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Hi, I'm Tamara, the founder of Connected Threads Psychology. I'm a psychologist based on the Sydney's North Shore. I know reaching out for support can take a lot of courage, and I don't take that lightly. My aim is to create a space where you can feel safe, understood, & able to show up exactly as you are. From there, we can gently begin to explore what's been going on for you, at a pace that feels right. I believe every person carries a unique & meaningful story. It is a gre

Starting therapy is a big step and it's really normal to feel a mix of emotions. Whether you have never seen a psychologist before or you're returning to therapy after some time away, people often have questions about what to expect as they start the process. My aim is to make this process feel as safe, supportive, and straight forward as possible from the very beginning. Your First Session: Getting to Know You Your first session is all about getting to know you, at your pace

At some point in our lives we will need to have a difficult conversation, whether it be with our colleagues, our friends, or our family. Many of us put these off, maybe because of fear of confrontation or worries about making things worse. Sometimes we have tried to have these conversations, but things have gone awry so we now have less faith in our ability to try again. Unfortunately, difficult conversations are a fact of life. So we can either avoid them & thus ignore impor

Ever notice how communication can feel surprisingly hard sometimes, especially when intense emotions are involved? You might go in to the conversation with the right intention, but the way something comes out lands very differently to how you hoped & quite quickly the conversation may become derailed. As mentioned in our blog post about communication styles, one small shift that can make a big difference is learning how to use "I" statements effectively. At their core, "I" st

Boundaries have been a popular topic of conversation of late around mental health, relationships & self care. Yet, many people still feel unsure about what boundaries are or how we can set them effectively. For some, boundaries can feel really uncomfortable, selfish or unnecessarily confrontational. Others may confuse boundaries with rules, ultimatums or ways to control others. It is really important for us to understand what a healthy boundary is & what it isn't as healthy b

Emotional awareness is often described as the foundation of emotional wellbeing. It is the ability to notice, identify, understand and response to emotions in ourselves and others. Many of us grew up being taught how to manage our behaviours. Yet for many of us the skills for recognising and managing the emotions underneath our own, and others, behaviours was not explored to the same extent. This leads many of us finding it difficult to recognise or understand what we are fee

Stress is a universal experience, but its impact on our nervous system is often overlooked. When stressors trigger the fight, flight, freeze response, our bodies prepare to face danger. In modern life, these reactions are frequently activated by everyday pressures. Once the stress cycle is activated and our body is prepared for danger, regulating our nervous system requires a completion of the stress cycle. If the stress cycle remains incomplete, excess energy, and tension ca

Effective communication shapes our relationships, work, and daily interactions. Understanding different communication styles can help you connect better with others and express your own thoughts clearly. Together we will explore four common communication styles: passive, aggressive, passive-aggressive, and assertive. We will look at how each style behaves, what beliefs and emotions drive them, their goals, and the impact they can have on relationships. All information provide