Articles

The Attuned Psychology blog library

Welcome to our library of blog articles to inspire you and help you think through some of the challenges you might be facing.

We add to these articles as topics arise from our therapy sessions or issues grow in public awareness.

If you have some article topics you’d like us to consider writing about, please use the contact form to share your suggestions.

In the meantime, here are links to our top 5 most read articles:

Or make an appointment enquiry using our form

Evidenced Based Exam Preparation Tips From A Psychologist

Let’s face it. Exams can be anxiety provoking and challenging. Many of my clients experience issues with exams such as stress and anxiety as they go about their preparation, destructive patterns of procrastination, or crushing feelings of failure if they don’t pass their exams. While the emphasis on exams is changing (as it’s becoming less common for Year 12 students to sit exams to complete the SACE, and many subjects at University do not include a final exam) exams aren’t going away any time soon. Here are three ways to prepare better for exams. Create an organisational system that works

“Help! I can’t stop avoiding the thing I’m anxious about!” How to stop safety behaviours

One of the most common issues that my clients struggle with is anxiety. I often try to explain anxiety as persistent worry that we can’t control or stop. It’s a truly unpleasant feeling similar to losing control, feeling highly overwhelmed, or like you can’t stop your mind from racing. Anxiety is often triggered by stressful situations such as dealing with school or university study, large volumes of work, difficulties or changes in a relationship, or adjusting to unfamiliar situations. The situations vary, but the underlying cycle remains the same. Let’s apply the science to help deal with your anxiety now!

Emotional overwhelm, fears of abandonment, significant trauma: Could DBT therapy be for you?

If you are someone who sometimes feels overwhelmed by emotion, struggles with fears of abandonment or who has experienced significant trauma in your life, DBT therapy or Dialectical Behavioural Therapy is a helpful option to explore with your therapist. DBT is a set of concrete, practical skills designed to assist people who struggle with managing their emotions, or who experience difficulty with interpersonal relationships. I have found that Dialectical Behavioural Therapy can also be beneficial for people who have experienced trauma as a result of difficult or abusive interpersonal relationships. How does DBT Therapy work? DBT therapy might be different

What Is A Psychologist Anyway?

Understanding what a psychologist actually is and does can be difficult. This is because there are lots of common misconceptions and misunderstandings. For example, it’s common for people to confuse my role with that of a psychiatrist. They sound similar and some psychologists even use the title of ‘Dr’ if they have completed a PhD. Other misconceptions I’ve encountered include people saying things like, ‘But, you can read minds right?’ or ‘You can solve all my problems right?’ or even, ‘You only work with mentally unwell people right?’ Some of the people who come to see me experience understandable confusion

Why Do Therapy If A Psychologist Can’t Wave A Magic Wand?

Starting a therapeutic relationship is one of the most daunting things many of will ever face but in this article I will share insights to encourage you to give it a try. Often many people delay accessing therapy for fear of not being able to open up to a stranger, not knowing where to start, or wondering whether it’s going to be a useful investment of time and money. In actual fact what I find is when a client of mine makes that initial phone call there is an instant sense of relief that comes with the knowledge that they’re about to

3 Small Steps For Understanding And Responding To Adolescent Anxiety

To help us start understanding and responding to adolescent anxiety, let’s begin by defining some terms, sharing some insights from research, and then viewing the topic within the layered context of a teenager’s lived experience. It’s also heartening to note that the body of research shows anxiety can be treated when teens practice strategies consistently with a psychologist. Let’s start with the definition of terms. What is stress? To understand anxiety, first you need to understand stress. Stress is our body’s natural response to stressful or dangerous situations that feel beyond our capacity to cope. A little stress is good