Shaw Psychology

22/12/2025

Is it possible to feel hopeful when the system feels broken? 🌊
As we end 2025, Australia is navigating a storm of stressors—from the Bondi attack to political travel perks that feel out of touch.
At Shaw Psychology, we believe hope is a defiant architecture. Read our guide on reclaiming your agency and finding meaning in the "small things" when the "big systems" feel cold.

As 2025 draws to a close, Australia faces a unique fracture of safety and trust. Dr Daniel Shaw offers a clinical roadmap for building a defiant architecture of hope.

21/12/2025

"I know it's irrational, but I still can't stop." 🛑 This is the central paradox of OCD. It’s not a lack of logic, and it’s certainly not a lack of willpower. It’s a neurobiological "stuck signal." In our newest blog post, we dive into the "worry circuit" of the brain to explain why the "all-clear" signal doesn't always arrive for people with OCD. We also share a practical exercise you can try today to start observing these signals without being consumed by them. If you’ve been feeling the weight of "Inflated Responsibility," this read is for you. 🕊️ Read more:

Many people with OCD feel that their inability to “just stop” is a failure of willpower. But clinical research shows that OCD is actually a neurobiological “stuck signal” in the brain’s worry circuit. Discover the science behind the intrusive thoughts and learn a practical first step to st...

20/12/2025

Wishing all a happy and safe end to 2025 🎉

27/11/2025

When you hear "OCD," you probably think of hand-washing. 🧼
But what if your OCD is invisible?
What if it's a terrifying, unwanted thought about harming someone? 💔
What if it's a constant, nagging doubt about whether you "really" love your partner? ❤️🩹
What if it's a "Pure O" theme, with no physical compulsions, just endless, exhausting analysis in your own head? 🤯
These are all themes of OCD. They are the 'flavour' of the disorder, and they do not define you.
We wrote a stigma-busting guide to the most common (and misunderstood) OCD themes. If you've ever felt alone or "crazy" because of your thoughts, please read this. 🤝

The theme of your OCD is a disguise. Learn about Harm, Contamination, and Pure O, and why the content is irrelevant.

20/11/2025

Do you like your coffee in a specific mug? That's a quirk. ☕ Do you double-check the door is locked? That's a habit. 🚪 Do you have to check the door 7 times, in a specific way, or you're flooded with terrifying images of a break-in, and you can't rest until you do it? That's a compulsion. 🤯 It's so common to confuse these things. In our new article, we break down the real difference, which has nothing to do with the action and everything to do with the anxiety driving it. If your 'habits' are stealing your peace and taking up hours of your day, you're not alone, and it's not a personal failing. It's the sign of a treatable condition. 🧠 Read our full guide to find clarity. 🤝 https://links.shawpsychology.com/quirk-ocd-fb

We all have habits and quirks. But when do they cross the line into OCD? The difference isn't the action, but the reason you're doing it. A habit is for efficiency; a compulsion is driven by intense anxiety. This guide helps you tell the difference and outlines the first step you can take today to f...

13/11/2025

Do you feel trapped in a cycle of unwanted thoughts and repetitive rituals you can't seem to stop? You might be dealing with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), and it's so much more than the stereotypes.

Our new, in-depth guide is a compassionate resource that explains:
✅ What OCD really is (and isn't).
🧠 The difference between obsessions (the thoughts) and compulsions (the rituals).
📝 A simple but powerful first step to separate yourself from your OCD.
❤️ How specialised therapy like Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) can help you break free.

You are not your OCD. Read our guide to understand the path to recovery: https://bit.ly/4h8B9Gk

07/11/2025

We praise people for their dedication to fitness and love the thrill of a good sale. But when do these "normal" behaviours cross a dangerous line?

Our new article explores the compulsion loop in:
🛍️ Shopping Addiction: When "retail therapy" becomes a cycle of secrecy and debt.
📱 Social Media Addiction: When "connecting" leads to comparison, anxiety, and real-world disconnect.
🏋️ Exercise Addiction: When fitness stops being about health and becomes a rigid, guilt-driven obligation.

Learn the 6 key signs to tell if your habit has become a harmful compulsion.
https://www.shawpsychology.com/post/the-compulsion-loop-are-shopping-social-media-and-exercise-becoming-addictions

31/10/2025

Tired of "white-knuckling" your way through cravings, only to fall back into old habits? Recovery isn't about raw willpower; it's about having the right tools.

Our new skills-based guide introduces 3 essential tools for your recovery toolkit:
🌊 Urge Surfing: A mindfulness technique to ride the wave of a craving until it passes.
🧠 Challenging Permissive Thoughts: How to fight back against the justifications your mind creates to let you relapse.
📝 Relapse Prevention Planning: A proactive strategy to navigate high-risk situations.

Start building your toolkit today. Read our guide.
https://bit.ly/47RfkZA

30/10/2025

You've seen the articles. "My partner is a chatbot." One article says, "we shouldn't judge people for seeking connection. Another says the experience is "unnerving and angry." So what's the real story? As psychologists, we think both are right.

Our new, in-depth article is an essential guide to this new world, explaining:
✅ Why we must be compassionate: AI partners are a symptom of a deep, collective loneliness crisis.
🧠 The real danger: "Relational Atrophy." We're practising on a "perfect," zero-friction partner, and losing our skills for messy, difficult, real love.
📝 The personal experience: Why one author felt "empty" and "angry" after a week with an AI.
❤️ How to audit your "relational diet" and invest in high-friction (i.e., real, nourishing) human connection.
Read our full analysis: https://bit.ly/42UdpzZ

28/10/2025

Ever wondered why it's so hard to find a registered psychologist's opinion online, but your feed is full of "life coaches" and "soul healers" making wild promises? There's a reason for that. AHPRA's new social media policies are making it difficult for ethical, trained professionals, and we're concerned. Our new, in-depth article explains:
✅ Why AHPRA's goal is valid (but their method is flawed).
🧠 The "chilling effect" that vague rules have on good practitioners.
📝 How these rules make it easier for vexatious complaints to harm good clinicians.
❤️ Why this digital silence is a "gift to the charlatans" who dominate social media with misinformation.
The public needs more expert voices, not fewer. Read our full analysis here. https://bit.ly/49esEHO

26/10/2025

The new "National Standard on Bullying" has been announced, backed by $10 million. It sounds good, but as psychologists who see the fallout, we have to ask: Is this a real solution or just another policy? We've written an in-depth critical analysis of the new report.

Before you celebrate, it's worth understanding its three biggest weaknesses:
✅ The $10M Budget Hole: We did the math. This symbolic funding doesn't come close to paying for the actual work (like coaching) that is needed.
🧠 Old Framework, New Name? For Victoria, this "new" standard looks almost identical to the School-Wide Positive Behaviour Support (SWPBS) framework we already have. The problem isn't the policy; it's the implementation.
📝 What It Fails to Repair: The report has no functional mechanism to rebuild the broken trust between parents and schools, or to fund the individual skills kids need to cope.

The report is a necessary first draft, not a final solution. Read our full analysis: https://bit.ly/4hmYW5q

The new National Anti-Bullying Report is a critical first step, but it's not a solution. We offer an in-depth critical analysis of its three biggest weaknesses: the symbolic $10M budget, its similarity to existing-but-failing frameworks, and its failure to repair the trust gap.

23/10/2025

How do you help an adult child with a problem they won't admit, in an area of their life you can't control? Worrying about an adult child's p**n use is a uniquely powerless and painful experience for parents.

Our new, sensitive guide explores:
❤️ The parents' dilemma: the line between concern and control.
🗣️ A gentle framework for expressing concern without causing a fight.
🙏 Why your own mental health has to be your priority.
🌱 Learning to let go of the outcome.

You don't have to carry this burden alone. Read our guide.
https://buff.ly/jAAf9Cc