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The Compulsion Loop: Are Shopping, Social Media, and Exercise Becoming Addictions?
Can a healthy habit go too far? This guide explores the fine line between dedication and addiction when it comes to shopping, social media, and exercise. Learn the 6 key signs that a normal behaviour has become a harmful compulsion, causing conflict, withdrawal, and a loss of control. See if you're caught in the compulsion loop and find out how to get help in Melbourne.

Dr Daniel Shaw
Nov 63 min read


My Adult Child Seems Addicted to Porn: A Parent's Guide to a Sensitive Issue
It's a powerless feeling to worry about your adult child's secret pornography habit. This sensitive guide for parents explains why you can't control them, when it's appropriate to say something, and how to express concern without causing damage. Learn why your first priority must be your own well-being and how to find support for yourself in Melbourne.

Dr Daniel Shaw
Oct 234 min read


The $10 Million Blueprint: Why Australia's Anti-Bullying 'Reset' is a Necessary, but Critically Under-Powered, First Step
The new National Anti-Bullying Report is a critical first step, but it's not a solution. We offer an in-depth critical analysis of its three biggest weaknesses: the symbolic $10M budget, its similarity to existing-but-failing frameworks, and its failure to repair the trust gap.

Dr Daniel Shaw
Oct 228 min read


My Teenager and Pornography: A Parent's Guide to a Difficult Conversation
Discovering your teen is viewing porn is worrying. This guide for Melbourne parents helps you move beyond shock and shame. Learn the difference between curiosity and compulsion, and get a step-by-step plan for how to start a calm, non-accusatory conversation about pornography, focusing on your values, online safety, and keeping the lines of communication open.

Dr Daniel Shaw
Oct 164 min read


When Your Partner is Addicted to Pornography: A Guide for Coping and Support
Discovering your partner's porn addiction is a traumatic experience. This guide is for you, the partner. Understand the concept of betrayal trauma, why your pain is so valid, and how to take the first steps toward your own healing. Learn a powerful exercise to process your emotions and find out how therapy in Melbourne can help you rebuild your life, with or without them.

Dr Daniel Shaw
Oct 94 min read


Beyond a Habit: Understanding Pornography Addiction and the Path to Recovery
When does porn use become an addiction? This guide explains the clinical signs, from loss of control to the devastating impact on real-life intimacy. Understand the neuroscience and the shame cycle that keeps you trapped. Learn a practical first step to identify your triggers and discover how evidence-based therapy in Melbourne can help you break the cycle for good.

Dr Daniel Shaw
Oct 24 min read


Supporting Your Adult Child with a Gaming Addiction: A Guide for Parents
Watching your adult child disappear into a video game is a powerless and painful experience. This guide is for you. Learn the crucial difference between supporting and enabling, how to stop protecting them from the consequences of their addiction, and why setting healthy boundaries is the most loving thing you can do. Find support for yourself in Melbourne.

Dr Daniel Shaw
Sep 254 min read


My Child is Addicted to Gaming: A Practical Guide for Melbourne Parents
Is your child's gaming out of control? This practical guide for Melbourne parents explains the warning signs of Gaming Disorder in children and teens. Discover why yelling doesn't work and learn a step-by-step method for having a more productive conversation. Find out how family therapy can help you create a plan to get your child back.

Dr Daniel Shaw
Sep 185 min read


When Your Partner is Lost in the Game: A Guide for Supporting Your Partner and Yourself
Loving someone with a gaming disorder can be incredibly lonely and frustrating. This guide is for you, the partner. Understand the emotional impact, learn the crucial "Three Cs" of addiction, and discover how to set healthy boundaries to protect your own well-being. You can't control their gaming, but you can control how you respond. Find support in Melbourne.

Dr Daniel Shaw
Sep 114 min read


When the Game Takes Over: A Guide to Understanding and Treating Internet Gaming Disorder in Melbourne
When does a gaming hobby become a harmful addiction? This guide explores the official signs of Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD), from loss of control to withdrawal symptoms. Understand the psychological hooks in modern games and learn how evidence-based therapy in Melbourne can help you manage compulsions, reconnect with your life, and put gaming back in its place.

Dr Daniel Shaw
Sep 44 min read


Understanding Behavioural Addictions: A Guide to Gaming, Pornography, and Finding Support in Melbourne
When does a habit become an addiction? This guide explores the signs of behavioural addictions, including loss of control and negative consequences. Learn about two common challenges—Internet Gaming Disorder and problematic pornography use—and discover how evidence-based therapies available in Melbourne can help you regain control and build a more fulfilling life.

Dr Daniel Shaw
Aug 284 min read


Supporting Your Child Through an Eating Disorder: A Practical Guide for Melbourne Parents
Discovering your child has an eating disorder is terrifying. This practical, expert guide for Melbourne parents explains the early warning signs, how to start the difficult conversation without blame, and your crucial role in evidence-based treatments like Family-Based Treatment (FBT) and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Enhanced (CBT-E). Learn skills for managing mealtimes and the importance of looking after yourself on this challenging journey.

Dr Daniel Shaw
Aug 225 min read


The Invisible Man: Recognizing and Supporting Men with Eating Disorders in Melbourne
Eating disorders in men are often hidden by stigma and can look different, with a focus on muscularity and compulsive exercise rather than purely thinness. This guide explores the unique challenges men face, including muscle dysmorphia ("bigorexia"), and how evidence-based therapies can be tailored to help men find a path to recovery in Melbourne.

Dr Daniel Shaw
Aug 154 min read


Challenging the Inner Critic: A Guide to Healing Body Image Disturbance in Melbourne
Negative body image often sits at the very heart of an eating disorder. This guide explores what body image disturbance is and how evidence-based therapies like Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) can help you heal. Learn how to "unhook" from your inner critic, focus on your values, and build a more compassionate, neutral relationship with your body.

Dr Daniel Shaw
Aug 84 min read


More Than Overeating: A Closer Look at Binge Eating Disorder (BED) and How to Get Help
Binge Eating Disorder (BED) is the most common eating disorder, defined by recurrent episodes of bingeing with a sense of lost control, followed by intense guilt. This guide differentiates BED from overeating, explores the emotional drivers, and outlines how evidence-based therapies like CBT-E can help you break the cycle, manage urges, and find freedom.

Dr Daniel Shaw
Aug 14 min read


Breaking the Cycle: How to Find Effective Treatment for Bulimia Nervosa in Melbourne
Bulimia Nervosa is a serious eating disorder defined by a painful cycle of bingeing and purging, often shrouded in secrecy and shame. This guide explains how the cycle works, the signs to look out for, and the serious health risks. Learn about evidence-based treatment like CBT-E available in Melbourne that can help you break free, manage urges, and find lasting recovery.

Dr Daniel Shaw
Jul 64 min read


Understanding Anorexia Nervosa: A Guide to Signs, Health Risks, and Recovery in Melbourne
Anorexia Nervosa is a serious illness, not a lifestyle choice. This guide explores the behavioural, psychological, and physical signs to look out for. Learn about the critical health risks and the evidence-based treatment pathways available in Melbourne, including the role of the Medicare Eating Disorder Plan and therapies like CBT-E, to support the journey to full recovery.

Dr Daniel Shaw
Jun 294 min read


Listening to Your Body: How Stress, Anxiety, and Trauma Speak Through Physical Symptoms
Do unexplained aches, fatigue, or digestive issues plague you? Stress, anxiety, and trauma don't just live in our minds; our bodies "keep the score." This article explores how emotional distress can manifest physically, even without a clear medical diagnosis. Learn how Melbourne clinical psychologists help you understand these mind-body connections and use techniques like mindfulness to find relief.

Dr Daniel Shaw
Jun 114 min read


You Are Not Your Thoughts: Using Mindfulness to Manage Intrusive Worries
Intrusive thoughts like "what if I fail?" can be exhausting. Fighting them often makes it worse. This article explores a different approach: mindfulness. Learn practical, evidence-based skills from a Melbourne clinical psychologist to change your relationship with negative thoughts, create distance from worry, and find more psychological freedom.

Dr Daniel Shaw
Jun 84 min read


When the World Feels Unsafe: Making Sense of Frightening Public Events in Melbourne
Shocking public events can shatter our sense of safety and challenge our core beliefs about the world. This article explores how we psychologically process such frightening experiences and try to make sense of them. Learn about common reactions, the importance of emotional processing and connection, and how therapy in Melbourne can help you navigate distress, rebuild a sense of security, and find meaning when the world feels unsafe.

Dr Daniel Shaw
Jun 54 min read
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