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Haven Psychology is here to help you to rescript your story and hold space with you as you learn to manage, heal, recover and thrive.
21/11/2025
🧠 Have you or someone you know been thinking about getting a diagnostic assessment and report? Perhaps you need one for school, TAFE or university, or perhaps to give you some additional insights into your experiences. Maybe you need a little additional support and need an assessment to access this. Our team have limited availability to provide assessments and reports over the course of December, so if you have been thinking about this, get in touch today to see if we can be of assistance right here: https://havenpsychology.com.au/book/
20/11/2025
🏳️⚧️ Today we hold both grief and gratitude for those we’ve lost, and for the trans lives that have and continue to shape the world through their resistance.
18/11/2025
💼 Did you know Australian workers on average work 33.2 hours per week?
It's , and regardless of whether you work 1 hour or 100 hours per week, everyone has the right to feel welcome, safe and included in the workplace.
We know that a lot of folks feel like they can't bring their whole selves to work, and that's a darn shame! With DEI practices being reconsidered around the world, we we know it can be confronting or even impossible to share things about yourself that might be considered different. But we know that everyone has strengths and weaknesses, and there is a place for everyone at the table if invited.
So if you find yourself in your workplace this week, here are some you can ask yourself/your management to ensure everyone feels included:
💬 Who’s not in the room yet?
🪑 What barriers can we remove?
🌱 How can we help each other thrive?
⚠️ What have I done in the past that may have made other feel excluded, and what can I do differently?
As an aside, if you are a business leader in psychology and are wanting to become more mindful of diversity and inclusion in your workplace and the folks you support, then you should absolutely join our Business Leaders Deep Dive on Friday. You can secure your spot here: https://haven-psychology.thinkific.com/ 💼
17/11/2025
🚨 LAST CHANCE🚨
If you're a psychology supervisor or business leader, you simply cannot miss our Deep Dives into all the big changes, Code of Conduct, ethical leadership and modern psychology. We've got knowledge, practical tips, and a great sense for you engaged when navigating all of these big topics!
🏳️⚧️ Trans misogyny sits where transphobia and sexism meet, and it often goes unrecognised. It’s the double standard that punishes trans women and transfeminine people simply for being themselves.
A gentle warning, we're going to mention some of the ways this can show up in the world, purely because it happens all the time and some folks do not realise they are perpetuating, enabling or even witnessing trans misogyny:
🚩 Questioning womanhood - when people say things like “but you weren’t born a woman,” or “real women have/look like X,” they’re invalidating trans women’s gender and reinforcing narrow, cisnormative ideas of womanhood.
🚩Excluding trans women from women's space - whether it’s sport, shelters, bathrooms, or feminist communities, denying access to spaces designed for women sends a clear message of "you don’t belong here".
🚩Harmful media portrayals - when movies, news stories, or jokes depict trans women as deceptive, dangerous, or the punchline, this reinforces stigma and fear that directly fuels discrimination and violence. It's punching down with devastating consequences.
🚩Fetishisation or hypersexualisation - trans women can be objectified, asked invasive questions about their bodies, or treated as “exotic”, and this is just another form of dehumanisation rooted in both sexism and transphobia.
🚩Everyday microaggression - like the surprise at a trans woman’s appearance, comments like “you’d never know,” or asking intrusive personal questions may seem harmless but carry the message that trans womanhood is unusual, suspect, or up for debate.
We believe in naming these intersecting oppressions because they shape how people experience safety, belonging, and care. And trans women do not deserve to have these important human experiences debated or placed under a microscope. Gender oppression is not a one-size-fits-all experience, and we need to recognise how it keeps marginalised folks at a disadvantage and facing unique risks and challenges. 🏳️⚧️
***r
14/11/2025
🏳️⚧️ This it's worth shining a light on something the plagues a lot of folks. Internalised transphobia happens when negative cultural messages about gender identity turn inward and create doubt, shame, or self-criticism.
These feelings aren’t a reflection of who you are, they’re a reflection of the world you’ve had to survive in. A moral injury, being let down by society. Yet we still see a lot of folks who haven't had this identified, they just continue to suffer. Putting a name to internalised transphobia can be a helpful way of looking at the broader systems that are perpetuating harm, and seeing your own strengths and value. 🏳️⚧️
12/11/2025
🏳️⚧️ It's the start of Trans Awareness Week! And this year, we are inviting reflection, not perfection. Even the most well-meaning clinicians can carry outdated assumptions about trans and gender diverse clients. This , take time to notice what beliefs you might still need to unlearn! Remember, it's okay that this is an ongoing process!🏳️⚧️
***r
12/11/2025
👋 We just snuck into Den and Julie's Teams Meeting as they put the finishing touches on their Supervisors Deep Dive training for next week!
You too could spend your day looking at and learning from these lovely faces, and absorbing all of the lastest content on the new Code of Conduct and Professional Competencies, and learning how to be a sensational supervisor in the modern era of psychology!
Register now for our live Supervisors Deep Dive (20th Novemeber) or our live Business Leaders Deep Dive (21st November) right here: https://haven-psychology.thinkific.com/🧑💻 And remember, the recording will be made available for those who register for 12 months if you can't make it on the day!
10/11/2025
💜 As the year winds down (reminder: it's November eeeeeep!!), it can be easy to feel weighed down by what hasn’t gone to plan, by the things still left unhealed, or by the pressure to "feel better" by now.
If things feel heavy, you’re not doing it wrong. Healing isn’t a straight line, it loops, pauses, and sometimes circles back before it moves forward again.
You’re still doing the work. And it is possible, eeeeeeven if it’s slower or it looks different than you expected.
Take a breath! You’ve come further than you think. 💜
07/11/2025
She’s our most refined and truly upstanding team member (except for when she gives you a lick or demands belly rubs!!) 🐕
07/11/2025
🐳 Meet our Deep Dive faciliators! 🐳
Want to see the team who will be leading you through our upcoming deep dives? Look no further! Here's a little bit about Den, Julie and Michael...
🌟Den Abreu🌟
Den Abreu (they/them) is a proud Person of Colour and NeuroQ***r individual. They are a Counselling Psychologist, Psychology Board Approved Supervisor, Psychosexual Therapist, and the Founder of Haven Psychology.
As a supervisor, Den supports health professionals in developing their clinical skills through experiential learning, role-plays, and deliberate practice, with a strong emphasis on anti-oppressive, identity-affirming and inclusive care. Their supervision style fosters professional growth by integrating ethical decision-making and reflective practice. They are a sought-after presenter and consultant across health, community, and organizational sectors. Their workshops are known for being engaging, affirming, and deeply rooted in lived experience, evidence-based research and practice-based research.
🌟Julie Kruss🌟
Dr. Julie Kruss (she/her) is a Community Psychologist who works from Wurundjeri Country. Julie is an affirming Psychology Board Approved Supervisor who enjoys supporting her supervisees to pause and reflect. As a white, cis-het person, she recognizes the systems and structures that afford her privilege. She acknowledges the significant and harmful colonial history embedded within the discipline of psychology. She is committed to ongoing self-reflection around her own privileges and how they shape her perspective and practice, including as a supervisor. This work is an ongoing commitment to self-awareness, accountability, and continuous learning.
🌟Michael Bradbrook🌟
Michael (he/him) is the Operations Manager and Director of Haven Psychology and brings over 25 years of business improvement and people management experience to the practice. During his career, Michael has taken a keen interest in developing the people who he works with, helping them to bring their authentic selves into the workplace and working with their unique strengths and talents.
👋 We're dedicating to the supervisors as Den shares what they love about supervising psychologists at all stages of practice! We'd love to know what you love about being a supervisor (or what you love about your supervisor!), so feel free to share in the comments! 🙋
Also, if you're a supervisor and want to Deep Dive into all of the changes coming on December 1st, then hit this link to join Den and Julie on November 20th for all things Code of Conduct, Professional Competencies, and changes to the different pathways! https://haven-psychology.thinkific.com/courses/supervisors-comp-coc-online
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Recently, I was asked to think of one word that reflected my current stage in life. Straight away, DESPITE came to mind. Despite a traumatic upbringing, poverty, bullying, and self-hatred, I survived. Despite constant hurts, put-downs, and poor decisions by myself, or others, I survived. Despite my rocky start to life, I learnt that not everyone was out to hurt me or hated me. Despite my youthful impulsiveness, my willingness to cut my nose to spite my face, and stand by my foolishness. Despite the appeal of “bad boys”, I met the guy who would become the man who changed my life by showing me what trust, safety, and unconditional love actually meant - the way I needed to be shown.
Despite my chaotic upbringing, my husband and I gave our gorgeous little boy, and precious baby girl a solid and stable home, filled with love, laughter, Light and Truth. Despite my belief that I was stupid, ugly, and dumb I learnt to believe otherwise.
Despite the fact I had poor memory, attention and concentration because of my traumas, I managed to get through a four-year psychology degree full-time whilst raising a family. It certainly wasn’t easy. In fact it was the hardest thing I had ever done. I had to learn to keep the bullying thoughts at bay . I had to stop listening to the voices inside my mind screaming for me to revert to the thoughts of that scared little girl. I had to put my big girl panties on, manage a household, love and manage my family, and eventually, mother teenagers - another potential trigger right there!
Despite life’s usual setbacks and moving our young family across Australia where we knew not a single soul, I managed to complete a Masters degree in Psychology. Despite a hiccup to my professional career due to unexpected PTSD triggers and flashbacks, I finally arrive at my current stage in life. From existing, surviving, living, to thriving.
Despite it all, I learnt peace, love and compassion. For myself - WOW, WOW, WOW!!
You’ve now got an idea of my background and my beautiful family, so allow me introduce my third baby.
Haven Psychology Centre. A refuge in which to heal hurts, gain clarity, and find self-compassion. A sanctuary from where you can learn to build a foundation of safety and stability, to start your own steps towards thriving. A shelter from where you can begin to understand who you are, who you want to be, and why your values are so important. A safe place to rescript your story, to safely start your new journey in learning how to be the authentic person you desire to be, what your purpose and meaning in life may be and when to give yourself permission to put you first. Welcome to Haven Psychology Centre.
