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Hello, I’m Emily.

I'm a writer, psychologist and researcher passionate about reclaiming self, story and power.

At Grounded Margins, I share words on trauma, healing, relationships, systemic oppression, and the ways our experiences shape who we are.

Through thoughtful essays, reflections, and evidence-informed insights, I explore what it means to understand our histories without being defined by them.

This is a space for light and dark: for complexity, contradiction, grief, resistance, whimsy, hope, and the occasional delightful nonsense.

A place to reclaim the self and the story, and to make meaning from what we have lived through.

I invite you to explore, connect and grow with me.

About Emily

Latest Writing

On Waking Up

What does it mean to wake up? The word "wake" is a chimera of two distinct Germanic and Old English words. Wacan, from Old English, means "to become awake," "to arise," "to be born," or "to originate." Wacian, from Old English, means "to be or remain awake," "to watch," or "to keep a vigil." The weaponization of this term is rife in pockets of the spiritual collective, by those who full-throatedly spout vitriol and point fingers (usually from behind a keyboard). I'm no

Aug 192 min read

To be Seen

What does it mean to be seen? When I was young and it was not safe to be seen, I used to run barefoot through knee high grass, past slowly chewing cattle and solitary staring bull, and past the cottage of old Elsie and Brian, who sometimes gave me mugs of creamy milk still warm from the cow. I followed a songline from home. I'd run until farms gave way to bottlebrush and eucalyptus and gnarled shrubby tea tree. I'd perch by huge boulders. Trace stories in the dust. The only s

Aug 192 min read

Playing Small

For most of 2012 and 2013 I was couch surfing and living in a van. I’d left a life in Canada: my relationship, my dog, my possessions, and my job. At one point I had $2 to my name. I needed to decide between buying toothpaste or two-minute noodles for dinner. Within a year I had a masters degree and a six-figure salary. Within eight I was married, with two kids, two businesses, and two properties. I was a published author, keynote speaker, and had a full caseload of clients.

Aug 192 min read

How to Pray

I took my daughters to Japan on a whim: booked a 10 day, four city trip the week before. Taking a three and six year old by myself to a country we’ve never been with zero prep was a little weird, even for me. But I was turning 40 in a few months. I’d just made my first solo property purchase. I was paying all my own bills. It had been a while since I’d done things on my own. Maybe I felt I had something to prove. During the trip I told my daughters three things: We can do har

Aug 192 min read

More Writing

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About
Me

I am a mother, author, psychologist and PhD candidate based in the beautiful Sunshine Coast, Australia. I help people reclaim themselves and their story after trauma.

I founded Grounded Margins to operate on the margins of organised, mainstream psychology. My approach is evidence-based, strength-based, integrated and holistic.

Qualifications and Experience

PhD Candidate
Masters in Integrated Marketing Communications
Masters in Professional Psychology
Postgraduate Diploma of Psychology
Bachelor of Behavioural Science (Psychology)
Bachelor of Arts (Human rights and ethics)
Internal Family Systems Level 1
Internal Family Systems Level 2
EMDR Level 1

"Owning our story and loving ourselves through that process is the bravest thing that we will ever do."

― Brene Brown

Hello, I’m Emily.

Latest Writing

On Waking Up

To be Seen

Playing Small

How to Pray

About Me

Qualifications and Experience

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Connect

About
Me