz/nz-news/360798887/dumbing-down-fears-linger-new-psychology-assistant-role-gets-green-light?fbclid=IwY2xjawMVLolleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBicmlkETFkUzlXYXRCQjRzZThHTzM5AR6GpmP0gAhqlxJarZh2veCI9SkPcLe9ZeWusyLndK3tWg7Z5TOSgyxBpxv3gg_aem_06Fvj1yI6ewX8zAbXTTMsw

Despite concerns from the industry it could dumb down the profession and increase workloads, the new role could be in place next year.

21/08/2025

Imagine your 80 year old self living a single day in your life today. What would they notice, savour, hold onto, or do differently?

Share in the comments below 👇🏽

12/08/2025

EMDR therapy is an evidence based approach that works with both the brain AND the body to process distressing or unhelpful experiences so they no longer trigger the same emotional, physical, or cognitive (thinking) disruption in the present.

While best known for treating trauma, EMDR is also effective for treating anxiety, depression, phobias, performance blocks, chronic pain, migraine, neuro-diversity and other physical and mental health challenges where past experiences (big or small) are still shaping how your you AND your body feel, think, and respond today.

By combining bilateral stimulation (such as eye movements, tapping, or sounds) with focused attention on specific memories, sensations, or thoughts, EMDR engages the brain’s natural information processing system and the body’s stress response at the same time 🤯

This integrated approach works at the root… resolving underlying triggers so they no longer set off the same reactions, creating change that actually lasts ⏳

Rather than simply talking about the problem or managing symptoms, EMDR goes straight to the source, using the body 🫀and the mind 🧠 to target the past experiences, sensations, and out-dated responses that keep old patterns in alive ❌.

13/07/2025

Growth isn’t always pretty, but it is always worth it.

What lessons hit you the hardest lately?

16/06/2025

Surfing might be the most humbling thing I’ve thrown myself into since retiring from competitive ski racing.

Learning a sport you didn’t grow up doing is a real ego check. After years of having the basics dialled in without even thinking, this has been a full return to beginner mode.

Over the years surfing has forced me to practice what I preach when it comes to focusing on the process, giving myself grace, finding points of progression in the most challenging sessions, and fully embracing failure and many, many mistakes.

Here’s a few takeaways from the lineup after my most recent trip to Sumatra.

What’s been humbling you lately?

14/05/2025

When your body reacts before your brain catches up — that’s not weakness. That’s survival mode.

Certain triggers can hit hard, fast, and seemingly out of nowhere.

Reminder: You are not broken — your body is doing exactly what it was wired to do: keep you safe.

HOWEVER, when your brain is using old data to keep you safe in situations where you’re no longer at risk, problems can arise. Problems with your mental health, your relationships, your mahi, your sense of self, identity, and even your physical health.

And this is why nervous system work matters.

You can’t always think your way out of a survival mode — but you can learn to relate to it differently.

That starts with practices that work with the body, not against it — things like EMDR, somatic work, and building safety through connection.

Your story doesn’t end with what happened or did not happen in the past.

It continues with how you care for your nervous system now.

07/05/2025

Healing isn’t about waiting for someone else to change. It’s about owning your part, letting go of what’s not yours, and choosing to move forward anyway.

26/01/2023

Do you experience mental health and challenges that relate to your mental wellbeing? Whether those challenges are severe or very mild, I’m keen to hear from you.

By filling out this survey, you will help myself and other psychologists create offerings to better support people with their mental health and well-being.

In return, be in to WIN A $50 BOOKETY BOOK BOOKS VOUCHER for your next read. Please note, sharing personally identifiable information is optional. If you do not fill in your email, your results will remain anonymous. For those wanting to go into the draw to win, you will need to leave your contact details.

Take 5 min to fill out the survey here: https://forms.gle/v9SyiUYeRt8aJf8k6

I very much appreciate your time and support!

Ngā mihi nui ki a koe 😀

Taylor
Registered Psychologist
BSc MSc Psych (hon) PGDip Psych Practice
www.ahuapsychology.com