GMP Therapy

18/03/2026

15/03/2026

Reason 26 of my is because GLP-1 medications are making a lot of noise in the body image space right now.

Originally developed to treat type 2 diabetes, GLP-1 medications help regulate blood sugar and appetite. Many people taking them experience significant weight loss, which is one reason they’ve moved quickly from medical settings into mainstream conversation.

Add celebrity stories, speculation about who is or isn’t using them, and the constant stream of “before and after” posts online — and it’s not surprising that GLP-1s are becoming part of the broader cultural conversation about bodies.

In therapy rooms, we’re noticing this too.

People are talking about what it means for their own bodies, their self-image, and the pressures they feel in a culture that continues to place a lot of value on weight and appearance.

For some people, GLP-1 medications can be an important and helpful medical treatment. At the same time, the cultural conversation around them can amplify harmful body image messages — that thinner is better, that bodies should be controlled, or that there’s a “right” way to look.

Body image is rarely just about bodies.
It’s about identity, comparison, belonging, and the messages we absorb over time.

If the GLP-1 conversation — online, in the media, or among friends — has stirred up thoughts or feelings about your own body, you’re not alone. These are important conversations, and they deserve space, curiosity, and compassion.

This is another reason I am raising funds for EDV. They run a range of free programs and provide a lived experience lens, a safe and judgement free space to have these exact conversations. They are also working hard to lead change in harmful narratives. Be part of this change, donate today 👇🏼

https://eating-disorders-foundation-of-victoria-inc.grassrootz.com/edv-bayoffires-2026/gemma-parkinson

15/03/2026

Vulnerability is a fickle friend.

Some days it feels like your greatest strength.
Other days it feels like you’ve just handed someone the sharpest knife in the drawer.

I’ve learned that lesson more times than I care to admit.

When you choose to be vulnerable you step into a space where people see the real you. The doubts. The struggles. The moments when you don’t have the answers. The days when you question whether what you’re doing even matters.

And that can feel bloody uncomfortable.

But here’s what I’ve come to understand through the work I do, the communities I sit with, and the thousands of conversations I’ve had.

Vulnerability is not weakness.
It’s emotional intelligence in action.

It takes awareness to recognise what you’re feeling.
It takes courage to name it.
And it takes strength to share it with others.

Some people will misunderstand it.
Some will dismiss it.
Some will use it as a reason to question you.
But the right people… the people who truly understand connection and leadership… they lean in.

Because vulnerability gives others permission.
Permission to speak.
Permission to feel.
Permission to say “I’m not okay today.”

In rural, regional and remote communities especially, we’ve been taught to toughen up, get on with it and keep the emotions to ourselves.

But the strongest conversations I’ve ever witnessed didn’t start with bravado.
They started with honesty.
With someone brave enough to say,
“This is how I’m actually feeling.”
And suddenly the room changes.
The walls come down.
The masks slip.
The real conversation begins.

Vulnerability might be a fickle friend.

But when it’s grounded in self-awareness and purpose, it becomes one of the most powerful tools we have for connection, leadership and change.

And in a world where too many people are struggling in silence, that kind of leadership matters more than ever.

15/03/2026

Day 2 of our 40km hike complete! Another 10kms ticked off today ✅🥾

Feeling incredibly grateful for the beautiful scenery, sharing stories and laughter with great humans, a refreshing dip in the ocean, and taking a moment to celebrate what my body can do.

Movement, nature, connection — it really is powerful medicine. 🌿

Throughout the hike, I often found myself reflecting on my why — why this journey is so important. I’m doing this in honour of every client I have ever worked with, those I currently work alongside, and those I will work with in the future.
You matter ❤️

15/03/2026

Today’s
is because BMI is an inaccurate measure of health.

A single equation cannot meaningfully capture a person’s body composition, state of mind, physical capability or support networks. And, more importantly, numerical targets and measures always harm more than help in eating disorder cognitions. Whether low or high, BMI is NOT an indicator of physical and certainly not psychological health.

A judgement or evaluation of somebody’s health based on their body shape, size or BMI can be very harmful.

Body stigma is still deeply embedded in parts of the health and GP system. Many people report having legitimate health concerns dismissed or reduced to their weight. Others avoid medical appointments altogether after experiencing shame, judgment, or unsolicited weight-focused advice.

When healthcare becomes weight-centric rather than patient-centred, it can:
• Delay diagnoses
• Discourage help-seeking
• Reinforce disordered eating behaviours
• Increase shame and isolation

For people living with or vulnerable to eating disorders, these experiences can significantly worsen mental health and recovery outcomes.

We need to advocate for safer, weight-inclusive healthcare conversations. Support this message by donating today! Link in the comments 👇🏼

Todays post was wrote in collaboration the wonderful Dr 💛

14/03/2026

And we’re off! Day 1 of our 4 day hike raising funds for EDV.

Reason 28 - because it’s a great day to end diet culture!

Link in the comments 👇🏼

12/03/2026

40 Reasons Why — Reason #29
*shared with informed consent*

This week, as a therapist, I cried in session with my client. This wasn’t a little tear, it was a powerful moment where I sat with them as they let the emotion flow.

They said something that captured a moment of real change in their journey:

“It’s been really amazing to see all of these different bodies. It has actually really helped me to appreciate my body even more. These raw images. This raw beauty. And I say to myself, my body is normal because my body’s mine and it’s unique. For the first time in so long I was able to look at my body with so much love. And it felt so good. It felt so good to look at myself and just appreciate my body for what it is.”

This is a client who has been doing the hard work for a long time. The kind of work that happens quietly, week after week. And then one day something shifts.

To hear them speak about their body with love — after so long at war with it — was a powerful moment.

This is one of the reasons I’m raising funds for EDV.

Because recovery from eating disorders is possible.
Because moments like this matter.
Because sometimes the smallest shifts in how someone sees their body can represent years of courage and healing.

40 reasons why. This is reason #29.

❤️

Donate by following the link in the comments or the link on my page 👇🏼

11/03/2026

I’m going to be honest.

I’m sick of the yo-yo.

The anxiety.
The stress.
The uncertainty.
The broken sleep.

Some days I feel like I’ve got it all together. Other days… I don’t. And you know what? That’s normal.

Even people who talk about resilience still have to practice it.

Resilience isn’t about never feeling the pressure, it’s about having some tools before the crisis hits.

Because here’s the thing: too often we wait until burnout hits, anxiety spikes, or everything feels like it’s falling apart before we do anything. That’s like trying to build a dam in the middle of a drought. Way too late.

So I lean on a few simple things that help me steady myself before life gets heavy:

💤 Sleep: Treat it like the foundation it is.
🏃 Move your body: Even just a walk or a ride to shake the tension out.
🗣 Talk to someone: Not small talk. Be honest. Tell them how you really feel.
✋ Focus on what you can control: The next step, the next action, the next conversation.
🌄 Remember the bigger picture: You’ve been through storms before. You’ll get through this one too.

The yo-yo may never fully disappear. But the more tools you build before it drops, the steadier you become when life hits hard.

If the yo-yo’s swinging for you too, you’re not alone. And starting the conversation? That might just be the first tool in your toolbox.

11/03/2026

We are pleased to share that Gemma has recently completed Comprehensive R-TEP and G-TEP training with the EMDR Academy.

These protocols sit within Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and are specifically designed to support people who have experienced recent traumatic events.

R-TEP (Recent Traumatic Episode Protocol) is a structured EMDR approach used with individuals in the days, weeks, or months following a traumatic incident. It helps people safely process the memory of what occurred, reduce distress linked to the event or events, and support the nervous system in integrating the experience.

G-TEP (Group Traumatic Episode Protocol) adapts this approach so that support can also be delivered in group settings, allowing communities affected by a shared traumatic event to access early psychological support in a structured and stabilising format.

With our local community recently impacted by bushfires, these protocols are particularly relevant. Events like these can leave people feeling shaken long after the flames are out — with intrusive memories, heightened vigilance, sleep disturbance, or a persistent sense of threat.

R-TEP and G-TEP are designed to help interrupt the consolidation of traumatic stress, offering an evidence-informed way to stabilise distress and support recovery following acute events.

At GMP Therapy, ongoing professional development is an important part of ensuring the support offered to individuals and communities is grounded in trauma-informed, evidence-based care.

If you or someone you know has been affected by the recent bushfire and would like to explore support, please feel welcome to reach out. Send a message here, contact through our website or reach out to therapygmp@gmail.com

11/03/2026

Reason 30 or our
fundraising campaign is to help provide accessible mental health resources across Victoria.

Every Australian deserves access to quality mental health support — regardless of postcode, income, background, or circumstance.

Yet across our state, many people still face significant barriers when seeking help. Long waitlists, cost, geographic isolation, and limited local services can mean that support arrives too late, or not at all.

For individuals and families already navigating vulnerability, these barriers can feel insurmountable

Accessible care is not a luxury. It is a fundamental part of a compassionate and equitable health system.

When people can reach the right support early — information, guidance, community programs, helplines, education — outcomes improve.

Families feel less alone. Communities become more informed. And individuals are given the opportunity to heal with dignity.

At GMP Therapy, we believe that everyone deserves the opportunity to access care that supports their wellbeing. Mental health challenges do not discriminate, and neither should access to support.

That’s why we are raising funds for Eating Disorders Victoria — an organisation committed to ensuring people across Victoria can access trusted resources, community education, and support services when they need them.
Because every person is worthy of care.

Donate. Share. Start conversations.
Please donate here:
https://eating-disorders-foundation-of-victoria-inc.grassrootz.com/edv-bayoffires-2026/gemma-parkinson

Link in the bio

04/03/2026

This was something my mother said to me as a young child.

I don’t blame her. I truly don’t.
I see now how much was handed to her first — the comparison, the scrutiny, the quiet policing of women’s bodies. The way worth was tied to size. The way shame was dressed up as guidance. She passed down what was passed down to her.
It was never about cruelty.
It was about survival in a world that taught women their bodies were public property.

This is reason 31. Because my story is one of millions across the globe.

There is something you can do to help this narrative. You can donate to services that are working hard to intervene early. You can donate by following the link in my bio or in the comments.

To my younger self.
Sweet girl,
I remember the moment those words landed. The way you immediately believed them. You believed them for SO many years. The way you decided your body was something that needed to be adjusted before it could be accepted.

You started shrinking that day — not physically, but emotionally.
You began watching yourself from the outside.
You compared.
You covered up.
You questioned whether you were allowed to be seen.

I wish you could see what I see now.
This body you were taught to criticise?
It is extraordinary.
It will change — soften, scar, curve, strengthen.
And instead of hating it for those changes, you will love it more because of them.

One day you will stand in front of the mirror — in a body that does not look like the ones you were told to compare yourself to — and you will feel:
Gratitude.
You will wear the dress.
You will wear the bathers.
You will stop asking if you’re “allowed.”
You will take up space without apology.
You will giggle with your children that your big squishy bum is the best bum in the world.
You will lie beside someone who loves you, in a body that feels like home — and there will be no shame in it.
You will have moments, and you will move through those with ease.

I need you to know this:
Your body was never the problem.
It was never wrong. 
It was never disqualified from joy.
You were always enough.
And you grow into a woman who knows that.
With so much love,
Me 🤍

02/03/2026

The US and Israel have struck Iran. This is a globally significant moment.

For many people - including millions of Iranians who have lived under a brutal, oppressive regime for over 40 years - there will be complicated feelings. Hope mixed with fear. Relief tangled with uncertainty.

One thing is clear though: our kids are picking up on all of it.

They're seeing frightening images, hearing anxious adult conversations, and asking questions we don't always know how to answer.

Here's what I know about helping children navigate scary news:

1. Follow their lead, don't get ahead of them.
Don't volunteer more information than they're asking for. Let their questions guide the conversation. A child asking "Is there going to be a war?" needs something different to one asking "Will we be okay?"

2. It's okay to say "I don't know."
You don't need to have all the answers - and making things up to fill the silence does more harm than good. "I'm not sure what's going to happen. Nobody really knows yet. But I'll always be honest with you" is a great answer. None of us is an expert on global affairs. Acknowledge it.

3. Validate before you inform.
Before you explain anything, acknowledge how your child feels. "That does sound really scary. It makes sense that you're worried." Children need to feel heard before they can absorb information.

4. Keep it age-appropriate and honest.
Younger kids need simple, calm reassurance. Older kids can handle more - and they deserve honesty rather than spin. Avoid the urge to over-explain or lecture though. A simple, "Here's what I know... how does that sound to you?" will often be enough.

5. Separate their world from the wider world.
"The world can feel unsafe right now. But our home, our street, our family - we are safe." Kids need to believe that their world is predictable and secure, even when the wider world isn't.

6. Limit exposure to news and social media - for everyone.
The 24-hour news cycle feeds anxiety in adults just as much as children. Brief, intentional check-ins are enough. You don't need to have the news running in the background, and neither do they.

7. Name what's good.
Even in dark moments, there are helpers, peacemakers, and people doing good. Point to them.

8. Stay regulated yourself.
Your children are watching you more than they're watching the news. If you're calm, they're more likely to be calm. Model the steadiness you want them to feel.

9. Keep the door open.
Let your children know they can always come to you, and that no question is too hard or too silly.

Things are a little crazy just now. There are wars going on. But we only know about them because the media tells us. (Note. There are a LOT of wars they're not talking about and those ones don't scare us - because we don't know about them.) The reality is that things are a little crazy all the time.

Our job is not to make our kids feel like the world is perfect. It's not... it's generally stunningly complicated. Our job, instead, is to help our children feel safe, even in an uncertain world. 💙