You always care for others, now it’s time to care for you

Support for exhausted women seeking to move out of burnout, reclaim their vitality, and actually enjoy their lives again

Art therapy provided in Naarm / Melbourne

A hand wearing rings and in a flannelette shirt reaches up towards the sky from a field of grain

When day to day life feels like drowning, something has to give.

My clients share your struggles. Kind, capable women who show up each day and do their best, who are starting to despair that their best isn’t good enough.

When we first meet, they feel scattered, frustrated, and overstretched. Their fear of letting anyone down means they put other people’s expectations first, leaving hardly any time and energy to meet their own needs.

They are exhausted and feel overwhelmed. When they do take time out to rest it is rarely restful - - they are plagued by thoughts of what still needs their attention, guilty for being so ‘selfish’. When they finish a task, there is no joy to be found in the achievement, just relief that there is one less thing to worry about.

Their drive to keep going even when their body is begging for rest gets in the way of the life they want for themselves and their loved ones. Often irritable, they aren’t the kind of person they want to be. Their lack of energy leaves them feeling like they’re failing as a partner, as a friend. And their confidence at work is tanking as they struggle with procrastination and disengagement.

Before they came to see me, they struggled to accept help (forget asking for it!), and felt so guilty for not being able to do it all on their own. They worried that they aren’t ‘struggling enough’ to ask for help, as though they need to be completely wrecked before they are allowed to reach out. Always running on empty was depleting their joy.

Like my clients, you deserve to reclaim your wellbeing and create a life where you feel you are enough.

Being more discerning with how you use your energy is not out of your reach.

If you want to reclaim your ability to actually rest, I’d love to help you get there.

Upcoming Events

Punch Card Party

Wed 26 Feb 6:15 - 7:30pm

Laneway Learning Melbourne, CBD

Plan to read more books this year? Want to practice a new hobby? Building your tolerance for rejection? Punch cards can help you let go of perfection and celebrate your progress.

Mini Museum of Futures

26-27 March | with Claire Marshall

Oceania Futures and Foresight Symposium

Create your own matchbox-size artwork of a future worth wanting, then tour the Mini Museum of Futures that tell the story of what life could be in Oceania 2046.

Connect Create Companion

Sat 14 Mar 2:00 - 4:00pm

Edinburgh Gardens

A gathering for art therapists to connect with their community, catch up, and create together.

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I am currently welcoming new clients.

Amanda Reeves AThR, MSF is the owner of The Understory Art Therapy in Naarm / Melbourne. She specialises in helping exhausted, overstretched women to reclaim their own wellbeing, recover from burn out, and remember how it feels to be comfortable in your own skin.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed and in need of rest, reach out or read on.

Ready for lift off?