Desert Psychology - Marleen Laubscher

01/06/2026

We often rush to explain our struggles away.

We tell ourselves we should be coping better, handling it differently, or getting over it faster.

But some experiences are inherently demanding.

Hurt is heavy.
Responsibility is heavy.
Caring for others is heavy.
Uncertainty is heavy.
Change is heavy.

Sometimes the most compassionate thing we can do is stop arguing with our experience and simply acknowledge it for what it is.

Not everything that feels difficult is a problem to solve.

Some things feel heavy because they are heavy.

And recognising that may be the first step toward treating yourself with a little more kindness.

18/05/2026

Anger is often misunderstood.

Many of us were never taught how to recognise, understand or regulate it in healthy ways. Instead, we may have learned to suppress it, fear it, explode with it, or disconnect from it entirely.

But anger itself is not inherently destructive.

At its core, anger is often a nervous system response- a signal that something feels threatened, crossed, overwhelming, unfair or emotionally important.

Part of emotional regulation involves learning to recognise the earlier signs of activation before we reach breaking point.

Noticing tension.
Irritability.
Defensiveness.
Withdrawal.
Racing thoughts.
The urge to react immediately.

These moments matter.

Because awareness creates the possibility for a different response.

This Saturday at The Healing Space, we’ll be exploring some of these themes further in our men’s workshop:
𝗡𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿, 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 & 𝗜𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘆.

And while these experiences are not exclusive to men, May’s focus on men’s mental health offers an important opportunity to create more honest conversations around stress, emotional regulation, identity, pressure and coping, especially in spaces where many men may have never been taught how to engage with emotion in healthy or constructive ways.

Facilitated by Marleen Laubscher & Salomé De Wee.

18/05/2026

Motherhood changes everything.

Not only physically- but emotionally, mentally, relationally, and deeply within our sense of self.

In collaboration with , , we are creating two monthly support circles aimed at supporting women through the emotional realities of pregnancy and early motherhood.

𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐂𝐢𝐫𝐜𝐥𝐞
A psychologist-facilitated support space for expectant mothers navigating the emotional journey of pregnancy and preparing for motherhood.

𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐌𝐨𝐦𝐬 𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐂𝐢𝐫𝐜𝐥𝐞
A monthly support space for mothers in the early season of motherhood to feel seen, supported, and less alone.

These spaces were created alongside professionals already working closely with women in the antenatal and postpartum seasons, recognising the importance of emotional and psychological support alongside physical care and preparation.

These are not parenting classes or birthing courses. They are emotional support spaces rooted in psychological wellbeing, nervous system support, self-compassion, connection, and honest conversations around the realities of becoming and being a mother.

Motherhood can be beautiful.
And overwhelming.
And vulnerable.
And lonely sometimes too.

You do not have to navigate it alone.

If you would like more information or would like to be notified about upcoming groups, please contact:
081 601 0208

18/05/2026

The physiological sigh is one of the fastest researched ways to help regulate stress and downshift the nervous system.

It works by combining:
• a double inhale
• followed by a slow extended exhale

This breathing pattern helps reopen tiny air sacs in the lungs, improve oxygen exchange, and activate the parasympathetic nervous system- the part involved in slowing down, settling, and recovering.

What’s important here is not perfection.

It’s repetition.

Small moments of regulation matter more than we often realise.

Many people think nervous system work has to involve:

long routines,
perfect mindfulness,
expensive wellness practices,
or “doing self-care properly.”

But often, regulation begins much smaller than that.

Relaxing your shoulders.
Unclenching your jaw.
Taking one slower breath.
Interrupting the stress cycle for even a moment.

Tiny physiological shifts can create meaningful changes over time.

Especially when practiced consistently.

14/05/2026

Mental Health Awareness Month often focuses on reminding people that “mental health matters.”

But perhaps we also need to ask:
What do we actually believe mental health is supposed to look like?

Because many people still imagine mental health as:
being calm all the time,
coping perfectly,
never struggling,
never feeling overwhelmed,
never getting angry,
never needing help.

And when our real human experiences do not match that image, shame often follows.

The reality is that mental health is not a polished end state.
It is not perfection.
It is not emotional performance.

Sometimes mental health looks like:

showing up while anxious,
setting boundaries while feeling guilty,
asking for help when you would rather isolate,
repairing after conflict,
resting instead of pushing harder,
trying again after difficult days,
or simply surviving a season that feels heavy.

Struggling does not automatically mean failing.

Being human involves stress, emotion, vulnerability, exhaustion, grief, uncertainty, frustration, and difficult seasons. These experiences are not proof that something is “wrong” with you, they are part of being alive.

Perhaps reducing mental health stigma also means expanding our understanding of what mental health actually looks like in real life:
not perfect,
not always pretty,
but deeply human.

02/04/2026

In my work with clients, I often speak about the concept of capacity as a way of understanding why life can sometimes feel overwhelming.

Imagine that you are a measuring jug.

Inside that jug is your capacity- the emotional, mental, and physical resources you have available at a given moment.

Each day, life asks you to pour from that jug.

Work.
Relationships.
Family responsibilities.
Unexpected stress.
Health challenges.

Each of these requires something from you.

The difficulty arises when the demands placed on you exceed what is available in the jug.

This is often where people begin to judge themselves harshly:

“I should be able to cope with this.”

But the more helpful question may be:

“Do I have the capacity for this right now?”

Capacity is not fixed.
It shifts depending on what you are carrying.

Understanding this can help us:
• set more realistic expectations
• recognise when we are approaching burnout
• respond to ourselves with greater compassion

—
Marleen Laubscher
Clinical Psychologist

23/02/2026

Join Marleen Laubscher and Dr. Jenifer Botes at The Healing Space for Seasons of Self- a thoughtfully held, creative workshop exploring how anxiety takes shape in our relationships.

Relationship-based anxiety often shows up quietly, in overthinking, withdrawal, people-pleasing, or feeling easily unsettled in connection with others. This workshop offers a supportive space to better understand these patterns and begin working with them more compassionately.

Together, we will be utilising gentle, guided creative mediums alongside therapeutic reflection to explore this topic in a way that feels safe, contained, and accessible.

If this resonates with where you find yourself, you are warmly welcome to join us.

📍 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲, 𝗦𝘄𝗮𝗸𝗼𝗽𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗱
🗓 𝗦𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝟳 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱
🕘 𝟬𝟵:𝟬𝟬–𝟭𝟯:𝟬𝟬

📞 𝟬𝟴𝟭 𝟳𝟵𝟰 𝟳𝟮𝟬𝟭
📧 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘄𝗸@𝗴𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘱 𝘮𝘢𝘺 𝘣𝘦 𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘪𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘦, 𝘥𝘦𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘶𝘢𝘭 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘴. 𝘞𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘦𝘯𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘯 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘴’ 𝘣𝘦𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘧 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘣𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘥.

23/02/2026

Many of us learned, often very early, to prioritise connection- sometimes at the expense of our own internal safety.

But sustainable closeness doesn’t require self-abandonment. The relationships that tend to feel most secure over time are the ones where both people can remain present, regulated, and honest about their limits.

At Desert Psychology, we often explore how attachment patterns, nervous system responses, and boundaries all work together to support healthier connection.

A gentle reflection:
Where in your relationships do you feel most able to stay fully yourself?

13/02/2026

Many people wonder why relationships feel easy at times - and deeply challenging at others.

Attachment theory offers a helpful lens for understanding this. It suggests that early experiences of closeness and care influence how we seek connection, manage distance, and respond to emotional needs as adults.

These patterns aren’t labels or life sentences. They are adaptations - ways our nervous systems learned to protect connection. With awareness, safety, and support, they can shift over time.

If you’d like to explore your own relational patterns, you can try a reflective attachment style quiz here:

👉 https://www.attachmentproject.com/attachment-style-quiz/

Online quizzes aren’t formal psychological assessments, but they can offer helpful insight and language for patterns you may already recognise.

So let's approach attachment with curiosity rather than judgment, focusing on understanding rather than fixing.

A gentle reflection:
What patterns do you notice in how you show up in close relationships?

11/02/2026

Excited to be engaging with this topic in a creative and reflective way at The Healing Space.

We all move through seasons — in our relationships, in how we experience ourselves, and in how safe or anxious we feel with others.
Some seasons feel open and connected. Others feel tight, uncertain, or overwhelming.

Seasons of Self is a one-day workshop held at The Healing Space, offering a gentle and supportive space to explore how anxiety takes shape in relationships- with partners, family, friends, colleagues, and even within ourselves.

Blending therapeutic reflection with guided creative processes, this workshop invites you to slow down, notice patterns, and engage with relationship-based anxiety in a way that feels safe, contained, and non-threatening.

No art experience is needed. This is not about creating something “perfect,” but about using creativity as a tool for insight, regulation, and deeper self-connection.

🗓 Saturday, 7 March 2025
🕘 9:00–13:00
📍 The Healing Space, Swakopmund
✨ Small group | Spaces are limited

This workshop may be eligible for medical aid coverage, depending on individual plans. We can enquire on participants’ behalf should they be interested.