Joyce Vromen PhD

21/12/2025

Milestone: 100,000 reads of my Psychology Today articles ✨

I’m deeply grateful that this work resonates with so many of you. Each article is written with one clear intention: to translate psychological science into language that genuinely helps—especially for people who are thoughtful, capable, and often underestimated.

I hope these pieces have supported some of you to navigate challenges, reclaim your strengths, and move toward lives that feel more authentic and sustainable.

Thank you for reading, reflecting, and sharing. It truly means a great deal.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/au/contributors/joyce-vromen-phd

17/12/2025

Gaslighting doesn’t target weakness — it targets strength.

If you’re empathetic, reflective, and open-hearted, those qualities may have been used against you in a narcissistic relationship. That doesn’t mean you were naïve. It means you were human.

I wrote this piece to help restore clarity and self-trust for survivors.

🦁 Strength was never the problem.

👉

Narcissism and gaslighting target empathy, insight, and openness. Survivors are strong, capable, intelligent people, and healing will restore confidence in one's own reality.

07/12/2025

✨ Another Psychology Today article has just been published today — and I’m so honoured to share that it’s been selected as an Essential Read in Shame & Mental Health Stigma. ✨

➡️ The Recovery Paradox: Why Shame Gets Worse as You Get Better
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/divergent-minds/202512/the-mental-illness-recovery-paradox

We often assume the hardest part of a mental health crisis is the crisis itself.
But for many people (including myself), a second challenge appears later, in the quieter phase of recovery, when shame and stigma show up just as clarity returns.

In this article, I explore why shame can intensify after symptoms subside, how it quietly slows healing, and what can genuinely help people move through it with compassion and hope.

I hope it brings insight, validation, and encouragement to anyone on their own recovery journey, or supporting someone they care about. 💛

We expect relief after a mental health crisis but many feel shame instead. This “Recovery Paradox” can quietly stall healing long after acute symptoms fade.

05/12/2025

It is possible to thrive after psychosis — and we need to start telling those stories.

In my latest article, published today, I share my lived experience of psychotic depression and what recovery and long-term management can truly look like. does not have to permanently shrink your life — in many cases, people rebuild it stronger, more successful, and more connected than before.

Too often, the narrative ends at crisis. But for many, that’s not the end of the story.

If you or someone you love has experienced psychosis, I hope this piece offers a sense of possibility, compassion, and hope.

🔗 Read the article:
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/divergent-minds/202512/it-is-possible-to-thrive-after-psychosis-i-am-proof

RecoveryIsPossible

04/10/2025

A reflection on privilege and motherhood 🌊

As part of my career adventures, I moved to Port Macquarie a few months ago. While in many ways it was an easy decision, it was also another hard one - leaving my daughters in Brisbane during term time. They understandably want to stay in their familiar school with their friends. It’s been wonderful having them here again these holidays - long beach walks, laughter, and those small everyday moments I never take for granted.

I think they’re at an age where accepting this academic role is not just best for me, but also for them. To see their mother doing work she loves, continuing to grow, and build something meaningful. And perhaps most importantly, to show them that anyone, no matter how close, who suggests a mother’s career is a failure or an afterthought is simply mistaken. I want these young women to thrive on their own path and trust their own judgement. To have an easier path than those before them.

Privilege, I’m reminded, isn’t only about opportunity and belonging. It’s also about being able to make choices that align with both love and purpose. I know I’m not alone in navigating the complex balance between career and motherhood - and I hope this reminds others that difficult choices can still be deeply right ones.

Play the long game 🌱

19/09/2025

My most recent thought article

I’ve been reflecting on how careers are structured. Early on, we reward the technical stars - the “coders” - while overlooking the connectors, mentors, and team-builders. By the time those emotional and relational skills finally “count” in leadership, many of the people best at them have already dropped of the rungs.

Today's piece follows on from my earlier article Soft Skills, Hard Truths, which has reached the Top 6 most-read internationally on Psychology Today (13,000+ reads in just 3 days).

Both articles explore how our systems undervalue certain skills and paths, with consequences for women's and minorities' careers, self-esteem, and growth.

Read it on:

Equity requires rethinking our narrow, staged model of career progression—a system built around the “ideal” worker and blind to diverse strengths and developmental tracks.

17/09/2025

🎉 Stoked to see my latest article Soft Skills, Hard Truths on the Most Popular list internationally! 🌍

13/09/2025

Sharing my latest Psychology Today article (promoted today as an Essential Read).

It explores why the DSM and ICD still frame autism diagnosis primarily around looking at behaviours, rather than (also) listening to internal experience — in contrast to many other diagnoses. I also discuss the consequences of this for women, gender-divergent people, and cultural minority groups.

👉https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/divergent-minds/202509/autism-diagnosis-too-much-looking-and-too-little-listening

I’d love to hear your thoughts: how do you see the balance between observable behaviour and subjective experience in your own autism assessment practice
or lived experience?

Autism assessment still often leaves lived experience unheard and unseen by focusing almost exclusively on outwardly observable behaviours.

29/07/2025

📦 Brisbane → Port Macquarie: Leg 1 Complete!

Today marks the end of an era — my beloved West End home has been packed up and emptied, ready for the next chapter.

As I prepare to relocate for my new role as Senior Lecturer and Course Director in Psychology at Charles Sturt University, this first leg of the move feels both surreal and symbolic. So many memories, milestones, and moments were made here — and now it’s time to carry them with me as I step into a new chapter.

Next stop: Port Macquarie 🌊

10/07/2025

📣 New Chapter Incoming!

I’m excited to share that I’ve accepted a new role as Senior Lecturer and Undergraduate Course Director in Psychology at Charles Sturt University 🎓

This opportunity allows me to combine two of my passions: training the next generation of psychologists and continuing to support the community through meaningful research in mental health.

📍 I’ll be relocating to Port Macquarie early August to take up the position - but I’m still here for you, Brisbane!

🗓️ In July, I have Saturday appointments available for psychological therapy and assessments (online or in-person). If you’re a current or previous client - or have been thinking of reaching out - now is the time to book in.

💻 From August onward, I’ll continue offering telehealth sessions on Saturdays via Joyce Vromen Psychology.

Thank you to everyone who has supported me on this journey 💛

👉 For appointments, please email admin@joycevromen.com

10/07/2025

🧠 Psychology & Assessment Appointments Now Available

I currently have availability for:

✅ Saturday psychology sessions – perfect if weekdays are too full
✅ Assessment appointments – including autism, ADHD, and cognitive assessments

All sessions are offered via telehealth or home visits.

If you’ve been thinking about starting therapy or need an assessment, now is a great time to reach out.

📩 Email me at admin@joycevromen.com to enquire or book.

18/06/2025

✨ Self-care isn’t selfish—it’s essential.

In the chaos of daily life, taking just a few moments for yourself can be a powerful act of reclaiming your balance. Whether it’s a warm cup of tea, a deep breath, or ten minutes of quiet, it all counts.

This is your gentle reminder to pause, breathe, and care for you. 💛