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Rob Sanasi

@adhdcoachessydney

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ADHD Coaching: Adults, Couples, Parenting, Career.
Free eBooks: https://adhdcoachessydney.com.au/free-ebook/
Web: https://adhdcoachessydney.com.au/

POSTS STORIES REELS TAGGED

At this point, it’s a known fact: I am obsessed with flying, traveling and discovering new and wonderful places. When my ADHD needs a reset, this is the only thing that seems to work. It’s a healthy addiction that provides a massive dopamine boost through learning, new perspectives, and pure wonder.
Instead of doom-scrolling, I’m up here learning, growing, and nurturing my brain alongside different characters and cultures and it’s one of my true loves in life. #ADHDtravel #PositiveDopamine #TravelTeacher #PlaneView #ADHDjourney

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Well … I’m about to step onto a new path—at 37 I’m finally getting assessed for ADHD and Autism, and the mix of excitement and nerves feels like the first page of a story I’ve been waiting to write. For my entire life I’ve sensed that my brain works a little differently, and now I’m choosing to move from wondering to knowing, hoping a formal assessment will give me some further understanding of myself, I have always placed myself in the category of having a neurodivergent identity, and have worked alongside some amazing humans that also held this identity. Knowing that I’m not alone in this journey already lightens the weight, especially when I see the growing network of neurodiversity‑affirming services right here in NSW—counsellors who list ADHD and Autism among their specialties (psychologytoday), the AuDHD Social Worker’s telehealth‑enabled, lived‑experience‑led support (theaudhdsocialworker), and clinics like NeuroSpark that offer adult autism and ADHD assessments together with post‑diagnosis coaching (neurosparkhealth). Even the Houghton Clinic at the University of Sydney provides best‑practice adult ASD assessments and research opportunities (houghtonclinic). All of these options remind me that help is accessible across Bathurst, Orange, Dubbo, Mudgee and even Sydney.
If you’re part of the ADHD or Autism community, I would love to hear your stories, tips, and the ways you’ve turned a diagnosis into empowerment—your voice could be the map for someone else navigating the same terrain. Therapists, social workers, family advocates, or anyone passionate about neurodiversity in the regions mentioned, let’s connect and share resources such as neurodiversity‑affirming therapy that focuses on strengths, accommodations and self‑advocacy (thecosycouch). Together we can build a supportive circle that celebrates our differences, offers practical guidance, and reminds each of us that being neurodivergent is not a flaw but a unique part of who we are. #ADHD #Autism #Neurodiversity #MentalHealthMatters #Bathurst Orange Dubbo Mudgee Sydney CommunityFirst

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Embracing Positive Change: Mindset Practices for the New Year

Happy New Year to everyone! As we step into a fresh chapter, it’s an ideal time to reflect on how we can enhance not only our lives but also the way we think. The mindset we nurture deeply influences our experiences and growth. This year, adopting practical habits to cultivate a positive and resilient mindset can become a powerful catalyst for personal development. #SydneyMentalHealth
#OrangeFamilySupport
#BathurstTherapyNetwork
#MudgeeCounsellingCare
#NSWFamiliesConnect
#MentalHealthSupportNSW
#LocalTherapyNSW
#FamilySupportOrange

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When a Child Holds It Together All Day… and Unravels at Home
Some children move through the school day smiling, coping, and doing everything expected of them.
But when they come home — to the place where they feel safest — everything they’ve been holding inside finally spills out.
Tears. Anger. Shutdown. Exhaustion.
This is masking.
Not defiance.
Not manipulation.
Not “bad behaviour.”
Masking is a protective response — a child trying their very hardest to feel safe, accepted, or unnoticed in environments that feel overwhelming.
And when they’re finally home, the mask slips because they trust you enough to let go.
Understanding this changes everything.
It invites us to move from correction to connection, from frustration to empathy, and from focusing on behaviour to supporting the child beneath it.
Masking is not something to fix — it’s something to understand.
Every child is uniquely wired.
Every child deserves to feel seen, supported, and safe enough to be themselves.
Our Masking Toolkit for Parents & Educators explores why masking happens, what it looks like, and how to support children in ways that honour their nervous system, identity, and emotional wellbeing. #gentleparentingtips #holisticcounselling #familyconsultant #childrensmentalhealth
#childmentalhealth #neurodiversityaffirming #autisticmasking #socialcamouflaging
#traumainformed #traumainformedsupport #traumainformedparenting
#parentingsupport #worldwidecounselling #globalparentingsupport
#neurodivergentchildren #childwellbeing #familywellbeing
#mudgeefamilies #mudgeesupport #orangeNSW #bathurstNSW
#newSouthWalesfamilies #NSWfamilysupport
#londonfamilies #cambridgeuk
#familySupport #holisticfamilycare #parentwellbeing #emotionalregulation

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Narcissistic parents can slowly dismantle the very family they claim to protect.
What makes this dynamic so confusing is how functional, warm, and connected the family can look from the outside.
But inside, the emotional reality often tells a different story.
Here are ten ways this pattern can quietly unfold:
The image becomes the priority. The family is curated, not lived—polished moments over genuine connection.
Children are placed in roles. One becomes the “proof” of good parenting, another becomes the problem.
Public harmony, private instability. Smiles outside; tension, fear, or emotional withdrawal at home.
Affection tied to performance. Love is conditional—earned rather than freely given.
The partner is subtly undermined. Their voice is eroded while the narcissistic parent appears devoted.
Vulnerabilities used as leverage. What’s shared in trust becomes something used to shape behaviour.
Support becomes performance. Public displays of generosity replace genuine emotional presence.
Dividing to control. Family members are kept slightly at odds to maintain dependence and loyalty.
The story is controlled. Your identity, feelings, and motives are narrated for you.
Independence is punished. Boundaries trigger guilt, shame, or “concern” designed to pull you back in.
If you grew up in a system like this, it’s common to doubt your own perception.
These dynamics are subtle, cumulative, and nearly invisible to those outside the home.
Your awareness is not disloyalty.
Your boundaries are not unkind.
And your healing is deeply valid. 🤍
#narcissisticfamilydynamics #traumainformed #familytrauma #emotionalabuseawareness #healingjourney #cyclebreakers #attachmenttrauma #innerchildhealing #boundariesarehealthy #selfadvocacy #cptsdrecovery #mentalhealtheducation #traumasurvivor #healingispossible #therapeuticinsight
#NewSouthWales #NSW #SydneyAustralia #SydneyCounsellor #OrangeNSW #MudgeeNSW #BathurstNSW #CentralWestNSW #LondonUK #LondonCounsellor #CotswoldsLife #CotswoldsUK #CambridgeUK #UKMentalHealth

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✨ Early mornings & mindful missions ✨
There’s something about early morning training — that quiet clarity before the world fully wakes. When the coffee is strong and the mind feels open, ready to absorb, reflect, and grow.
Today’s session isn’t just professional development — it was a reaffirmation of why I do what I do. Trauma-informed practice isn’t just a framework I follow; it’s the foundation of how I show up.
Because understanding trauma isn’t only about theory — it’s about honouring the stories, the resilience, and the humanity of those we support.
Every time I invest in deepening this knowledge, I strengthen my ability to create spaces where clients feel safe, seen, and understood.
This work matters. It transforms how we connect, how we respond, and how healing truly begins.
Here’s to early mornings, continuous learning, and keeping compassion and awareness at the forefront of practice — always. 🌅💫
#TraumaInformedPractice #EarlyMorningMotivation #ProfessionalGrowth #PurposeDrivenWork #LifelongLearning #TherapeuticPractice #MindfulPractice #HealingTogether #CommunitySupport #ClientCare #MentalHealthAwareness #TraumaInformedCare #EmpathyInAction #WellbeingMatters #ContinuousLearning #SocialWork #Counselling #TherapistLife #NSWPractitioner #BathurstCommunity #OrangeNSW #SydneyProfessionals #LondonTherapist #CambridgeUK #GlobalPractice #HumanServices #HolisticCare #SupportingFamilies

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The Dopamine Hit I Didn’t Know I Was Chasing ✈️🌍
Before my ADHD diagnosis, I couldn’t explain why traveling made me feel whole. Alive. Clear. Complete.
Now I know: it was dopamine.
People with ADHD have lower baseline dopamine. We crave novelty, stimulation, change. Travel gives us all of that. It’s not just a hobby—it’s a neurological need.

New places = new sensory input = a regulated, satisfied brain.
But here’s what’s harder to talk about:
The pre-trip anxiety
The post-trip crash
The feeling of being “in trouble” for taking time away. It’s real. And it’s not a personal flaw. It’s a part of the un talked about ADHD cycle.
For high performers with ADHD, travel often becomes a lifeline. But you shouldn’t have to feel whole only once or twice a year.
If this resonates—know that you’re not alone. And you can design a life that supports your brain between the highs.

#ADHD #ADHDAwareness #Neurodivergent #TravelAndADHD #MentalHealthSupport #ExecutiveFunction #DopamineSeeking

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Emotionally Intelligent Parenting Reminder

Teach your children this simple but powerful truth:
“Safe adults don’t ask kids to keep secrets.”

In the context of counselling and emotionally safe parenting, this is more than a rule—it’s a protective boundary.

Why? Because secrets create isolation. Silence can be used as control.
When a child is told, “Don’t tell anyone, just for now” or “This is our little secret,” it often plants the first seed of shame and confusion. Even seemingly innocent secrets can blur the lines around trust, safety, and power.

Instead, teach your child the difference between a surprise and a secret:

Surprises have an end date (like a birthday gift or party).
Secrets often come with pressure and no safe timeline to share.
Children who grow up emotionally intelligent and safe know:

It’s okay to say no to secrecy.
They can come to you with anything—without fear or shame.
Safe adults never use secrecy to build trust. They use honesty, transparency, and accountability.
In counselling, we often hear the stories that began with, “I was told not to tell anyone...”
Let’s interrupt that cycle.

Teach your children:

If someone asks you to keep a secret—come tell me.
If it makes you feel confused, pressured, or “funny inside”—tell me.
Safe people don’t need you to hide things from others.
Creating emotionally safe homes starts with these conversations. Early. Often. Clearly.

#EmotionallyIntelligentParenting #SafeAdults #ParentingWisdom #NoMoreSecrets #SurprisesNotSecrets #ProtectKids #CounsellingTools #ParentingWithPurpose

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Flying home from a long weekend away should feel like a relief — your own bed, familiar comforts, a chance to reset. But for me, that’s never been the case.

The return journey and waking up on the first morning at home has always come with a pit in my stomach. Worry settles in like an unwanted guest, heavy and persistent. It’s that feeling ADHD often brings — like my brain is constantly bracing for trouble, expecting something to go wrong, even when everything is fine.

Add trauma into the mix, and that pit grows deeper, tangled with memories and survival instincts that make it hard to just relax. It’s exhausting, invisible, and so hard to explain.

Counseling has taught me to recognize those feelings not as failures, but as signals — my mind’s way of trying to protect me, even if it’s overwhelming.

If you’re carrying that same weight, know you’re not alone. Healing doesn’t mean the pit disappears overnight, but learning to meet it with kindness can make the space to breathe.

Here’s to holding ourselves gently through the hardest days.

#ADHDAwareness #TraumaHealing #SelfCompassion #MentalHealthJourney #YouAreNotAlone

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Sharing my ADHD stories ...

When we moved house, I became fixated on one thing:
That my middle child, whose bedroom faced the front, would be kidnapped in the night.

I know how that sounds.
There was no threat. No warning.
But my ADHD brain would not let it go despite how irrational it seemed.

Every creak. Every car. Every cat triggering the security lights.
My body went into full alert like it was happening.
Every single night.

I’d check on her.
Then check again.
Then sit awake, listening—just in case.

ADHD doesn’t just mean forgetfulness or distraction.
For many of us, it also means:

🫶🏼Emotional hypervigilance
🫶🏼Difficulty letting go of intrusive thoughts
🫶🏼A brain that overreacts to “what ifs” and can’t filter the important from the irrational
But here’s the thing:
It doesn’t feel irrational in the moment.
It feels urgent. It feels real.
And the fear is especially heavy when you’re a parent—because now your brain isn’t just trying to protect you, it’s trying to protect your children.

In therapy, I started learning how to rate the thoughts.
How likely is this? How much evidence do I have?
And even though it didn’t erase the fear completely, it gave me space to breathe.

I’m sharing this now because I wish I’d known sooner that this isn’t just “anxiety” or “overthinking”—it’s part of how ADHD can show up, especially when it’s been undiagnosed and misunderstood for years.

If your mind is loud, relentless, and emotionally exhausting—especially at night—you’re not alone.
You’re not dramatic.
You’re not crazy.
You’re likely someone with ADHD who’s spent a long time feeling unsafe inside your own thoughts.

✨ You’re allowed to find peace.
✨ You’re allowed to get support.
✨ You’re allowed to name what’s really happening.

This is me, still learning how.
Still rewiring.
Still sharing my storage. 💛

#ADHDInWomen #ADHDAnxiety #ADHDAwareness #ParentingWithADHD #LateDiagnosisADHD #IntrusiveThoughts #NeurodivergentMoms #ADHDMentalHealth #SharingMyStorage

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