Brad Nugent Psychology « Counselling For Kids And Parents Brad Nugent Psychology

Wed 4 Apr 2012

About Brad Nugent Psychology

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Brad Nugent Psychology is proudly based in Busselton, Western Australia. It was established in October 2011 to provide a psychology service for kids, young people and parents in Busselton and the surrounding region. While a number of psychologists service the area, the most frequent comment made by locals was that there was nobody specialising in providing counselling for kids. There is now!

Additionally, Brad Nugent Psychology is proudly based right here at www.brad-nugent.com. It was established in April 2012. On these pages you can find articles and advice about parenting, education, child development staying mentally healthy. I highly recommend that you subscribe to my monthly newsletter via the link at the top right hand side of this page. That way you will receive a heads-up on my latest articles, as well as opinion pieces and briefs on current research in psychology that has caught my eye.

You can also link to Brad Nugent Psychology on your favourite social networking site for ongoing news and views. Check out the cute little slider on the left of the page! I am always happy to hear from genuine people with genuine queries via email. Feel free to drop me a line:

The primary focus of Brad Nugent Psychology is the well-being of children and young people. The goal is to provide a service that offers practical strategies and assistance. One of the basic beliefs that guides the practice is that financial difficulties should not present a barrier to accessing professional psychological consultation when it is required. The fee structure is therefore tied closely to the Medicare Benefits Schedule for counselling services. Other services are priced very competitively. Basically, kids should not suffer because the money is not there.

Brad Nugent Psychology is also fortunate to work closely with SouthWEST Academic Services, another local business that prides itself on the provision of quality service and best practice educational intervention. This alliance has provided a number of opportunities for the local community, including parenting workshops and assessment services.

What services are offered?

* Psychological counselling for a variety of developmental, emotional, behavioural and social difficulties.

* Individual parent coaching and advice: managing behaviour, communicating effectively with kids, setting boundaries, specific questions.

* Workshops for parents and kids: teaching important life skills such as protective behaviours, staying safe online, strategies for beating bullying.

* Psychometric assessment to identify learning disabilities, intellectual giftedness, academic talent. This means a thorough assessment of cognitive and academic abilities with a comprehensive report and recommendations supplied (not just an inadequate two-page summary).

* Consultation service for schools and professional development presentations.

* Specialised literacy tuition: helping kids and adults to improve their reading and writing skills.

Who is Brad Nugent?

Brad Nugent, Psychologist based in Busselton, Western Australia.

Brad Nugent is a registered psychologist with 18 years experience working with children, young people and parents in school settings and private practice. He graduated from the University of Western Australia in 1993 with a Master of Psychology degree. He realises that most of his clients were not even born then and that sometimes makes him feel older than he should.

Brad is a firm believer that learning is a life-long process. As if to prove that point, he graduated from the University of New England with a Bachelor of Arts (History) and a Bachelor of Law in 1998. He found this study interesting, but still isn’t sure of the practical value of these degrees. They do look pretty on the wall though.

Brad has been lucky enough to travel to several exotic places around the globe: India, Borneo, New York City. He has escorted groups of students to these locales. He particularly enjoyed his time in India, working as a volunteer with a variety of orphanages and other institutions around the country. He is getting itchy feet right now…

But Brad is now a permanent resident of Busselton. However, he understands the boundaries and doesn’t dare call himself a local – apparently you have to be born here to wear that badge of honour. Regardless of this, he has fallen in love with his new home. The community is beyond compare. The people are fantastic. Busselton really is a paradise.

Brad used to fancy himself as a reasonable shooting guard in social basketball teams. Recent experience tells him that he is not quite as young as he used to be and that ‘running the court’ should involve more running and less hands-on-knees wheezing. Nevertheless, Brad does love his sport and is a very passionate supporter of the mighty West Coast Eagles in the Australian Football League.

What else do you want to know? There isn’t much more. Brad is a pretty simple bloke really. He likes spending time with his mates and family. He has ongoing aspirations of writing something worthy of publication beyond the pages of a peer-referenced journal. One day he would like to win Lotto, even Division 2.

Brad has a dog. Annabelle is a loveable Rottweiler x Belgian Shepherd. She is playful and just a little bit naughty sometimes. Brad also adopted a cat when he moved to Busselton. It came with the house. Thinking he was just a temporary imposition, Brad named the cat “FDC” for “Front Door Cat”. Adorned with a more appropriate name, Fergus is now a firmly entrenched member of the household. Enough said.

Tags: Brad Nugent, Brad Nugent Psychology, Busselton, Child Psychologists, Psychologists Western Australia

Wed 16 May 2012

About Confidentiality

Posted by Brad under Brad Nugent Psychology, Psychology
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confidential |kɒnfɪˈdɛnʃ(ə)l|
(adjective) intended to be kept secret: confidential information.
• (of a person’s tone of voice) indicating that what one says is private or secret: he dropped his voice to a confidential whisper.
• [ attrib. ] entrusted with private or restricted information: a confidential secretary.

-British Dictionary.

Confidentiality is a concept that is frequently misunderstood. Yet it is one that is of vital importance in a psychologist-client relationship. It is imperative that you feel comfortable talking openly to the psychologist you choose to consult with. However, it is also important that you understand the limits of confidentiality. Please remember as you read through this article that a psychologist’s primary responsibility is to the well-being of his or her client.

All psychologists are bound by a Code of Ethics that includes important rules about the confidentiality of client information. Typically, a psychologist will keep notes about your case. These notes are kept in a secure location and they are, with some rare exceptions, only accessed by the psychologist.

You have probably noted the words “with some rare exceptions” in the above description. You need to be reassured that confidentiality is a primary obligation for psychologists. However, there are limits to confidentiality. It is very important that you understand these limits before you consult with a psychologist.

Confidentiality is subject to legal and professional balancing tests, in which the need for a confidential relationship is balanced and then gives way to societal or individual needs of greater importance. The protection of children, prevention of violence and coordination of treatment among a team of professionals have been given priority over maintaining confidentiality in some cases. Also, psychologists are obligated to comply with court orders and subpoenas for the release of confidential information.

This means that the definition of confidentiality as it applies to psychologists is not quite as straightforward as the definitions quoted at the beginning of this article would indicate. However, you should not be alarmed. And you certainly shouldn’t allow the limits of confidentiality to get in the way of seeking help. If you have concerns about the information you wish to share with your psychologist you should raise the issue of confidentiality with him or her and seek clarification. In fact, your psychologist should brief you about confidentiality and the limits of confidentiality before your consultation begins.

The upshot of all this is actually pretty simple. Confidentiality does not mean that your psychologist will keep everything a secret if keeping those secrets is harmful. Most of the time, and in most cases, your psychologist will not share any information about your case with anybody else. The major exception to this rule occurs if you disclose information that indicates that you or somebody else are in danger of being harmed. You can probably see how it would be unethical if a psychologist were to keep this kind of potentially dangerous information secret.

Please note, that your psychologist will treat confidentiality and all of the other rules of ethical conduct extremely seriously. The limits to confidentiality are minimal and the circumstances in which psychologists disclose confidential information are extremely rare. The need for a strong and trusting counselling relationship is your psychologist’s primary concern. You should feel confident that your psychologist will always act in your best interests.

Tags: Brad Nugent Psychology, Confidentiality, Psychologists Western Australia, Psychology, Psychology Ethics

Wed 9 May 2012

Susan Cain on ‘The Power of Introverts’

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Further to my article about ‘shyness’, check out this great TED Talk by Susan Cain. It is quite intriguing to read the comments under the video on the TED Website. In particular, the conversation thread about ideal professions for introverts is interesting. Note the number of people who (a) identify themselves as introverts and (b) state that they are in professions that one would think would be the domain of extroverts!

I hope you enjoy this…

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Sat 5 May 2012

On Being Shy

Posted by Brad under Life Strategies, Mental Health
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Many people experience shyness as a personality trait. For some, they may experiences periods of their life when they feel shy. For example, some children are shy, but outgrow this as they get older and become more confident around other people. For others, being shy is just an indelible part of who they are. They may not feel any negative impact from being shy and be quite happy. After all being shy is not an inherently bad thing! However, for some people shyness is an element of a much bigger issue. For these people, shyness is a crippling characteristic of an anxiety disorder called ‘social phobia’.

I was kind of a strange kid. As a child, I was extremely quiet and shy. I was an avid reader and tended to lose myself in books and fantasy. There were times, as a teenager mostly, when I tried to compensate for this shyness by being louder than others. I developed the habit of deliberately swearing more than the average teen as a way of standing out. However, these strategies, not surprisingly, were not particularly effective. Other kids saw through them. So, in my university years I reverted back to withdrawing from others. I kept to myself and barely talked to anybody in those six years, unless I was forced to do so.

As an adult, I am not exactly an extroverted party-animal! But as an important aspect of my work as a psychologist, I have had to overcome the extreme nature of the shyness that dominated much of my childhood. The good news is that shyness does not have to be a curse. It does not have to limit your life. Even when it is exhibited as a symptom of social phobia, there are things you can do to reduce the impact of shyness and the anxiety it can cause.

1. Fake it ’til you make it: I often talk to my clients about ducks. Bear with me on this! Imagine a duck floating calmly on a pond. The duck is relaxed, serene and in control. But underneath the water line, the reality is vastly different. That little duck’s legs are going a hundred miles an hour, treading water like crazy just to stay afloat. Sometimes, we have to be like the duck on the pond. When you are in a social situation and your shyness brings on anxiety, accept those feelings. Acknowledge the anxiety and put on the act of calm. Every social situation you get through successfully will add to your confidence. Eventually, the anxiety will diminish. And even if it doesn’t, you will learn that you can cope.

2. ‘The Flying V’: OK, it is another duck analogy. I promise I am not obsessed with ducks! In flight, a flock of ducks will make a ‘V’ formation. This is sometimes called a skein. By working in a team like this, the ducks are able to extend their flying range by 71%. Synergy works! Also, when the lead duck becomes tired, another duck flies forward to take his or her place. Just like the ducks, we need a team around us too. This is especially so at those times when our ‘flying’ through life becomes difficult. For shy people, finding that team can be quite a challenge. Start with family. Talk with professionals. Even join a support group. But do find that network of special people that you can share with.

3. Focus on your strengths: What are you really good at? What are you really interested in? What do you want to be good at? Use these activities as a springboard to engaging with others. It is much easier to talk about something that you are passionate about. As an example, come and watch me running protective behaviours workshops with kids or discussions about cyber-safety with parents! When you feel brave enough, you could even join a club that focuses on that activity.

4. Focus on your weaknesses: That might sound like the opposite of number 3. Trust me, it isn’t. It is actually a good idea to do both. Everybody has a profile of strengths and weaknesses. This is what makes us unique individuals. This is what makes us different from everybody else. This is what makes us INTERESTING! Accept that you are good at some things and not so good at others. There is nothing wrong with that. Accept your weaknesses and work on improving them. If you are shy, the chances are you would benefit from brushing up on your social skills, improving your self-confidence and learning some strategies to relax. If you think you need some help with these things, you could try talking to a psychologist.

Tags: Anxiety, Coping Strategies, Mental Health, Shyness, Social Anxiety, Social Phobia

Fri 4 May 2012

Big Problems -vs- Little Problems: Telling The Difference

Posted by Brad under Life Strategies, Resiliency
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How bad is that problem that is causing you or your kids to be stressed out?

We all have a bit of a tendency to dramatise when it is our own life that is being thrown into turmoil by life’s ‘slings and arrows of outrageous fortune.’ We find ourselves becoming frustrated, getting angry and then overreacting to those around us. Often when it isn’t even their fault.

Before it gets to this stage we need to give some thought to taking a reality check: how important is the problem REALLY?

One way of doing this is to place the problem on a number scale. For example, where would this problem fit if zero means no problem at all and 100 means the worst possible problem ever?

At the time, when our emotions are in the way, we tend to overestimate the severity of the problem. If little problems are getting big ratings, you could try asking how the problem compares to, say, a nuclear war or the Earth being struck by a comet…

Now re-rate your problem. Does it seem somewhat easier to deal with than before? Does it seem a little less serious? Did you give it a smaller number? Has it even become a little problem?

The ability to decatastrophise situations in this way allows us to formulate an appropriate and rational response to the situation.

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Fri 4 May 2012

BRAD SAYS: Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorders

Posted by Brad under Disability
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The American Psychiatric Association is working on its fifth revision of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, a tome that includes, perhaps somewhat inappropriately, the diagnostic criteria for learning disabilities and developmental disabilities.

Consideration is being given to changing the criteria required in order to secure a diagnosis of an Autism Spectrum Disorder. There is some concern that the revision will narrow criteria that are, somewhat ironically, already extremely rigid and applied far too literally by many professionals. I hope this does not occur.

Hopefully, we will instead see a broadening of the definition such that autism is finally considered to be a ‘spectrum’, rather than a series of loosely connected, discrete disorders, including the rarely diagnosed Pervasive Developmental Disorder – Not Otherwise Specified.

I know that I am being optimistic here. And I feel for those families who will struggle to get an appropriate diagnosis in the future. Unfortunately, I already hear too many of the ‘he fits some of the criteria, but not enough to diagnose’ or ‘she has characteristics of a number of different disorders, but not enough of one to have a diagnosis’ stories from parents.

It would seem that I will hear even more of these in the future…

Tags: Austism Spectrum Disorders, Autism, Diagnosis, DSM-V

Thu 3 May 2012

‘Keeping Kids Safe’ Workshops: Some Reflections

Posted by Brad under Brad Nugent Psychology, Protective Behaviours
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As you may be aware, I was pretty busy during the last school holidays! With my pals at SouthWEST Academic Services, I was facilitating a whole bunch of workshops in Busselton and Bridgetown. The aim of these workshops was to teach kids (and their parents) the skills they need to know if they are to keep themselves safe from predators.

It is an unfortunate fact that pedophiles come from all walks of life: rich or poor, old or young, male or female. Kids need to know that strangers are not scary looking men who drive black cars and have scars on their faces. Strangers are simply people that we do not know much about – they might be nice people, they might want to hurt us if they get the chance. Unfortunately, we just can’t tell by looking at them!

If you think your kids are safe, please rethink – especially if you have done the ‘stranger danger’ talk with them. Research has shown that the ‘stranger danger’ message is extremely ineffective in protecting kids.

The most well-known research in the field has been conducted by Freda Briggs. She took a group of parents who were confident that their children would never wander off with a stranger. These parents had taught their kids all about ‘stranger danger’. They felt comfortable that their children would be safe from potential predators.

The parents observed through a lounge room window, while their kids happily played on the front lawn. They observed while an actor approached. He was an elderly man carrying a dog leash. He spoke to the kids nicely. He told them his dog had wandered off somewhere around here. He asked if the kids would come and help him find his dog. The parents observed, horrified, while their children, quite happily, followed the man to find his nonexistent dog…

As part of our workshops we replicated this little experiment. It was frightening. There was only one child in Busselton who did not agree to follow me out of the workshop venue and around the corner, in order to see my dog. In Bridgetown, we actually took the experiment a step further. When we were outside the workshop venue I told the kids we might have to go in my car because it was quite a walk. There was only one girl who very forcefully told me no. It was even more encouraging that she reached out her hand to stop her little sister from getting into my car. However, every other child agreed that they would go in my car. Two kids actually did quite happily hop into my car!

If you think your kids are safe from potential abuse, make sure they are. Ask their teachers if the children in their care learn protective behaviours as part of the curriculum. If not, they should be. Talk about different situations with your kids and ask them what they would do. Seek advice and help from a professional if you are not sure how to proceed.

If I sound passionate about this topic, it is because I am. This message MUST get through to parents and kids from as many different angles as possible. Pedophiles put a massive amount of time and energy into grooming their potential victims. We need to put just as much time and energy into making sure kids are protected from those people who would hurt them.

We are planning more workshops for the next school holiday period and we may look at taking the workshops to other towns in the South West. I will make sure details of these are posted – or feel free to get in touch using the ‘Contact’ link at the top right on this page.

Tags: Brad Nugent Psychology, child protection, child safety, pedophiles, predators, protective behaviours, sexual abuse, stranger danger

Sat 14 Apr 2012

What Does A Psychologist Do?

Posted by Brad under Brad Nugent Psychology
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Psychology is an extremely broad academic discipline. Some psychologists work with athletes to help them achieve optimal performance. Some psychologists work with companies to develop marketing campaigns that will appeal to their target customer base. Other psychologists work in schools to help students and teachers maximise potential for learning.

For the purpose of this post, I will limit my comments to those psychologists that work in private practice and see clients to provide counselling services. People may seek out a consultation with a psychologist for a variety of reasons. These may range from experiencing symptoms of depression and anxiety to managing stress at work to facilitating the development of better relationship skills.

Given the breadth of many psychology practices, it is probably more sensible to start with the question, “What does a psychologist NOT do?” A psychologist does not (or at least SHOULD not):

Pretend to be an expert on life.
Pretend to be an expert on YOUR life!
Have all the answers for every problem.
Make decisions for you.
Judge the decisions you have made for yourself.
Promise to fix your life for you.
Keep dangerous secrets.

So, what DOES a psychologist do then? A psychologist does:

Listen while you talk about your life and what you would like to change.
Work with you and guide you in ways to help improve your situation.
Advise you about the way that certain patterns of thinking and behaviour can get in the way of helping you to reach your goals.
Offer suggestions for strategies that have helped other people with similar problems.
Stay up to date with research about relevant techniques that might help you.
Abide by a Code of Ethics that includes rules about confidentiality (a future post will deal with the topic of confidentiality and its limits).

When you engage the services of a psychologist, you are entering into a partnership. Within that partnership, you work together to find solutions to problems that are stopping you from enjoying a fulfilling and satisfying life. Psychologists are not experts on life, but they are experts on techniques, strategies and therapies that can help you to reach your goals.

If you are experiencing symptoms of depression, anxiety or other feelings of distress, a visit to a psychologist can be worthwhile. Not talking about these difficulties can be extremely dangerous. Please seek out help from your general practitioner or make an appointment with a psychologist if you have concerns about your own well-being or the mental health of somebody you love.

Tags: Anxiety, Brad Nugent, Brad Nugent Psychology, Child Psychologists, Depression, Mental Health, Psychologists Western Australia

Sat 14 Apr 2012

What Does a High IQ Score Really Mean?

Posted by Brad under Learning
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Children and young people may be referred to a psychologist for a psychometric assessment for a variety of reasons, including the identification of intellectual giftedness or the diagnosis of a learning disability. An integral part of this assessment by a psychologist is the administration of a so-called ‘intelligence’ test to gain a measure of the student’s IQ (intelligence quotient).

Psychologists know a great deal more about intelligence now than they did when this term was first coined. We know that no single test administered on one occasion can possibly hope to measure something as broad as intelligence, because intelligence consists of multiple dimensions and abilities.

Having said this, an intelligence test, like the WISC-IV, can tell us a great deal about an individual student’s cognitive strengths and deficits. It can also tell us if a child is intellectually gifted.

A full-scale IQ score that falls in the top 2% of the population is generally considered to satisfy the criteria for the label of ‘intellectually gifted’ to be applied. Such students are said to have an IQ in the superior range.

In practical terms, this means that these students have significant cognitive strengths. They are likely to learn new information quickly and be able to solve problems by applying that information. This type of cognitive skill is known as ‘fluid reasoning’ because it does not tend to rely on acquired knowledge. A high IQ score therefore means a facility in this type of skill.

However, this does not always correspond with exceptional academic ability. Many skills crucial for academic success are not measured by traditional ‘intelligence’ tests. For instance, we could include good long term memory, motivation to succeed and well developed literacy skills as factors that are particularly useful to obtaining good grades. None of these skills are validly tested by the administration of an intelligence test alone.

Thus, a student who is intellectually gifted is not necessarily academically talented. Such a student may have a high IQ, but may not have the other skills necessary for outstanding academic success.

A psychometric assessment is therefore most valuable as a profile of a student’s strengths and weaknesses when it also includes a standardised assessment of academic skills.

Tags: Academically Talented, Intellectually Gifted, Intelligence, Intelligence Tests, IQ, Psychometric Assessment

Fri 6 Apr 2012

BRAD SAYS: Schools Using Fonts To Write Right – Finally!

Posted by Brad under Learning
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I never quite understood the decision made in Australian schools to change instruction in handwriting in the early years from the use of a standard printed font to the use of the Victorian Cursive font.

Some educators have suggested to me that the Victorian Cursive font should be easier for kids who have dyslexia because the letter ‘b’ and the letter ‘d’ are so different in appearance.

Victorian Cursive 'b'

Firstly, this statement indicates a misconception and simplification of the definition of dyslexia. While letter reversals and letter confusion are common in dyslexia, here is far more to it than that.

Secondly, most of the dyslexic kids I see who have been instructed to write with Victorian Cursive still confuse ‘b’ and ‘d’, as well as other letter pairings: ‘f’ and ‘t’; ‘b’ and ‘p’; ‘q’ and ‘p’; ‘a’ and ‘e’; ‘i’ and ‘e’…

Thankfully many schools have now made the sensible decision to teach writing with the NSW Foundation style instead. This font is much more closely aligned with the fonts that children encounter in the books they read.

Learning to read and write is a difficult enough task in the first place, even for kids who don’t have learning disabilities. Why did we ever want to complicate the process by making kids learn two codes – one for learning to read (a standard font) and a completely different one for learning to write (Victorian Cursive)?

Tags: Dysgraphia, Dyslexia, Education, Learning Disabilities, Teaching, Writing, Writing Difficulties, Written Expression

Brad Nugent Psychology