Getting to know Brydie Huggins, School Counsellor

What made you want to become a psychologist and what other professional hats have you worn?

When trying to think about the career I wanted to pursue, I was torn between teaching and psychology as I was always interested in supporting young people. I eventually fell into psychology and did my Masters in Educational and Developmental Psychology, which allowed me to work with young people across the developmental lifespan in schools.

I have been fortunate to have worked in a number of different settings as a psychologist, including the Department of Education, Private Practice and a similar Independent school to Girton, in Melbourne for many years.

What do you think makes a good psychologist?

I believe a good psychologist in a school setting is someone who can support the young person in different aspects of their lives such as home and school. With the young person’s permission, we can speak to relevant Heads of House/teachers to help create systemic change for the young person which is a huge benefit of working within a school environment.

Being approachable and supportive is essential, as we are often the first psychologist a young person has access to. We want to create an environment where the young person feels they can be open to discussing the challenges they are currently experiencing in a confidential setting.

What are your personal learning passions?

As a Psychologist and parent of three young children, I have more recently become very interested in emotion coaching and the work of John Gottman in how to support and parent children and adolescents. I have really enjoyed running the program Tuning into Kids to parents over the years at my previous school, and hope to continue that at Girton.

I am also passionate about supporting young people through a systemic framework as I believe having the home and school support around a young person, is incredibly important.

What are your overarching philosophies for a life well lived?

My philosophy on a life well lived is all about the balance we all strive for. Lockdowns have certainly made me reflect on what is most important, hence making the move from Melbourne to Regional Victoria. Being in nature, slowing down, exercising and appreciating the time with family and friends have all been very important to me when reflecting during lockdowns. Hopefully, I will continue to remember the importance of getting back to basics when we emerge from lockdown.

What are some practical tips for coping through disruption, challenge and change such as the current COVID pandemic?

Humans usually thrive on predictability, and life in the last 18 months has not been very predictable! Some practical ideas that can help during this time include;

Exercising. There are huge benefits that come with regular exercise. As well as feeling fit and healthy it can do wonders for our mental health. When we exercise we release chemicals such as endorphins and serotonin that can help improve our mood and mental health.
Having family dinners where possible. A great deal of research highlights the many benefits of sitting down at the table for dinner together. It is a wonderful way to unpack a day and support each other. Our family will go around the table and talk about their Peak (the best part), Pit (the worst part) and surprise of the day. It is always entertaining to hear what our three year old comes up with!
Being in nature. Research suggests that being in nature for 20-30 minutes can significantly reduce cortisol (stress hormone) levels. Fortunately, Bendigo and surrounds has a wealth of nature to explore.
Sleep. Now we are coming out of lockdown, it is a good idea to start adapting to a sleep routine that works for the school timetable. Many of us have perhaps changed our sleep routine and gone to bed later because we could wake up later, and now is a good time to bring that forward to ensure we are getting enough sleep.
Social connection. We are now getting more opportunities to connect with friends and family in person. It is a wonderful time to connect with others, but also have in the back of your mind to ease into the social catch-ups. We are all a little out of practice connecting with others and we may need time to become ‘socially fit’ again. Be aware that you may feel more exhausted after social catch-ups, so try not to go back into the habit of catching up with everyone before Christmas! Enjoy the slowness of being with friends and family over time.

If you could wave a magic wand, what 21st-century mental health challenge would you fix, and why?

Trying to think of an answer to this question was challenging. Perhaps instead of fixing a mental health challenge, I would wave a magic wand and change how we look at mental health. We are human, and part of that experience is to have emotions, of which some are wonderful to experience and some are difficult. However, difficult emotions definitely doesn’t mean they are not useful. For example, experiencing disappointment as a child such as not being invited to a birthday party is an experience to acknowledge and validate the emotion for the child and help them sit with the difficult emotion. And by doing that, it can help the child regulate their emotions when they feel disappointment in other areas such as not doing well on a test, not being picked for sport, missing out on a job etc. The more we help our children sit with a difficult emotion instead of problem solve, and help regulate the experience, the more we prepare them for experiences in life.

I would also love to see society treat mental health the same as physical health where it is normal to get support when we aren’t functioning as well as we could like we do with our physical health.

What are you looking forward to at Girton?

There are many things I am looking forward to working at Girton. I am really looking forward to being part of the school community and getting to know students and staff. I really enjoy seeing students for counselling and then seeing them in other aspects of their lives such as speaking in assembly, being in the school musical or being part of co-curriculum activities.

Already it feels like a wonderful community where students excel in many aspects of academic and co-curriculum life.

Which AFL team do you follow and why?

Geelong. My family are big Cats fans, and it was never an option to follow any other team!

Cats or dogs?

Dogs

Kindle or hardcopy?

Hardcopy

Latte or long black?

Latte