As part of #loveyourcareer week, we asked Phillipa Brown for her perspective on psychology. This is what she had to say….

Tell us about how psychology can enrich people’s lives.

A simple way of helping people enrich their lives are through goal setting, where changes can be made and applied in a step-by-step process. Having a goal in mind is a great place to start when a client has identified an area they wish to improve on, and breaking these down into smaller steps. Along with the right care and support, and being able to discuss the changes and setbacks along the way, clients have been able to improve their ability to manage tasks and apply the same principals to other aspects of their lives. Motivation and strength building is another great way to helping people enrich their lives. It’s one thing to talk about the issue at hand, but I find that building on people’s strengths and reminding them of the things they are doing well is a great way of empowering clients to regain confidence in their self again.

How can quality of life improve for a client?

Individuals’ quality of life can be improved by increasing their understanding of self and others to discover motives and patterns of behaviour. Improvements can also be found by making changes to certain areas of life or getting motivated to start something new. Other ways people can improve their quality of life can be simply through making healthier and more positive choices, as well as improving their confidence in their decision-making. Everyone holds the tools to improve their own quality of life, and with guidance, can help to draw out and discover the tools they require to move forward positively.

How do you motivate yourself to move forward and keep the passion burning for your chosen career if you experience burnout?

It’s easy to experience burnout in any chosen career, or even in life in general. If you tend to experience burnout regularly, it might be a good time to assess the important aspects of your life and cut down on areas that might not be as important. There are three basic fundamentals that need to be prioritised and are especially key when feeling burnout, which entails; sleep, diet and exercise. Having a good balance of all three can improve your ability to regulate your emotions and reduce your levels of stress, enabling you to take on more when these tanks are full and prospering. Remember that everyone is different and requires a different amount or variety of each factor, so finding what works for you is worth investing time to discover.

Phillipa Brown is a registered Psychologist who works across various schools and universities in Melbourne. She utilises a range of psychological approaches in her work with clients, developing a positive therapeutic relationship to assist clients with their unique concerns.

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