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What research tells us about inner dialogue under pressure Self-talk is the internal verbal commentary that runs alongside daily experience. Research distinguishes instructional self-talk, which focuses on the mechanics of a task, from motivational self-talk, which focuses on effort and confidence. A meta-analysis of 32 studies (Hatzigeorgiadis et al., 2011) found consistent moderate effects of self-talk interventions on task performance. Kross and colleagues (2014) showed th

A practical guide to your first appointment at Behavioural Edge Psychology The first therapy session at Behavioural Edge Psychology in Caulfield South and St Kilda follows a structured format. The opening ten minutes covers confidentiality, the therapist’s approach, and any practical questions. The substantial middle part is structured assessment, drawing out the presenting concern, relevant history, support systems, and previous therapy experience. The closing fifteen minute

A psychologist's reading of Björk's Hyperballad, showing how intrusive thoughts and rituals work, and what helps when they take hold.

Why they happen, why they stick Image by freepik Most people who live with persistent intrusive thoughts arrive in therapy after years of private distress. The thoughts come without warning. They can be violent, sexual, blasphemous, or morally transgressive. What makes them unbearable is not usually the content, disturbing as it often is. It is the conviction that the thought reveals something real and shameful about the person having it. Four decades of research into obsessi

Image by freepik Why accessible psychoeducation is valuable, where it falls short, and how to read therapy content online Scroll through Instagram or TikTok on any given evening and you will find a range of individuals posting about therapy on social media, explaining attachment styles, naming the nervous system responses behind a panic attack, or offering a script for setting a boundary with a parent. Some of this content is excellent. Some of it is misleading. Most sits som

If you are someone who has started to wonder whether you might be autistic, you are far from alone. Increasing numbers of adults are being assessed for autism across all age groups and genders. For some, the prompt is a child or family member's diagnosis that sparks recognition of similar patterns in themselves. For others, it is a life transition, a workplace crisis, the end of a relationship, or the accumulation of decades of social exhaustion and burnout that brings them t

Two equally capable students sit the same exam. One bombs it and doubles down on study. The other bombs it and stops trying. A year later, their results have diverged dramatically. The difference between them is not intelligence, not preparation time, and not the quality of their teaching. It is what they believe about themselves. This pattern plays out across every performance domain, from sport to music to professional work. And it is not a coincidence. The relationship bet

What it means to be the generation that breaks the cycle of intergenerational parenting harm Image by freepik There is a particular kind of exhaustion that belongs to the parent who is trying to do it differently. You know the one. You grew up in a house where feelings were a problem to be solved, or silenced, or punished. Maybe anger meant you were sent to your room. Maybe crying was met with “stop that” or “you’re fine.” Maybe the emotional temperature at home was set to

What is this article about: Research spanning more than four decades shows a consistent pattern. A significant proportion of trauma survivors go on to build impressive careers and achieve high professional standing. The Kauai Longitudinal Study found that roughly one-third of high-risk children became competent, confident adults. The Goertzel biographical study found that approximately 75% of more than 400 eminent twentieth-century figures experienced significant childhood di

It is not a personal failing. The research points to something much bigger, and there are practical ways through it. What this post covers: Why Australian marriage and partnership timelines have shifted significantly since the 1970s. How rising loneliness among young adults is affecting the conditions for connection. Why most dating apps are structurally designed against genuine compatibility. The role of the housing crisis in relationship formation. Evidence-based strateg

On 31 March 2024, Victoria's workers' compensation laws changed significantly for anyone making a psychological injury claim. The Workplace Injury Rehabilitation and Compensation Amendment (WorkCover Scheme Modernisation) Act 2024 introduced a new, narrower definition of what counts as a compensable mental injury, raised the threshold for proving that work caused the injury, and added a whole person impairment requirement for anyone receiving weekly payments beyond 130 weeks.

There are excellent therapists working across every area of psychology in Australia, and the best therapy outcomes come from the right match between client and clinician. What I want to share here is something specific about the way organisational psychologists are trained, and why that training produces a particular strength in the therapy room. Especially for clients whose distress is tangled up with their work. Most adults who walk through my door are employed. Their sympt

What men are carrying, and how a woman psychologist is learning to meet them where they are I am a woman in my mid-forties. I have two daughters, a partner, and a private practice in Melbourne. When a man walks into my consulting room, he does not see someone who looks like him. He sees a woman, often of a different generation, in a profession that was not designed with him in mind. And increasingly, he comes anyway. In 2023, there were 29,896 registered female general psycho

What Young Women Are Telling Me About Dating Right Now There is a song I keep hearing about in my therapy rooms. Not on the speakers. In the stories. Chappell Roan’s Femininomenon opens with a scenario most of the young women I work with could have written themselves: the promising online connection, the exchanged playlists and late-night messages, the whole thing evaporating the moment somebody suggests meeting for an actual coffee. Roan has said the song is about the confus

A Critical Look at One of Trauma Therapy’s Most Popular Claims Image by freepik If you have spent any time exploring trauma therapy, you have almost certainly encountered the phrase the body keeps the score. Popularised by Bessel van der Kolk’s influential 2014 book of the same name, this idea has become something of a mantra in trauma-informed circles. It captures something many trauma survivors recognise intuitively: that their distress lives not just in their thoughts, but

As a psychologist working with adults of all ages, I have noticed a consistent pattern in my practice: many clients arrive convinced they are struggling with anxiety, but when I explore their symptoms more deeply and use validated psychometric assessments, the picture that emerges is actually more aligned with depression than classic anxiety. This is not a matter of clients being ‘wrong’ about their experiences, they are experiencing genuine distress and doing their best to m

What Is Psychosocial Safety? Psychosocial safety refers to the organisational conditions that protect workers' psychological health and prevent mental harm arising from work design, management practices, workplace relationships, and organisational factors. In my practice at Behavioural Edge Psychology, I use the definition of psychosocial safety as the systematic identification, assessment, and control of psychosocial hazards that create risk to worker mental health. Under A

If you are reading this, you might be considering therapy for the first time, searching for a psychologist who truly understands contemporary life stress, or perhaps you are an existing client curious to know more about the person sitting across from you in sessions. Either way, I am glad you are here. My name is Sarah Fischer, and I am the Principal Psychologist at Behavioural Edge Psychology. I wanted to take a moment to introduce myself properly, not just with credentials

TL;DR Behavioural coaching is an evidence-based, psychology-grounded method for working on defined behavioural and cognitive change. It differs from therapy in that it assumes a baseline of psychological functioning and works on goals rather than treating mental health conditions. Two meta-analyses (Theeboom et al., 2014; Jones et al., 2016) found consistent moderate effects on performance, wellbeing, coping, work attitudes, and goal-directed self-regulation. Effects were str

By Dr. Sarah Fischer, MAPS, Principal Psychologist at Behavioural Edge Psychology, December 2025 The events of Sunday, 14 December 2025 at Bondi Beach have left our nation reeling. Fifteen lives were lost, including a 10-year-old child, and more than 40 people were injured in what authorities have confirmed as a targeted terrorist attack on a community Hanukkah celebration. As a psychologist with experience treating a range of trauma conditions, I have watched our collective