The Birth of Flow State Space…
2024 reflections are always an interesting exercise.
A few nights ago I attended the final SHRINKS event for therapists held 4 times a year by Dr Ash King, psychologist and researcher. She had all of us reflect on the past year and answer questions such as ‘what brought joy, fun and celebration..’ ‘connection and community’ ‘ achievements, success and things to be proud of..’
She also of course included questions around our hurts, losses, challenges and confrontations.
If you’ve been following the FSS journey for some time, you may have guessed correctly that one of my biggest achievements this year that has brought joy, fun, celebration, community and connection and equally some challenges and confrontations has been the expansion of Flow State Space as a practice.
Over the last few years I have transitioned from working in group practices to starting my own solo practice, being online only to renting a room in a shared clinic so that I could see my wonderful clients face to face again, to now bringing on 3 incredible practitioners and having my own group practice in a physical space that I have created and couldn’t be more proud of. Pinch me!
In April 2024, I began the journey of converting a terrace house in Sydneys Surry Hills to become the safe haven that Flow State Space is today. It was a labour of love and honestly quite exhilarating.
I had immense help from my support network including my family, husband and friends, and I was left to make a lot of very fun, creative decisions around the design choices. I have always been a dreamer, drawn to art, colour, texture, graphics and fonts. I come from a family of artists and creatives and I truly believe a space should ignite feeling, wonder and inspire.
I aimed to make the space feel like something comforting, warm, peaceful, a sense of home and belonging, familiar whilst also being novel.
I balk at clinical spaces devoid of any artistic philosophy when the environment is going to home so much trust, vulnerability, intimacy, reflection, secrets and truths.
The vulnerability shared within the walls of the practice, deserved the effort put in to make it look worthy of those truths spilled..
I basically tried to create a practice space I would want to attend and be a part of.
90% of the furniture and interiors are second hand, thrifted from the local Vinnies, FB marketplace, garage sales or things i’ve collected during my travels and life’s adventures over the years.
Through having a space I have also had opportunity to create the IRL community I had been missing so desperately since moving online during the COVID years and gradually transitioning back to in person work in 2022.
Private practice can be a lonely place. At times you don’t see any colleagues in person at all and the only contact you' are having are with your clients. When working in solo practice or working online, there isn’t the chance for kitchen small talk and going out to get a tea or a coffee together. I was craving this.
Enter our incredible practice team and administrators.
Caitlin Hennessy our Registered Counsellor, Jacquie Ward our Child and Family Psychologist and Nikita Samiotis Adult and Adolescent Psychologist.
Claire Homer who helped support behind the scenes setting up the administration like a tech wizard and now Ruchi Ghimire our administration officer and my team cup is FULL.
What FSS has also afforded me is to be able to host monthly peer supervision sessions, peer education nights for ongoing professional development and many kitchen debrief and tea sessions.
If this is the first year of Flow State Space’s physical manifestation in life, I cannot wait to witness the growth and expansion of this space and all that it will hold over the coming years.
Here’s to looking back whilst stepping forward.