Westpsych - Psychologists

25/03/2026

25/03/2026

✨Therapy can help you become the person you once needed ✨

I am becoming the kind of person I once needed—the one who stays when things get hard, who listens without judgment, and who chooses kindness even on the days it feels impossible. For so long, I searched for that kind of comfort in others, hoping someone would understand the silent battles and the unspoken fears. But somewhere along the way, I realized that the strength I was looking for was quietly growing within me. Piece by piece, I am learning to be gentle with my own heart, to speak words of encouragement to myself, and to hold on through the storms I once thought would break me.

It’s not a perfect journey, and there are still moments when I feel like I’m falling behind. But now, I meet those moments with patience instead of pressure. I am showing up for myself in ways I never thought I could, and that alone is something to be proud of. I am healing, growing, and becoming—slowly but surely—the safe place I always longed for.

— Balt

23/03/2026

Reframing how we see children: I love bad kids! From “I have a bad kid”, to “I have a good kid who is struggling” ❤️ can make all the difference in how we approach the problem 🤗

18/03/2026

Is the placebo effect an undervalued tool for health? (Link below). Chiropractor Dr Jeff Crippen shares eye-opening research studies and hard-won insights into transformational wellness after experiencing excruciating pain for years:
https://www.mariettesnyman.co.za/blog/the-placebo-effect-a-tool-for-health?rq=chiro

17/03/2026

Very important for new parents to understand ✨

Thank you The Gottman Institute

12/03/2026

…. “Nervous systems can be soothed but only relationships can heal 🥹💚”

10/03/2026

In our constantly connected world, many of us find ourselves trapped in an endless cycle of scrolling through stressful content online - a habit experts now call 'doomscrolling'. This compulsive behaviour is wreaking havoc on our mental health, with research linking it to increased anxiety, depressi...

09/03/2026

09/03/2026

06/03/2026

The Brain’s Negative Bias

The human brain is wired with a negative bias. This means it naturally pays more attention to potential threats, problems, or negative experiences than to positive ones.

From an evolutionary perspective, this was protective. Our ancestors survived because their brains quickly noticed danger — a predator in the bushes, a sudden sound, a sign of threat. Missing a danger could be life-threatening, but missing something pleasant was rarely a survival risk.

Because of this wiring, negative experiences are processed more quickly and remembered more strongly. The brain’s threat detection system (particularly the amygdala) flags them as important and stores them deeply so we can recognise similar dangers in the future.

Positive experiences, however, don’t automatically register with the same intensity. Pleasant moments often pass through the brain more lightly unless we consciously pause to notice them.

In simple terms:
The brain is like Velcro for negative experiences and Teflon for positive ones.

This is why one criticism can outweigh ten compliments, why worries linger longer than successes, and why children and adults often need help to notice, savour, and repeat positive experiences so they begin to 'stick' in the brain.

04/03/2026

Have you ever noticed how your child can go from calm to explosive in seconds? Dan Siegel’s Upstairs / Downstairs Brain is a simple way to understand why.

The 'downstairs brain' is in charge of big emotions, survival instincts and staying safe. It reacts quickly – think fight, flight, freeze.

The 'upstairs brain' is where problem-solving, empathy, and reasoning live. It helps children make good choices, manage feelings, and connect with others.

But here’s the catch: children’s upstairs brains are still under construction. That means when emotions overwhelm, their downstairs brain often takes over.

This isn’t 'bad behaviour' – it’s biology. When we see it this way, we can respond with compassion, co-regulation, and strategies that help a young person move from downstairs to upstairs.
Resources to support educating a child around this model are available in our Resource Store.
EMOTIONS and MY BRAIN
This extensive resource pack based on Dan Siegel’s Upstairs and Downstairs Brain
helps and educates children and young people on the concept of the upstairs and downstairs brain can help them recognise how their own brain functions and develop strategies for self-regulation and emotional intelligence.
The pack comprises explainers, emotions scale resources, practical activities including upstairs and downstairs brain choices (behaviours), stress response, amygdala hijack, explainers for both adults and young people and activities to consolidate learning around parts of the brain and functions. Also includes 5 skin tone range of emotions.

Varying resources to suit ages 6-16yrs. Now also available as an 8 week intervention.
Electronic download available at link in comments or via our Linktree Shop in Bio.