Sunny Psychology Maroochydore

About Me

Welcome

I'm Tessa 🙂

I am a registered Psychologist and EMDRAA Accredited Practitioner (more on EMDR later) and I have over fifteen years experience working in a therapeutic setting with clients.

I hold a Bachelor of Science (BSc.) degree in Psychology as well as a Master of Science (MSc.) degree in Child and Adolescent Psychology. I completed my studies in the Netherlands (2009) and after practising for five years in Europe, I moved to Alice Springs (NT) in 2014. In 2018 I settled on the Sunshine Coast.

Psychology is a big passion of mine, it excites and drives me.
I believe that empowering others to understand the world around them, how it has shaped them and where to improve is a large part of my life’s purpose. To honour this commitment, I am constantly studying to advance my skills and understanding

Sunny Psychology

Clients

I enjoy working with both children (10+ years) and adults with a range of presenting challenges and symptoms such as: Complex PTSD and Dissociative Disorders (incl. DID), attachment difficulties, depression; anxiety; autism, AD(H)D, sleep disorders, grief and bereavement, relationship challenges, psychosomatic problems, parenting difficulties and substance misuse (addiction).

I am particularly passionate about working with what my clients have often described as a “life-changing” treatment: Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy. This therapy was developed for people who have experienced (complex) trauma resulting in a wide range of symptoms such as anxiety, depression, substance (mis)use and more. I can talk about EMDR for hours, so if you are interested, I invite you to read more by clicking the button below, or connect with me here.

I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did,
but people will never forget how you made them feel.

– Maya Angelou

Sunny Psychology h

Holistic approach

One of my main perspectives, as is reflected in the evidence-based therapeutic modalities I use, is that being disconnected from ourselves, or from others around us (detachment) is what causes most mental health challenges. A holistic approach means I appreciate that the body, mind and spirit are connected and that through understanding the purpose of certain symptoms, it is easier to find an effective course of treatment that will have long-term benefits.

Working holistically often involves working with other health modalities, such as integrative medicine, chiropractic care, occupational- and speech therapy, spiritual teachers, Traditional Chinese Medicine (incl. acupuncture), Naturopathy, Hypnotherapy and Psychiatry. Through this integrated process, my clients tend to enjoy new levels of hope, inspiration and empowerment.

Witnessing clients reconnecting with themselves, their caregivers or children and their purpose is what has made me love supporting and cheering on my clients for so long.

I believe that we are- and all is interconnected and that we cannot treat a holistic problem with a partial solution Or, in other words: I choose strategy over tactics.

– Tessa, Sunny Psychology

Work-life balance

I like to practice what I preach: a healthy work-life balance is essential for my own mental health.

When I am not working, I love to read, meditate and travel the world to learn about history, try new flavours and meet people from all walks of life. I also love beach days and game nights with friends, walk-and-talks with girlfriends and trying out new eatery places.

But, when it all comes down to it, nothing beats coming home to my partner and his cooking and going for walks with our three fur babies; Australian Shepherd Naia and our two cats (yes, they all come for their daily walks).