THINKWELL PSYCHOLOGY, ATTADALE, WA
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IMPORTANT MESSAGE REGARDING THE COVID -19 (Corona Virus)

Due to the Corona Virus we respectfully request that all clients and and prospective clients who have recently travelled overseas, have flu like symptoms or have been in contact with someone who has contracted Virus to please reschedule or make an appointment after the 2 week quarantine period in accordance with the WA Health Department guidelines.

We appreciate your co-operation in the interest of the community and staff at Thinkwell Psychology.

How Sugar Affects the Brain

10/16/2019

 
Original video from TED-Ed via YouTube
When you eat something loaded with sugar, your taste buds, your gut and your brain all take notice. This activation of your reward system is not unlike how bodies process addictive substances such as alcohol or nicotine -- an overload of sugar spikes dopamine levels and leaves you craving more.

​Nicole Avena explains why sweets and treats should be enjoyed in moderation.

​Lesson by Nicole Avena, animation by STK Films.

New Stanford Research Examines how Augmented Reality Affects People’s Behavior

5/30/2019

 
Re-published from "Neuroscience News" magazine from TechnologyNetworks.
Original story by Stanford University
New Stanford Research Examines how Augmented Reality Affects People’s Behavior
As major technology firms race to roll out augmented reality products, Stanford researchers are learning how it affects people's behavior - in both the physical world and a digitally enhanced one.

In a new study led by Jeremy Bailenson, a professor of communication in the School of Humanities and Sciences, researchers found that after people had an experience in augmented reality (AR) - simulated by wearing goggles that layer computer-generated content onto real-world environments - their interactions in their physical world changed as well, even with the AR device removed. For example, people avoided sitting on a chair they had just seen a virtual person sit on. Researchers also found that participants appeared to be influenced by the presence of a virtual person in a similar way they would be if a real person were next to them. These findings are set to publish May 14 in PLOS ONE.

"We've discovered that using augmented reality technology can change where you walk, how you turn your head, how well you do on tasks, and how you connect socially with other physical people in the room," said Bailenson, who co-authored the paper with graduate students Mark Roman Miller, Hanseul Jun and Fernanda Herrera, who are the lead authors.
​

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New Therapeutic Target for Depression Identified

5/24/2019

 
Re-published from "Neuroscience News" magazine from TechnologyNetworks.
Original story by the University of Malaga
New Therapeutic Target for Depression Identified
Photo by Paweł Czerwiński on Unsplash
Depression is one of the most widespread disorders that affects society, according to the World Health Organization. In fact, it is estimated that 4 million people are affected in Spain.

There are different pharmacological treatments for depression, mainly therapies that act on the serotonin system -the so-called SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors). However, it has been evidenced that these antidepressants take around two weeks to have an effect and, what's more, around 30% of patients are resistant to this drug.

Researchers of the Department of Human Physiology of the UMA Faculty of Medicine have taken a step closer to a new therapeutic target to face this mental disorder.

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Childhood Trauma Can Impact Our Gut Bacteria

4/30/2019

 
Re-published from "Neuroscience News" magazine from TechnologyNetworks.
Original story from Columbia University
Childhood trauma can impact our gut bacteria
Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash
A Columbia University study has found that adversity early in life is associated with increased gastrointestinal symptoms in children that may have an impact on the brain and behavior as they grow to maturity.

The study was published online March 28 in the journal Development and Psychopathology.

“One common reason children show up at doctors’ offices is intestinal complaints,” said Nim Tottenham, a professor of psychology at Columbia and senior author on the study. “Our findings indicate that gastrointestinal symptoms in young children could be a red flag for future emotional health problems.”

Scientists have long noted the strong connection between the gut and brain.

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Can Physical Exercise Help Keep Our Brain and Nervous System Healthy?

4/8/2019

 
Re-published from "Neuroscience News" magazine from TechnologyNetworks.
By Ruairi J Mackenzie, Science Writer for Technology Networks
Can Physical Exercise Help Keep Our Brain and Nervous System Healthy?
Exercise might not be fun, but it’s good for your body. Over the years, science has well established that exercise can cut your risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and some types of cancer. But the ways that exercise affects the brain are still under investigation, although new research suggests it may be essential for the growth of new neurons. 

Research conducted at the Università degli Studi di Milano (University of Milan) examined the effect of restricting mice from using their hind, but not their front legs, for a period of 28 days. The paper detailing the research was published in Frontiers in Neuroscience. Whilst the mice were able to eat and groom themselves as normal, and didn’t show signs of being stressed, subsequent analysis showed significant changes in the mice’s brains, including impairment of the mice’s neural stem cells. The researchers noted that the number of neural stem cells – which produce all neurons and glia during development and persist in certain areas into adulthood – that were actively producing new neurons was reduced by 70% in the restricted mice as compared to mice that hadn’t had their movement restricted.   ​

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Vitamin D Deficiency Linked to Loss in Brain Plasticity

3/24/2019

 
Re-published from "Neuroscience News" magazine from TechnologyNetworks.
Original Press Release from the University of Queensland
Vitamin D Deficiency Linked to Loss in Brain Plasticity
University of Queensland research may explain why vitamin D is vital for brain health, and how deficiency leads to disorders including depression and schizophrenia.

Associate Professor Thomas Burne at UQ’s Queensland Brain Institute led the studies, which provide the groundwork for research into better prevention and treatments.

“Over a billion people worldwide are affected by vitamin D deficiency, and there is a well-established link between vitamin D deficiency and impaired cognition,” Dr Burne said.

“Unfortunately, exactly how vitamin D influences brain structure and function is not well understood, so it has remained unclear why deficiency causes problems.”

Dr Burne’s team found that vitamin D levels affect a type of ‘scaffolding’ in the brain, called perineuronal nets.
​
“These nets form a strong, supportive mesh around certain neurons, and in doing so they stabilise the contacts these cells make with other neurons,” he said.

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The Brain Cells Behind Insomnia

3/10/2019

 
Re-published from "Neuroscience News" magazine from TechnologyNetworks.
​Original Press Release from the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Picture
Credit: Unsplash
An international team of researchers has identified, for the first time, the cell types, areas and biological processes in the brain that mediate the genetic risk of insomnia. This was made possible by assessing DNA and sleep features in no less than 1.3 million people. The findings are a major step towards getting a grip on the biological mechanisms that cause insomnia.

Insomnia is one of the most common disorders. Many people occasionally have a bad night of sleep. One out of ten people chronically experience poor sleep and suffer severely from the daytime consequences. Worldwide, 770 million people have chronic insomnia.

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Witnessing trauma at work takes an emotional toll

3/26/2018

 
BY THE PSYCHLOPAEDIA TEAM - THE AUSTRALIAN PSYCHOLOGICAL SOCIETY
witnessing-trauma-at-work-takes-an-emotional-toll
Many professions - paramedics, police, firefighters - involve helping people in traumatic circumstances but witnessing trauma has its own effects that can haunt people for life.

When we think about workplace safety, we often think about introducing or improving initiatives to ensure the physical safety of workers.

In recent years, there’s also been a growing awareness around ensuring not just the physical but also the psychological wellbeing of employees, with more organisations now working to manage the impact of vicarious trauma in the workplace.
​
While vicarious trauma will never be eliminated from trauma-exposed workplaces, it is possible for organisations to effectively manage it, which has been shown to reduce attrition rates and unplanned absences, and boost the workplace culture.

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The brain and the gut talk to each other: fixing one could help the other

3/20/2018

 
​BY ANTONINA MIKOCKA-WALUS, SENIOR LECTURER IN HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY, DEAKIN UNIVERSITY
The brain and the gut talk to each other: fixing one could help the other
Talk therapy can help those with chronic gastrointestinal conditions
It’s widely recognised that emotions can directly affect stomach function. As early as 1915, influential physiologist Walter Cannon noted that stomach functions are changed in animals when frightened. The same is true for humans. Those who stress a lot often report diarrhoea or stomach pain.

We now know this is because the brain communicates with the gastrointestinal system. A whole ecosystem comprising 100 trillion bacteria living in our bowels is an active participant in this brain-gut chat.

Recent discoveries around this relationship have made us consider using talk therapy and antidepressants as possible treatments for symptoms of chronic gut problems. The aim is to interfere with the conversation between the two organs by telling the brain to repair the faulty bowel.
​
Our research found talk therapy can improve depression and the quality of life of patients with gastrointestinal conditions. Antidepressants may also have a beneficial effect on both the course of a bowel disease and accompanying anxiety and depression.

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The concept of schizophrenia is coming to an end – here’s why

2/23/2018

 
BY SIMON MCCARTHY-JONES, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR IN CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY AND NEUROPSYCHOLOGY, TRINITY COLLEGE DUBLIN

Picture
Designed by Freepik
Some mental health professionals believe that 'psychosis spectrum disorder' is a better description of a problem that has for too long been written off as untreatable.

The concept of schizophrenia is dying. Harried for decades by psychology, it now appears to have been fatally wounded by psychiatry, the very profession that once sustained it. It’s passing will not be mourned.

Today, having a diagnosis of schizophrenia is associated with a life-expectancy reduction of nearly two decades. By some criteria, only one in seven people recover. Despite heralded advances in treatments, staggeringly, the proportion of people who recover hasn’t increased over time. Something is profoundly wrong.
​
Part of the problem turns out to be the concept of schizophrenia itself.

Read More
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Thinkwell Psychology Perth


15B / 550 CANNING HIGHWAY
ATTADALE  (ATTADALE BUSINESS CENTRE)

PH: (08) 6361 1275   |   FAX: (08) 6361 1318 
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Dr Teresa D'Amato
TERESA D’AMATO
CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST
B.A. Psych (Hons) | M. Psych (Clinical) | MAPS | MACPA | MIACN
Professional Membership Thinkwell Psychology

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  • Home
  • Services
  • Approaches
    • Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT)
    • Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT)
    • Mindfulness
    • Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy
    • Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
    • Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)
    • Neuropsychotherapy
    • Schema Focused Therapy
    • Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR)
    • Emotion Focused Therapy (EFT)
  • Our Team
    • PRACTICE GALLERY
  • NEWS
  • Booking
  • Contact