Positive Moves Wellbeing | Private Psychologist Bayside Melbourne

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Breathe

Therapy to build resilience, mental & emotional health

Read About Our Individual Therapy

Move

Moving with you through change, challenge and growth

Find Out About Our Walking Therapy

Nourish

Training and resources for healthy minds

Explore our training and resources

Connect

Nurturing healthy minds through healthy relationships

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@positivemoveswellbeing

Addiction is a continuum. It might suit many of u

Addiction is a continuum. It might suit many of us to believe it is a genetic predisposition or a moral failing restricted to the realms of those who use alcohol and other drugs to excess. In reality, it is more accurately seen as a case of our human need for bonding and connection gone askew (thanks to the work of @dr.gabormate @johann.hari and Professor Peter Cohen). We are all prone to seek self-soothing in the face of fear and discomfort and when we find ourselves experiencing disconnection from those around us, we will find a behaviour to bond with (whether it is eating, gaming, shopping, pornography, gambling, exercise). Of course, addictions differ in degree of severity, the extent to which they impact our ability to show up in the world, and in the level of moral judgement applied to the already heavy weight of bearing the addiction itself. Ironically society is more comfortable with the use of alcohol and tobacco despite them being implicated in many more deaths. Indeed, @michaelcmoss in Hooked suggests no addictive drug can fire up the reward circuitry in the brain quite as rapidly as our favourite foods and yet there are no restrictions and penalties applied to protect the unsuspecting public from the impact of processed food on brain circuitry. Addictive tendencies arise in the circuitry of the brain that govern our most basic life-sustaining functions – motivation, physical and emotional pain relief, the regulation of stress, and the capacity to feel and receive love. Rather than question why the addict continues to use, we might more helpfully bring nonjudgmental curiosity and explore the origins of the pain they are struggling to escape. #lostconnections #addiction #compassionateinquiry #interpersonalneurobiology #nervoussystemregulation #mentalhealth #bringingpsychologytolife #melbournepsychologist #walkingtherapy #brainhealth

Our tendency to ignore, suppress, push aside, or g

Our tendency to ignore, suppress, push aside, or go into battle with our emotions can prolong their lifespan and keep them stuck in our body and mind longer than is useful. Our emotions are intended to convey a signal and once the message is received and acknowledged they can go on their way without causing undue harm. When our emotions pass through unobstructed, we are able to return our nervous system to a safe state so we might effectively engage with life. If we don’t believe we can tolerate the darkness of the tunnel we might never step forward to move through; if we lack capacity to keep the emotional energy moving we might find ourselves stuck in the middle increasingly exhausted by an ongoing battle to get rid of the feeling. The only way out is through, and sometimes we all need some support to keep moving in the right direction. Love this quote from @enagoski which says it perfectly. #nervoussystemregulation #mentalhealth #emotionalhealth #bringingpsychologytolife #melbournepsychologist #permissiontofeel #burnout #emotionalexhaustion #walkingtherapy #brainhealth

Psychotherapist @whitepeak_ruth captured it beauti

Psychotherapist @whitepeak_ruth captured it beautifully when she said “To be grounded is to put our feet on solid ground and put down roots or anchors within ourselves”. We have an inherent human capacity to restore and repair but it requires us to take a little time to slow down and connect with our self. When we do so, we become aware of our internal surveillance system – the safety settings of our autonomic nervous system that detect stress, threat and danger. This system is foundational to how we feel, act and think. When we invest time and energy tending to our inner physiology, we are able to create the necessary conditions for safety and connection. When we go for a walk, the heart pumps faster, circulating more blood and oxygen not just to the muscles but to all the organs—including the brain. The movement promotes new connections between brain cells, increases the volume of the hippocampus (a brain region crucial for memory), and elevates levels of molecules that stimulate the growth of new neurons and transmit messages between them. The way we move our bodies changes the nature of our thoughts, and vice versa. When we walk we create a feedback loop between the rhythm of our bodies and our mental state. The pace of our feet naturally vacillates with our moods and the cadence of our inner speech; this offers a window for us to shift the pace of our thoughts by deliberately walking more briskly or by slowing down. Visiting Victoria’s Alpine region brought an opportunity to slow down and feel the benefits on mood, blood pressure, psychological and physical wellbeing. Moving along the Brabralung Trail it was clear the indigenous custodians of the land we walked on had the same belief long before psychologists conducted the research to prove what they already knew. #highcountryvictoria #walkingtherapy #polyvagaltheory #safetyandconnection #brainhealth #integrativetherapy #mindbody #nervoussystemregulation #mentalhealth #bringingpsychologytolife #melbournepsychologist #nature

Our brain is continually responding to, and balanc

Our brain is continually responding to, and balancing, the demands of daily living – it strives to maintain equilibrium. Much of the time demands deplete rather than replenish our resources and as a result our body and mind are drained of the energy needed to operate optimally. A consequence can be an imbalance in our mindbody balance sheet and reduced resilience, vulnerability to inflammation, and dysregulation. Amidst all that shifts and changes around us, it can be hard to provide our body and mind with the restorative practices required. Restorative sleep and restful practices are essential for our repair at a cellular level. Sleep allows our cardiovascular and immune systems time to repair from damage inflicted throughout the day. The release of growth hormones enables our muscular system to maintain and strengthen us. The endocrine system conducts widespread maintenance during sleep. Our lymphatic system gets rid of waste product of cell metabolism and the glymphatic system that transports important brain growth factors, eliminates toxins. So far from a luxurious indulgence, incorporating restorative practices and micro-breaks are essential. The foundations of good brain health need to be established to support therapy and this week I’m practicing what I preach and immersing myself in nature to replenish my own body budget. I invite you to consider what restorative practices nourish your body and mind and how you tend to the pillars of REST: Routine – establish consistent sleep and wake patterns; create a sleep sanctuary; create cues to prepare your body and mind for rest Exercise – move your body sufficiently throughout the day; get outdoors in the morning light Stimulant Control – manage toxins and stimulants that derail restorative practices and sleep (e.g. caffeine, alcohol, digital input, excess sound and light) Thinking – practice curating the thoughts you attend to and letting go of others #restandrestore #brainhealth #integrativetherapy #nervoussystemregulation #mentalhealth #bringingpsychologytolife #melbournepsychologist #walkingtherapy #nature

For all the hearts and flowers associated with lov

For all the hearts and flowers associated with love, there is a surprising scarcity of enriching, vulnerable conversations about our relationships. We routinely ask friends and family about their physical health, we are even getting better at discussing aspects of our mental health, but relational health remains something of a taboo. In the dynamics of our relationships early unconsciously acquired patterns and responses can be exposed. Many sources of insecurity in relationships can be traced back to how our nervous system perceived cues of safety and danger when we were younger. This insecurity is not something we can figure out with cognition because it often lies beyond the events we can remember. Patterns of insecurity in relationships might show up as behaviour and feelings that play out in certain social situations and repeat in how we relate to others. For example: * Shutting down or running away when things get difficult * Ignoring your needs to maintain a relationship or image of how others perceive you * Trying to rescue and change others * Blaming others * Avoiding conflict, seeking conflict * Fear of rejection and abandonment These patterns of insecurity shape the way we approach relationships. We learn best in the presence of security, safety, patience and respect. Yet, so often the failures of past relationships have left us anxious and diminish our efforts to be the teachers we need to be for our partner. In such circumstances, our attempts to teach and learn can come across as criticism, defensiveness, stonewalling, and contempt (what @gottmaninstitute calls the horsemen of the apocalypse). These so-called horsemen of the apocalypse result in ruptures and wounds that, left unchecked, will fester and create dis-ease. Being able to identify these elements when you face conflict in your relationship is the necessary first step to eliminating them and replacing them with more healthy, productive communication patterns. #relationalhealth #healthyattachment #emotionalintelligence #interpersonalneurobiology#integrativetherapy #mindbody #neurosequential #nervoussystemregulation #telehealth #mentalhealth #melbournepsychologist

Many parents have been sharing their concerns abou

Many parents have been sharing their concerns about the impact of previous and ongoing lockdowns on their own mental health and also on the learning and development of their children. This article (see link in bio) offers encouraging recognition of how an integrated approach to managing the impact of stress might support future learning and recovery. For adults and children alike, the evidence points to the importance of establishing key foundational elements on which higher order cognitive skills can be built. Rather than singularly focus on the pursuit of academic achievement and curriculum catch-up, enabling greater access to, play, drama, music, nature, social connection and physical movement aligns with better mental health and wellbeing outcomes for all. #integrativetherapy #mindbody #neurosequential #nervoussystemregulation #telehealth #mentalhealth #bringingpsychologytolife #melbournepsychologist #knowyourmind #breathe #walkingtherapy #emotionalintelligence

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