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, found from Jeannines WITD community. We share our moves from the UK to New Zealand. I have found NZ has grounded me spiritually and physically to her beautiful vast land of high energy and healing, and how nature is vibrant and abundant here, its changed me forever.
Isn't it fascinating Jane, how much difference the land makes? I find when I go back to the UK, different sides of my personality come to the fore again 😀
Yes indeed me too. When I visit the UK to see family, I somehow loose the feeling being grounded and the parts of me which have been laid dormant surface again.
Hi Vicky, thanks for sharing your story - it's so great to see Clinical Psychologists showing up and writing publicly about the intersection between their work and their lives. I'm also a Clinical Psychologist and relatively new addition to Substack, writing about the psychology of problematic alcohol use.
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 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, found from Jeannines WITD community. We share our moves from the UK to New Zealand. I have found NZ has grounded me spiritually and physically to her beautiful vast land of high energy and healing, and how nature is vibrant and abundant here, its changed me forever.
Isn't it fascinating Jane, how much difference the land makes? I find when I go back to the UK, different sides of my personality come to the fore again 😀
Yes indeed me too. When I visit the UK to see family, I somehow loose the feeling being grounded and the parts of me which have been laid dormant surface again.
Such a strange thing 🤔
Hi Vicky, thanks for sharing your story - it's so great to see Clinical Psychologists showing up and writing publicly about the intersection between their work and their lives. I'm also a Clinical Psychologist and relatively new addition to Substack, writing about the psychology of problematic alcohol use.
ah, fogot to add my substack: https://controlissues.substack.com/
Thanks for introducing yourself Paul. I'm curious - are you the same Paul Chadwick I trained with at UEL 1998-2001??
Hahaha! Oh my goodness - yes, I think I might be! I did wonder if it was you also! How funny!
Well there's a blast from the past! I will DM you, as I'm curious to hear more 😀
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 😁