GMP Therapy

02/11/2025

Before a child can manage their emotions, they first need to notice them.
That begins with interoception — the hidden sense that helps the brain read the body’s signals.

A racing heart, a heavy chest, butterflies, a tight tummy — these are the body’s early messages.
When a child can’t interpret them, emotions can appear “sudden” or “out of nowhere.”
They’re not ignoring how they feel — their brain simply isn’t getting a clear signal yet.

Understanding interoception helps us respond with patience, not punishment — and teach children how to recognise what their body is trying to say.

Explore Managing Big Feelings: The Toolkit for Parents & Educators — practical guidance to help children build awareness, understanding, and self-regulation. Link in comments below ⬇️ or via Linktree Shop in Bio.

31/10/2025

30/10/2025

I used to think that I was broken.

That there was this broken part of me that could never be fixed.

What did it feel like? It felt like an empty hole.

Just that this empty hole was so much bigger than me.

--

For a long time in my life now.

This emptiness was such a big part of me.

So much so that I reckon I resonated so much with it.

That this brokenness just became my sense of identity.

And along with my brokenness I would do broken things.

Like chase away people who wanted to get close to me.

Because I wouldn't want them to spread this brokenness to them.

Nor do I want them to see this broken side of me.

--

But being an empty broken human being.

Is something that I think no one should be.

Endeavoring sadness, pain and anguish all our own.

Isolated in an inescapable world was just to much for me.

--

So to tell you the truth, I did many stupid things.

Though at that time I wouldn't call it at stupid at all.

Cause the suffering was too much, in a world that was so dark.

The only escape felt like to flee, to flee.

--

Somehow I survived.

Somehow I'm still here.

This pain still very much a part of me.

But I do I experience this dark empty pain still you ask?

No longer, you see it has transformed inside of me.

--

Once broken, now whole again.

You see, I've found so many other parts of me.

And perhaps the biggest change was that what was once broken.

Has now become the proudest part of me :)

Take care,
Hernping

P. S. Some people ask if I still identify with having borderline pd and my answer now is probably not so much anymore. But know this again, that it's not that it's gone or that I've forgotten.

It's more so that it's not playing a different role inside of me.

💙

Transforming pain into purpose.

Let's keep going.

30/10/2025

You don’t have to earn your worth.
You were born with it.

Rest if you need to. Breathe.
You are still deserving of love, care, and peace—
even when you’re not “doing” anything.

You are enough simply because you exist.

29/10/2025

📚 Resource Highlight: The Explosive Child, by Ross W. Greene

Dr. Greene offers valuable strategies and practical tools for parents, educators, and professionals to effectively guide children toward improved emotional regulation, enhanced skill development, and more successful social interactions.

“The Explosive Child” offers a compassionate framework for understanding and managing challenging behaviors in children. Dr. Greene’s approach focuses on collaboration and understanding the underlying issues that contribute to disruptive behavior, advocating for a shift from traditional discipline to empathy and problem-solving.

Key Principles of the book:
⭐️ Understanding Behavior as Communication: The book emphasizes that explosive behavior is often a signal of unmet needs or difficulties in skill development, urging caregivers to look beyond the behavior and identify the underlying issues.
⭐️ Collaborative Problem Solving: Dr. Greene introduces a collaborative approach that involves engaging children in identifying problems and brainstorming solutions together, fostering a sense of ownership and cooperation.
⭐️ Flexibility and Empathy: The importance of flexibility in parenting and teaching styles is highlighted, suggesting that meeting children where they are emotionally and developmentally is crucial for successful interactions.
⭐️ Building Skills Instead of Rigid Expectations: The book encourages the development of crucial skills in children, such as frustration tolerance and problem-solving, rather than imposing rigid expectations and consequences that can lead to further explosive behavior.

28/10/2025

It’s and today we are sharing an exercise that uses guided imagery or visualisation. This technique involves using imagery to evoke positive feelings and outcomes, helping you focus on goals and hopefully, manage stress.

Start by taking a breath - slow your breathing.
Close or rest your eyes and visualise yourself successfully achieving a specific goal or dream.
This goal can be small or large - focus on something important to you today.
Picture the steps you take to reach your goal, envision the obstacles you overcome, feel the emotions of accomplishment, and visualize the positive outcomes.

Disclaimer: The mental health tools and information shared in this post are intended for educational purposes only and should not be considered a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you or someone you know is experiencing mental health challenges, please seek support from a qualified mental health professional by contacting us, another service, or a crisis helpline. Remember that self-care practices and resources are meant to complement, not replace, professional mental health care. Your mental health and well-being are important, and it’s okay to ask for help when needed.

26/10/2025

25/10/2025

24/10/2025

🎤 What Music Is on Your Pi**ed Off Playlist? 🎶

We all have those days when everything seems to hit the fan, and our emotions can take a turn. Anger or frustration might show up and we need a healthy outlet. Music has a powerful ability to connect with our feelings and can be a great way of feeling, expressing or processing.

Creating a “pissed off playlist” can be therapeutic, allowing us to channel our emotions into something expressive. As a team we have shared some songs ideas!

Another option that might have a positive impact through humour is this meditation on YouTube: https://youtu.be/92i5m3tV5XY?si=6Q9rlpEgPeuPauYy

Feel free to share your playlist suggestions and how they might be helpful in the comments👇🏼




Disclaimer: The music recommendations provided have been considered for their themes and lyrical content, focusing on songs that do not promote or support violence. While some tracks may contain strong language or express emotional conflict, they do not explicitly endorse or encourage physical aggression. The intent is to showcase music that offers expressive outlets for feelings without advocating for violence or harming others.

23/10/2025

You will always overthink when you care too much about what other people think and not enough about what actually works for you, especially when the outer world and the inner world start to conflict.

You can't please everyone,
and you can't ever know what works for other people,
and if you're trying to make everything you do be socially acceptable to others —
it's simply a game you cannot win.

But you CAN begin paying attention to what you need and listening when your intuition draws you toward one thing or pulls you away from another.
You can learn to be in relationship with your own impulses, feelings, and responses to the world and start playing with what it means to listen.

When you start to realize that you actually DO know what works for you, and that no one else can really tell you exactly how to live your life,
you stop looking to them to tell you.

You have the ability and the power to live the life that makes you deeply happy.
And learning to trust yourself to handle emotional discomfort is a wonderful place to start.

If you're working on shifting how you show up in relationships, the Relationship Management Workshop begins this Thursday - and there is only ONE spot left.
Come learn tools and practice sharing more openly with likeminded people who are also working to open, deepen, and connect more authentically with themselves and others.
Last workshop of 2025!
https://theeqschool.co/relationship-management-workshop

23/10/2025

The Window of Tolerance.
Credit : Lindsay Brahman.

We always stand a much better chance of staying on course if they pay close attention to our nervous system.

This is especially true for those with a history of trauma.

Learning about fight, flight, fawn, and freeze can be helpful, but learning how these responses manifest in our bodies is where the magic really starts.

When we understand how fight, flight, freeze, or fawn show up for us, we can develop an internal template to refer back to in moments where we are feeling a lot of (or beginning to shut down and feeling no emotion at all) that alerts us when it’s time take steps to soothe our and return to our window of tolerance.

No one has an innate ability to pause during a conflict and reflect “Gosh, I think I might be moving into a freeze response.”

Instead, this realization tends to be something we recognize as we reflect on an experience later.

Growing the capacity to check in with ourselves and notice, in the moment, when we are slipping into a response is one key to learning how to self-soothe, expand our , grow emotionally, and build .

That’s where my new comes in: it’s a tool specifically for helping us recognize when we are moving out of our window of tolerance (where we can listen, learn, and respond thoughtfully) and into a reaction state.

Like the Emotion Sensation Wheel, the Fight, Flight, & Freeze Embodied Wheel is a tool to prompt conversations and build awareness by showing how each of these responses *tends* to show up through physical sensations.

It's not prescriptive- it's a conversation starter. It's meant to teach, to stir, and to prompt conversations that build awareness, connection, and experience through awareness.

Download a digital copy of this art via Lindsay Brahman's website

21/10/2025

🎉✨ Celebrating Amy and Her Dedication to her Profession and Incredible Work! ✨🎉

October 9th marked a significant milestone with the launch of the Gippsland Committee of Australian College of Mental Health Nurses - ACMHN, and we couldn't be prouder of Amy's dedication and hard work to bring this vision to life!

Over the past two months, Amy has worked tirelessly with alongside colleagues to coordinate all aspects of this event and her commitment helped create an inspiring environment for everyone involved.

Amy continues to contribute as the Deputy Chair of the Gippsland Committee and State Committee Liaison. Her extensive involvement with the ACMHN State Committee is a testament to her passion for mental health and community support.

Thank you, Amy, for your unwavering dedication and leadership. Your hard work not only enriches our community but also inspires us all to strive for excellence in our fields.

Here’s to a successful launch and many more achievements ahead! 🎉💪❤️

Who are Mental Health Nurses?

A mental health nurse is a registered nurse with specialised training in treating individuals experiencing mental illness, distress, or trauma, focusing on their psychological and emotional wellbeing. Here at GMP Therapy we value a multidisciplinary approach to mental health and having a range of professions on board means our Clinical Supervision is rich. We have already found having Amy on board provides rich discussion around physical health and the connection to mental health.

What is the role of a mental health nurse?

They can:
* Collaborate with you to develop a personalized recovery plan
* Provide counseling to help you navigate your challenges
* Assist in managing your symptoms and any medications you may be prescribed
* Coordinate with your care team to ensure comprehensive support
* Educate you, your family, and your doctor about your mental illness and treatment options
* Help you review and adjust your mental health treatment plan with your doctor

For those that want to know more about ACMHN: The Australian College of Mental Health Nurses (ACMHN) is the voice of the mental health nursing profession in Australia. The College is the peak professional mental health nursing organisation and the recognised credentialing body for Australia's mental health nurses.

The College
- Sets standards for practice and professionalism
- Drives research in the field of mental health nursing
- Communicates the role and benefits of mental health nurses and releases news and current information about the profession
- Formally endorses training programs and supports continued professional development of mental health nurse members
- Promotes the benefits of non-medical approaches to mental health nursing
- Provides a rigorous professional development events schedule and communicates with members regularly about their experiences in their day-to-day work.