Connection Changes Lives
By Lisa Archer – Educational & Developmental Psychologist, Supervisor, Positive Behaviour Support Practitioner Imagine walking along the street, and someone...
Why We Seek Closure
Closure gives the brain a sense of completion. When something ends abruptly — a relationship, a job, a friendship —...
The Psychology of Boundaries
Boundaries aren’t walls — they’re clarity. They tell others how to treat us and tell ourselves what we need to...
Why Do We Dream
Dreams are the brain’s way of processing emotions, memories, and unresolved thoughts. They help us rehearse scenarios, integrate experiences, and...
The Psychology of Nostalgia
Nostalgia isn’t just reminiscing — it’s emotional regulation. Thinking about meaningful past experiences boosts mood, increases connection, and reminds us...
The Science of Body Language
Body language communicates more than words. Open posture signals confidence, eye contact builds trust, and mirroring creates connection. But body...
Why We Compare Ourselves to Others
Comparison is a natural part of human psychology. Our ancestors used comparison to understand social hierarchy and survival. Today, social...
The Psychology of Kindness
Kindness isn’t just moral; it’s biological. Acts of kindness release oxytocin, dopamine, and serotonin, creating a “helper’s high.” Even witnessing...
Why We Fear Change
Change triggers uncertainty, and uncertainty activates the brain’s threat response. Even positive changes — new job, new relationship, new city...
The Psychology of Motivation
Motivation isn’t a constant force; it fluctuates based on energy, emotion, and environment. One of the biggest myths is that...
Why We Replay Conversations in Our Head
Ever walk away from a conversation and immediately start replaying it? This happens because the brain is wired to analyse...
The Psychology of Jealousy
Jealousy is often misunderstood as a sign of insecurity, but it’s actually a complex emotional signal. It can point to...
The Comfort of Routine
Routines aren’t boring; they’re stabilising. The brain loves predictability because it reduces cognitive load. When certain parts of your day...
The Psychology of First Impressions
First impressions form in seconds, long before we consciously evaluate someone. Our brains are wired to make quick judgments based...
The Science of Emotional Burnout
Burnout isn’t just exhaustion; it’s emotional depletion caused by prolonged stress without adequate recovery. It affects motivation, concentration, mood, and...
Why We Seek Validation
Humans are wired for connection, and validation is one way we check that the connection is secure. Wanting reassurance doesn’t...
Mindful Mondays
TOBY MIZZI, COUNSELLING PSYCHOLOGIST, STRONG MINDS PSYCHOLOGY In time, it is likely that I will finish this series of blogs...
Mindful Mondays – Candle Exercise
TOBY MIZZI, COUNSELLING PSYCHOLOGIST, STRONG MINDS PSYCHOLOGY For this blog, I thought it might be nice to get back into...
Mindfulness Monday
TOBY MIZZI, COUNSELLING PSYCHOLOGIST, STRONG MINDS PSYCHOLOGY The Strong Minds team has had a very exciting and successful move into...
Mindfulness Monday – Apps for Mindfulness and Meditation
TOBY MIZZI, COUNSELLING PSYCHOLOGIST, STRONG MINDS PSYCHOLOGY For those of you who have tried some of the mindfulness meditation activities...
Mindfulness Mondays
TOBY MIZZI, COUNSELLING PSYCHOLOGIST, STRONG MINDS PSYCHOLOGY Over the past month or two, I have provided a guide to a...
Mindfulness Meditation 6 – Focus on Counting & Breathing
TOBY MIZZI, COUNSELLING PSYCHOLOGIST, STRONG MINDS PSYCHOLOGY This week, I decided to focus on another technique I was taught to...
Mindfulness Meditation – Current Experience
TOBY MIZZI, COUNSELLING PSYCHOLOGIST, STRONG MINDS PSYCHOLOGY My previous blog described a mindfulness meditation practice that utilised multiple points of...
Mindful Mondays Week 11 – Mindfulness Meditation Practice 4
TOBY MIZZI, COUNSELLING PSYCHOLOGIST, STRONG MINDS PSYCHOLOGY Rather than introducing anything specifically new this week, I wanted to focus this...
Mindful Mondays Week 10 – Mindfulness Meditation Practice 3
TOBY MIZZI, COUNSELLING PSYCHOLOGIST, STRONG MINDS PSYCHOLOGY So far in our mindfulness meditation practices, we have focussed on mindfulness of...
Easter Mindfulness
TOBY MIZZI, COUNSELLING PSYCHOLOGIST, STRONG MINDS PSYCHOLOGY Given it is Easter Monday today, I thought it would be appropriate to...
Mindful Mondays Week 8 Mindfulness Meditation Practice 2
TOBY MIZZI, COUNSELLING PSYCHOLOGIST, STRONG MINDS PSYCHOLOGY Last week, I provided some instructions on a fairly simple mindfulness meditation activity...
Mindful Mondays Week 7 Mindfulness Meditation Practice 1
TOBY MIZZI, COUNSELLING PSYCHOLOGIST, STRONG MINDS PSYCHOLOGY By now, my hope is that I have provided you with a basic...
Mindful Mondays Week 6 Meditation – The Basics
TOBY MIZZI, COUNSELLING PSYCHOLOGIST, STRONG MINDS PSYCHOLOGY Not sure where to start with mindfulness meditation? In this week’s blog, I...
Mindful Mondays Week 5 – Getting Serious about Mindfulness
TOBY MIZZI, COUNSELLING PSYCHOLOGIST, STRONG MINDS PSYCHOLOGY If you’re reading this, hopefully you are considering making mindfulness more of a...
Mindful Mondays – Formal Mindfulness
TOBY MIZZI, COUNSELLING PSYCHOLOGIST, STRONG MINDS PSYCHOLOGY Last blog, we introduced informal mindfulness which basically meant bringing your full attention...
Mindful Mondays – Informal Mindfulness
TOBY MIZZI, COUNSELLING PSYCHOLOGIST, STRONG MINDS PSYCHOLOGY Mindfulness can be practised anywhere and anytime. In fact, the more you practice...
Mindful Mondays – Mind Full or Mindful?
TOBY MIZZI, COUNSELLING PSYCHOLOGIST, STRONG MINDS PSYCHOLOGY Last week, we provided a brief introduction into mindfulness. Another way of understanding...
Mindful Mondays – Introduction to Mindfulness
TOBY MIZZI, COUNSELLING PSYCHOLOGIST, STRONG MINDS PSYCHOLOGY Mindfulness has become a bit of a buzz word in recent times, both...