What are the opening hours?

Monday 9am - 5pm 6pm - 7pm Tuesday 9am - 5pm 6pm - 7pm Wednesday 2pm - 6pm 6pm - 7pm Thursday 2pm - 6pm 6pm - 7pm Saturday 9am - 2pm

Personal Strategies

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Australia
Wollongong, NSW
Personal Strategies

Individual, couple & family therapy with over 17 yrs of experience. Training, organizational consultancies and supervision offered with our psychologist.

22/11/2025

PLEASE be aware if receiving anything from Kath Littleton it’s not her. Her account was hacked months ago & it appears “they” are trying all avenues to scam so sorry

19/11/2025

2007 Toyota Camry
Toyota Camry Sportevo (Excellent condition)
132000 KM - Drive Smoothly
Family use
Very Clean inside and out
10 Months Rego
Recently Serviced
New Tires
Price $4500
Down payment $600
Monthly Payments $350

30/07/2025

What is a Gestalt, and why is it important? In psychology and related fields, it refers to a concept where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. So what I hear you say in your endless pursuit of truth!

See below, in essence, you can see some shapes that we older people may describe as packmen. Most people can see a triangle, but is it really there? Well, no, bits are missing; however, your mind sees it because our brains have evolved to fill in the gaps because that is how, as a species, we learnt to survive, by outthinking our enemy and coming up with survival strategies.

So we feel unsafe if we don't know everything about a situation, and worse than that, our mind will tend to default to predicting that something bad is going to happen and then catastrophise about it, because only bad things will kill us as they did 200,000 years ago. This default process increases anxiety, stress and fear responses (have you ever had your boss come to you and ask you to meet in their office in 1/2 an hour, what did you spend that 1/2 an hour thinking about? So the next time you have a stress/anxiety/fear response, ask yourself, what actual evidence do you have for it? In Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) this is called psychological suffering, which is the distress we cause ourselves (separate from the external stressor, psychological pain) that happens in our mind. (Notice below to see a visual gestalt.)

16/07/2025

When other people make comments about what they think of us, even if we misinterpret what they mean, it can only affect us if we agree with them somewhere deep inside. A quote I like very much that reflects this is "what you think of me is nobody's business but yours"!

06/07/2025

In my nearly 30 years of psychotherapy and about 10 years being involved with Effective Pain Solutions, one metaphor has become helpful in encouraging my clients/participants to confront their issues.

When I was about 6-7 years old, I was sitting in the classroom, the teacher read us a story. This story was about a bush fire raging through the forest at an incredible speed. There were 3 animals, a kangaroo, a wombat and a dingo, all three animals sensing the fire, responded. The kangaroo hopped away as fast as it could, but the fire front was moving faster than the kangaroo and it died. The wombat dug a hole in the ground, but could not completely bury itself in time, so its back was burnt and it also died.

The dingo turned and ran into the fire front as fast as it could, weaving its way through to avoid the worst parts of the fire and came out the other side singed but alive.

The point to the story when i tell my clients/participants, is that the most scary thing you might ever do is confront your worst internal fears (Jungian shadow, negative internal critic, vulnerable child), you can either spend your life, running from it, hiding from it, or run towards seeking to get through it (inner healing). What animal do you want to be?

22/05/2022

Kath and I will in August run our first workshop on the Enneagram, which is a psychospirtual/personal development program reflecting our passion to help people meet their full potential, overcome their personal barriers and become fully alive. We are so looking forward to sharing what we have learned

17/07/2021

Taking a leaf out of my hubby’s last post (cold water swimming), I thought it was time I posted. We all know the saying “when life gives you lemons make lemonade” or occasional Gin & Tonic 🤣. But when life brings us Covid what do we do?? Amazingly we adapt which is not always easy especially as this lockdown drags on. So if you are by yourself, take extra care , create routines, exercise with a friend, Zoom zoom zoom with friends & family, & as best you can stay connected. For those of us fortunate to be in relationships even though we love each other ( most of the time) make space for 2getherness & separateness. Check in with “ Gottman Institute” to pick up many tips on not just surviving but thriving during lockdown. Keep some fun & lightness amidst what at times feels heavy. For the amazing parents ( families) out there juggling SO much, be kind to yourselves & each other, lower expectations & hang in there. Remember we all feel vulnerable @ times , there’s a quote going around “ It’s Ok to not be Ok” so reach out even if it is just zoom, zoom zoom. Take care out there 🤗

14/07/2021

Have you ever watched those people swimming in ocean pools in winter and wondered how crazy they must be?! I did. But now I am one of them, and whilst there are a number of health benefits (physial and mental) to cold shock therapy, what has been most profound for me, is noticing what my mind does when I go to swim at 7:30am on a cold winters morning. first my mind catastrophiises about how cold it will be, but having done it for 4 months now, my mind flips to recent experiences of swimming in the ocean pool and I realise its not so bad (recent memory). In a battle of the mind for motivation to do something I have realised through my psych training (specifically Acceptance and Commitment Therapies "choice point" exercise) that to be motivated we need to learn to disengage from our catastrophising mind (stop giving it authority and power over our actions) and focus on real memory grounded in the here and now that will actually stop us from catastrophising. Just a thought, more to come .

22/03/2020

Hi to all, what unbelievably challenging times we are all facing, apart from all the physical health messages we all need to be looking after our mental health. When I’m feeling overwhelmed I have to stop & name 5things I am grateful for. With many things being cancelled it’s important to remember Conversations are not canc. even though this maybe ph, Skype or FaceTime, relationships are not canc. even though possibly under more stress, songs & singing not canc. reading writing drawing not canc. Self Care & hope not cancelled, may we all lean into & learn just how much we have & keep adjusting as best we can to be our best self. Also note that at this stage Personal Strategies will stay available via electronic avenues Skype, FaceTime & am checking out more about Zoom. Take Care out there

12/12/2019

As we head into the Christmas/NY break, with many thoughts of what is happening around us & within us. Stop & pause, to notice that which brings connections in this busy time. It could be a friend, family member, neighbours or even a stranger, or our much loved pets, take a moment to connect, everyone is going through something. Remember kindness towards yourself and others as we navigate the season 😊

16/09/2019

About 20% of the Australian population suffer from depression, anxiety and stress. They are the people around you and possibly yourself. All too often these conditions are driven by a relentless self-criticism where we judge ourselves far more harshly than we would judge others.
Can you relate to this? The Rehab Specialists are thrilled to be collaborating with of to bring the "It's All About Minding Your Self" workshop to Canberra. We are running two full day workshops on 4 and 11 October 2019. Places are limited so get in early to secure your tickets!

25/08/2019

Kate Jefferies & myself are running a couples day retreat @ The Village Practice in East Woonona on Sunday the 15th Sept. We have a great day planned to take time out of our busy schedules & turn toward our partner, for some fun, some reflecting & some tips on keeping our relationship alive & healthy. See attached photo for details. 😊

Address

Wollongong, NSW
2517

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 5pm
	6pm - 7pm
Tuesday	9am - 5pm
	6pm - 7pm
Wednesday	2pm - 6pm
	6pm - 7pm
Thursday	2pm - 6pm
	6pm - 7pm
Saturday	9am - 2pm

Telephone

+61425372268

Website

http://www.personalstrategies.com.au/

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