After 2 years offering clinical psychology services to the community in Parkside, we felt the time was right to move the clinical space across the city to Norwood. It was tough to say goodbye to Porter St. The old bakery-converted clinical space was built in the 19th century and had an ethereal charm about it with its crumbling walls, esoteric artwork and hidden rooms. I loved the shared kitchen space where clinicians and clients could make a cup of tea side by side and the classical music that played softly in the waiting area. One client remarked to me that the music allowed them to drop into a deeper state of readiness for their therapeutic work. The space was a co-pilot in people's healing and learning. I love that and have tried to replicate that in the new Norwood clinical space. There were and still are wonderful clinicians and people who continue to work there. I learnt a lot from them and they were always open for a yarn or sharing.
I grew up in Norwood, so coming to work here feels like a home coming of sorts. I remember being a kid and having rock fights in the back streets around the old Woodroof's factory, sneaking in to Redlegs footy games via the bent corrugated iron fence between the oval and Norwood primary school and getting in trouble with a school friend's dad because we were being too rowdy. I remember the exotic Rajneeshees (Orange people) living in the old mansion at the end of my street. Why is it that many of my childhood memories of Norwood are associated with being a scally-wag? Maybe because a big part of me growing up was a scally-wag and now that part of me gets to enjoy the homecoming too.
There are a number of practical reasons why I decided to move. One, I got lucky finding another great clinical space that I could lease all to myself. In Parkside, I had to share the rooms and while that was fine in the short term, it was limiting. Now, I have the freedom to grow FCP Adelaide. One of the ways I'd like to do that is by bringing on other therapists who offer similar experiential therapies like Internal Family Systems (IFS), EMDR and Schema Therapy. This is exciting as my vision is to create a clinical space where we offer what I confidently feel are the best and most effective forms of therapy and are known as a location for that in the Adelaide community.
Practically speaking, the space is quite large. This means we can start offering group therapy, which appears to be a rare thing in Adelaide. Our first group will be inspired by IFS and Yalom group psychotherapy - two modalities I am passionate about having participated in both forms of therapy for many years now. The group will focus on learning about the IFS parts model, starting to get to know the protector parts that routinely get triggered in important areas of our lives and learning how to separate from our parts just enough that our healthy adult Self can emerge and communicate from a place of clarity, confidence and compassion. The group will be a powerful place where participants can practice these new skills in a supportive environment, taking courageous risks in the authentic ways they can communicate their needs with each other before road testing these skills in their actual lives with the people they connect with most. I'm excited by the prospect just writing about it as I know how powerful group therapy can be as a stand alone intervention or as an adjunct to individual therapy.
So in advance, I'd like to welcome you to our new Norwood space. I hope you find it a warm, welcoming environment and would welcome your feedback as we transition there and get settled in. Your feedback really helps me make it a place where we can "drop in to a deeper state of readiness" for the work of therapy. And given it's almost Christmas, wishing you all a safe, happy, content festive season. Look after yourselves. Hopefully, you can get the break you need to feel ready for whatever is to come in 2025! e
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