We knew motherhood would change our lives.
We knew there would be less sleep, more responsibility and a tiny human who suddenly needed us for… well, everything.
But nobody really prepared us for how much we would change too.

In episode two of Why Did Nobody Tell Me This?, we’re talking about what actually happens to us when we become mothers. To our brains, our bodies, our nervous systems, our identities, our values and the way we experience ourselves.

We unpack the incredible changes happening in the maternal brain and why perhaps what we jokingly call “baby brain” is actually something far more sophisticated: a brain reorganising itself around the enormous task of keeping another human alive.

Which might explain why you suddenly find yourself lying awake wondering…
Is the baby breathing?
What was that noise?
Is the room too hot?
Could they choke on that?

We talk about hypervigilance, intrusive thoughts and that feeling of never really being able to switch off and explore how something designed to be incredibly adaptive can also become completely exhausting when our nervous system never gets the message that it’s safe enough to stand down.
But the changes aren’t only neurological.

We talk about birth, hormones, shifting values, the expectations we carry about the kind of mother we thought we’d be, and the strange experience of looking in the mirror and sometimes not quite recognising the woman looking back.
Because motherhood doesn’t just change what you do. It can change what matters to you. What scares you. What you need. How you see the world. And how you see yourself.

And maybe one of the hardest parts is that all of this can be happening internally while, from the outside, you look like you’re doing just fine.

This episode is about putting language around that transformation.

WHY DID NOBODY TELL ME THIS? | LIVE IN BONDI

We’re taking the conversations from this series out of your headphones and into a room full of women. 💛

Join us on Friday 23 October at Bondi Beach for Why Did Nobody Tell Me This? LIVE  a day of honest conversations, psychology, science, lived experience, incredible experts, connection, beautiful food and plenty of “oh my god, ME TOO” moments.

This isn’t a day about how to be a better mum. It’s a day about you, the woman who became one.

Part education. Part connection. Part exhale.

GET YOUR TICKETS HERE 🎟️⁠ https://events.humanitix.com/why-did-nobody-tell-me-this?_gl=1*1nbtr3x*_gcl_au*MTIwMjU2MjU5MS4xNzg3MzYxNzU2*_ga*MTk3MDQ3ODEyMC4xNzg3MzYxNzU3*_ga_LHKW5FR9N6*czE3ODc2NDA4NDUkbzIkZzEkdDE3ODc2NDA4NTMkajUyJGwwJGgw   

You can find more of us here: 

Our Online Psychology practice:

Did you know we have online appointments available with our amazing therapists Lisa or Maddie. Learn more here
https://thepsychcollaborative.com.au

The Thriving Therapists:
To connect with a safe and supportive community of like-minded therapists, head to our Thriving Therapists Facebook group:
https://m.facebook.com/groups/224252457083630/?ref=share&mibextid=S66gvF

Or find us on our Instagram:
https://instagram.com/thethrivingtherapists?igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA==

The Psychology Sisters Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/thepsychologysisters/?hl=en

The Psych Collaborative instagram
https://www.instagram.com/thepsychcollaborative/?hl=en

Please note: this episode is for informational purposes only and does not replace personalised psychological advice.

We’re back! And this time, we have a whole series dedicated to peeling back the curtain on motherhood.

This isn’t a “how to raise children” series. It’s a series about what happens to the woman raising them.

The things that change in our brains, our bodies, our relationships, our friendships, our identities and our sense of self.

The things we weren’t prepared for. The things we thought were only happening to us. And the things that left us asking… Why did nobody tell me this?

we’re starting with the question that inspired the whole thing: why are there so many parts of becoming a mother that nobody really prepares us for?

We talk about matrescence: the enormous physical, psychological and identity shift that happens when we become mothers.

We unpack some of the expectations we unknowingly carry about what a “good mother” should look like, and why so much of what we’ve normalised about motherhood might not actually be very normal at all.

We talk about the gap between how motherhood can look from the outside and how it can feel on the inside. About being told you’re “brave” and “strong” while internally feeling anything but. About having all the support, knowledge and tools in the world and still finding motherhood hard.

Kat shares a beautiful reflection on learning to respect Lilah’s pace and realising she needed to offer herself that same permission to stop expecting her own journey through motherhood to be linear and honour the season she was actually in.

We also ask whether being “maternal” is something we instinctively become, or a skill we learn over time.

And we talk about perhaps the strangest part of all: motherhood is full of contradictions. You can feel desperately lonely while never getting a moment alone. Need a break and miss them the second you get one.
Want parts of your old life back while knowing you wouldn’t trade this one for anything.

Plus, wet nappies, downloading sleep, hypothetical backflips and quite possibly the worst piece of breastfeeding advice we’ve ever heard.

This is the beginning of a series about the things that happen to us when we become mothers.

The things we wish someone had told us.

🎙️ Why Did Nobody Tell Me This?

You can find more of us here: 

Our Online Psychology practice:

Did you know we have online appointments available with our amazing therapists Lisa or Maddie. Learn more here
https://thepsychcollaborative.com.au

The Thriving Therapists:
To connect with a safe and supportive community of like-minded therapists, head to our Thriving Therapists Facebook group:
https://m.facebook.com/groups/224252457083630/?ref=share&mibextid=S66gvF

Or find us on our Instagram:
https://instagram.com/thethrivingtherapists?igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA==

The Psychology Sisters Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/thepsychologysisters/?hl=en

The Psych Collaborative instagram
https://www.instagram.com/thepsychcollaborative/?hl=en

Please note: this episode is for informational purposes only and does not replace personalised psychological advice.

Welcome back psycho sista's and mista's!! It's our first episode of 2026 and our last episode for a little while.

We’re pressing pause on a chapter that has meant more to us than words can capture.


From vulnerable conversations and shared laughter, to deep reflections on healing, growth, and what it means to be human ....this podcast has been shaped by you. 

Our listeners, our community, and everyone who has walked alongside us on this journey.

In this episode, we reflect on where it all began, what it’s taught us, and how it’s changed us  both professionally and personally. 

We share our gratitude for every message, every story entrusted to us, and every moment of connection that reminded us why this work matters.


This isn’t a goodbye forever. It’s a “see you later.”
A pause.
A breath between chapters.


Thank you for holding space with us. 

Thank you for growing with us. 

Thank you for making The Psychology Sisters what it has been.


With so much love and appreciation,

Aimee + Kat

You can find more of us here: 

Our Online Psychology practice:

Did you know we have online appointments available with our amazing therapists Lisa or Maddie. Learn more here
https://thepsychcollaborative.com.au

The Thriving Therapists:
To connect with a safe and supportive community of like-minded therapists, head to our Thriving Therapists Facebook group:
https://m.facebook.com/groups/224252457083630/?ref=share&mibextid=S66gvF

Or find us on our Instagram:
https://instagram.com/thethrivingtherapists?igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA==

The Psychology Sisters Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/thepsychologysisters/?hl=en

The Psych Collaborative instagram
https://www.instagram.com/thepsychcollaborative/?hl=en

Please note: this episode is for informational purposes only and does not replace personalised psychological advice.

Our last poddy of 2025.

As the year draws to a close, we’re slowing things down and reflecting, not with pressure, resolutions, or tidy endings, but with honesty, tenderness, and care.


In this episode, we talk about what 2025 has asked of us, what we’re proud of, and what we’re gently leaving behind as we step into a new year. We share what this year has taught us about ourselves, the moments that shaped us, and the quiet wins that no one else saw.


We also speak directly to anyone feeling lost this Christmas, overwhelmed, disconnected, or unsure how to “begin again” when the world seems to expect celebration. This conversation is trauma-informed, nervous-system aware, and rooted in permission rather than performance.


This episode is an invitation to reflect without self-judgement, to honour the year you’ve had and to celebrate the invisible wins. 

Aimee + Kat 

You can find more of us here: 

Our Online Psychology practice:

Did you know we have online appointments available with our amazing therapists Lisa or Maddie. Learn more here
https://thepsychcollaborative.com.au

The Thriving Therapists:
To connect with a safe and supportive community of like-minded therapists, head to our Thriving Therapists Facebook group:
https://m.facebook.com/groups/224252457083630/?ref=share&mibextid=S66gvF

Or find us on our Instagram:
https://instagram.com/thethrivingtherapists?igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA==

The Psychology Sisters Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/thepsychologysisters/?hl=en

The Psych Collaborative instagram
https://www.instagram.com/thepsychcollaborative/?hl=en

Please note: this episode is for informational purposes only and does not replace personalised psychological advice.

Are we genuinely getting better at setting boundaries… or are we using the language of boundaries to avoid discomfort, depth, and accountability?

In this episode, we dive into the cultural shift happening inside modern friendships where self-protection is celebrated, but sometimes at the cost of connection.

We explore why “inconvenience is the cost of community,” how our capacity to tolerate discomfort shapes intimacy, and the subtle ways avoidance can disguise itself as empowerment. From attachment patterns to conflict avoidance, burnout to hyper-individualism, we unpack the psychology behind why friendships feel harder to maintain than ever.

If you’ve ever wondered whether you’re honouring your needs or simply opting out of relational stretch… this conversation will meet you right in that tension.

You can find more of us here: 

Our Online Psychology practice:

Did you know we have online appointments available with our amazing therapists Lisa or Maddie. Learn more here
https://thepsychcollaborative.com.au

The Thriving Therapists:
To connect with a safe and supportive community of like-minded therapists, head to our Thriving Therapists Facebook group:
https://m.facebook.com/groups/224252457083630/?ref=share&mibextid=S66gvF

Or find us on our Instagram:
https://instagram.com/thethrivingtherapists?igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA==

The Psychology Sisters Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/thepsychologysisters/?hl=en

The Psych Collaborative instagram
https://www.instagram.com/thepsychcollaborative/?hl=en

Please note: this episode is for informational purposes only and does not replace personalised psychological advice.

Howdy psychology gang! Welcome back to a deep dive.

Estrangement is one of the most painful and least understood experiences we can go through. It’s a loss without a funeral, a grief that doesn’t receive casseroles, community support, or cultural acknowledgement. 

In this deep dive, we unpack the complex psychology of estrangement through an attachment, trauma and psychodynamic lens.

We explore:

• What ambiguous grief really feels like
• Parent–child estrangement 
• The shame, silence and stigma that surround family cut-offs
• How projections, defences and unresolved trauma shape these ruptures
• The difference between protection, boundaries, and emotional avoidance
• The inner conflict of choosing to walk away or being the one left behind

This episode is a compassionate look at the grief of loving someone you can no longer reach, and the courage it takes to choose safety, repair, or distance.

 Whether you’re navigating estrangement yourself or supporting someone who is, we hope this conversation helps you feel seen, grounded, and a little less alone.

You can find more of us here: 

Our Online Psychology practice:

Did you know we have online appointments available with our amazing therapists Lisa or Maddie. Learn more here
https://thepsychcollaborative.com.au

The Thriving Therapists:
To connect with a safe and supportive community of like-minded therapists, head to our Thriving Therapists Facebook group:
https://m.facebook.com/groups/224252457083630/?ref=share&mibextid=S66gvF

Or find us on our Instagram:
https://instagram.com/thethrivingtherapists?igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA==

The Psychology Sisters Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/thepsychologysisters/?hl=en

The Psych Collaborative instagram
https://www.instagram.com/thepsychcollaborative/?hl=en

Please note: this episode is for informational purposes only and does not replace personalised psychological advice.

Welcome back to The Psychology Sisters! 

In our October unfiltered episode, Kat recaps her trip of a lifetime swimming with humpback whales in Tonga and a humbling pit! 
Aimee shares her half marathon run for DIPG raising money for children with rare cancer. 

Our loves and leaves are as follows:
Love: Pistachio spread from Coles, Haigs chocolate pistachio balls and Fat bear week. Kat also recommends line dancing!!
Leave: The summer I turned pretty and feeling cringe/ embarrassed. 

October is Mental Health Month and this year’s theme is “Taking Steps on Your Wellbeing Journey.” It’s all about the small, meaningful ways we can move toward better mental health — not in a perfect way, but in a real, human way.
And it’s also BPD Awareness Week from October 1st to 7th a really important time to remember that people living with Borderline Personality Disorder are not “too much,” “too complex,” or “too hard.” Recovery is absolutely possible with the right understanding and support and that message really ties into what we wanted to explore today. This episode’s a bit of an unfiltered check-in for all of us as we head into the last few months of the year. 

We’ll be chatting about two big things:
1.End-of-year burnout: why it sneaks up on us, and how we can start taking steps now to prevent it.
2.Trauma bonding: what it actually is, what it isn’t, and how to recognise it.

So if you’re feeling a bit over it, tired, or emotionally stretched, this one’s for you. Think of it as a gentle reset and a reminder that small steps really do matter on your wellbeing journey.

Aimee + Kat 

You can find more of us here: 

Our Online Psychology practice:

Did you know we have online appointments available with our amazing therapists Lisa or Maddie. Learn more here
https://thepsychcollaborative.com.au

The Thriving Therapists:
To connect with a safe and supportive community of like-minded therapists, head to our Thriving Therapists Facebook group:
https://m.facebook.com/groups/224252457083630/?ref=share&mibextid=S66gvF

Or find us on our Instagram:
https://instagram.com/thethrivingtherapists?igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA==

The Psychology Sisters Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/thepsychologysisters/?hl=en

The Psych Collaborative instagram
https://www.instagram.com/thepsychcollaborative/?hl=en

Please note: this episode is for informational purposes only and does not replace personalised psychological advice.

Welcome back to The Psychology Mama’s

Today, we’re diving into something that so many mothers quietly carry, the kind of exhaustion that sleep doesn’t fix. The kind that seeps into your bones and makes you feel like you’re disappearing inside the love you’re giving.

We’re talking about burnout in motherhood what happens when the endless giving, caring, and emotional holding start to empty you out.

And here’s the truth: it’s not because you’re not resilient enough, or grateful enough, or organised enough. It’s because you’re human, living in a world that doesn’t hold mothers the way mothers hold everyone else.

We’ll explore what burnout actually is, how it’s different from postnatal depression and why it’s not something you can fix with more “self-care.”

Because burnout isn’t just about stress, it’s about disconnection. Disconnection from support, from rest, and often, from your own sense of self.

So if you’ve ever found yourself thinking, “I love my child so much, why do I still feel so flat, so depleted, so alone?”
This episode is for you.

You can find more of us here: 

Our Online Psychology practice:

Did you know we have online appointments available with our amazing therapists Lisa or Maddie. Learn more here
https://thepsychcollaborative.com.au

The Thriving Therapists:
To connect with a safe and supportive community of like-minded therapists, head to our Thriving Therapists Facebook group:
https://m.facebook.com/groups/224252457083630/?ref=share&mibextid=S66gvF

Or find us on our Instagram:
https://instagram.com/thethrivingtherapists?igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA==

The Psychology Sisters Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/thepsychologysisters/?hl=en

The Psych Collaborative instagram
https://www.instagram.com/thepsychcollaborative/?hl=en

Please note: this episode is for informational purposes only and does not replace personalised psychological advice.

Welcome back to The Psychology Sisters unfiltered, where we chat all things being human, with a mix of clinical insight, real talk, and a few chaotic tangents.

We share our loves and leaves, pits and peeks and everything in between for the week that has been!

Aimz is loving a lot lately with: A journal called "Dad, I want to hear your story" I got this from big W!! It’s 300 thought-provoking questions and prompts designed to draw out your father's stories to encourage your dad to share and preserve his life story.

And running shorts from lulu lemon - Translucent 2-in-1 High-Rise Short 3"

Leave: I want to leave behind the narrative that my body must look a certain way to deserve certain clothes. The belief that certain body types qualify certain clothes. 

Kat is leaving behind winter!

Kat is loving the podcast hosted by Georgia Love "Everyone has an Ex" which has prompted our first conversation for this episode!!

In today’s episode, we’re exploring what our past relationships have taught us and how powerful reflecting on your ex’s can be!

And finally, we unpack the tiktoker who shared her story of how she fell inlove with her psychiatrist!!

You can find more of us here: 

Our Online Psychology practice:

Did you know we have online appointments available with our amazing therapists Lisa or Maddie. Learn more here
https://thepsychcollaborative.com.au

The Thriving Therapists:
To connect with a safe and supportive community of like-minded therapists, head to our Thriving Therapists Facebook group:
https://m.facebook.com/groups/224252457083630/?ref=share&mibextid=S66gvF

Or find us on our Instagram:
https://instagram.com/thethrivingtherapists?igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA==

The Psychology Sisters Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/thepsychologysisters/?hl=en

The Psych Collaborative instagram
https://www.instagram.com/thepsychcollaborative/?hl=en

Please note: this episode is for informational purposes only and does not replace personalised psychological advice.

Howdy friends! Welcome back for another deep dive.

We will be discussing the lesser known attachment style today, around 5% of people have a disorganised attachment. 

A disorganised attachment is an adaptation that stems from childhood trauma, it’s like having a compass that points north and south at the same time. Every step toward love feels like danger, and every step away feels like loss.

This attachment style begins in childhood, where love and fear are tangled together, when the caregiver we run to for safety is also the one we fear and at times even hurts us. As adults, this can leave us caught in a painful push–pull: craving closeness yet retreating when it arrives.

In this episode, we’re exploring disorganised attachment tracing its roots in early relationships, understanding how it shows up in our adult lives, and sharing practical insights to begin orientating back to security. Because even when our compass feels broken, there is a path back to safety, trust, and connection.

You can find more of us here: 

Our Online Psychology practice:

Did you know we have online appointments available with our amazing therapists Lisa or Maddie. Learn more here
https://thepsychcollaborative.com.au

The Thriving Therapists:
To connect with a safe and supportive community of like-minded therapists, head to our Thriving Therapists Facebook group:
https://m.facebook.com/groups/224252457083630/?ref=share&mibextid=S66gvF

Or find us on our Instagram:
https://instagram.com/thethrivingtherapists?igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA==

The Psychology Sisters Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/thepsychologysisters/?hl=en

The Psych Collaborative instagram
https://www.instagram.com/thepsychcollaborative/?hl=en

Please note: this episode is for informational purposes only and does not replace personalised psychological advice.