Signposts for Living with Dr Kirsten Hunter

Podcast: The confusion around Separation Anxiety.

When your child doesn't want to separate from from you at school drop off (as an example), is this due to it being their preference, a fear or a phobia? We talk about Separation Anxiety, but do we really now what we are talking about? Or are we all confused? I'm afraid that this is an area where Pop Psychology has taken most of us off track. It is so common to misunderstand 'Separation Anxiety'. We all really need to get the facts laid out for us so we can help our children. Hopefully this is achieved through this podcast. 

Hope you enjoy, and this clears up the confusion.

Podcast: The Psychology of Painting. Special Guest Catherine Ketton

Painting is definitely one of our creative outlets where we can both challenge and lose ourselves.  Beautiful Catherine Ketton is my mentor in the oil painting world, so I thought I would ask her along to hear about her process and her personal experience of oil painting. 

I love the complexity of oil painting and the depth of finished product that you can achieve. Catherine spoke of how she is constantly trying new approaches and remains intrigued by mastering the different techniques. 

If you are interested in oil painting, then this podcast is for you. But if you are interested in finding a passion that draws you into a world that you become lost and recharged in... then this podcast also provides an intriguing lens for your personal journey.

Grab your paintbrush and enjoy!

QUICK CHAT: Am I grieving properly?

Does it surprise you that this is a frequently asked question in session. Grief can be daunting and exhausting. We can experience a big dose of the deepest heartache. So I guess it's no surprise that we often look for reassurance about how we are grieving. 

I hope this podcast is helpful for those facing grief in some way or another. 

Take care. 

Podcast. Elite sport for kids; Pros and Cons. My Synchronised Swimming experience. Special Guest Sally Johnstone.

Sally is one of those lovely humble people. So when by chance I happened to discover that in her past life she was an elite Synchonised Swimmer I was intrigued and had to ask her along to do a podcast. I am so glad that I did. Because her story opened up to an intriguing can of worms with regard to the pros and cons of children being involved in elite sport. I appreciate this opportunity to enter into this unique world. It is one that we don't get to hear about very much. As a mother now, Sally shares even more indepth reflections. 

I hope you enjoy! I certainly did. Thanks so much Sally. 

Podcast: How do we work out healthy boundaries at work? Co-presenter Kristen Coggan.

There seems to be no rule book with this one. How do we balance the importance of relationship building in the workplace, and the need to support mental health, with a boundary of some sort to keep our workplace professional. 

As usual, Kristen and I threw this question at the wall to see how it would fall. We weren't disappointed. There is so much to this question. I'm sure that we all have our own experiences of this going well, and of course... not going well. 

We would love to hear your thoughts on your experience of this curly question. 

Podcast: Have you felt the hurt of Critical Humour?

Critical Humour is a sly fox. Have you ever had anyone say something that is truly hurtful, yet they say 'I'm only joking!', or 'can't you take a joke.'

How do you navigate this? What is going wrong? Do you have the right to feel hurt even though they are supposedly only joking? 

Let's talk about this tricky topic. Let's iron it out, expose it, once and for all!

Podcast: Relationships - how to heal hurts. Co-Presenter Kristen Coggan.

When we have said something or done something to hurt our special person, it is a skill to know how to heal the hurt. How to move forward and genuinely feel okay. This podcast breaks down what we need from the other person in order to overcome our hurts. A simple sorry doesn't cut it. Why? Well we talk through the why's and the how's in this podcast. 

Would love to hear your thoughts. 

Podcast: Doing school differently - for kids that haven't thrived in mainstream schooling. Special Guest Libby Rosentreter

Libby is an advocate for neurodiversity and alternative educational settings. She is the principle of Samaritan College in Toowoomba, SE QLD, Australia. Libby is one of those people that quietens all the noise, and gets to know what the inner working are of each child that she is working with. She doesn't think the children need to be a square peg that should fit into a square hole. Instead, she works to understand the child, and then she works to change the environment so that the child feels safe and can begin to show their potential. 

My heart and my head sang when I met Libby. We need millions more like her in the world to make the world an intelligent and compassionate place, where difference is embraced and celebrated. 

There is a very good reason that her school, Good Samaritan has a very long waiting list. 

Come and enjoy Libby's insights and her story. Thankyou Libby for being so generous with your time. We all really appreciate it. 

Podcast - Is it cliche that our childhood shapes us? Co-presenter Kristen Coggan.

In session, the Psychologist hopefully doesn't say the cliche words 'tell me about your childhood'... but the truth is, our childhood is central to shaping us. 

How we learn about ourselves (healthy or unhealthy), how we learn to be in relationships (healthy or unhealthy), how we learn to relate to the world (healthy or unhealthy), our values (healthy or unhealthy), etc, etc. The point is... we have absorbed healthy and unhealthy patterns and experiences from our childhood, and this is a large focus in learning about your psychology.

Kristen and I explore this issue together. It's so pivotal that we all get our head around our own inner workings to get that much happier and skilled. Perhaps this podcast will nudge a few people in the right direction.

Podcast: Do you appreciate your body in the good times?

We humans have a bad habit of taking things for granted. Our bodies are no exception. Yes, when we are unwell, we miss when we were well. But then, when we are back to health, we tend to stop appreciating the health and capacity that we have. What a great topic to take a moment to consider... and to wake up to. We truly benefit in our mental health when we have gratitude for our bodies - in so many ways. 

Podcast: My experience with Psychedelic Assisted Therapy. Special Guest Holly Paterson.

Where to begin? This podcast is layered with so many intriguing and confronting themes and issues... trauma, utter desperation, the power of psychedelic assisted therapy, and healing. Holly is a highly intelligent, informed and articulate advocate for so many who are lost to trauma. As she explains, Holly was exposed to trauma while in her highly specialised work role... a role that involved protecting the vulnerable. It is a cruel irony that she herself, ended up so vulnerable as a result. This led her on  a desperate search for alternative answers when mainstream therapy could not help her.

I love that our paths have crossed and that we were able to share this very meaningful conversation. Thankyou for your openness to share Holly. I'm sure that your experience will help others to find their way out also.

More about Holly: https://www.instagram.com/psychedelicintimacy/

Please note - this was recorded 13th June 2023 (yes, we are fortunate to have a backlog of podcasts yet to post!) so the information regarding Government Policy may be (hopefully is... ) out of date. Check the Australian Government websites for latest policy updates. Thanks so much!

Podcast: 'I fear conflict.' Co-Presenter Kristen Coggan

It's a strange thing.... client after client come in and say these words 'I fear conflict.' This is a completely valid statement of course, and it's often core to the struggles that we are having. No problems there... what is interesting is that we tend to think that we're alone in this thinking framework, when in truth, most of the population think and feel this same way. I was eager to talk through this topic with Kristen, and explore why this is a common fear, why we feel alone with it, and perhaps how to work through it. 

We are social creatures, so conflict with loved ones and not so loved ones is inevitable. I'm sure this is a topic that we can all relate to.

QUICK CHAT: Domestic Violence - Does the cycle always continue?

There is no doubt that when you have been exposed to psychological or physical Domestic Violence, there are high odds (due to dangerous subconscious psychological forces) that you will end up in another Domestically Violent relationship. But... this is when the patterns remain under our conscious awareness and therefore out of our control. The cycle can break! Well and truly! This QUICK CHAT explains why it is a myth that Domestic Violence will repeat and explores the 'whys' and  'hows' of change. 

On a personal and societal level, we all need to be skilled in our knowledge about this issue to take away the power of Domestic Violence in families. 

The Vanuatu Project: bringing music to children. Special Guest Melissa Buchholz.

Melissa is a truly extraordinary pianist. If you have ever had the opportunity to hear her perform, you know that her reputation and impressive credentials are well earned. But her passion does not stop there, Melissa wants to bring music to those who don't have access to musical education. Her focus started out with rural schools, but now she is extending her focus to Vanuatu no less, a country that she has developed a deep connection with. 

Her Vanuatu story is a sweet one, and her passion is contagious. Melissa is one of those precious people that have a fire in their belly to share their talents and to improve the lives of others. Hope you enjoy.

Podcast:- Separated Parents - Does your child feel like a visitor? Co-presenter Kristen Coggan

Children can be very adaptive to parent separation when it's done well. We all know the obvious don'ts like 'Don't speak negatively about the other parent...', but there are some other curve ball issues that we need to master to make sure our child's childhood is not highjacked or damaged by parent separations. Unfortunately, these are not spoken about, and they can easily be missed. 

I feel passionate about parents getting this right... separating so that your child thrives. I'm delighted that Kristen and I could dive into this topic and pull it apart. Would love to hear your thoughts.

When we are trying to help people who are anxious, overwhelmed and stressed it can be hard to know what to say. Of course we can't fix other people's struggles, although we might like to and may try. I love this simple analogy that came to me in session... the broken leg analogy. What do you think?

Podcast: Girls - Walking them through their teenage years, perfectionism, judgment, silence, mean girls and survival. 

This is a huge topic that effects so many families. It's tough being a girl, and tough parenting girls with so many social and personal obstacles to navigate. 

Mia is a bonafide expert on teenage girls. Her passion and dedication is unwavering.  She brings with her insight and encouragement, something we all probably can benefit from. 

Podcast: Are you creating guilt in your child. Co-presenter Kristen Coggan

Guilt is the strangest emotional state and thinking process. As parents, it's extraordinary how easy it is to set our child up to feel guilt. Perhaps we are programmed to feel guilt ourselves from our childhood, our culture or our religion. But guilt is a problem. Guilt can lead us to make choices that are not our own, choices that are based on blind obligation, not to mention the emotional toll. 

How often do you feel guilt, how often do you make decisions to avoid feeling guilt? But perhaps most importantly, are you accidentally parenting your child through guilt? 

This is an unspoken problem, it was really interesting where Kristen and I ended up on this one.

QUICK CHAT: Boundaries in Relationships

It is an important skill to learn - how to not feel responsible for others but remain supportive, and how to now allow others to step over our boundaries, and impose their needs on us. It's a tricky area. But once we master this skill (well enough anyway) we can prevent so much pain and heartache. 

Podcast; False Assumptions about Muslim Women. Special Guest Ellisa Parker

Ellisa is one of those people who can't sit on the side lines. She's passionate about learning, advocating for the environment, woman and the community. As an Australian woman who has converted to her Muslim faith, she provides a fresh perspective on her religion, especially as she is someone who asks questions and demands accountability. Ellisa was eager to come along and debunk many of the false assumptions that exist with regard to Muslim Women. I was fascinated as she shared the need for there to be more education and advocacy for woman within her faith. 

I love meeting people like Ellisa. She is a born agitator and pioneer. How can you not want to learn more about another world that is perhaps not so different from your own as you may have thought. Thankyou for your time Ellisa, you're a true gem.