Positive Young Minds Psychology
  • COUNSELLING
    • Session Fee Policy
    • FAQ
  • What is Mindfulness?
    • Mindfulness For Children
    • For Teens
    • For Parents
    • Some science behind mindfulness
  • Confident Parenting
    • How to talk to teens
  • About Kim
  • Creating Connection (blog)
  • Psychologists
    • The Victorian Psychologists' Networking Group
    • Peer Mentoring
    • Essential Self-Care for Psychologists

How to survive and thrive as a psychologist

There is no one right way to be a psychologist.  

However, there are a few things that will help you beat burnout and survive and thrive: an awareness of the challenges, including the high rate of burnout, a support network, firm boundaries, intentional self-care, and an understanding of your legal and ethical requirements.   

Click here to access your free copy of Five Things You Need to Know to Survive as a Psychologist. 

When I graduated and started my psychology career over 15 years ago, I did not know one other psychologist, I had no peers and no mentors.

I completed my Masters as a part-time mature student with two very young children and a husband as a first responder, doing rotating shifts.. 

On graduation I was straight away offered work in a private practice, which was so exciting.  However, overtime all I really came to know was that practice. Their policies and procedures, their client base.  The owner was a wonderful psychologist, don't get me wrong, but my knowledge of psychology as a professional world was very limited.

So at first I soaked all this in, then I struggled. I really had nowhere to go with my thoughts, to figure out what clientele I actually wanted to see, to understand the bigger world of psychology.. 

An added complication was the navigating through the political division that exploded around the time I was struggling to find my feet as a psychologist.
Remember, this was pre Facebook.  

Fast forward to today where I work as a solo psychologist and get to make all the decisions about how my business looks and what I focus on.

As part of my journey, I worked on intentional self-care including constructing a support network and tightening my boundaries.  

Now I work to assist other psychologists, especially early career psychologists to set up their self-care as early as possible.  To be the mentor I would have loved when I first started.  

Choose how to connect next

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THE VICTORIAN PSYCHOLOGISTS' NETWORKING GROUP

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PEER MENTORING

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ESSENTIAL SELF-CARE


  1. Networking is not about just connecting people. It's about connecting people with people, people with ideas, and people with opportunities.-- Michele Jennae
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Kim Dunn

Psychologist
​Founder of the Victorian Psychologists' Networking Group

​I
am an independent, private psychologist who works on increasing connection and self-care in everyday lives, through individual counselling, workshops,  podcasts, and the Essential Self-Care for Psychologists program.  I also founded the Victorian Psychologists' Networking Group

In my downtime I love to read fiction and watch Collingwood (AFL).  I also walk, spend too much time on social media, and love catching up with my friends and family.

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Nonie Carr
​
​Psychologist
Co-host of the Weekly Check In on Thursdays.
Co-Administrator of The Victorian Psychologists' Networking Group on Facebook.

​www.enhancelife.com.au 




Kim Dunn - Fiercely and mindfully supporting mental health for a calm, confident and connected life.

POSITIVE YOUNG MINDS
Counselling and assessments for children, adolescents and young adults.
THE VICTORIAN PSYCHOLOGISTS' NETWORKING GROUP
The community for psychologists looking to create a sustainable and enjoyable career. Through networking, mentoring, self-care and connection.
ESSENTIAL SELF-CARE FOR PSYCHOLOGISTS.  
​A self-paced course to help you create a practical and flexible self-care plan.


Phone no: +61 408 533 515

    Contact Kim 

Submit
  • COUNSELLING
    • Session Fee Policy
    • FAQ
  • What is Mindfulness?
    • Mindfulness For Children
    • For Teens
    • For Parents
    • Some science behind mindfulness
  • Confident Parenting
    • How to talk to teens
  • About Kim
  • Creating Connection (blog)
  • Psychologists
    • The Victorian Psychologists' Networking Group
    • Peer Mentoring
    • Essential Self-Care for Psychologists