In the final episode of The Playful Psychologist for this season, I explore the topic of emotional literacy. Emotional literacy is made up of 'the ability to understand your emotions, the ability to listen to others and empathise with their emotions, and the ability to express emotions productively. 

The episode explores:

• Emotional awareness, understanding, expression, regulation, and intelligence
• What all of these terms are, what they involve, and how they differ
• How these terms lay the foundations for emotional literacy
• How adults can support the development of a child's emotional literacy

In this episode, I share the following resources that may be useful. Click on the links to find out more.

The A4 Magnet pack: https://www.theplayfulpsychologist.com/product-page/the-a4-magnet-pack

The Emotion Worksheet Pack: https://www.theplayfulpsychologist.com/product-page/the-emotion-worksheet-pack

The ABC Emotion Cards: https://www.theplayfulpsychologist.com/product-page/abc-coping-cards

You can also check out my instagram page @theplayfulpsychologist where I share picture books that can assist in emotional development.

This episode is proudly sponsored by Mister Jones. Their products are designed to support your energy levels, metabolism and brain function throughout the day! 

Mr Jones has kindly offered you guys 10% off any one time purchase using the code ‘playfulpsychologist’ at check out. They are also offering you an additional 10% off the ALREADY discounted subscription price, which makes the subscription price 25% off using the same code. There are no strings attached to their subscriptions, and you can cancel any time.    

To shop their range using the discount code, check out this link: https://misterjoneshealth.com/pages/collection-page

To read some of their 1600 5 star reviews for yourself and learn more about their products, check out this link: https://misterjoneshealth.com/a/review/all

In this weeks episode of The Playful Psychologist, I explore the topic of seasonal depression and how this differs from the winter blues.

When the weather gets colder, the nights seem longer and your motivation to get out and about can seem to constantly low. While Feeling less than excited about the colder nights is common, but feeling very, very bleak during Winter might be something more.

• This episode explores
• What seasonal depression (seasonal affective disorder or SAD) actually is
• What the symptoms of SAD are
• What causes SAD
• Risk factors for SAD
• What to do if you think you may have SAD

The following link has some great information if you want to read up further on this topic:

 https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/seasonal-affective-disorder/20-mh-8138-sad_161206.pdf

In this week’s episode of The Playful Psychologist, I explore fidgeting and fidget toys.

Fidgeting is making small movements with your body, usually your hands and feet.It’s associated with not paying attention, and often reflects discomfort and restlessness. For example, if you’ve been listening to a lecture for a long time, you may find yourself tapping your pencil.

Fidgeting can increase your physiological arousal and help you feel more alert. The physical activity of fidgeting can provide a temporary distraction from whatever activity you’re doing. Some scientists argue that the “mental break” fidgeting provides is actually your body’s way of trying to stay focused on the task at hand. 

Recently, we have seen a rise in the craze of ‘fidget toys.’ All of a sudden, it seems as though every child in every classroom ‘desperately needs’ a fidget toy! But, are fidget toys really beneficial for kids, or are they just another way for children to become distracted in the classroom?

This episode will explore the following questions:

-      Do kids actually need fidget toys?

-      How do fidget toys actually work?

-      How do fidget toys impact the sensory system?

-      How are sensory integration and fidgeting linked?

For more sensory ideas, you can check out my Sensory Hacks Guide via the following link: https://www.theplayfulpsychologist.com/product-page/sensory-hacks-guide

This episode is proudly sponsored by Mister Jones. Their products are designed to support your energy levels, metabolism and brain function throughout the day! 

If you are a teacher and you are feeling it in the classroom because of the kids you have to manage, Mister Jones daily greens may be an easy way to help keep intake of greens and collagen up. This is the ONLY greens powder I can mix with water and drink without gagging, thanks to the lemon ginger flavour. It is crafted by naturopaths and scientifically formulated to support  your gut health, wellbeing & natural collagen production for beautiful skin, hair & nails.

Mr Jones has kindly offered you guys 10% off any one time purchase using the code ‘playfulpsychologist’ at check out. They are also offering you an additional 10% off the ALREADY discounted subscription price, which makes the subscription price 25% off using the same code. There are no strings attached to their subscriptions, and you can cancel any time.    

To shop their range using the discount code, check out this link: https://misterjoneshealth.com/pages/collection-page

To read some of their 1600 5 star reviews for yourself and learn more about their products, check out this link: https://misterjoneshealth.com/a/review/all

In this weeks episode of The Playful Psychologist, I explore employee vs contractor positions. Recently, so many new graduates have reached out to me about how stressed they are when it comes to employment. They don’t know whether to accept an employee position or to accept a contracting role. This episode will discuss the pro’s and con’s of both. Please note, this is my personal/professional opinion and everyone is going to have different thoughts on this!

This episode explores:

• What the difference is between an employee and a contractor
• The pro’s and con’s to being an employee
• The pro’s and con’s to being a contractor
• Important things to consider when reviewing a contract of any kind
• Things to consider if this is your first job out of university

If you would like to chat about this further, you can always book a mentoring session with me via the following link: https://www.theplayfulpsychologist.com/product-page/online-mentoring-session

A good website for more clarification: https://www.psychology.org.au/for-members/publications/inpsych/2012/feb/12-Clarifying-private-contracting-and-employment

This episode is proudly sponsored by Mister Jones. Their products are designed to support your energy levels, metabolism and brain function throughout the day! 

Mr Jones has kindly offered you guys 10% off any one time purchase using the code ‘playfulpsychologist’ at check out. They are also offering you an additional 10% off the ALREADY discounted subscription price, which makes the subscription price 25% off using the same code. There are no strings attached to their subscriptions, and you can cancel any time.    

To shop their range using the discount code, check out this link: https://misterjoneshealth.com/pages/collection-page

To read some of their 1600 5 star reviews for yourself and learn more about their products, check out this link: https://misterjoneshealth.com/a/review/all

In this week’s episode of The Playful Psychologist, I am joined by Emma Gray to talk about postpartum mental health. Emma is a mum of two who is really passionate about sharing the highs and lows of parenting. Emma is also the founder of a community organisation called The Nurtured Village. Together with twelve other mums across the east coast of Australia, she organises meals and gifts for new mums and young families in an effort to advocate for maternal mental health. Emma is also the host of a podcast called The Nurtured Village.

I wanted Emma to join us today to talk about this topic, because  I personally found the fourth trimester extremely challenging. Absolutely nothing went to plan for me, I had pregnancy complications, a serious car accident while pregnant,  difficulties breast feeding, family stuck interstate during COVID and so on. I felt like every time I reached out to friends who had kids, they would tell me how great everything was.  And when I would say something like ‘oh I’ve actually had a crap day, I’ve found it really hard’ they would say ‘oh same’ and I’d feel frustrated that they didn’t tell me that to begin with, and that I had to be the one to say ‘this is hard, this sucks.’  I wanted to do this episode to let other mums know they are not alone in feeling overwhelmed. I want this episode to help mums feel heard, but also for everyone else to give them an idea of how they can support new mums too and for psychologists who may not have children of their own, to understand the toll that the fourth trimester can take on the mental health of the mum. 

In this episode,  Emma answers the following questions:

• What was the hardest thing about the fourth trimester?
• How did your body react to the lack of sleep?
• What were some of the things you did for yourself in those early days or, looking back, what were some of the things you wish you did for yourself?
• I personally have a really supportive husband who is so hands on but I still felt like I needed even MORE support than he could offer me. Is this something you experienced?
• Looking back, what sort of support did you need from friends and family? Did they give you the right kind of support or did you need something different? What can people do to support new mums?
• What kinds of pressures did you get from ‘the outside’ about your parenting? 

To learn more about Emma, you can follow her on Instagram @emmagray____

You can also check out her podcast The Nurtured Village.

To follow along with my own parenting journey, you can follow me on Instagram @emahly

This episode is proudly sponsored by Mister Jones. Their products are designed to support your energy levels, metabolism and brain function throughout the day! 

Mr Jones has kindly offered you guys 10% off any one time purchase using the code ‘playfulpsychologist’ at check out. They are also offering you an additional 10% off the ALREADY discounted subscription price, which makes the subscription price 25% off using the same code. There are no strings attached to their subscriptions, and you can cancel any time.    

To shop their range using the discount code, check out this link: https://misterjoneshealth.com/pages/collection-page

To read some of their 1600 5 star reviews for yourself and learn more about their products, check out this link: https://misterjoneshealth.com/a/review/all

In this weeks episode of The Playful Psychologist, I am joined by Alana Gardini. 

Alana is a mum of two little boys and an Australian paediatric physiotherapist with over 14 years experience. Alana currently works on the Gold Coast at a clinic called All About Physio in Nerang. Alana has also written an amazing book which covers gross motor milestones in infants and young children. 

This episode will explore the following questions:

1. What are gross motor skills? 
2. How do difficulties with gross motor skills impact other areas of functioning, such as speech and language development and emotional regulation skills? 
3. Can parents do things at home to help their children or do you think they should always go see a professional?
4. Do you think we need to track skill development and when should parents seek professional help?
5. Sometimes I think parents try to do the opposite and push skills before a child is developmentally ready for them, are there any consequences to this when it comes to motor development?

To learn more about Alana and her work, you can follow her on Instagram via @my.strong.little.body or check out her website https://www.mystronglittlebody.com.au

If you want to learn more about gross motor skill development, Alana has kindly offered you guys a discount code on her e-book. You can get 20% off her e-book using code PLAYFUL20 at checkout. You can find her book via the following link: https://www.mystronglittlebody.com.au?aff=18

This episode is proudly sponsored by Mister Jones. Their products are designed to support your energy levels, metabolism and brain function throughout the day! 

Mr Jones has kindly offered you guys 10% off any one time purchase using the code ‘playfulpsychologist’ at check out. They are also offering you an additional 10% off the ALREADY discounted subscription price, which makes the subscription price 25% off using the same code. There are no strings attached to their subscriptions, and you can cancel any time.    

To shop their range using the discount code, check out this link: https://misterjoneshealth.com/pages/collection-page

To read some of their 1600 5 star reviews for yourself and learn more about their products, check out this link: https://misterjoneshealth.com/a/review/all

In this week’s episode of The Playful Psychologist, I am joined by Deedee Zibara to explore the effects of additives and preservatives on behaviour. Deedee is a nutritionist, personal trainer, and mindset speaker for young people and is passionate about educating people about food that fuels your body. 

In this episode, Deedee answers the following questions:

• What are additives and preservatives?
• Why are they so bad, especially for developing brains?
• What are some of the more serious side effects of preservatives?
• Can you elaborate more on the link between preservatives and behaviour?
• If parents are only just beginning the journey to eliminating preservatives, what are five of the biggest preservatives to avoid?
• Where can parents learn more about preservatives?

Deedee also shares her favourite resources that parents can use to learn more about what is in the food we buy:

• Chemical Maze app 
• Fedup.com.au (Food Intolerance Network) 
• Additive free lifestyle (website)
• Additive Free kids (website) 
• Trusted Trolley (website) 
• Supermarket Swap (Instagram page)

Deedee’s ‘top five takeaways’ from today's episode are:

1. Choose preservative (and additive) free bread
2. Pick foods like yoghurts, ice creams and sweets that are colour free (this also includes toothpaste and medications) 
3. Choose fresh fruit over dried fruit
4. Buy plain chips and crackers vs flavoured 
5. Encourage your kids (& you!) to drink water as their main drink. 

You can follow Deedee on Instagram @celltosoul or via her website https://www.celltosoul.com.au/

This episode is proudly sponsored by Mister Jones. Their products are designed to support your energy levels, metabolism and brain function throughout the day! 

Mr Jones has kindly offered you guys 10% off any one time purchase using the code ‘playfulpsychologist’ at check out. They are also offering you an additional 10% off the ALREADY discounted subscription price, which makes the subscription price 25% off using the same code. There are no strings attached to their subscriptions, and you can cancel any time.    

To shop their range using the discount code, check out this link: https://misterjoneshealth.com/pages/collection-page

To read some of their 1600 5 star reviews for yourself and learn more about their products, check out this link: https://misterjoneshealth.com/a/review/all

In this weeks episode of The Playful Psychologist, the topic of Carer Burnout is discussed. Caregiver burnout is a state of physical, emotional and mental exhaustion. It may be accompanied by a change in attitude, from positive and caring to negative and unconcerned. Burnout can occur when caregivers don't get the help they need, or if they try to do more than they are able, physically or financially. Many caregivers also feel guilty if they spend time taking care of themselves rather than taking care of their loved one.

This episode explores:

• What causes or contributes to caregiver burnout?
• What are the symptoms of caregiver burnout?
• What can you do to help work through carer burnout?
• Where can you turn to for help and how can you ask for help?
• What things can you do to help yourself if you are experiencing burn out?

This episode is proudly sponsored by Mister Jones. Their products are designed to support your energy levels, metabolism and brain function throughout the day! 

Mr Jones has kindly offered you guys 10% off any one time purchase using the code ‘playfulpsychologist’ at check out. They are also offering you an additional 10% off the ALREADY discounted subscription price, which makes the subscription price 25% off using the same code. There are no strings attached to their subscriptions, and you can cancel any time.    

To shop their range using the discount code, check out this link: https://misterjoneshealth.com/pages/collection-page

To read some of their 1600 5 star reviews for yourself and learn more about their products, check out this link: https://misterjoneshealth.com/a/review/all

And remember, self-care is not selfish...especially if you are caring for someone else!!

In this weeks episode of The Playful Psychologist, I explore autism and some of the confusions surrounding diagnostic 'labels' and misconceptions around how individuals on the autism spectrum may present.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), is a lifelong, developmental condition that affects the way an individual relates to their environment, interacts with others, communicates, and copes with sensory input. The main areas of difficulty include social communication and interactions, as well as restricted/repetitive behaviours and interests. The word ‘spectrum’ tends to imply that there is a range of difficulties that people living with autism might experience. That is, different individuals have different ‘levels’ of autism. 

This episode explores:

• Changes to the diagnostic criteria for autism
• The difficulties with the mainstream schooling system when it comes to autism
• Do children with autism always present as 'loud' and 'behaviourally challenging?'
• Why a collaborative approach is so important
• Lunch time difficulties & autism

At the end of this episode, I mentioned a course that I recently created called The Autism Masterclass. This course was born out of a desire to fill a hole in our current curriculums. So many therapists and teachers have told me that their tertiary studies lacked education on autism and that they didn’t know where to turn to for more information.

This five-part course has been designed to inform parents, educators, therapists, carers, and support workers about autism. This course differs from most because it is taking a multi-faceted approach to autism. It is not only looking at one specific presentation of autism and is absolutely not only looking at autism in children. Through this five-part series, you will build your knowledge base around autism as a whole. You will learn how autism impacts on the individual, the family, their education, their therapies, and the course of their life through to adulthood. Each workshop in this course comes with its very own workbook. In the workbook you will find a summary of everything that is discussed, activities, reflection tasks, links to free resources, links to further reading, and links to free videos for you to watch to further enhance your understanding of autism.

To watch a free introductory video and download a free course booklet including all learning objectives, click on the following link:

https://theplayfulpsychologist.thinkific.com/

After you graduate university, it feels like you are really thrown into the deep end.A huge part of being a psychologist is focusing on your own mental health. For me, this was a big struggle in that first year after graduating university!

This episode of The Playful Psychologist explains the struggles I experienced in that first year, despite landing my dream job! It also explores a really simple way that I helped myself get back on track, and stay motivated at work! 

At the end of this weeks episode, you will hear me mention mentoring sessions that I run. If you would like to learn more about online mentoring sessions, click on the following link: 

https://www.theplayfulpsychologist.com/product-page/online-mentoring-session