Tribal Psychology

Tribal Psychology Tammy is a psychologist with Aboriginal heritage.

She embraces the Social and Emotional Well-being framework (SEWB), consisting of seven domains - body; mind and emotions; family and kin; community; culture; country; and spirituality and ancestors.

Being part of the The Westerman Jilya Institute for Indigenous Mental Health is remarkable and such an honour. It takes ...
29/12/2025

Being part of the The Westerman Jilya Institute for Indigenous Mental Health is remarkable and such an honour. It takes courage to speak the truth (and I know this first hand)..because people generally don't like the truth. Real change makers speak the truth regardless... I am in the right place where I know I will be supported as I continue to speak the truth and strive to change outdated institutional bu****it. Look at this an amazing army of remarkable human beings!!! Dr Tracy Westerman AM

Having minimal sleep, the night before creates a really tough day to get through — especially when it’s no sleep at all,...
29/12/2025

Having minimal sleep, the night before creates a really tough day to get through — especially when it’s no sleep at all, not just a bad night. The goal isn’t to feel great, it’s to stay functional and get to bedtime safely without making tonight worse.

Here’s what actually helps on a zero-sleep day:

🌅 Morning: stabilise, don’t push

Get light early: natural sunlight if possible (5–20 minutes). This helps anchor your circadian rhythm.

Eat something with protein (even small): yoghurt, eggs, toast with nut butter. Skipping food worsens fatigue and brain fog.

Hydrate: dehydration makes sleep deprivation feel far worse.

☕ Caffeine: use it strategically

Use small, spaced doses rather than one big hit.

Aim for morning to early afternoon only.

Avoid caffeine after about 1–2 pm so tonight’s sleep isn’t sabotaged.

Tea can be gentler than coffee if you’re jittery.

🧠 Work with your brain, not against it

Lower expectations: today is about “good enough.”

Do simple, structured tasks where possible.

Write things down — memory and concentration will be impaired.

😴 Napping: only if absolutely necessary

If you must nap:

20 minutes max

Before 3 pm

Set an alarm

Even closing your eyes and resting without sleeping can help.

🚶‍♀️ Keep your body moving (gently)

Short walks, stretching, or standing up regularly can reduce that heavy, foggy feeling.

Avoid intense workouts — they can worsen exhaustion and stress hormones.

🧘 Nervous system regulation

Slow breathing (e.g., 4–6 breathing: inhale 4, exhale 6).

Brief grounding moments help reduce the “wired but exhausted” feeling.

🕰️ Evening: protect tonight’s sleep

Eat dinner earlier if possible.

Dim lights after sunset.

Avoid alcohol — it worsens rebound sleep.

Go to bed at your usual time (or slightly earlier), not dramatically earlier.

⚠️ Important safety note

If you’re driving, operating machinery, or making high-stakes decisions:

Treat yourself like someone mildly impaired.

If possible, delay, delegate, or ask for help.

One reassuring thing

One night of no sleep feels awful, but your body is very good at recovering. If you don’t overcompensate with naps or late caffeine, there’s a strong chance tonight’s sleep will come.

I hope you all had a lovely Christmas.For many, this time of year can bring up all sorts of emotions — joy, grief, conne...
28/12/2025

I hope you all had a lovely Christmas.

For many, this time of year can bring up all sorts of emotions — joy, grief, connection, loneliness, gratitude, or a mix of everything in between. Whatever you felt, it was valid.

As we look ahead, I hope 2026 is a kind year for you.
A year of reflection, growth, and healing.

A year where you give yourself permission to rest when needed, to grow at your own pace, and to be gentle with yourself along the way.

Thank you for being part of this community. Wishing you warmth, compassion, and hope as we step into the year ahead ✨

Calling Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Psychologists – 5+1 Pathway OpportunityAre you an Aboriginal or Torres Strai...
21/12/2025

Calling Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Psychologists – 5+1 Pathway Opportunity

Are you an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander provisional psychologist looking for a supportive employer to complete your 5+1 internship?

Tribal Psychology is an Indigenous-led psychology practice grounded in Social and Emotional Wellbeing, cultural safety, and strength-based care. Our work centres community, identity, and healing, while delivering high-quality, evidence-based psychological services.

We are passionate about growing and supporting the next generation of Indigenous psychologists. At Tribal Psychology, you will be encouraged, mentored, and genuinely supported — not just to meet your registration requirements, but to thrive as a psychologist and professional.

If you’re looking for:

A culturally safe, Indigenous-led workplace

A supportive and encouraging employer

Meaningful clinical work with strong supervision

A place where your culture, voice, and growth matter

We would love to hear from you.

📩 Please reach out for a confidential conversation.
Your journey matters — and we’d be honoured to walk alongside you.

A Christmas Thank You from Tribal PsychologyDear all,As the year comes to a close, I want to take a moment to thank each...
20/12/2025

A Christmas Thank You from Tribal Psychology

Dear all,

As the year comes to a close, I want to take a moment to thank each of you — my psychology clients, my friends who love me, and the organisations that support and believe in my work.

It has been a massive year at Tribal Psychology. I have had the privilege of supporting people from all walks of life — from everyday clients seeking support, to police & correctional officers, nurses, and teachers. I even travelled by tiny plane to very remote locations to offer psychological care. Each experience has reminded me why this work matters so deeply.

I feel incredibly blessed to do what I love, and even more blessed to have you place your trust in the services I offer. Your belief, encouragement, and support mean more than I can adequately express.

Looking ahead to 2026, I am excited about what’s to come. I am currently onboarding a casual administration team member and exploring the opportunity to hire another psychologist. I have also been successful in securing a contract with Flinders University for EAP services, and I am hopeful to hear from the Police contract — a potential opportunity that would be a significant step forward but has taken over 12 months already and it's still not finalised.

This year also taught me the importance of letting go of what is not supportive or helpful for moving forward. It has shown me that with perseverance, even the most challenging moments can be overcome.

My PhD is progressing well, and I have been honoured to speak in both Melbourne and Perth in 2025, with another conference presentation scheduled in Adelaide in March 2026. I continue to feel deeply grateful for these opportunities.

Following our hearts can be scary, and sometimes it takes more courage than we realise. I am learning that even when things feel uncertain, following my heart is truly panning out — and for that, I am profoundly thankful.

Wishing you all a safe, peaceful, and gentle Christmas, and a New Year filled with hope, strength, and meaningful moments.

I am thrilled to welcome Chelsea to the Tribal Psychology family as our new Casual Administration Officer! Chelsea will ...
19/12/2025

I am thrilled to welcome Chelsea to the Tribal Psychology family as our new Casual Administration Officer! Chelsea will be joining us early next year, starting with small administrative tasks, and we can’t wait to see her contributions grow.

Chelsea brings a wealth of experience working with the public in customer service and has a wonderful way with little people, drawing on her own experience as a mother. As a proud Tasmanian Aboriginal, Chelsea shares our commitment to ensuring everyone who comes to Tribal Psychology feels culturally safe, supported, and truly welcomed.

Welcome aboard, Chelsea—we are so excited to have you with us!

As Christmas approaches, I’ve been reflecting on what this season can represent beyond gifts, decorations, or even relig...
17/12/2025

As Christmas approaches, I’ve been reflecting on what this season can represent beyond gifts, decorations, or even religion.

At its heart, Christmas speaks to peace, kindness, compassion, and humanity — values that belong to all of us.

Here in Australia, we are a richly diverse nation. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, those whose families have been here for generations, and those who have arrived more recently — all sharing the same land, the same streets, the same future. My hope is that we continue to listen, learn, and move toward understanding rather than division.

Globally, we are witnessing deep pain and conflict — between Palestinians and Jews, Muslims and others — and it is heartbreaking. Behind every headline are human beings: children, families, people who simply want safety, dignity, and peace.

This Christmas, my wish is simple:
That we choose humanity over hatred.
That we see people before politics.
That we allow space for grief and hope.
That we remember we can disagree without dehumanising one another.

May we strive to live more harmoniously — in our communities, our conversations, and our hearts.

Wishing peace, care, and compassion to all this Christmas 🤍

Bringing a little Christmas into the psychology office 🎄✨This week my office has a gentle touch of Christmas — soft Chri...
16/12/2025

Bringing a little Christmas into the psychology office 🎄✨

This week my office has a gentle touch of Christmas — soft Christmas music playing, a festive dress, and some cheerful Christmas earrings.

I’m very aware that this time of year can be incredibly hard for many people. It can bring up grief, stress, loneliness, or overwhelm, especially with the very recent and raw events in Sydney. At the same time, for others it can hold moments of connection, warmth, and joy.

In the therapy space, both experiences are welcome. My intention in adding a hint of Christmas is simply to offer a moment of lightness — a small sense of warmth, safety, and joy — while continuing to hold space for whatever my clients are carrying.

If this season is feeling heavy, you don’t have to hold it alone. And if there are moments of joy, they’re allowed too.

Wishing everyone a gentle lead-in to Christmas, whatever it looks like for you 🤍

It’s a new day. A new week
15/12/2025

It’s a new day. A new week

14/12/2025

Thoughts are with Sydneysiders tonight. Plus absolutely everyone affected by the terrorist attack at Bondi beach.

Some wonderful news to share! 🌟Today I received my final grades from the University of Melbourne and I’m thrilled to say...
10/12/2025

Some wonderful news to share! 🌟
Today I received my final grades from the University of Melbourne and I’m thrilled to say I completed my Professional Certificate in Indigenous Research with a Distinction.

This milestone means so much to me — not just academically, but personally and culturally. The learnings from this program will deeply strengthen my PhD and help ensure my research is grounded in integrity, community, and culturally informed practice.

I’m feeling incredibly proud and grateful for the opportunities ahead. Onwards and upwards! 💛✨

Yesterday,  I’d been working with clients on understanding what it means to stay within a “normal range of risk” through...
10/12/2025

Yesterday, I’d been working with clients on understanding what it means to stay within a “normal range of risk” throughout the day. Most people naturally move in and out of mild hypervigilance depending on what’s happening around them — a brief spike here, a moment of calm there. It’s flexible, and it resets.

But for many police officers and correctional officers, that flexibility isn’t available. Their entire shift requires sustained hypervigilance: scanning, assessing, anticipating threats, and holding that heightened state for hours at a time. What often happens is that, once they get home, the pendulum swings hard in the opposite direction. They “switch off” completely. Families then experience short answers, grunts, emotional withdrawal, and the all-too-common “you’re not listening to me.”

It’s not that they don’t care — it’s that their nervous system has been living at one extreme all day, and the only way it knows how to recover is to drop to the other. Unlike many professions where people shift gradually between states, these roles demand extremes, and the impact on home life can be significant.

Helping clients recognise this pattern — and learn skills to move back toward the middle of the pendulum — can make a real difference for them and their families.

Address

Raffles Plaza, Suite 3, Ground Floor, 1 Buffalo Court
Darwin, NT
0800

Opening Hours

Monday 4:30pm - 7:30pm

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