Shannon Morley - Educational & Developmental and Clinical Psychologist

20/06/2023

24/12/2022

The practice is closed 28th December 2022 to 11th January 2023. During this time, emails and phone will not be monitored.

Wishing you a safe, restful Christmas and Happy New Year. Take care of you and yours.

If you are in need of urgent support and cannot wait until the practice reopens, please contact your GP, call 000 or present to the emergency department of your local hospital.

You may also wish to contact:-

Lifeline 13 11 14
eheadspace 1800 650 890
Parent Line 1300 1300 52
Kids Helpline 1800551800

20/04/2022

Very powerful analogy from Brene Brown. Here’s to those who celebrate the light in others

09/08/2021

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=9o1Mr5yaJhg

Here's a marvelous picture book, charmingly written and beautifully illustrated, about the power of memory and the magic of friendship. Get the book: https:/...

27/04/2021

Millions of Australians will be able to continue talking to their doctor virtually, with the federal government set to extend financial support for telehealth services until December 31.

20/09/2020

Firstly, kudos to all of the parents who have successfully navigated another term of online learning with their children, and big thank you to the teachers who have been constantly re-inventing and tweaking models of delivery!
Wishing you all a well-deserved break 🙂

These COVID times can be stressful! How can we support our children to navigate their stress?

As adults, we talk things through. For children, it is all about play. Play helps them learn and understand the world around them while they engage their imagination and explore with curiosity. It also gives them an opportunity to fully develop their social-emotional brains.

So long as your children have some downtime for free play, indoors and/or outdoors you are doing them a great service!

Who knows, you may even find that you have fun connecting with your own inner child as you start to see things through your children’s eyes. Spending a few minutes playing with them, letting them take the lead at their own pace is beneficial for them. No need for costly toys … random items around the house can become all sorts of things!

It can be helpful to provide some guided opportunities for play in the mix. Some opportunities for digital play with friends (with appropriate limits and in a space where parents can supervise) can be helpful and maintain social connections.

Some of my favourite memories from childhood involve sheets, pillows, cushions and chairs making forts in the loungeroom.

What do your kids like to do in free play?

What did you like to do in your free play when you were a child?

10/09/2020

Today is RUOK? Day.

Today and every day, these three words are so powerful in sending a message to someone that we see them, we notice, they matter.

This year, with restrictions around our face-to-face interactions during a global pandemic and many stressful changes beyond our control, unsurprisingly many are feeling the impacts of isolation and are doing it tough.

If your gut tells you that a friend, family member, neighbour, colleague or even a stranger may be struggling, don’t be afraid to ask the question if you feel you are ready to.

Please check out the helpful tips from about how to respond after you ask the question as well as considerations around your own readiness to start a conversation. www.ruokay.org.au/how-to-ask

And, please, don’t forget to ask yourself the same question.

R U OK?

If not, reach out through your support networks, a GP, one of the below helpful numbers, or a mental health professional.

Lifeline Australia: 13 11 14
Beyond Blue: 1300 224 636
Kids Helpline: 1800 551 800
Mensline: 1300 78 99 78
Relationships Australia: 1300 364 277

Your feelings are valid and it’s okay not to be okay.

06/09/2020

Anyone else feel like navigating these coronavirus times, especially here in Melbourne, leaves you feeling like you're trying to walk a tightrope on roller-skates? Having so many changes and shifts in direction can leave us feeling a myriad of emotions, or as kids may call it, having a feeling soup!

Sometimes, the best thing we can do, is be like my pal Figaro (Fig). Turn off TV, put down phones. Just stop, and pause for a few minutes, let the sunlight stream in on our faces, and allow feelings to come. Let ourselves cry, have a nap, go for a walk, take a quick shower, journal it out. Perhaps you may find that in the pause, inspiration comes. That a new perspective arises, maybe an opportunity you never saw before.

Go gently with yourselves today. Connect within. Reach out for support if you need. And remember, it is our vulnerability and our shared experiences that can sometimes bring connection and relief.

06/09/2020

Happy Father’s Day to the dad’s, grand-dads, single parents who are mother and father to their kids, to same-sex parents, to older siblings raising younger ones, to step-fathers, to should-be dads, to all who are role models for kids and young people. Families come in all shapes and sizes, including with parents to fur babies. Here’s a nod to you all, and gratitude to the open-hearted, compassionate, funny, sometimes challenging, confusing, often growth-filled moments you create. It’s those moments you find connection that make all the difference.

06/09/2020

Spring is here! I enjoy feeling the warmth on the back of my neck to lift my mood on a walk. Heck, if we can’t go far, let’s at least be warmed up on our travels! With so much beyond our control right now, finding time to connect with our senses in the present moment can be calming. What do you find helpful to bring you peace?