Bethanie Chatterton

Bethanie Chatterton I work with parents, individuals, and families to navigate big emotions, improve communication, and build calmer, more connected relationships.

I also run practical, skills-based workshops that support real-life change

Not every couples therapist is the right couples therapist.And sometimes, what looks like confidence, honesty or “tellin...
14/09/2026

Not every couples therapist is the right couples therapist.

And sometimes, what looks like confidence, honesty or “telling it like it is” can actually be a red flag.

Choosing someone to work with your relationship is about more than finding a therapist with availability. It’s about finding someone who understands relational dynamics, can build genuine trust, knows when to challenge, and understands that safety comes before vulnerability.

In my latest blog, I’m unpacking the green flags and red flags to look for when choosing a couples therapist!

Link in comments and bio!

If you’ve ever used ChatGPT as a therapist, you’re definitely not alone.AI can be surprisingly helpful for mental health...
19/08/2026

If you’ve ever used ChatGPT as a therapist, you’re definitely not alone.

AI can be surprisingly helpful for mental health but there’s an important difference between AI mental health support and actual therapy.

As a therapist, I’m not anti-AI. In fact, I think tools like ChatGPT can be useful for:
🧠 understanding mental health concepts
💭 organising your thoughts
📝 preparing for a therapy session
💬 practising difficult conversations
📚 finding questions to explore with a professional

But there are also real limitations.

ChatGPT cannot diagnose, and an AI response shouldn't be treated as a clinical assessment or substitute for professional mental health care.

Mental health symptoms exist within context. Difficulty concentrating, emotional overwhelm, relationship problems or anxiety can have many different causes, and understanding why something is happening is often much more complicated than matching symptoms to a checklist.

If you're using AI for mental health support, use it as a tool for reflection and education, not as the person making decisions about your diagnosis, treatment or safety.

Have you ever asked ChatGPT something you'd normally ask a therapist?
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Parents have told me that when they identify their child's feelings, it sometimes makes it worse because then they get a...
09/03/2026

Parents have told me that when they identify their child's feelings, it sometimes makes it worse because then they get angrier at being told the feeling.

Parents will say:

“I tried that… and if when I got it wrong, my child exploded and yelled at me”

Here are some slight shifts you can try! You don’t need to perfectly label the emotion.

You may need to:
• Use fewer words
• Avoid over-explaining
• Reflect what you observe
• Stay regulated

Acknowledging feelings is about connection, not necessarily about getting it right!

Save this for later!

05/03/2026

This is who you see for therapy 💁🏼‍♀️

When people hear the term Oppositional Defiant Disorder, it can feel overwhelming.An estimated 3–11% of children and ado...
05/03/2026

When people hear the term Oppositional Defiant Disorder, it can feel overwhelming.

An estimated 3–11% of children and adolescents meet criteria for ODD. Behind that statistic are real families doing their best in circumstances that are often far more complex than they appear.

In my experience, oppositional behaviour rarely exists on its own. It is often connected to a child’s nervous system, their sense of safety in relationships, and how predictable their world feels.

Attachment does not mean perfection.
Routine does not mean rigidity.

It simply means children tend to do better when they feel emotionally secure and when their environment feels steady and predictable.

When behaviour feels constant or intense, it is often communicating stress, overwhelm, or difficulty regulating.

If this is something you are navigating, it is not a reflection of your worth as a parent. It is an invitation to look underneath the behaviour with curiosity and compassion.

After a big day of therapy, I always love to doom scroll. And lately I’ve been obsessed with Taylor Tomlinson, Nurse Joh...
03/03/2026

After a big day of therapy, I always love to doom scroll. And lately I’ve been obsessed with Taylor Tomlinson, Nurse John Dela Cruz, and Madison Humphrey.

Who is making you laugh lately? I need new recommendations!

A recent lesson from supervision:To be mindful of where I sit within the wider system, and what my role actually is with...
01/03/2026

A recent lesson from supervision:

To be mindful of where I sit within the wider system, and what my role actually is within that system.

When working with families, schools, medical providers and complex presentations, it can be easy to begin holding more than is mine to hold.

My desire to help can quickly turn into overextending, problem-solving beyond my job, or trying to stabilise parts of the system that are not actually my responsibility.

But my role is not to fix every part of the system.
It is to do my part within it.

My job is to stay clear on my scope.
To work deeply where I can have meaningful impact.

And to recognise that I have limits.

Sustainable, ethical practice requires knowing where you end and others begin.

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Since there are a few new faces here, I thought I’d reintroduce myself!I'm Bethanie! I am a Mental Health Social Worker,...
27/02/2026

Since there are a few new faces here, I thought I’d reintroduce myself!

I'm Bethanie! I am a Mental Health Social Worker, and my work mostly focuses on trauma and supporting parents to strengthen their relationships with their children.

I have a particular passion for neurodivergence and for working with children who present with oppositional or defiant behaviours.

I approach therapy through an attachment and nervous system lens. I believe behaviour makes sense in context, and that when we understand what is driving it, change becomes more possible.

This page is where I share insights about regulation, relationships and the realities of parenting complex needs.

If you are new here, welcome. I am so excited to have you here!

I’m your therapist, but I’m also:• A retired horse girl• Deeply offended by microfibre• Almost an AnthropologistHowever,...
26/02/2026

I’m your therapist, but I’m also:

• A retired horse girl
• Deeply offended by microfibre
• Almost an Anthropologist

However, becoming a therapist was basically inevitable for me!

What was your oddest childhood phase?

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22/02/2026

In my work, I’ve noticed something very consistent with complex PTSD.

The biggest shifts in symptoms and recovery rarely come from insight or therapy alone. They tend to happen when a person’s life becomes safer and more relationally supportive.

When clients find a stable, predictable environment.
When the chaos reduces.
When there is somewhere their nervous system can take a breath.

So much of complex PTSD is relational trauma. It develops in the context of relationships where safety, attunement, or protection were missing.

It makes sense, then, that healing often happens within relationship too.

When safety and connection are present, other pieces of recovery tend to fall into place more naturally.
Regulation becomes easier.
Shame softens.
Identity stabilises.

This is why I think of healing from complex trauma as something that happens with therapy, as well as within the space of relationships where safety, stability, and connection are allowed to coexist long enough for change to stick.

Recovery is about building the conditions where the nervous system no longer has to just survive.

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Address

Smeaton Grange, NSW

Telephone

+61246040575

Website

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