About me
THERAPY, COUNSELING, SUPERVISION, CONSULTANCY
Daisy Grodzki, Mental Health Social Worker
Hi, I am Daisy, born in the Netherlands and decided to move to lutruwita/Tasmania in 2020 as I fell in love with the islands natural beauty. As a mental health social worker I have special skills in outdoor therapy and embodiment therapy. I believe in the healing effects of nature and physical activity on mental health. I am dedicated to helping others and aim to provide holistic care for the mind and body.
I have travelled a lot in my life and always felt very drawn to nature and being outdoors. When I studied Social Work, I came across outdoor therapy and knew this was what I wanted to offer to as many people as possible. I’ve specialised in nature-based therapy and experiential learning, trauma and mental health. Having lived experience with ADHD myself, I understand the calming and regulating effect of nature very well.
Not everyone might feel ready yet for a session outdoors, so I also offer indoor sessions at a beautiful office in CBD and from March onwards at a GP clinic in Lauderdale. These sessions will be office based, but will still focus on embodiment practices, your nervous system and bringing nature connection into the indoor space.
I work in a person centered and action focussed way, which means that our sessions will empower you to take ownership of your mental wellbeing; I believe you have got the answers inside of you already and you just need the right tools to (re)connect to that again.
Over the years I’ve had many trainings in:
Social Work (AASW accredited Social Worker)
Mental Health
Trauma informed psychotherapy
Mindfulness
Yoga (Hatha/Yin)
Experiential learning (2 year post graduate in Europe)
ADHD coaching
Psycho somatic work
DISC team building and team coaching
ACT
DBT
Wilderness First Aid
Polyvagal Theory
Schema Therapy
Clinical supervision
Couples therapy
NLP coaching
Eco-psychotherapy
I have work experience in the following fields:
headspace youth mental health
ADHD coaching and psychotherapy
Employee Assistance Program (EAP) clinician
Burnout clinician - workplace rehabilitation
Trauma informed yoga teacher
Clinical supervisor
Europe:
Youth mental health
Adult mental health
Youth justice system
Burn out coaching
psycho somatic therapist (psychomotor therapy)
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NATURE THERAPY and WALK & TALKS
Emily Scott, writer for ‘We are explorers’ wrote a beautiful blog about nature connection and walking. It describes exactly why I choose to use being outdoors as a preferred way to do therapy:
“Explorer Emily digs deeper into why we love to walk, walk, walk.
Ever wondered why we feel so good after a walk, a hike, a jog even? Most of us know these days there exists a link between wellbeing and exercise – we all kinda know that endorphins get released and they’re things that make us feel good. But what’s actually going on in there under the flesh of our bodies?
There are dozens of peer-reviewed journal articles and research papers looking into this broad area of study, I’ve written none of them.
However, after five years of study coupled with ten years of working with humans in a therapeutic setting; sometimes outside hiking in the bush for days on end, sometimes on someone’s front porch in the desert, and sometimes in someone’s room in an aged care facility, I’ve learnt some things and am here to share some of this juicy stuff.
Below is what’s stood out for me in my process of understanding and witnessing the biological benefits of walking, hiking, jogging, and how that impacts our mental health. I’m especially drawn to the idea that rhythm is therapeutic – rhythm that’s created while walking.
The Science of Our Strides
The renowned child psychiatrist Bruce Perry discusses how repeated rhythm can regulate our nervous system, and has the potential to literally biologically change our brain.
This is because patterned rhythmic beats (like drumming and walking) are proven to get into our brain stem, the oldest most primal part of the brain.
The part of the brain responsible for regulation, that controls our nervous system, our flight-fight response, the part that develops first. Other parts of the brain, responsible for thinking, come afterward.
A huge chunk of research gaining popularity this decade isn’t the popular, evidence-based way in which we can ‘think our way into feeling better’ (cognitive behavioural therapy), it’s accessing the parts of the brain that trauma often impacts.
We know the relation of a fight-flight response to trauma – and we know this is happening at the brain stem – not the thinking part of the brain. Therefore ‘therapy’ that gets into the brainstem for some healing is going to be ideal, right?
Bruce links rhythm to our heartbeat, and delves deeper, to explain it’s our mother’s heartbeat, whilst we’re in utero, that establishes our primal sense of safety. In utero, we’re safe, we’re fed, we’re cocooned from the stressors of the outside world.
Psychiatrists, neurologists, and other specialists and academics in the brain space teach us that our brain responds to repeated patterns; we see this in a broad sense, how humans love habit, routine.
But also at a biological level, our neural pathways strengthen with repetition and learn to associate. Bruce concludes that repetitive, patterned, and rhythmic activity activates the brain stem. It regulates us.
Regulation; what occurs when we find some equilibrium and why we might feel really tired after a surge of adrenaline.
Regulation; a way of settling after a day of stress or being upset because we’re hangry (honestly that’s me).
A lot of us, most of the time, naturally and subconsciously regulate, but some of the time, if we’re really stressed or if we’ve experienced chronic, acute or complex trauma, it can be beneficial to give it a nudge.
Feel the Rhythm, Feel Regulated
A nudge of rhythm, repeatedly perhaps, like a big long walk. Our bodies and brains are constantly working without us noticing to bring us a sense of stability and safety, but this conscious nudge can do wonders for us.
Walking is inherently rhythmic. Rhythm mimics our heartbeat. This rhythmic pounding through the forest that mimics our heartbeat is regulating our nervous system.
We’re biologically creating emotional safety for ourselves. We are regulated, clear-minded, and free.”
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ADHD
AADPA’s website has a good way of describing ADHD:
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a complex neurodevelopmental condition. It is thought to arise due to a delay in brain development, along with differences in brain anatomy, message transmission, and cognition. ADHD is characterised by persistent and developmentally inappropriate patterns of inattention and hyperactivity-impulsivity.
All of us can be inattentive or impulsive sometimes, but a person with ADHD will be more compromised by these traits. They will also find doing some of the things that a neuro-typical person will take for granted, very hard.
ADHD symptoms tend to be lifelong. For people who struggle with their symptoms and cognitive differences, it’s important they are correctly diagnosed and can access appropriate treatment and support.
Every person with ADHD is different.
People with ADHD can present in different ways. They may display:
only inattention symptoms;
only hyperactivity-impulsive symptoms; or
a combination of both.
They may also exhibit a range of cognitive differences, and the severity of their challenges can change depending upon the situation they are in. Situations that induce dopamine release in the brain can help to reduce a person’s ADHD symptoms.
It’s important to remember, people with ADHD have many strengths. They tend to be adventurous, good at generating novel ideas, and able to hyperfocus, which can result in high productivity.
ADHD impacts a person’s ability to exert self-control over their thoughts, words, actions and emotions.
People with ADHD can struggle to focus and concentrate. It’s hard for them to stop, think and make informed decisions or control their impulses as others may expect.
They can also struggle with self and social awareness, planning and prioritising, getting organised, and time management. This can make it difficult to study, work, and manage their responsibilities. Sometimes it’s hard to relax, socialise, and enjoy themselves. Often people with ADHD will have poor self-confidence and self-esteem.
It’s therefore so important to find the right professionals that can help creating a better environment for the ADHD brain to thrive in.
Please have a look at this image that AADPA has created to help using the right language when it comes to talking about ADHD: https://aadpa.com.au/talking-about-adhd/
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BURNOUT
What is Burnout:
Burnout is a state of chronic physical and emotional exhaustion that occurs as a result of prolonged and excessive stress. It is often characterised by feelings of depletion, cynicism, detachment, and a sense of being overwhelmed. Burnout can affect anyone, but it is commonly experienced by individuals in high-stress professions such as healthcare, education, and corporate jobs.
By recognizing the signs, taking necessary recovery steps, and implementing preventative measures, individuals can navigate through and mitigate the detrimental effects of burnout. Prioritizing self-care, seeking support, and implementing stress management techniques are key to not only recovering from burnout but also preventing its recurrence in the future. Remember, your well-being is worth investing in, and by taking care of yourself, you can achieve a healthier, more balanced life.