Travel changes your brain. Not just your mood. Not just your Instagram feed. Your brain. Novelty Reshapes Neural Pathways Research in neuroscience shows that new environments stimulate neuroplasticity — the brain’s ability to form new connections. When you navigate unfamiliar …
The Important Skill of Letting People Be Disappointed
Important skill: letting people be disappointed without rushing to rescue or explain. You can be kind — without over-functioning. You can care — without contorting yourself. You can choose your own capacity — and still be a good person. Discomfort …
The Most Underrated Life Skill: Pausing Before You React
Underrated life skill: pausing long enough to ask, “Is this actually worth my energy?” Not every comment needs a response. Not every trigger needs a reaction. Not every invitation deserves a yes. Sometimes the most regulated, self-respecting choice is to …
What the Taylor Swift and Blake Lively Texts Teach Us About Friendship and Conflict
As a psychotherapist, I broke down the Taylor Swift–Blake Lively texts for body+soul.com.au, revealing what they got right (vulnerable check-ins!), what could’ve been better (earlier reciprocity), and lessons for us all. Conflict avoidant? Their bold honesty shows that naming the …
The Most Underrated Form of Self-Care: Giving Yourself Extra Time
One of the most underrated forms of self-care is giving yourself extra time to get places. An extra 5 minutes changes the entire experience and helps your nervous system move out of fight-or-flight and into regulation. — Dr Leah Katz …
Walking: Your Body’s Built-In Way to Process Emotions
Walking doesn’t just clear your head — it helps your brain process. Each step activates both sides of the body, and in turn, both hemispheres of the brain. This gentle rhythm — left, right, left, right — mimics the bilateral …
Sometimes We Don’t Need Advice — We Just Need to Be Heard
“Advice can often leave me feeling worse, even if it is well-intentioned. I just want to be heard and feel understood, even if it doesn’t make sense to the other person.” “Sometimes what helps most isn’t advice — it’s someone …
When the Avoidant Part Takes Over: It’s Protection, Not Punishment
When the avoidant part takes over, it’s because closeness feels unsafe. This part learned to rely on itself. So it pulls back, shuts down, stays busy — not to punish, but to protect. Pressure doesn’t soften it. Gentleness, curiosity and …
When the Anxious Part Takes Over
When the anxious part takes over, it’s because something feels at risk. This part fears disconnection. So it watches, worries, reaches — not to control, but to protect. Reassurance doesn’t calm it. Presence does. When you stay with this part, …
When You Feel Unsafe, a Part Steps In
When you feel unsafe, a part steps in. Automatically. Instinctively. Intelligently. That part is a strategy your system learned. Listening to this part brings relief. Fighting it creates more tension. In parts work, we don’t ask, “How do I stop …