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The Best Thing I Learned In Therapy (as shared by you)
We asked and you shared! The best thing you learned in therapy. ...just quietly, the last one might be our favourite. ✌️✨ -
Our Lockdown Survival Guide
With our cities plunging into lockdown after lockdown, things can get draining, anxiety-inducing and isolating. You're not the only one who's feeling "over it". So how do we make it through? -
Beautiful Books for Tough Times
We asked our online community which books have been the most valuable and inspirational in terms of mental health and personal development, and we got some real gems to share with you. -
How To Be “Successful”
It can help to expand our understanding of what success means for us - what it looks like, what it feels like, and even entertaining the idea that is is something we are all worthy of, even right now, in this very moment. To do that, why not start by considering the following questions... -
An Antidote to Hustle Culture
The relentless pursuit of all things "hustle" might look like the only option when it comes to fulfilling our goals, however there can be a dark-side. We chatted to Indigo Psychologist, Jacob Rath, about the negative impact that hustle culture might hold for us and how we might explore some healthier alternatives. -
Journaling: A How-To Guide
Journalling has been shown, time and time again in the research, to be something that helps us manage our mental health and develop a deeper understanding about our thoughts, feeling and behaviours. Some of the benefits of journalling include: Helping to manage anxiety, Reducing stress, Dealing with depression, Helping you prioritise goals and clarify values, Helping you work through problems, fears and obstacles -
Why we choose people who aren’t good for us (and how to break the chain)
Ever wondered if you are the only one falling for the wrong people all the time? That guy who doesn’t seem interested in getting to know you properly, or that girl who seems emotionally distant? Well, fear not, because you are not alone and we’ve got tips for you... -
The Problem with Goals
Goals can offer us direction and something to work towards. But what is sometimes not spoken about is how goals can actually be not-so-helpful in a few different circumstances, in fact, they can actually hinder our progress. -
How to tell a loved on that you think they should get professional help (without sounding like a know-it-all)
How can you sensitively tell a loved one that you think therapy might be a good idea without hurting them, getting them on the defence OR even turning them against the idea completely? -
How to deal with stress (because you’re likely doing it wrong)
Stress!!!! We ALL experience a level of stress most days. We experience stress when we are faced with a stressor. What is stress? What’s a stressor? Am I dealing with stress effectively?? -
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6 Little Ways to Manage Your Anxiety in the moment
Experiencing some anxiety is a normal part of life. Sometimes, it can get too much, and that's where we come in. We've got you covered. -
Indigo’s top 5 Mindful Meditation Apps of 2020
TIme to de-stress and level-up your life by introducing a lil mindful meditations to your day. -
I’m not actually addicted to my phone am I? *Sent from my iPhone*
Why do we have trouble resisting the urge to check our phones and/or put them down? Feel anxious when we know we’ll lose reception? Or have thoughts of being without our phone cause distress? -
How to deal with regret and *bad* decisions
When we make decisions, we influence our emotional well-being and overall life satisfaction. Decisions that result in positive outcomes, leave us feeling empowered and pretty damn good about ourselves. However, at times, we are faced with decisions where the *right* option is not an obvious one, where there are competing demands and a pros and cons list just won’t cut it. -
Are you experiencing “re-entry” anxiety post-lockdown? Let’s talk about why that’s normal.
Whilst your friends and family may be pumped to get back “on the beers” and back to a COVID normal lifestyle, you may find yourself experiencing a sense of dread at the thought of interacting with others again. This is a normal response. -
How to use your Mental Health Care Plan with us, as of 2020
In a cool move by the Aussie government, Mental Health Care Plan’s have now been boosted from 10 to 20 subsidised sessions per year. This means you get 10 additional sessions that you can claim rebates on, making therapy much more affordable and accessible. -
5 Mental Health Tips for getting through school and study (and life)
School life is tough. With changes to learning circumstances as a result of COVID-19, focusing and staying on task has proven to be more and more difficult for many students worldwide. To deal with this, here are some great mental health tips to keep up with the demand and pressure that may arise from school and work. -
The best boutique bookshops in (and around) Sydney
Bookstores are magical places, aren't they? Here at Indigo, we just can't get enough of them (we're particularly partial to the self-dev section - no surprises there). Here in Sydney, we're pretty lucky to have some incredible boutique bookshops where you can lose yourself, grab a cuppa and indulge in a life-changing book (or two). In honour of Love Your Bookshop Day (Oct 3) we thought we'd share our favourites... -
Your favourite books to prompt personal insight and growth
Looking For Something New To Read That Will Help Inspire You To Grow, Heal And Thrive? In the lead up to the release of our founder and head psychologist, Mary Hoang's, new book - Darkness Is Golden - A guide to personal transformation and facing life's Messiness - we asked our Indigo community for the books they've loved on their path towards greater self knowledge, personal development, healing and growth. -
How to ask RUOK? in your own way…
Today is RUOK? Day which means it's a great time to learn about fresh ways to offer support. -
Important life lessons: as told by vintage rock songs
Can we learn how to live our best lives through rock'n'roll songs? You bet your ass we can. Here are some vintage rock tunes that inspire with their profound, wise and ~groovy~ messages... -
Little ways we invalidate (without meaning to)
Emotions are messy, and many of us were never taught how to be around our own (let alone other peoples) in any kind of supportive, compassionate or understanding way. We can accidentally fall into the trap of invalidating peoples emotions and experiences, out of habit, comfort, confusion or naivety. Here are some of the common blunders we make when validating others - and a few ways to fix them. -
How to deal with uncertainty (when you’re anxious and you know it)
The bad news is that there is no easy-hack to eliminate uncertainty from our lives. But the good news is that there are ways we can learn to live with and relate to it - even when it’s particularly challenging. Below are a few suggestions to help guide you through the rocky terrain of uncertainty. When practiced regularly, these tips will hopefully help you foster a relationship with uncertainty that isn’t one solely characterised by flat-out denial or abject terror. -
Boundaries – when you’re doing them wrong
Boundaries are a must when it comes to honouring our relationships with ourselves and with other people. But they can be tricky to get right. Below we explore some common slip-up's when it comes to boundary setting - which we're likely all guilty of at some point or another. Check out if some seem to be occurring more regularly with you and how you might shift towards setting more useful boundaries. -
Memes for when you’re self-aware (but still a mess)
If you're on your own journey to self-improvement but are still a massive mess - we get you. This is a lifelong journey. And hopefully these memes & tweets will help you take everything (including yourself) a little less seriously... -
I’m a psychologist, and these are the stress & anxiety-busting tools I can’t live without.
We all live busy lives, full of stress, anxiety and regular doses of the unexpected. When we need guidance or support with life-stuff, we turn to our psychologists and mental health practitioners. But what do our psychologists do to take care of themselves and live aligned to their values when life gets nuts? -
Finding a fresh start out of iso (journalling activities to reflect on your time in lockdown)
With the help of Mary Hoang, Indigo’s founder and head psychologist, we’ve compiled some journalling activities below to help you reflect on your experience in isolation, and use those reflections to positively shape your life ahead. Our community has also shared some of their own experiences, which may also resonate with you in your personal reflection. -
5 ways to support your male friends
This week is Men’s Mental Health week, and while we’re making great strides at smashing the stigma when it comes to men and mental health, men are still experiencing mental health conditions such as depression and substance use disorders at alarming rates, and dying by suicide at a rate three times greater than females. -
We’re back, baby (and you’re in safe hands)
As of July 1, we will gradually be making our way back into our Surry Hills practice. But things have changed a bit - to ensure your health & wellbeing, as well as that of our staff and practitioners. -
Am I Okay or Am I Not Okay? An Investigation
With the emergence and continuation of this strange, unfamiliar and disruptive way of life, there has been a great deal of talk of the idea of “coping”. Feelings of anxiety, grief, loss, confusion, restlessness, depression and fear have gripped many of us (for me, a few of them, a few times over). And often, I find myself asking the question, “So, am I okay?” -
Why relationships might feel tough right now
Feeling like your relationships are a bit of an uphill slog at the moment? You're not alone. When dealing with our own personal challenges, it can feel tough to show up completely, in empathetic and supportive ways, for those around us. But here's how we can try... -
6 tips to support a friend who’s feeling anxious
If you're noticing you've got a friend or family member who's feeling pretty anxious right now and are keen to support them, here are 6 tips to help you show up for your loved ones in genuine and supportive ways, during this uncertain and unstable time. -
Quarantine Memes & Tweets
As a little relief from all the grimness permeating our social feeds & inboxes right now, we thought we'd lighten the mood with a compilation of our favourite quarantine-themed meme's and tweets. -
7 tips to manage anxiety (when deep breaths just aren’t cutting it)
If you're struggling to manage your anxiety at this time - you are not alone. There are lots of resources and strategies out there at the moment, but here are a few we've compiled if you're keen for a few alternative approaches... -
Sign our petition to allow rebates for all remote therapy
Therapy has just significantly increased in cost for all Australians who do not meet the strict COVID-19 criteria, but are unable to enter a practice in person - given the current trends in isolation, this will soon be a large majority. -
Some important news from Mary, our founder…
It has been a testing time for many across the world in light of COVID-19, with many families and businesses affected, and I felt it was important to reach out to you and to update you on the impacts on Indigo. -
Facing fear when shit gets real
It’s pretty tough to live in the now right now. When the future looms large with unpleasant possibilities and our present situation appears to continuously remind us of all that’s chaotic and uncertain. “Don’t be afraid”, “no need to panic” and “you need to calm down” are hearty battle cries from well-meaning folks who aren’t partial to anxiety or are trying to subtly soothe themselves. But denying the reality of our feelings during this time does a great dishonour to our emotional wellbeing and lived experience. -
Communicating with difficult people: A how-to guide.
Communication is essential when it comes to connecting with others, setting clear and assertive boundaries and getting our needs met. But at times, we are confronted with people who might not be as cool with open and calm communication as we are. Below are some helpful tips when it comes to talking to people who might be, at times, a little challenging to communicate with… -
Understanding therapy styles
When heading into therapy, it can be overwhelming to read about all the different styles of therapy that you might encounter with your practitioner. Lots of articles about therapeutic styles (or modalities as they’re also known) are often written for the practitioners/psychologists/counsellors and not that easy for those who are undertaking the therapy (without a psychology or counselling degree) to understand. -
5 biggest myths about what “real love” is
Love is great. Love is good. We’re all for love here at Indigo, but we also see a lot of popular myths floating around when love is involved. We wanted to debunk a few of these firmly entrenched myths that continue to shape and warp our idea of what “real love” is… -
Is your relationship co-dependent?
Do you find yourself giving so much in a relationship and receiving little support from your partner in return? Do you feel frightened at the prospect of being away or apart from your partner for any period of time? Do you find yourself always needing to fix, repair or overbearingly nurture your partner? Do you feel unable to express yourself honestly & vulnerably to your partner, fearing you’ll hurt them, anger them or they’ll leave you? Do the emotion states of your partner completely overtake and overwhelm you to the point that you can’t connect with your own feelings? -
Relationship Memes that hit a little too close to home
We compiled a few of our favourite relationship memes here, accompanied by some tips (take them or leave them, tbh) if you're looking for these memes to be a little less personally relatable in your romantic future. -
What to say to a friend when they are feeling emotional
For a long time in our history, emotions were something that children expressed. But as adults, you were expected to grow out of them. Only, the thing is, is that we don’t “grow out of them”. Experiencing emotion is a central part of the human experience. It has evolved through the mammalian centres of our brain (known as the limbic system) to help us thrive as a species. -
Ditch the Vision Board for a Values Board
It’s important to get clear on what we want out of life, but our guidance should come from within, not from external inspiration of what success looks like in the pages of magazines or on celebrity social feeds. So, inspired by my love of craft projects, self-exploration and a desire to set up this year for success, I dived into building my own, more nourishing version of the vision board - The values board. -
What to do if your anxiety is through the roof because of the Aussie bushfires
What a fucking year this week has been. Vast swathes of Australia are up in flames, people have lost homes, livelihoods and their lives, half a billion of our native animals have perished and the folks in power seem capable of little more than forcing limp handshakes. It can be an overwhelming and anxiety-inducing time for anyone who loves this beautiful country, not to mention anyone who cares about the fate of our planet. -
We wish you a… Our honest wishes for you, at this time of year.
This time of year is often full of wishes of good will. Folks wishing you a “Merry Christmas” and a “Happy New Year” – But as ~nice~ as that is, sometimes we need some well wishes that are a little meatier, that help us cling onto something precious or hopeful or beautiful for the future, in light of all the challenges and hardships we may currently face. So we decided to put together a few of our own wishes of good will, that will hopefully resonate with you, wherever you’re at… -
Spring Cleaning For The Soul
We’re told to discard and dust off material things we no longer need but how often do we look within ourselves to see what we need to let go of? In celebration of Spring being the season of growth and rebirth, we’re taking this opportunity to declutter the dusty pockets of our mind, to make them fresh for the approaching new year. -
Have a Spring Fling (with yourself)
Spring is such a wonderful time of the year. It reminds us of rebirth, growth and of course, the steady approach of a warm and languid summer. As we ease into a new month, we invite you to treat yourself to a little fling, to get your body, mind and soul prepped for the madness of the silly season and to help you see in the new year (and decade!) with wisdom, curiosity and a little humour. -
Our four greatest fears (and what they say about us)
Acknowledging what we’re most afraid of can help us honour the pain of past hurt, as well as provide insight into the things in life that are meaningful and important to us. Often we share many of the same fears, because humans generally find meaning and purpose in many of the same things – and we fear having these things allude us or dissolve in our lifetime. -
The biggest lies we tell ourselves in relationships
Our relationships can be rewarding and enriching but they can also be confusing and painful. Because relationships are so meaningful and important to us, we can sometimes tell ourselves lies to avoid having to confront harsh truths about ourselves or our partners, (and recognise that the relationship might not be right for us). -
6 things you shouldn’t say to a mate who’s not ok
Sometimes the people in our lives go through tough stuff. We want to be a good friend and help them out, support them and be there for them, but often it’s really hard to know what the right thing is to say. -
What you’re afraid of is smaller than you imagine
As children, without the increased knowledge or experience to rationalise and put things in perspective, we find fear in lots of places. We learn from the world around us what is dangerous and what might hurt. And we pack up that fear and store it inside our bodies in order to keep us safe as we grow and explore the wider world. -
What are you if you are not your thoughts?
Ask Indigo is an opportunity for you to ask our psychologists & therapists questions you've always wanted to ask! This week, The Indigo Project's founder, and Head Psychologist, talks about what we are if we're not our thoughts... -
The best ‘My Therapist’ memes
Unless you’re living under a meme-rock, you’ve probably seen the latest trend of folks sharing some amusing interactions between themselves & their “therapists”. We love how interactions in the therapy room (however embellished) are hitting the mainstream and shaking up the stigma of getting help and seeing a therapist. -
How to have those tough conversations
Let’s face it, no matter how similar you may be, no two people think the same, so disagreements are inevitable. But this doesn’t mean that all your dreams can’t still be a reality. We just have to be realistic. Intimate relationships are just the same as any other relationship in our lives; there will always be things you like and dislike about your friends and family and you may not always get along and that’s totally normal. We’re humans, we are all different and we can’t always agree! -
Why Instagram “likes” affect our self-esteem (and how scrapping them might help)
This week, Instagram have begun eliminating the display of “likes” from people’s posts, in an effort to “remove pressure” that might contribute to poor self-esteem and feelings of inadequacy in users. But why is the “like” count the culprit? And will it even make a difference? -
How to respond to someone’s good news
Professor Shelly Gable, from the University of California, undertook some research to learn more about how we respond when someone shares their good news with us, and how our responses to that good news can improve (or impede) our relationships. -
How to kick ass for the rest of 2019
So, half the year is gone and Christmas is just six months away. We’re not freaking out… you are. Before you start panicking about everything you haven’t done yet, give yourself a pat on the back for making it this far and let’s do a little check-in. -
4 reasons why your workplace is making you miserable
For many of us, work is an essential part of life. It takes up a great deal of our time, allows us to make a contribution to society and gives us money to buy cheezles. But in a recent survey, a whole quarter of workers stated that work was their Number 1 life stressor. Yikes. We asked you what it was about the workplace that was getting you so stressed and took the issues to one of our Indigo Senior Psychologist's, Sarah for some advice. -
Not your usual mid-year reflections
The middle of the year is a great time for reflection and we’ve got two great forms of reflection for you to try. These two new ideas have one thing in common: no judgement. So put away your ol' 2019 resolutions, tuck them somewhere you’d forget and let’s get started at turning this year into something we’re actually be proud of. -
Want greater self-awareness? Ask yourself these 6 questions
Most of us believe we’re pretty self-aware. After all, we wake up with ourselves every morning and go to bed with ourselves every night. If you're keen to develop your self-awareness, start by asking yourself the following questions... -
How to beat the winter blues
It's not unusual to get a little blue around winter time. The drop in temperature, lack of sunlight, wet and dreariness can easily creep in and impact our mood and overall wellbeing. It's an important time of year to take good care of yourself - particularly if you find yourself feeling seasonably glum or irritable. Below are a few tips to help you ward off the winter blues, and find your invincible summer... -
5 reasons you’re not getting therapy
1 out of 5 people have a mental health condition, but 5 out of 5 people could benefit from therapy. Why? Because we believe we should live to thrive, not just survive. But there is still plenty of stigma around seeing a therapist, and we thought we’d explore the top five things that are holding people (maybe even you) back… -
15 liberating thoughts to help change your perspective
Sometimes a single, elucidating thought can do wonders to capture the possibility of a whole new world. These liberating thoughts are something we can carry with us. We can use them to remind us of a new perspective - the type of perspective that will help guide us bravely and compassionately into the future. -
What to do with unhelpful thoughts
Have you ever thought about what you think about? (Bit trippy, isn’t it?) At first it’s an odd thing to consider. Thoughts drift and swarm and dart and pound in our minds often non-stop through our waking hours. But rarely do we take the time to observe them – What are they about? What are they telling us? Where do they come from? -
5 questions you asked our psychologists
Recently you submitted a bunch of questions you wanted to ask a psychologist and we couldn’t help but oblige. So we took your queries to our incredible team of over twenty therapists at The Indigo Project and compiled their sage wisdom below! -
4 of your top workplace stressors
Sometimes workplace issues seem so beyond our control that we feel powerless to confront them. But it doesn’t have to be that way. We took a few of your workplace issues to our Indigo psychologist, Anthea, for some advice on how to take control of your mental health while at work. -
How to get through a difficult Mother’s Day
With Mothers Day approaching, it’s a great excuse to celebrate the incredible women in our lives who have helped raise and support us. However, for many of us, Mother’s Day might not be the easiest day to get through, and can bring with it feelings of sadness and loss. -
20 Little Ways to Feel More Connected
Despite the fact we’re told we live in a society that’s more connected now than ever before, so many of us suffer from feelings of disconnection. These feelings can inflame our depression and anxiety and make us feel like withdrawing within ourselves more and more. -
The Best Therapy Memes & Tweets
So meme culture has taken a serve at therapy and we have to say, we are amused. So often, people are turned off the idea of chatting to a therapist because they are under the illusion of what therapy will be like – something heavy, Intense, serious, scary. And sure, sometimes it can be. But other times it can be curious, a bit weird and even funny!
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20 Therapy Tweets that Will Leave you Lol-ing Until Your Next Session
It's time to have a good ole laugh -
Why music is not only good for your soul, but great for your brain
Music has been part of human history for centuries. Music has had a place in our history from national anthems, protest songs, hymns, lullabies and love songs. -
Friendship breakups: The most untold love story
There are a lot of unhelpful myths about friendships. The biggest myth being that a friendship with your "BFF" will last forever. Unlike our romantic relationships, where there is an understanding that it may not work out, generally, we all assume that our friendships will always be around. We expect that will be old biddies retiring together. -
Signs that you ain’t doing great (and it might be time to ask for help)
Sometimes, life gets a little too much for us to hack – and it’s times like these we need to get brave, reach out and ask for help or support. Here are some signs that you might not be doing great -
I will do anything for (self) love, but I wont do that.
Many of us fantasise about a life in which we are grounded, calm, and able to move about in the world with purpose and compassion. Wouldn’t it be such a luxury to not dissolve into an anxious puddle every time you have an important work deadline? Or to not sizzle like a stress sausage trying to keep your living space and family life in some kind of order? Or not to sink deep into a pool of disappointment and disillusion when thinking about your current life and the one you’d prefer to be living? -
Why you’ll never know who you are & what you want until you give yourself a f*cking break
Out of high school I was very passionate and driven. There was a whole life and career that I envisaged for myself and I was keen to get started on it. However, as become clear through my tumultuous, laborious and scattered twenties, none of the things I believed I wanted for my life actually brought me any joy or sense of accomplishment. I drifted from one career aspiration to the next, with fabulous opportunities to grow and cultivate myself in live theatre, commercial radio, film & television production, and the visual arts. And each time, the opportunity and experience fizzled out leaving nothing more than a brittle sense of disappointment and failure. -
Ditch the “Considerate Text” Templates: 3 ways to respond that won’t make you sound like a sociopath
There have been some text templates doing the cyber rounds recently that aim to considerately manage expectations when it comes to avoiding emotional burnout or sharing sensitive information. The template trend began with a tweet from @fyeahmfabello that shared a text she received from a friend... -
Memes and mental health with Michael
Michael Magee, a Clinical Psychologist at The Indigo Project (a psychology clinic based in Surry Hills, Aus that thinks creatively about mental health) has a chat about meme's. He discusses if meme's can be therapeutic, and what role mental health memes might play in us connecting with other people and our own conditions. -
Understanding EMDR Therapy with Anneke
In our latest edition of Ask Indigo, Clinical Psych and EMDR practitioner, Anneke Reijmerink, introduces us to Eye Movement Desensitisation & Reprocessing Therapy and how it works.