Andrea Willsher
Clinical Psychologist
I am a Clinical Psychologist with experience working across both public and private sectors, with clients experiencing a range of mental health concerns. I work with children, adolescents, adults and families across a range of issues, including anxiety, stress, depression, sleep issues, conflict, bullying, relationship difficulties, parenting, grief, trauma and PTSD (including developmental trauma in adults).
I use a range of evidence-based treatments including Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Schema Therapy, Behavioural Analysis, mindfulness, Compassion Focused Therapy, sensorimotor techniques, Imagery Rescripting and EMDR. For younger clients, I also utilise play, games, sand play, drawing and attachment techniques.
My goal is to support you to develop awareness, reduce distress and improve your psychological wellbeing so you can deal with life challenges differently. Consequently, you will be able to engage more meaningfully and thrive in your life.
A Sunset Mode of Mind
We know in psychology that our minds have two main modes of operation with which to view the world: problem-solving mode and sunset mode. They are both important and provide us with different skills and result in us having different experiences. Most people are familiar with their problem-solving mode as it's our automatic mode for solving problems in daily life. This mode is great – it helps us pay our bills on time, plan our days, meet our commitments, which in turn keeps us safe and prepared. This mode of thinking is useful for problems which are like math's problems – there is a right and wrong, there is a clear answer to the problem. However, there are limitations to this mode. Some things in life just can’t be “solved” like a math's problem. And we can end up feeling frustrated and down that we can’t resolve these problems.
Most people don’t know how to move into their sunset mode, as our world is geared towards problem solving mode. However a sunset mode of mind is transformational. It is every bit as powerful as a problem-solving mode of mind. When looking at a sunset we experience simple appreciation. All of us could go back into a problem-solving mode of mind at that moment, as if it was important that there should be "a little more pink here" or a "little more red there". But we don’t usually do that, as it would interrupt the beauty of the moment. Instead, we experience it, we appreciate it. Imagine if we could move into this mode when thinking about ourselves, our difficulties, our mistakes? We know sunset mode leads to self-compassion, a mindful space where we can step back and appreciate ourselves like we would sunset.
This is why sunset mode of mind is critically important. While problem-solving mind keeps us in constant action— sunset mode reminds us to slow down and to notice. Our sunset mode is needed to keep life in perspective, to notice and appreciate the small moment-to-moment gifts, and to be appreciative and compassionate toward ourselves, and all our different “hues”. It reminds us that life is short and valuable, and how important it is to take a "pause" moment.
Such is the power of a sunset mode of mind.