Hi Vicki great to hear your story , fascinated by all those ways that fate/destiny thread us into the fabric of our lives. I went opposite direction to you, growing up in beautiful Auckland then living in London as young adult. Studying astrology with a Jungian analyst there led me to becoming a psychotherapist a decade later. Had CFS in my 30s , healed through many modalities and living at a beach North of Sydney. Love of Earth and dreams of Earth led me to climate psychology research. These days happiest writing and tending the Earth. Photo of Piha Beach brings back many childhood memories. A wondrous part of the world, I deeply miss Aotearoa, enjoy the glimpses of her I get in your writings.
So nice to meet you here Sally, and lots of common threads in our stories. I am also very drawn to Jungian psychology, and also spent my early adulthood (from 22-32) in London, which is very much my other 'home'. So fabulous you are in the field of climate psychology research - one of my dear friends and colleagues, Jackie Feather, has been working in that field over here. Much needed work for our times 💚
Hello Vicki 👋🏻. Reading along from Scotland. Fellow introvert Similar interest in what makes us all work, and in trauma and how it shows up, and what helps. Shared childhood dream of being a writer. Braving having a wee go here: https://open.substack.com/pub/ionamillar
Thanks Amy! I’m still really clumsily navigating how it all works here. But it’s lovely to find writing, and people, where making sense of life, with compassion and creativity, is a shared language 🥰
Hi Vicki! Extrovert/Introvert Hybrid here; was also a fanciful child with dreams of a glamorous life; tap and ballet classes, modern and jazz, yoga teacher training, a big fan of body movement. Fiber artist currently on a theme of The Female Form in a year-long exploration of new techniques. It's art therapy, in a way - - I'm never at a loss for themes! Thank you for The Therapy Room - - I read and share with my sister, daughter, and friends periodically.
Oh lots of overlaps Amy 😃 The introvert/extrovert thing is interesting. I think the labels are a bit oversimplified. I have some thoughts on this that I'll write about soon.
Your art sounds fascinating - do you share it publicly somewhere?
Thanks so much for being here as part of The Therapy Room community 😊
What a beautiful glimpse into your path and story, Vicki! I love how you bring attention to the whole (body, mind, spirit, breath, our place in nature) in your personal journey and professional practice.
And thank you for the generous invitation to share! As you know 😊, I’m a Doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine and offer heart-sourced, no-bullsh*t support for changing unhelpful patterns. Similar to you, my own health journey led me to the sort of work I do in the world. https://danaleighlyons.substack.com/
Hi Vicki, I live near Fremantle, Western Australia, which I think is a pretty special part of the world, albeit in the most isolated capital city in the world which is, to use a cliche, “a blessing and a curse” 🤣.
I have worked for decades as a dietitian and realised that most eating problems also come from trauma, so I completed a Grad Dip in Counselling as well a few years ago. But I am getting (read - feeling) old and hope to retire next year, and I can feel the transition where I am less concerned with the problems of “others” - that seems to be an endless stream - and hope to focus on creativity and reflection and maybe some writing, which I have always skirted round the edges of. Or maybe just baking for my family! ☺️
Hi Sarah, lovely to meet you here. Sounds like a great time to venture into some writing - a place to channel all those years of accumulated wisdom and life experience perhaps? Do let me know if you start sharing your work here on Substack. Though baking sounds fabulous too 😀
Sarah, I just had to pop in to express how much I loved Fremantle when I was there. It's such a special place, and one that brings me back to memories of complete presence and trust in the Universe! 😍 Thank you for bringing me back there for a moment through your comment.
Aloha Vicki, Congratulations on reaching 1000 subscribers! I loved learning more about you, where you started in psychology, and where you have progressed to. We have similar minds in the sense that I also love getting to the root of the problems. Trauma (big and little T) has impacted my life from my early years on. I'm always curious about new avenues of healing and encouraging one another as we grow. I write about calming the mind, healing the heart, and tuning into your inner wisdom on Wild Arisings: https://sandrapawula.substack.com
Thank you Sandra. Yes, I have been dipping into some of your writing recently, seems we have a lot of overlapping interests 😊 'Calming the mind, healing the heart, and tuning into you inner wisdom' is a beautiful description of your offerings ❤
Hello Vikki - reading here from a tiny locality in Australia called Blakney Creek. This post actually made me stop in my tracks and think - maybe I should train as a psychologist too (as if it's as easy as just saying it!!) I'm 41, a fellow newsie writer - and reader. Lovely to meet you here. Sx
Hi Skye, thanks for taking the time to introduce yourself - always nice to find 'local' folks here on Substack, which often seems so Northern Hemisphere-centric! It's never too late to change career direction, though I will say, it's a long hard 6 year+ slog to get qualified as a psychologist 😣 Glad to have got that part out of the way!!
Oh I bet. Yes it was flippant of me to think like that, It will most likely never happen - but kernels of inspiration have to start somewhere don't they?!
Hi. I think you know quite a lot about me. Love yoga still, in my 80s. American by birth, but lived in the UK for over 50 years with my English husband. What you may not know is that I also wanted to be a dancer. See https://arichardson.substack.com/p/the-road-not-taken. And congratulations on the 1000 subscribers. It took me nearly two years to get there (a month ago), so you have done well.
Thanks for sharing that Ann. No, I didn't know you wanted to be a dancer, but look forward to reading more on that 😀 And congratulations on the 1000 milestone too 🙌
Its been great to learn more about you and the route you took to get to where you are now, thank you for sharing!
Trauma is most certainly at the heart of it all in some way - I'm often working with the impact of having emotionally unavailable/neglectful parents and often think about the intergenerational aspect of it and the stories we'll probably never know...
I'm using a lot of creativity these days to support clients with this and its a joy to see clients express themselves in this way!
I've been enjoying your posts for a while now and look forward to continuing - Thanks Vicki!
Lovely to meet you here Amy and yes, creative expression can be such a beautiful part of healing. I'm glad to hear my comments on trauma resonated with you too. Thank you for being here 😊
Thanks for sharing, Vicki. We have a lot in common! I went the developmental psychology route - focused on growth and positive outcomes with people. Somatic work in the past five years has greatly changed my relationship with my body, instead of being a "brain on a stick." :)
Nice to meet you here Caitlin. Yes, I can identify with being a 'brain on a stick' I was definitely one of those for many years, quite absent from my body. Finding that reconnection has been subtly life-changing. Thank you for being here 😊
Hi Vicki, new to your page and excited to be a new subscriber. I am studying counselling and psychotherapy, have spent over 10 years producing documentaries, and am beginning to experiment with writing. I published my first piece on here today - hooray! Looking forward to reading more of your work.
Thank you! I wrote a tongue in cheek analogy about how attachment styles might present themselves when it comes to airport travel. I’m sure it’s uncouth to promote posts - and I’m not actually sure how to link to it - but if you did fancy having a read then please do click through to my profile (or let me know if there’s an easier way to share!). Would love to have some feedback
I am in the Seattle area in the US, married 30 years, with two boys, 19 and 14. Over the last 10 years or so, since I was laid off a long-time job, which was a blessing in disguise, I've been deeply getting to know myself. I ended up working at an elementary school, through volunteering there for my kids, and who knew I would love it so much that I am currently, at 54, getting my master's degree in special education so I can work with children with special needs. I also discovered yoga over the years and the profound effect of nature on my well-being, as well as dance. It's been a beautiful journey ever since! XO
So nice to hear a bit more about you Danielle. I love that you're studying for your Masters in your 50s! Thank you for being here and being a regular commenter, it is much appreciated 😊
Thank you for sharing. Resonates hugely with me. I am on what has been a looong ongoing personal journey of trying to understand myself fully (the suppressed parts) and heal my way through trauma - little and big Ts - to live life in a more present and accepting way.
Lovely to learn a bit more about you and congratulations on 1000 subs that's impressive! Can confirm that working in prisons is harsh, I too read all the books on serial killers when I was young and studied criminology and social work. I've been working in that field for 15 years now. BUT I always say I could never do the mental health field, because that seems really difficult to me! I guess it's just what you know and what you've become used to.
I work for the Government, unfortunately not able to share much online - which is why you wouldn't have known 😊 I love working in my field as well, I really think it's made me a better and more functioning human being over all 😁
Hi Sam, happy to hear my kitties led you here 😻 Actually Heihei's name is perhaps not as obvious as you may think! We adopted him at one year old from colleagues moving overseas. His previous owner was Chinese and in Chinese 'Heihei' is 'Black-black'. But I love that it also means chicken in Māori because it suits his personality 😃
We have similarities for sure. I'm a fellow introvert, yoga teacher (though not currently teaching), dancer (I danced tap as a kid and have recently gotten into ballet and jazz as an adult), and I'm also fascinated by trauma and psychology as a whole. My curiosities of the human condition expanded as I got sober and started learning astrology—first to learn about myself, and then it snowballed from there. I've been living away from my home country for almost a decade, and I'm now so curious to know what led you to become an accidental immigrant to NZ 🤭.
Thank you for sharing more of your story, and for opening the floor to connect with others in the comments.
Thanks for sharing a bit more of your story Kaitlyn - yes lots of similarities there! My NZ journey started out as a year out, an adventure, but I fell I love - not with a human (that came later), but with the wildness of the West Coast beaches and the untamed quality of the land (a country the same size as the UK but with only 5 million people as opposed to 60-odd million!) That's the short version, I've written more about it here
Curious too, how you ended up in Thailand - was this motivated by the pandemic as you wrote about recently, and why Thailand in particular? It's a place I have fantasised about living, and I've been following Dana Leigh Lyon's adventures there too 😊
Ohh I will definitely be reading that post, thank you for sharing! I love hearing how people find themselves in new places.
My adventure started as a year out as well, but to Australia, back in 2016.
I love the image of the change in landscape and population from the UK to NZ, it sounds expansive. Coming from Canada I can appreciate the freedom of open land.
I've actually been in Thailand for over 8 years now, well before the pandemic, but I was stuck in Canada during that time. I didn't plan to be in Thailand, especially for this long, so it was also a bit of an accident. I wrote a bit about the synchronicity of it if you'd like to take a look:
I love that you're following along with Dana's story, too!! It's so wild because she just came from minutes from my mom's home in Canada, and now we're just a few hours from eachother in Thailand 😅 it's such a small world.
Hi Vicki great to hear your story , fascinated by all those ways that fate/destiny thread us into the fabric of our lives. I went opposite direction to you, growing up in beautiful Auckland then living in London as young adult. Studying astrology with a Jungian analyst there led me to becoming a psychotherapist a decade later. Had CFS in my 30s , healed through many modalities and living at a beach North of Sydney. Love of Earth and dreams of Earth led me to climate psychology research. These days happiest writing and tending the Earth. Photo of Piha Beach brings back many childhood memories. A wondrous part of the world, I deeply miss Aotearoa, enjoy the glimpses of her I get in your writings.
So nice to meet you here Sally, and lots of common threads in our stories. I am also very drawn to Jungian psychology, and also spent my early adulthood (from 22-32) in London, which is very much my other 'home'. So fabulous you are in the field of climate psychology research - one of my dear friends and colleagues, Jackie Feather, has been working in that field over here. Much needed work for our times 💚
Hello Vicki 👋🏻. Reading along from Scotland. Fellow introvert Similar interest in what makes us all work, and in trauma and how it shows up, and what helps. Shared childhood dream of being a writer. Braving having a wee go here: https://open.substack.com/pub/ionamillar
Hi Iona, nice to meet you here, and I just love the name of your newsletter. Thanks for dropping in to say hello 😊
Thanks for inviting the ‘hello’.
Thanks for sharing your Substack - i loved your posts on parts!!
Thanks Amy! I’m still really clumsily navigating how it all works here. But it’s lovely to find writing, and people, where making sense of life, with compassion and creativity, is a shared language 🥰
Same honestly, I'm still figuring it out. I'm taking the approach that it will come with time (fingers crossed) but it's a really nice place to be!
Hi Iona from another fellow introvert!
Hi Vicki! Extrovert/Introvert Hybrid here; was also a fanciful child with dreams of a glamorous life; tap and ballet classes, modern and jazz, yoga teacher training, a big fan of body movement. Fiber artist currently on a theme of The Female Form in a year-long exploration of new techniques. It's art therapy, in a way - - I'm never at a loss for themes! Thank you for The Therapy Room - - I read and share with my sister, daughter, and friends periodically.
Oh lots of overlaps Amy 😃 The introvert/extrovert thing is interesting. I think the labels are a bit oversimplified. I have some thoughts on this that I'll write about soon.
Your art sounds fascinating - do you share it publicly somewhere?
Thanks so much for being here as part of The Therapy Room community 😊
What a beautiful glimpse into your path and story, Vicki! I love how you bring attention to the whole (body, mind, spirit, breath, our place in nature) in your personal journey and professional practice.
And thank you for the generous invitation to share! As you know 😊, I’m a Doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine and offer heart-sourced, no-bullsh*t support for changing unhelpful patterns. Similar to you, my own health journey led me to the sort of work I do in the world. https://danaleighlyons.substack.com/
Thanks Dana, and yes we teach best what we most need to learn, as they say 😄
Always enjoy your heartfelt, thoughtful writing ❤️
Hi Vicki, I live near Fremantle, Western Australia, which I think is a pretty special part of the world, albeit in the most isolated capital city in the world which is, to use a cliche, “a blessing and a curse” 🤣.
I have worked for decades as a dietitian and realised that most eating problems also come from trauma, so I completed a Grad Dip in Counselling as well a few years ago. But I am getting (read - feeling) old and hope to retire next year, and I can feel the transition where I am less concerned with the problems of “others” - that seems to be an endless stream - and hope to focus on creativity and reflection and maybe some writing, which I have always skirted round the edges of. Or maybe just baking for my family! ☺️
Hi Sarah, lovely to meet you here. Sounds like a great time to venture into some writing - a place to channel all those years of accumulated wisdom and life experience perhaps? Do let me know if you start sharing your work here on Substack. Though baking sounds fabulous too 😀
Yes- before my brain shrinks any further 🤣
Sarah, I just had to pop in to express how much I loved Fremantle when I was there. It's such a special place, and one that brings me back to memories of complete presence and trust in the Universe! 😍 Thank you for bringing me back there for a moment through your comment.
Awww ❤️. Yes, we love Freo. My parents got off their boats here in the early 1950s - “ten pound POMs”.
Aloha Vicki, Congratulations on reaching 1000 subscribers! I loved learning more about you, where you started in psychology, and where you have progressed to. We have similar minds in the sense that I also love getting to the root of the problems. Trauma (big and little T) has impacted my life from my early years on. I'm always curious about new avenues of healing and encouraging one another as we grow. I write about calming the mind, healing the heart, and tuning into your inner wisdom on Wild Arisings: https://sandrapawula.substack.com
Thank you Sandra. Yes, I have been dipping into some of your writing recently, seems we have a lot of overlapping interests 😊 'Calming the mind, healing the heart, and tuning into you inner wisdom' is a beautiful description of your offerings ❤
Hello Vikki - reading here from a tiny locality in Australia called Blakney Creek. This post actually made me stop in my tracks and think - maybe I should train as a psychologist too (as if it's as easy as just saying it!!) I'm 41, a fellow newsie writer - and reader. Lovely to meet you here. Sx
Hi Skye, thanks for taking the time to introduce yourself - always nice to find 'local' folks here on Substack, which often seems so Northern Hemisphere-centric! It's never too late to change career direction, though I will say, it's a long hard 6 year+ slog to get qualified as a psychologist 😣 Glad to have got that part out of the way!!
Oh I bet. Yes it was flippant of me to think like that, It will most likely never happen - but kernels of inspiration have to start somewhere don't they?!
Absolutely.... you never know where those kernels will take you 😀
Hi. I think you know quite a lot about me. Love yoga still, in my 80s. American by birth, but lived in the UK for over 50 years with my English husband. What you may not know is that I also wanted to be a dancer. See https://arichardson.substack.com/p/the-road-not-taken. And congratulations on the 1000 subscribers. It took me nearly two years to get there (a month ago), so you have done well.
Thanks for sharing that Ann. No, I didn't know you wanted to be a dancer, but look forward to reading more on that 😀 And congratulations on the 1000 milestone too 🙌
Its been great to learn more about you and the route you took to get to where you are now, thank you for sharing!
Trauma is most certainly at the heart of it all in some way - I'm often working with the impact of having emotionally unavailable/neglectful parents and often think about the intergenerational aspect of it and the stories we'll probably never know...
I'm using a lot of creativity these days to support clients with this and its a joy to see clients express themselves in this way!
I've been enjoying your posts for a while now and look forward to continuing - Thanks Vicki!
Here's my little corner of Substack 🫶
https://open.substack.com/pub/seasonschangetherapy?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=2j2j7b
Lovely to meet you here Amy and yes, creative expression can be such a beautiful part of healing. I'm glad to hear my comments on trauma resonated with you too. Thank you for being here 😊
Thanks for sharing, Vicki. We have a lot in common! I went the developmental psychology route - focused on growth and positive outcomes with people. Somatic work in the past five years has greatly changed my relationship with my body, instead of being a "brain on a stick." :)
Nice to meet you here Caitlin. Yes, I can identify with being a 'brain on a stick' I was definitely one of those for many years, quite absent from my body. Finding that reconnection has been subtly life-changing. Thank you for being here 😊
Hi Vicki, new to your page and excited to be a new subscriber. I am studying counselling and psychotherapy, have spent over 10 years producing documentaries, and am beginning to experiment with writing. I published my first piece on here today - hooray! Looking forward to reading more of your work.
Hi there, great to have you here and looking forward to reading what you share too 😀
Thank you! I wrote a tongue in cheek analogy about how attachment styles might present themselves when it comes to airport travel. I’m sure it’s uncouth to promote posts - and I’m not actually sure how to link to it - but if you did fancy having a read then please do click through to my profile (or let me know if there’s an easier way to share!). Would love to have some feedback
What a wonderful story! Thank you for sharing!!
I am in the Seattle area in the US, married 30 years, with two boys, 19 and 14. Over the last 10 years or so, since I was laid off a long-time job, which was a blessing in disguise, I've been deeply getting to know myself. I ended up working at an elementary school, through volunteering there for my kids, and who knew I would love it so much that I am currently, at 54, getting my master's degree in special education so I can work with children with special needs. I also discovered yoga over the years and the profound effect of nature on my well-being, as well as dance. It's been a beautiful journey ever since! XO
So nice to hear a bit more about you Danielle. I love that you're studying for your Masters in your 50s! Thank you for being here and being a regular commenter, it is much appreciated 😊
I love your work and your writing!! Thank you for being vulnerable with us all and sharing your journey openly! XO
👋 from London, UK.
Thank you for sharing. Resonates hugely with me. I am on what has been a looong ongoing personal journey of trying to understand myself fully (the suppressed parts) and heal my way through trauma - little and big Ts - to live life in a more present and accepting way.
I greatly enjoy your posts 🙏
Hi Liz, I'm glad to hear it resonates with you. And yes, I think trauma healing is the most powerful work we can do! Thanks for being here 😊
Lovely to learn a bit more about you and congratulations on 1000 subs that's impressive! Can confirm that working in prisons is harsh, I too read all the books on serial killers when I was young and studied criminology and social work. I've been working in that field for 15 years now. BUT I always say I could never do the mental health field, because that seems really difficult to me! I guess it's just what you know and what you've become used to.
Ha! Did not know that about you Sophie. Where do you work?
I absolutely love working in mental health, it is endlessly fascinating and endlessly enlightening with regards to my own journey 😊
I work for the Government, unfortunately not able to share much online - which is why you wouldn't have known 😊 I love working in my field as well, I really think it's made me a better and more functioning human being over all 😁
Kia ora Vicki,
I just found you through your gorgeous cats on MeowStack and wanted to know why your cat had the name Heihei 🐓
I found my answer in this post, you now live in Auckland! I’m from London and live on the Kāpiti Coast 🌊
Ngā mihi,
Sam
Hi Sam, happy to hear my kitties led you here 😻 Actually Heihei's name is perhaps not as obvious as you may think! We adopted him at one year old from colleagues moving overseas. His previous owner was Chinese and in Chinese 'Heihei' is 'Black-black'. But I love that it also means chicken in Māori because it suits his personality 😃
Ps. Always nice to discover fellow NZers here on Substack 😊
Wow, that’s wonderful 🥰 🐈⬛
These are my two 😻 😻
https://open.substack.com/pub/meowstack/p/meowstack-4-harry-is-a-majestic-ball?r=2pp93s&utm_medium=ios
Ah yes, they are absolutely gorgeous 😻😻 I have come across your writing (as a fellow perimenopausal woman) but hadn't realised you were also a NZer 😀
Been here 8 years now, I think. I’m time agnostic so 🤷🏻♀️
Married a Kiwi in the UK who turned out to be very homesick!
Ah, I came all the way to the other side of the world and ended up marrying a German 🙃 But have become very attached to the whenua here 💚
Oh I loved reading more about you, Vicki!
We have similarities for sure. I'm a fellow introvert, yoga teacher (though not currently teaching), dancer (I danced tap as a kid and have recently gotten into ballet and jazz as an adult), and I'm also fascinated by trauma and psychology as a whole. My curiosities of the human condition expanded as I got sober and started learning astrology—first to learn about myself, and then it snowballed from there. I've been living away from my home country for almost a decade, and I'm now so curious to know what led you to become an accidental immigrant to NZ 🤭.
Thank you for sharing more of your story, and for opening the floor to connect with others in the comments.
Thanks for sharing a bit more of your story Kaitlyn - yes lots of similarities there! My NZ journey started out as a year out, an adventure, but I fell I love - not with a human (that came later), but with the wildness of the West Coast beaches and the untamed quality of the land (a country the same size as the UK but with only 5 million people as opposed to 60-odd million!) That's the short version, I've written more about it here
https://drvickiconnop.substack.com/p/dilemmas-of-an-accidental-immigrant
Curious too, how you ended up in Thailand - was this motivated by the pandemic as you wrote about recently, and why Thailand in particular? It's a place I have fantasised about living, and I've been following Dana Leigh Lyon's adventures there too 😊
Ohh I will definitely be reading that post, thank you for sharing! I love hearing how people find themselves in new places.
My adventure started as a year out as well, but to Australia, back in 2016.
I love the image of the change in landscape and population from the UK to NZ, it sounds expansive. Coming from Canada I can appreciate the freedom of open land.
I've actually been in Thailand for over 8 years now, well before the pandemic, but I was stuck in Canada during that time. I didn't plan to be in Thailand, especially for this long, so it was also a bit of an accident. I wrote a bit about the synchronicity of it if you'd like to take a look:
https://open.substack.com/pub/kaitlynramsay/p/the-notebook-that-reminded-me-im?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=2r9i80
I love that you're following along with Dana's story, too!! It's so wild because she just came from minutes from my mom's home in Canada, and now we're just a few hours from eachother in Thailand 😅 it's such a small world.
Fabulous. Yes I will definitely have a read of your story too 😃