What I love about my job

I recently told someone that I am a psychologist. They reeled back in horror and cried "How do you listen to people tell you their trauma all day?!"

And the honest answer is — I love it.

Not because people are struggling. I don’t love that part.But because of what happens inside the work.

It’s a Privilege

At the end of sessions, I often say:

“It’s been a privilege spending this time with you.”

And I really mean that. All the way down to my bones.

You’re trusting me with the parts of your life you don’t post about. The fears you don’t say out loud at work. The guilt. The grief. The shame. The questions about whether you’re enough.

Being invited into that space is not ordinary. It’s sacred.

I don’t get used to it.

I Love Meeting the Real You

There’s a moment — sometimes subtle, sometimes obvious — when something begins to soften.

The anxiety isn’t as loud. The self-criticism isn’t as sharp. Food isn't so hard. Work doesn’t feel as crushing.

And suddenly, I get to meet the you behind the illness.

The real you. The funny, thoughtful, capable person underneath the coping strategies that once had to work so hard. The you that loves crochet or musical theatre or running marathons.

Watching that emerge is one of my favourite parts of this job.

I Love When People Start Connecting the Dots

There’s something powerful about the moment someone says:

“Oh… that’s why!”

When the past and present click together.When patterns start to make sense.When shame turns into understanding.

That shift — from “What’s wrong with me?” to “Of course I learned that” — changes everything.

I Love Celebrating Wins

The wins aren’t always dramatic.

Sometimes they’re:

• Sending one hard email
• Eating one fear food
• Saying no
• Leaving work on time
• Not apologising unnecessarily
• Going to an event despite anxiety

Those moments matter. And I genuinely celebrate them with you.

I Love Caring for People

This job allows me to show up with steadiness and compassion in a world that often feels rushed and critical.

I get to sit with people in their hardest moments. I get to offer structure, tools, perspective, warmth.

That matters to me deeply.

I Love Learning From My Clients

This might surprise people.

I learn constantly.

About football. About video games. About careers I’ve never worked in. About grief I’ve never experienced. About love stories. About the incredible capacity humans have to rise above crushing trauma. Therapy is not one-sided. It’s collaborative. I don’t walk away unchanged by the people I work with.

You really love it?

Despite the heaviness. Despite the hard stories.

This work fills me.

Because it’s about growth. It's about care. It's about people remembering who they are underneath the noise.

And being invited into that process is something I don’t take lightly.

If you’re in Brisbane (Alderley or surrounding areas) or considering telehealth, and you’ve been wondering whether therapy might help, I’d be honoured to work with you.

It really is a privilege.