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Mixed Berry Smoothie
Mixed Berry Smoothie
Serves 1-2
Ingredients:
1 cup Mixed Berries, frozen
1 banana, frozen
½ cup vanilla or plain yoghurt
½ cup milk of choice
½ tbsp. chia seeds
Method:
1. Add frozen berries, banana, yoghurt, milk, and chia seeds to a blender.
2. Cover and blend until thick and smooth.
3. Adjust with more milk to achieve desired consistency.
For a sweeter smoothie, add some honey or maple syrup until desired sweetness is achieved.
Managing sensory sensitivities through the Festive season
Christmas is a time for gathering together family and friends, enjoying delicious food, and celebrating both the traditions and spontaneity that come with the holidays. However, for both children and adults who experience different sensory sensitivities, Christmas can quickly become an uncomfortable or overwhelming time.
Facing “Impossible Tasks”
Do you have an ‘Impossible Task’? Coined by M. Molly Backes on Twitter, an ‘Impossible Task’ can be anything – starting an assignment, going grocery shopping, or making a phone call. The task may seem simple enough, but for you it’s overwhelming and all too much. Even if the task weighs on your mind every day and you spend significant time and effort willing yourself to ‘just do it’, for some reason you just can’t.
Why is it so hard to keep my goals?
Do you find it hard to set goals? Or, when you do set goals, do you find it hard to keep them?
A quick search online suggests that the majority of people who set New Years’ Resolutions each year don’t manage to keep them for even a month - so if you struggle to keep the goals you set you are not alone!
What sense do you find calms you the most?
Touch, taste, hearing, smell and sight. These are our five senses that we use every day. Whether it is appreciating the sight of the morning sunrise, savouring the taste of our morning coffee, listening to music whilst on public transport to work, or snuggling into the soft touch of the doona as we go to bed at night. Our five senses help us enjoy and appreciate the fullness of the world.
A Few of My Favourite Reads
Children are amazing learners. They are making sense of the world through observation, exploration, experimentation, play, and stories. Stories, in particular, are a great tool to help communicate complex concepts.
It’s not just the age-appropriate language and interesting pictures that help with understanding. Stories promote an emotional response that enhances the connection between the content and experience. This not only increases engagement but openness to learning as well.
Help! My teen refuses to go to therapy!?
A lot of adults can find it difficult to attend therapy for the first time, so it should come as no surprise that teenagers can feel the same.
However, except for situations where your teen is at immediate risk of harm, being forced or coerced into therapy will often fail to provide the positive outcomes that you so sorely desire for them.
Managing change with psychological flexibility
After a recent family relocation, I have been thinking a lot about how my family and I deal with change. I recalled many of the changes across my life; international moves with my children all born on different continents, two very different careers, family members passing away, my children becoming teenagers. Change still brings up complex emotion for me, yet I realise I have also changed my orientation toward it over the years.
How much is too much when it comes to screen time?
As Psychologists we often get asked about how much screen time is appropriate for young people. This question often comes from the concern that screen time, in and of itself, is a ‘bad’ thing and should be limited – however it is important to acknowledge that digital technology is a part of modern life and brings many benefits – including opportunities for learning and socialising.
Getting Ready for the HSC Exams
In my job I have had the pleasure of working with numerous young people over the years prepare to sit their HSC exams. As the 2020 HSC exams approach for another year, I have found myself again discussing these ‘big exams’. It is not uncommon for these conversations to assist the young person in addressing their expectations and reducing the pressure they put on themselves. For many, HSC exams are approached with a fear of failure- that they will achieve significantly worst results than any other exam period in the past. The exams are perceived as significantly different from past exams. They are seen as like ‘nothing before’.
Self Compassion for Parents
When was the last time you beat yourself up for the way you acted towards your kids? Parenting is hard enough, but it can be made even harder by being your own worst critic. Maybe there’s a voice in your head saying that you’re a terrible parent because you lost your temper this morning, or you feel like a failure because you’ve missed your child’s basketball game two weekends in a row.
How to Respond to Bullying
As children grow and learn, they are constantly navigating social relationships and learning how to interact with others. Sadly, for many children, this also means learning to cope with bullies.
Bullying is a pattern of behaviour – it is a set of repeated, deliberate, unkind, and/or unsafe social, verbal, physical or cyber behaviour that causes harm to someone who has less power.
Is It Okay To Let Kids Make Mistakes?
Should I let my child make mistakes, once they are old enough to know better? Wouldn’t it be easier if I just did it myself? Here are some reasons why letting kids make mistakes is better for their growth and their mental health.
Forgotten Strengths of Neurodiverse Children
Every child is unique and neurodiverse children are no exception. It is important to recognise and use their strengths. I wonder what you can learn from your child’s strengths?
Parenting Traps: Common Difficulties of Parenting Neurodiverse Children and How to Avoid Them
In the early days when it's first identified that a child is struggling or has been newly diagnosed, parents are particularly vulnerable to a bunch of common pitfalls...
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“Good Enough” Parenting is Better than Perfect
A good enough parent is one who gives their child time and attention, and adequately meets their physical and emotional needs. A good enough parent also makes mistakes some of the time, and that is okay.
Free Parenting with no burnout webinar what is it about#parenting #relationships #covidcare
Free Parenting with no burnout webinar what is it about
#parenting #relationships #covidcare
I was out for a walk today and noticed this sign. It looked like a regular tree out the front of a regular house. When I planned upwards I noticed that it was a very tall tree indeed. Branches of that…
I was out for a walk today and noticed this sign. It looked like a regular tree out the front of a regular house. When I planned upwards I noticed that it was a very tall tree indeed. Branches of that size falling from that height would indeed cause some decent damage to those walking past and those seeking shade underneath.
I thought a little about watching out for our branches shedding, from the winds of stress, and the brittleness of exhaustion. We too can shed in ways that could (unwittingly) cause harm to those who take shelter from us.
For some upcoming programs to prevent this from happening see the comments!
#burnout #parenting #psychologist
Let’s take care of the parent
Right now our phone lines are hot with worried and anxious parents .... we have something coming up to take care of you, our weary and warrior parents!
#parents #burnout #selfcare
Parenting Advice: Relationship Matters!
It’s no doubt that being a parent or caregiver is one of the most challenging roles in the world. You are on call 24/7 - the nurse, the counsellor, the friend, the taxi, the bank, the maid, the chef, the problem solver - going above and beyond to try to meet your child’s needs and care for them. No matter what role you adopt for your child, at the end of the day the relationship with your child is what matters most.
Seeing a child psychologist for the first time … what to say and prepare #childpsychology#childpsychologist #parenting
Seeing a child psychologist for the first time ... what to say and prepare #childpsychology#childpsychologist #parenting
What does a child psychologist do?
If you’re thinking about taking your child to see a psychologist, it is normal to have questions about what child psychologists do, and how they can help your family. In this blog, I’ll answer some commonly asked questions about what a child psychologist does.
Making mistakes with grace, a project to bust up that pesky perfectionism #perfectionism #grace #selfcompassion
Making mistakes with grace, a project to bust up that pesky perfectionism #perfectionism #grace #selfcompassion
Why Am I So Rejection-Sensitive?
While it is true that no-one actually enjoys feeling rejected, for some of us, a sensitivity to rejection can become more than the sum of its parts - it can become a mechanism for social isolation and chronic mental health issues. If this is your experience, understanding the components that have come together to create your sensitivity is an important place to start.
What Have You Learnt From COVID-19?
As we all come out of COVID-19, let's start a conversation with our loved ones around how we want life to look like moving forward. Does it look the same as before or does it look different?
Want to Reconnect With Your Child? Here’s How.
Special Time involves setting aside a regular 15-minute block where a parent spends individual time with a child. So how exactly do you do it?
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