RWA Psychology - Family Matters

01/06/2026

We welcome Melanie Townsend to our RWA Psychology | Family Matters team!

Practicing as an Accredited Mental Health Social Worker, Melanie has over 25 years experience. Her work includes supporting young people experiencing suicidal ideation and self-harm, emotional-based school avoidance, social anxiety, personality-related difficulties, ADHD, autism, gender dysphoria, and the impacts of complex family trauma.

Appointments are available with Melanie on Saturdays!

For more information visit our website at https://www.rwapsych.com.au/ or give our reception team a call at 9980 1400.

08/05/2026

Today on May 8 we take a stand against bullying. Do it for Dolly 💙

06/05/2026

Clinician Highlight - Craig Gaskell
Craig has been practicing here at RWA Psychology | Family Matters for over a year now, and is a well-valued member of the RWA Family!

In-person and Telehealth appointments are available with Craig Gaskell Psychologist on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. For booking enquires, give our friendly reception team a call at 9980 1400 or visit our website at www.rwapsych.com.au

15/04/2026

Our very own Director, Rebecca Wheeler, appears on the latest episode of The Kick Pregnancy Podcast!

In discussion with Brigid, Rebecca talks about when fear of pregnancy and childbirth feels a bit too big.

Episode 192. Fear of Childbirth and Tokophobia with Clinical Psychologist Rebecca Wheeler

To access the podcast, use the link below.
https://growmybaby.com.au/2026/04/13/fear-of-childbirth-and-tokophobia-with-clinical-psychologist-rebecca-wheeler/

13/04/2026

A simple walk, a gentle run, a chance to connect 💛

This local event is such a lovely reminder that caring for our mental health doesn’t have to be complicated - sometimes it’s about moving your body, being alongside others, and stepping outside your usual routine.

Whether you come for the exercise, the fresh air, or the social connection, it all counts.

If you’ve been meaning to do something small for yourself, this could be a good place to start.

✨She Runs the Night: Glow Run

In 3 weeks, we’re hosting our second She Runs the Night event for the year, for women of all ages.

📍 Meet 6pm outside | Run/walk starts 6:30pm

🏃‍♀️ 5km run or 3km walk — all paces welcome

✨ Glow theme - wear your glow sticks, neon, or anything that lights up - lets light up 2119!

🍽 Nibbles and good company at Hannah’s Beecroft post

🌟 No registration needed - Bring a friend, your mum or your daughter

Organised by .runclub.beecroft

Proudly sponsored by .beecroft &

Kindly supported by

Moving, connecting and empowering women through health and community ✨

30/03/2026

RWA Psychology | Family Matters Client Portal Update!

At RWA Psychology we value our clients time and accessibility. All clients have access to our online client portal which features allows them to:
1. View appointment times
2. View and pay invoices
3. View and complete client forms
4. And now clients can add themselves to the waitlist!

For information on accessing your client portal, please contact our reception team at (02) 9980 1400 or via email [email protected]

18/03/2026

This is your reminder to take a break if you need it 💛

If someone you know is struggling, reach out for a chat. It might be just what they need.

11/03/2026

Meet the 2026 Team of clinical and general psychologists at RWA Psychology - Family Matters.

For more information visit our website at https://www.rwapsych.com.au/.

For booking enquiries give our reception team a call at 9980 1400 or send us an email at [email protected]

17/02/2026

Kindness is Good for Your Health (Not Just Your Relationships)

Over my January break, I went for a long walk and listened to a podcast conversation between Dr Rangan Chatterjee and Dr David Hamilton about the science of kindness.

It stayed with me, partly because it landed at a time when the world has been offering plenty of reasons for people to turn away from each other - and perhaps even more reasons to move toward each other instead.

We often talk about kindness in big, moral terms. But maybe it starts somewhere smaller. The tone we use with the barista. Letting someone merge in traffic. Softening rather than correcting. Pausing long enough to actually notice another person.

These everyday moments feel ordinary. Biologically, they aren’t.

Kindness changes the body
One study looked at people who had a common cold. After seeing their doctor, they rated how empathic the consultation felt - essentially, how understood and cared for they experienced the doctor to be.

Those who felt the highest empathy from their doctor:
- recovered faster
- had less severe symptoms
- showed measurable differences in immune activity

Same virus. Same treatment. Different relational experience → different physical outcome. Our nervous system is constantly asking: am I facing this alone, or with someone? The answer influences inflammation, immunity and recovery.

Connection is physiology
When we feel warmth or care, the body releases oxytocin - a hormone involved in bonding and safety.

Oxytocin is associated with:

- lower stress hormones
- reduced blood pressure
- cardiovascular protection
- anti-inflammatory effects

So feeling understood isn’t only emotionally comforting. It shifts the body out of threat mode and into repair mode.

Even witnessing kindness matters
Research suggests that even observing acts of compassion can temporarily increase certain immune antibodies. Your body responds not only when kindness is directed at you, but also when you see it happening.

We are relational organisms. Health isn’t only individual - it’s social.

Why this matters psychologically
We often assume change happens through insight, advice or motivation. But before any of that, the body decides whether it is safe enough to change. When someone feels heard and emotionally held, their physiology becomes more receptive -psychologically and physically. Kindness isn’t a soft extra in care or relationships. It is part of the mechanism that allows regulation and healing.

Starting at an everyday level
We don’t need grand gestures.
- A slower response
- A gentler interpretation
- Curiosity instead of assumption
- Remembering there is a person behind the behaviour

Small signals of safety accumulate in the nervous system - ours and theirs. Kindness works biologically in all directions: giver, receiver and observer.

And perhaps right now, beginning at the everyday level matters most.

Inspired by research discussed in the Feel Better, Live More podcast (Dr Rangan Chatterjee & Dr David Hamilton) alongside broader psychoneuroimmunology literature.

07/01/2026

RWA Psychology - Family Matters is back in action for 2026

With appointments available on Mondays to Fridays, we offer support for a range of mental health services.
- Perinatal
- Child and Adolescent
- Couples
- Sexual Health
- Depression and Anxiety

Give our reception team a call at 9980 1400 or visit our website at https://www.rwapsych.com.au/

#2026