What is Autism Spectrum Disorder? Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a lifelong developmental disorder that is characterised by certain traits and difficulties. A person with ASD will primarily have difficult in relating to the world around them. The word ‘spectrum’ in ASD means that each person diagnosed with ASD may experience a range of difficulties with varying levels of impact on their lives.  Many people with ASD need help to manage these difficulties. Psychologists can assess and provide therapy for people with ASD Some of the main areas of difficulty a person diagnosed with ASD may ..read more

What is Executive Functioning? Executive functioning is a set of mental processes that allow us to link a set of skills developed through past experiences with present action. Basically, it is the Chief Management role of the brain and its job is to integrate a range of mental skills in order to successfully carry out a range of complex tasks. Executive functioning skills include: planning time management organisation flexibility reflecting on performance self evaluation persistence problem solving engagement in group processes the ability to wait self-correction during a task.   Helpin ..read more

Insomnia is a common sleep disorder People who have insomnia have trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or both. As a result, they may get too little sleep or have poor-quality sleep which often results in them not feeling refreshed when they wake up. Insomnia can be acute (short-term) or chronic (ongoing). Acute insomnia is common and often is brought on by situations such as stress at work, family pressures, or a traumatic event and can last for days or weeks. Chronic insomnia lasts for a month or longer. Most cases of chronic insomnia are secondary, which means they are the symptom o ..read more

Accessing psychology through either video or phone is a huge time saver and can make prioritising your mental health and wellness a breeze. But how to you actually do it? And what is involved?  We have pulled together all the information to show you how easy it is to not only book your session with a highly experienced psychologist, but to also access telehealth psychology services.  Telehealth psychology sessions are conducted over video conferencing software or other forms of digital communication technology, instead of in-person meetings. The process typically works in the followi ..read more

If yes, then read on to discover… Do You Want Less Stress this Holiday Season? If you’re a perfectionist, chances are the impending aroma of a home-cooked chook and the sound of jingle bells makes you a little bit nervous. Whether it’s your quest to find the perfect gift, the need to capture the perfect family moment, or the desire to cook the perfect meal, the overwhelming drive to make sure everything goes according to plan is often at its peak during the holidays. So how do you ease up on your perfectionism during such an important time? The solution isn’t ..read more

During COVID, we were forced to get used to doing our health appointments by phone and video, due to fear of infection and lockdowns. Since COVID times and the return of face to face appointments, there are two main “camps” of people. Those who swear by it…….. and those who don’t.  Here at The Psych Professionals, we thought we would bust some myths about telehealth psychological services and weigh in on it’s effectiveness.  There is a growing body of research that supports the effectiveness of telehealth psychology (including both phone and video sessions. Here are some key findings ..read more

What Goes Through the Mind of Someone With Cancer Statistics show that 2 in 5 people in Australia will be diagnosed with cancer, which equals a whopping 43%. When a patient walks into any medical space with a cancer diagnosis, we can fail to see the overall impact on the person in front of us & the overall impact on their life. We often see the diagnosis, prognosis, scans, blood work, treatment protocols, pharmaceutical trials, physical side effects & ultimately the success or lack of success surrounding treatment. Medical investigations and results tell us a lot about cancer, but they ..read more

Dealing With “1st’s” After The Loss Of A Loved One It can be extremely difficult to survive through special occasions without a loved one, particularly if it is your first time without them. Whether it be your first Easter without your grandmother, your first Valentine’s day since your divorce, or your first Mother’s day without your mother, feelings of grief, sadness and loneliness can resurface stronger than ever.    1. Decide What You Can Handle Comfortably And Let Family And Friends Know.Can I handle the responsibility of the family dinner, etc. or shall I ask someone else to do ..read more

We are increasingly exposed to the term ‘Autism’, but we do not often understand exactly what is encompassed by the words ‘Autism Spectrum Disorder’.   What is Autism Spectrum Disorder? The term Autism Spectrum Disorder is used to refer to a lifelong disorder of development characterised by difficulties in three main areas: social communication, social interaction and restricted or repetitive patterns of behaviour, interests and activities. Find out more about Autism.   When does Autism start? Autism manifests itself within the first year of life and it’s onset is generally no later ..read more

What is Sensory Processing? Sensory processing is the ability to receive, arrange, interpret and respond to information we encounter through our senses. Did you know we have 7 senses? 1. Auditory – the things we hear 2. Visual – the things we see 3. Tactile – the things we touch and the things we feel 4. Olfactory – the things we smell 5. Gustatory – the things we taste 6. Vestibular – movement 7. Proprioception – body position Typical processing of this information involves three steps: Sensory Input – the receptors in our skin, inner ear, eyes and joints are stimulated Processing – this info ..read more