THINKWELL PSYCHOLOGY, ATTADALE, WA
  • 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
​15B / 550 Canning Hwy, ​Attadale
☎ 6361 1275
BOOK NOW ►
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.

Hope Is Key to Recovery From Anxiety Disorders

11/28/2019

 
Re-published from TechnologyNetworks. Original story from the University of Houston
Hope Is Key to Recovery From Anxiety Disorders
Credit: Photo by Miguel Bruna on Unsplash https://unsplash.com/@mbrunacr
University of Houston associate professor of clinical psychology, Matthew Gallagher, has added his voice to a debate that spans the ages — the importance of hope. Gallagher reports in Behavior Therapy that hope is a trait that predicts resilience and recovery from anxiety disorders.

The concept of hope has long stirred opinion. In the sixteenth century, Martin Luther celebrated its power, claiming “Everything that is done in this world is done by hope.” Two centuries later, Benjamin Franklin warned that “He that lives upon hope will die fasting.” Into the conversation, Gallagher reports that psychotherapy can result in clear increases in hope and that changes in hope are associated with changes in anxiety symptoms.

More than pure philosophy, Gallagher has empirical evidence. His study examined the role of hope in predicting recovery in a clinical trial of 223 adults in cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) for one of four common anxiety disorders: social anxiety disorder, panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Read More

Just a Gut Feeling: IBS, SIBO and the Gut-Brain Connection

10/30/2019

 
Re-published from TechnologyNetworks
IBS, SIBO and the Gut-Brain Connection
Credit: Photo by VanveenJF on Unsplash https://unsplash.com/@vanveenjf
​People often talk about their “gut instincts” or how they just “felt it in my guts” or that stress can give you “butterflies in the stomach” or make you nauseous to the point of vomiting.

Are these just figures of speech?

It turns out that the gut – the digestive system – has its own nervous system that is often referred to as our “second brain”. This “second brain” is called the enteric nervous system (ENS) and research is revealing that the ENS is in direct communication with the brain and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis (part of the central nervous system or CNS), the gut microbiota, the hormonal and the immune systems.

These are two-way communications systems, so that, for example, the microbiota – the combined pattern of microbes in the gut – can affect the stress response, the immune response, hormonal control of digestion and the predisposition to various conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome, obesity, diabetes, depression and anxiety. In turn, the ENS – and likely the CNS – can affect the pattern of bacteria in the microbiome as well as the digestive processes of the gut. However, it is becoming clearer that this is only the tip of the iceberg – the ENS, CNS and the microbiota can interact to produce dysfunction in the digestive, neurological, immune and hormonal systems, and to affect mental health.

Read More

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.   ​

Read More

Be Yourself at Work — It’s Healthier and More Productive

4/1/2019

 
Re-published from "Neuroscience News" magazine from TechnologyNetworks.
​Original Press Release from Rice University
Be Yourself at Work -- It’s Healthier and More Productive
At work, it’s healthier and more productive just to be yourself, according to a new study from Rice University, Texas A&M University, the University of Memphis, Xavier University, Portland State University and the University of California, Berkeley.

The study, “Stigma Expression Outcomes and Boundary Conditions: A Meta-Analysis” will appear in an upcoming edition of the Journal of Business and Psychology. It examines 65 studies focusing on what happens after people in a workplace disclose a stigmatized identity, such as sexual orientation, mental illness, physical disability or pregnancy.

Eden King, a co-author of the study and an associate professor of psychology at Rice, said the decision to express a stigmatized identity is highly complicated.

“It has the potential for both positive and negative consequences,” she said.

However, the research overwhelmingly indicates that people with non-visible stigmas (such as sexual orientation or health problems) who live openly at work are happier with their overall lives and more productive in the workplace. King said self-disclosure is typically a positive experience because it allows people to improve connections, form relationships with others and free their minds of unwanted thoughts.

Read More

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.

Read More

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.

Read More

‘Don’t feed the trolls’ really is good advice – here’s the evidence

11/14/2017

 
Don't feel the trolls online
Anti-social behaviour online – trolling, cyberbullying – is a growing concerning phenomenon but research shows ignoring these mostly faceless angry attention-seekers could be the best response.

Almost half the population of the planet now has access to the internet, with about one in three of those people regularly active on social media. But this increased opportunity to socialise and communicate in a virtual environment has offered new avenues for antisocial behaviour.
​
The problem of cyberbullying has received considerable research attention. However, other online antisocial behaviours with similarly harmful outcomes have received far less consideration – one example being anonymous online trolling.

Read More

How to help with recovery after natural disasters

9/27/2017

 
Natural disasters, like floods and bush fires, are a frequent occurrence in Australia. Research has shown they have deep emotional and psychological impacts on people and communities involved.

DR SUSIE BURKE FAPS is a Senior Psychologist with the AUSTRALIAN PSYCHOLOGICAL SOCIETY.
In this video, she talks about how to care for people's needs after such traumatic events and help them on the road of recovery after a natural disaster.

Why ‘fat talk’ can lead to poor body image

9/25/2017

 
BY THE PSYCHLOPAEDIA TEAM - THE AUSTRALIAN PSYCHOLOGICAL SOCIETY
Sharing dissatisfaction with weight can fuel body image issues
Photo source: Designed by Dragana_Gordic / Freepik
Complaining to friends about flabby arms or big thighs can incite comparison with other women and cultivate body dissatisfaction.
“My arms are so flabby.”
“I hate my thighs.”
“My stomach is too big.”

How often do you or women you know engage in this sort of ‘fat talk’? According to one recent Australian study, it happens much more often than you might think.
​
The research reveals that during an average week four out of five young women experience ‘fat talk’ about their appearance or another person’s. And even though it might seem like a harmless way to alleviate body dissatisfaction, the opposite is true – fat talk can have a negative effect on body image.

Read More

How neuroscience applied to psychotherapy can improve our mental health and overall well-being

6/24/2017

 
By ​Teresa D'Amato - Senior Clinical Psychologist MAPS, MACPA, MIACN
The Triune Brain
Welcome to winter and the middle of the year! I hope the first half of the year has been filled with experiences that have been enjoyable and/or experiences that we can learn and grow from.

I've recently attended the first International Conference of Neuropsychotherapy and pre-conference workshops, held at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital in Brisbane from 23 to 26 May 2017. The conference was brought about from an ever increasing global interest of professionals working from a brain-based perspective. The main theme of the conference was "Neuroscience Research to Applied Practice" and focused on scientific evidence-based research and its practical application in various domains including: psychopathology, resilience, pain, grief and loss, sport and performance maximisation, attachment and development through the lifespan, education and wellness. Leading world renowned experts from Australia, Canada, USA, South Africa, United Kingdom, Singapore, Indonesia and New Zealand addressed the attendees in their specialist field.

Recent Neuroscience research has given us an understanding into the many factors that improve mental health and well-being. Neuropsychotherapy focuses on the neural processes that underpin human responses including memory, thoughts, sensations, behaviors, emotions, and social interactions and it gives guidelines and strategies to address unhelpful functioning in these areas and improve overall wellbeing based on current neuroscience research findings.

Read More

    Categories

    All
    Achieving A Balanced Life
    Achieving Purpose And Direction
    Adolescence
    Anxiety
    Behaviour
    Body Image
    Brain Research
    Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
    Couples Counselling
    Depression Management
    Disorders
    Grief
    Handling Trauma
    Health Research
    Healthy Digital Life
    Improving Self Worth
    Improving Self-worth
    Life Style
    Loneliness
    Manage Challenges
    Medicare
    Mental Health
    Neuropsychotherapy
    Neuroscience
    OCD
    Parenting
    Personal Development'
    Personal Relationships
    Reducing Stress
    Wellbeing

    RSS Feed

Thinkwell Psychology Perth


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

PH: (08) 6361 1275   |   FAX: (08) 6361 1318 
Health rebates available at Thinkwell Psychology
Bookings

Dr Teresa D'Amato
TERESA D’AMATO
CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST
B.A. Psych (Hons) | M. Psych (Clinical) | MAPS | MACPA | MIACN
Professional Membership Thinkwell Psychology

Copyright  ©2019 Thinkwell Psychology. All rights reserved.
Website developed by Ablaze Marketing
  • 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