GreenMinds Therapy

“Healing isn’t about getting rid of the bad parts, it’s about learning to love and accept all of our parts.” – Richard Schwartz.

I cannot recommend The Myth of Normal enough! Gabor Mate expertly shows the links between how culture impacts our mental & physical health, and the many social & environmental crises we find ourselves in today.

My own journey has moved through these connections. From studying Politics & Social Justice, I learnt about how policymaking on a global & local scale can drive our individual ability to thrive (or thwart it).

But I also realised that politics is shaped by people, and it seemed to me that the people with the most power were also making decisions from a traumatised place – full of fear, mistrust and scarcity.
This led me to be curious about the deeper roots of the environmental and social crisis we find ourselves in, and the loss of spiritual meaning many of us feel.

The Myth of Normal shows how our physical, mental, spiritual, ecological, and societal health are all intrinsically connected. Though these issues may seem vast and insurmountable, Gabor Mate also provides a roadmap that gives us hope for healing.

“There arises the possibility of returning to what Nature has always intended for us. Hence the “healing” in our subtitle: once we resolve to see clearly how things are, the process of healing—a word that, at its root, means “returning to wholeness”—can begin.”

This is why I love yin yoga. ❤️

Teaching this eve at Myaree, 7pm

Why choose Nature-based therapy sessions?

🌿 There is a growing body of evidence to support the effectiveness of outdoor therapy. Studies have shown that spending time in Nature helps calm the nervous system, lowers blood pressure and boosts positive feelings.

🌿 Nature can act as a mirror for our own experience. I'm always amazed at how clients find synchronicity in their stories and the happenings around us; a gust of wind, a flock of birds, ripples on the pond - all seem to be timed perfectly to support the client's process.

🌿 It allows us to be in touch with the elements and the cycles of Nature. The changing seasons show us the impermanence of things, and that change and transformation are inevitable parts of life.

If you're curious about spending time in Nature as an alternative to indoor therapy, follow the link in my bio to book in a session. 🌻

“When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.”
― Viktor E. Frankl

Thinking back to last months school camp - 6 days on Yamatji land. The days were hot and dry, flies were in abundance, the nights were cold. It was challenging terrain, and for many of the teenagers a big lesson in developing resilience and how choosing your attitude can have have a direct impact on your reality.

Ecologically speaking, resilience describes the capacity of an ecosystem to respond to a stress or disturbance, and how quickly it is able to recover.

With the world changing at an increasing speed, building resilience as individuals, communities and in ecosystems in the coming decades will be crucial.

Emotionally, resiliency is a skill we can develop. Every day we have an opportunity to change how we respond to challenges and stress. We can practice accepting the reality we have, rather than the one we wish we did. This is not the same as complacency, or giving up - often this type of acceptance frees up our energy so we can move forward in a more intentional way.

We can find gratitude in the gifts we have, build strong relationships and learn how to find meaning in the suffering that will be an inevitable part of our lives.

You are not what happens to you. You are how you respond to it.

New office space in South Freo.. 😍

While I love doing Nature-based therapy sessions, it's great to be able to offer a choice of locations to clients.

This cosy space is sandwiched between Manna Wholefoods & Ootong & Lincoln, and provides a great container for the therapeutic work we do together.

South Freo / Nature-Based / Zoom sessions now available

https://greenmindstherapy.com.au/

266 South Terrace, South Fremantle

Research has shown that one of the best ways to help soothe eco-anxiety is to get involved with causes that matter to you.

Fear and anxiety hold strong emotional energy. While we can feel paralysed by these emotions, we can also work with this energy and transform it into positive action.

When we may otherwise feel a sense of helplessness, activism can be a source of connection, a way to build community and a way to reclaim your agency and voice.

There are many forms of activism; going to marches is just one.

Finding a cause that you feel passionate about is the first step. Perhaps you can write to your local MP about an issue in your area. You could hold a film screening to support environmental awareness, raise money for a group, or have a conversation with a friend about climate change.

Sometimes the burden can feel huge, but knowing that there are millions of people all over the world working for change, can make the task a little easier.

Video from PERTH STOPS FOR CLIMATE this week

What in the world is calling to you?

Each of us has been born into this specific time & place, with our own special mix of experiences and temperament, and with our own unique gifts to share.

Oftentimes, those gifts may be clouded or hidden by past experiences, conditioned beliefs or thought patterns.

In psychotherapy, we get curious about what it is that's calling out to us. The parts of us that might be blocking our growth, and why.
It's a beautiful journey to walk on with clients - in doing so we move closer to who we are intended to be. 🌿

I recently spent 6 days camping along the Blackwood River, facilitating Deep Ecology workshops for students from the Perth Waldorf school.

We hiked, canoed, shared food and stories, and spent time considering the bigger questions about who we are and our place in the wider web of life.

We moved through the spiral of The Work That Reconnects:

~ Coming from gratitude

~ Honouring our pain for the world

~ Seeing with new eyes

~ Going forth

It was so nourishing to be out in the bush and to have open, honest and brave conversations with young people about their experience of being in the world at this time.

“If the world is to be healed through human efforts, I am convinced it will be by ordinary people, people whose love for this life is even greater than their fear.”

- Joanna Macy

A beautiful weekend in Yallingup, at Ocean Yoga Flow's yearly retreat.

A highlight was teaching this early morning meditation, while a pod of dolphins swam past.

I love teaching yoga, and even more when I get to teach outdoors. Taking in the elements, the breeze on your skin and warm sunshine on your face is a great way to be still, present and connected to the world around us.

🌿 A big thanks to everyone who donated to my Nature Walk challenge! I'd initially set myself the goal of reaching $400, but so far I'm nearly at $900, which is amazing. 🌿

My first foray into multi-day solo hiking was harder than I expected....lots of hills, heat, a strained hip flexor and getting lunged at by snakes.... I'll save you the pic of my mashed up feet but needless to say they ain't pretty. 😆 Didn't see another human on the trail for the whole 2.5 days, but lot's of amazing birds, frogs and the most beautiful starry skies at night.

My donations page is still open - all money goes to the Wilderness Society so if you'd like to help me get to $1k then you can do so here:

https://www.naturewalkchallenge.org.au/suzannah-stanford

~The gift of Therapy~

This is what therapy feels like to me. The gift of insight, self-compassion, and awareness. Often, it is a challenging and uncomfortable gift as well.
An opportunity to untangle the knots so that we have a little more freedom to move.

An important part of becoming a psychotherapist is receiving your own therapy – something that I continue to do.

I recognise therapy as a privilege that many people do not have access to – be that because of time, money or the stigma that still prevents people from seeking support.

I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to both receive and offer therapy. I’m also grateful to Peppa (aka P-dog) for being the best therapy dog a gal could ask for 😄

The only way out is through.

Allowing ourselves to sit with, feel and process the myriad of emotions that may arise in us when we think about what's happening to the Earth, is no easy journey.

Distraction, numbing and denial are all coping mechanisms designed to protect us from feeling strong negative emotions.

Many of us feel that sitting with our grief means falling into despair. But grief and hope are not mutually exclusive.

Research has shown that acknowledging our fear, anger and sadness can lead to psychological development, a greater capacity to respond to the crisis and increased resilience.

Do not shut off to the pain of the world. Feel it deeply, knowing that it is a natural and necessary part of our collective healing.

Hello, and welcome!

My name is Suzy, and I'm a psychotherapist, activist, yoga teacher & Nature lover.

GreenMinds Therapy is a space to explore the relationship between human nature, mental wellbeing and planetary health.

We are living through deeply challenging times. I truly believe that each one of us has a role to play in moving towards a sustainable future, to reimagining the relationship we have to the lands we live on and to those we share our home with.

As a psychotherapist, I work with clients across a range of issues, but I have a particular focus on working with those experiencing eco-anxiety. I am on this journey with you, and I hope that together we can the find courage and tenacity to move towards the more beautiful world we know is possible.