Karen Pennington-Smith

14/02/2026

Well you might be wondering where I’ve been since November 2025. If you follow me on Instagram you will know I went to Argentina mid December for some much needed recharging and with that came the reflecting on life - past present future, we all do that don’t we especially around the end of a year. If the Year of the Snake was about shedding then I’ve been shedding; things yes and more helpful to me, shedding repetitive patterns. It’s not easy saying no, making a boundary more like an electric fence, standing your ground. It’s actually really really hard.

2025 was all about Let Them for me. That book I listened to over the Christmas holiday 2024 ‘The Let Them Theory’ by Mel Robbins was a game-changer for me and featured in many sessions with clients last year. Let Me became my way of managing my life when dynamics were difficult. My social media has been full of moments of me in the ocean, with my dog Willow, driving my van Valerie, being in nature, sitting in cafes, travelling overseas, airport lounges, or doing nothing - sitting, reading, just being. Let Them and Let Me has taken a year to begin to feel natural.

So 2026? My intention/my word is Forgiveness. Forgiveness toward myself for my perceived failures and forgiveness towards others who have hurt me and those I care deeply for. It’s not easy to do I’m not a saint I’m a true Scorpio and payback/revenge has been more my past behaviour pattern. I dislike feeling vulnerable, no-one likes opening themselves up to criticism or negative reactions yet we have to step out of our emotional comfort zone to truly honour ourselves. Live your truth so to speak, whatever that means (I never really understand the saying but I like it).

2026 the Year of the Fire Horse is about strength and moving strongly and quickly towards everything the shedding prepared us for. Changes are happening soon. I’m so excited! More on this soon.

Meanwhile a change of profile picture, a more relaxed aproach to my socials. Please request to join me on Instagram if you would like to see and read my “stream of consciousness” as someone described my writing today.

I’m accepting new online clients now, DM me or book via this page. My substack and mailing list posts will be kickstarting again after Easter.

Shedding done.
Are you ready for Year of the Fire Horse?

I’m with you
💖

24/11/2025

This ❤️

Having one of those Spotify nights in.

Love how the music streams songs you love and new ones not heard before.

I am very much a recent Teddy Swims fan🎤🎶

Who is an artist you have recently discovered and love listening to?

Music is so good for us.

Teddy Swims · I've Tried Everything But Therapy (Part 1) · Song · 2023

27/10/2025

Now let that sink in for a minute!!!

I am 48 so that's a crazy thought isnt it?

Reposted Can you imagine that it’s only been 50 years since women were allowed to apply for a mortgage without a man’s permission?

27/10/2025

This has come up too many times over my 30+ years in practice and continues to do so.

GP’s don’t understand the difference, nor do patients/clients and dare I say it nor to Psychologists.

Clients who are referred are often generically referred to “Dear Psychologist” or to a Practice like where I have a room and that referral is the GP saying “see one of the clinicians in the practice”.

I have lost count of how often it is assumed by clients and GP’s that I am a Psychologist.

I’m not. I studied psychology for three years then moved to studying social work for another two years. I studied many therapeutic modalities, EMDR (when it was developed in the 1990’s), CBT, ACT, Narrative Therapy, Solution Focussed Therapy, Art Therapy, Mindfulness and many more ways of helping people.

Do clients care? Not really, they just want to trust I can help them. Do GP’s care about all my experience? I think not, they too just want to be able to refer with confidence.

Unfortunately though professional competition is a thing that impacts access to the therapist who might be the best fit for you. So PLEASE try before you commit to that six appointments with the person you may not have chosen to see.

Ask the therapists questions, google them, check out their social media, interview them and NEVER feel you cannot cancel and go somewhere-else. If you have a Mental Health Care Plan it is transferable to anyone accredited under Medicare for all or the remainder of the sessions.

Give your GP feedback on the referral. Ask them why they chose the clinician, did the name came up first in a list of providers or was it the word Psychologist? I know some really good psychologists and social workers but not all of them suit being a therapist.

Any questions ask.

The biggest differences between the two aren't in therapy, it's more the focus in their early training - psychologists (generally) have more training in research and statistics, whereas social workers (generally) have more training in how people and systems interact - but BOTH psychologists and Accredited Mental Health Social Workers get training and experience in therapy and BOTH of us engage in evidence-based practice and we all learn about all of those things. Accredited Mental Health Social Workers complete additional training and sit an exam to be registered, they are able to provide services under the Medicare Better Access scheme. They have additional training in using focus psychological strategies like CBT, ACT & EMDR

All clinicians at The Therapy Hub are registered with the relevant registration body for their profession, which requires they undertake ongoing professional development and access regular clinical supervision (meeting with a clinician who has additional qualifications in supporting, mentoring, and overseeing their practice).

After their initial training, both will pursue certain specialisations, and all our clinicians at The Therapy Hub have undertaken and continue to engage in ongoing training/development in talk therapy.

27/10/2025

Tassie always unpredictable and don’t we love this 💙

25/10/2025

Feeling satisfied with a Saturday morning well spent. Ticked off a few tasks like sorting kitchen cupboards, donated two boxes of crockery I never use, binned out of date food, and did a clean sweep of surfaces before tackling my closet - a big bag awaits donation. In my past life I was quite the social entertainer, crockery for a dozen people and double that for glassware plus assorted serving platters of all shapes and sizes, not forgetting cookware and an abundance of serving utensils and cutlery (matching of course). Now my needs are minimal, I can’t remember the last time I hosted a dinner party let alone one of my infamous soirees. Do I miss it? Not the work no, or the mornings after, but I do miss those hours of conversation around and across the table, the candles the music the laughter and yes the inevitable dancing. Alcohol played a big part in those days, and food of course and most of my friends smoked at some time. Now I think we are all aware of our health, some of us are no longer here, we are generally moderate these days if not altogether abstaining. No-one I know does long lunches and dinners are usually moderated by the need for early nights and being sticklers for counting drinks. It sounds so dull but it’s not. When I catch up with friends the conversations are deeper, the food an accompaniment rather than the main event and the wine is savoured. My friends are scattered these days, or perhaps it’s my moving every few years that has changed things too. I have new friends, old friends, casual friends. Friends here there and everywhere and I could probably draw many of them together for a celebration (with notice) and maybe I will next year. Now I know this post sounds like a sad reflection but it certainly is not. Cleaning out that which no longer serves us creates space for something new. New things yes or new ideas or in my case less stuff makes me feel more free. Not sure why. Anyway friends my bus picked me up and now it’s dropping me off ready for the rest of the weekend

23/10/2025

Most days I find those glimmers of joy somewhere - in a conversation, a view, my dog, nature and always in the ocean. Some days are harder to find those moments of whatever it is we need, calm, an inner stillness, peace, I don’t even know what to call it. I know when that feeling is missing though and it’s been missing often lately. Maybe age might be impacting? A sense of now or (it could be) never? A questioning of my place in spaces dynamics relationships. Oh yes I do tire of thinking and the blank pages of my journal make me feel I’m not working on this. A friend mentioned the positive impact of making all decisions from the heart. Like moving completely into living life from the heart rather than the head. I’m struggling with this. So I’m sitting here after a day of doing nothing much more than noticing beautiful flowers, sitting in sunshine, and reading, wondering what would happen if my heart overrode my head. What would I do next? How would I be? Would I actually change anything? Does anyone-else think about this?

18/10/2025

Some moments are for holding. The colours, the light, the cool evening air on skin, the expression on a pet’s face… Gratitude practice yes. Mindfulness practice yes that too. Just being present. Try it. Take a few minutes to notice, breathe, play, be still, whatever you need. Have a lovely weekend

03/10/2025

Yesterday it was Spring blossom and the fast flowing river, today it’s the ocean. In the water myself or watching my dog bounding after a stick, the beach is a happy place for me. Being honest though, I need this. The older I am becoming the more deeply I experience my emotions. I am always working on myself; and yes I do tire of this. Over the past few years I have come to an understanding of my reactions to my feelings and lately I am noticing my physical reactions to other people’s feelings increasing. Often when I have a deep conversation I can feel in my body the other person’s stress/anxiety/grief. This is something I’ve always known I think, an intuitive understanding of people, the underlying story, the reasons why they react as they do, the “what’s really happening here”. A gift? Maybe. Maybe not. It depends on the situation. So I go to my happy places more often now to recharge. I sit, often in silence, sometimes I listen to a book, absorbing as much Vitamin D and energy from nature as I can and then there’s my cold water swims, all those positive ions from the ocean. Anything that helps lift your spirit I think do that and do it often. What do you think? Where is your happy place? How do you recharge? *myhappyplace

02/10/2025

Thoughts?

A major societal shift is on the horizon. A recent analysis by Morgan Stanley predicts that by 2030, 45% of working-age women (25-44) in the U.S. will be single and child-free.

This marks a historic change in lifestyle norms, driven by economic independence, career focus, and evolving views on family.

Experts note that the “rise of the single woman” is not a rejection of motherhood or marriage but rather a reflection of changing priorities and autonomy. As fertility rates drop and traditional timelines shift, many women are designing lives based on personal fulfillment rather than social pressure.

Some view this trend as liberating. Others see it as a challenge to long-held cultural values.

29/09/2025

Many of you would know I commute a few days a week between the coast; home of my much loved cold water swimming, beach walks and anything a Penguin local might do. Other days are in the Meander Valley; Thursday cold water baths and sauna, river walks and work days. Usually I drive, around an hour or so backwards and forwards every week and another 40 minutes to my office and I do enjoy the road, well except when the weather is inclement or I’m tired or I have too much on my mind. I do have a busy mind and I suppose rather a full life so lately I’ve been thinking about how to slow down; mentally and physically. Reducing work days from three to two was a start. Spending more time on the coast was another idea, finding events and activities to participate in - engage more with the community - was another idea. I have mentioned recently the Penguin evening Cemetery walk, joining the Library with out of hours access, the night of Celebration of the Crone/Spring Equinox, the Book Launch in a Community Hall, the Music Event at Mt Gnomon Farm, add this to local markets and cafe conversations and, well I’m stepping out of my normal familiar into the new whatever. So driving myself is the norm that is until this weekend when I swapped my driver’s seat for a bus seat and wow, what a great decision! From the comfort of a seat (seat-belted too these days) I could see all those things I often miss including scenery and ships in port. I could listen to my book or not, daydream or doze, relax… I chose to catch an earlier connection back today just to check the transfer time (I needn’t have as all services link with 15 minutes to spare) and took the spontaneous opportunity to have a massage literally across the road from the bus! How great this idea was! I’m a three minute walk home from the bus stop so didn’t even need to park. Best bit…cost? $4.40AU each way. Now I know many people would never consider the bus, and in Tasmania bus travel amongst my peers is not a thing and we don’t have trains here (well only one for container/industry transport) so driving it is. What do you think would you change your mode of travel?

29/09/2025

A little bit of Australiana for my overseas friends. Sharing a quiet moment with our dog at home watching the kookaburras on the fence and wondering what they are watching. Tasmania is a beautiful place, an island on the edge of the world that often feels like a safe haven amid growing global craziness. I consider myself fortunate to have somewhere such as this to rest my mind and just be