Unity Therapy Services

🎙️ Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) is one of the most misunderstood and stigmatised mental health conditions.

In our latest episode of Mindful Speechies, Kizzy and I sat down with Stephanie Robertson, a neurodivergent occupational therapist, speaker, and advocate who lives as a plural system.

Steph talks about DID as the brain finding a way to cope when things are overwhelming.
Instead of asking “what’s wrong?”, it becomes more about understanding what happened and how the mind adapted.

She shares her lived experience of dissociation, therapy, and what it’s actually like to live as a plural system in a way that cuts through a lot of the confusion and sensationalism.

I really liked the bus analogy she uses to describe her experience, with different parts taking the wheel at different times. Simple, but it makes something complex easier to understand.

We also talked about how her lived experience shapes the way she works as an OT, and how it informs a more trauma responsive and neurodiversity affirming approach.

If you work in health, or you’re interested in how people adapt to trauma, this one is worth a listen.

🎧 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0HA2skSWLzfcU0Jxs1WAIE

Or search Mindful Speechies wherever you get your podcasts.

🎙️ New episode of Mindful Speechies is out.

This conversation has really stayed with me.

Kizzy and I spoke with Kate Broderick about her journey as a clinician and as a parent. She runs multiple clinics, mentors therapists, writes books, and raises her own neurodivergent children. At some point, I genuinely started wondering when she actually sleeps 😂

We talked about behavioural models, regulation, co-regulation, and how lived experience reshapes clinical work.

What kept coming up was simple but important: connection and relationship are not an optional extra in therapy. They are the foundation.

Not a different approach for different children. The same approach. Relationship first.

If you work with children and families, I think you’ll get something from this one.

🎧 Listen here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/257nhiJ4OyozG1iNSKHoId?si=0-QdiBGpT_WvUinPG6py7w&nd=1&dlsi=6f62446f19da48fe

To all our clients, families, friends, and colleagues,

Wishing you a safe, joyful, and restful holiday season.

It’s been a privilege to support you and your families this year, and we’re grateful for the trust you place in us.

Merry Christmas and see you in 2026! ✨

Take care,

Andrew 💙
Unity Therapy Services

🎄 10 episodes. Over 1,500 streams. One passion project between two friends who care deeply about mental health in our field.

Thank you to every single person who tuned in, messaged us, or shared the pod. I’m honestly so grateful for the support.

This little idea grew into something that means a lot to both of us, and I can’t wait to bring you more next year.

Have a safe and peaceful break 💙

🎙️ New Mindful Speechies episode is out!

This time, Kizzy and I chat with Caitlyn Weber, a trauma-informed and neuro-affirming speech pathologist who has reimagined what therapy can look like for kids.

Caitlyn shares her journey from traditional practice to one centred on connection, safety, and meeting a child’s unmet needs. It’s a thoughtful and practical conversation that gets to the heart of what trauma-informed practice really means.

We talk about:
🫧 The “Coke bottle” analogy, where stress builds up until it finally explodes, and how to help kids release that pressure safely throughout the day.
💬 The power of saying “I wonder” instead of “You are”, inviting curiosity and emotional safety.
🌱 The importance of being a consistent, safe person in a child’s life, not just the person working on goals.

🎧 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0qJ5pH47evFEFqIDlSmnsf?si=Fo6YmorOQLOJvRwfyb3Xtg

Or search Mindful Speechies wherever you get your podcasts.

🎙️ New Mindful Speechies episode is out!

This time, Kizzy and I sat down with Erica Tilley, a neurodivergent quality auditor with a background in speech pathology.

Erica shares her powerful story of living with a brain tumour and later Functional Neurological Disorder (FND), and how stigma, invalidation, and systemic barriers shaped her experience. It is raw and moving. Thanks to Erica for being so vulnerable and such a great advocate for FND awareness.

We also talk about:
🧩 Misconceptions in guidelines
🤝 The role of lived experience in therapy and research
🚫 Stigma and systemic barriers
⚠️ Content note: restrictive practices are discussed

🎧 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5pye4DlpKGCIGwBFzBbZgT?si=5fVEzvdTQaCq2ZRfeYSkOw

Or search 'Mindful Speechies' wherever you get your podcasts.

🎙️ This month on Mindful Speechies…

I swapped seats and became the guest.

My co-host and friend, Kizzy Searle, interviewed me about my journey from studying international studies and Japanese to becoming a trauma-informed speech pathologist and psychotherapist.

We spoke about how personal therapy, neurodivergence, and lived experience have shaped the way I practice, and why I’m so passionate about integrating mental health principles into the work we do as clinicians and human beings.

We explored:

👉 Career pivots and professional identity
👉 Why therapists benefit from being in therapy too
👉 Unconscious processes in the therapeutic space
👉 Bridging speech pathology and psychotherapy
👉 What it means to show up with presence, reflection, and care

It’s an honest conversation about growth, practice, and the inner work that supports the outer work.

🎧 Listen here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6BQYEEgslncPF55tyBHNgx?si=5ocrgGotS0WpVJt9Cq00EQ

Or search Mindful Speechies wherever you get your podcasts.

📬 Connect with me:
🌐 unitytherapy.com
🌐 andrewwatt.com.au
📩 [email protected]

📱 X:
💼 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/acwatt

🎙️ Last month on Mindful Speechies…

I had the chance to interview my co-host and friend, Kizzy Searle.
Kizzy is a speech pathologist, lived experience advisor, and the person behind Attuned Speech.

We usually bring guests on the show, but this one felt extra special.
Kizzy opened up about her own mental health journey and how it’s shaped the way she works today. She shared with honesty, reflection, and a real passion for doing things differently.

We talked about:
👉 Burnout and early career challenges
👉 How Instagram became a space for connection and community
👉 The role of lived experience in recovery and practice
👉 Reframing speech therapy through a trauma-informed lens

I’m so proud of this one and grateful to Kizzy for sharing so much.

🎧 Listen here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3hAI9RgKFersGq5yyAY0oE
Or search Mindful Speechies wherever you get your podcasts.

📬 Connect with Kizzy:
🌐 attunedspeech.com.au
📩 [email protected]
📱 Instagram:

🎙️ New episodes of the Mindful Speechies podcast are here!

It has been a big few months on the podcast, and we have had some powerful, thoughtful conversations with speech pathologists working at the intersection of communication and mental health.

Each guest brings a unique perspective from identity and trauma-informed care to working with teens, neurodivergent clients, and complex caseloads. If you're a speech therapist, counsellor, educator, or just curious about this space, these episodes are packed with heart and insight.

👇 Catch up on the latest three episodes:

🧠 Becca Henderson – Real Talk Speech Pathology
Becca works with young people and adults living with disability and mental health challenges. We spoke about the deep connection between identity, confidence, and communication, and why genuine connection is essential to good therapy.
🎧 Listen: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6ssQvfhBWgKce2C0tedVp1
🌐 www.realtalksp.com.au | 📸

💬 Rose Spiller – Aligned Care NSW
Rose’s path has taken her from psych to speech pathology to youth counselling at Headspace. We talked about navigating personal and professional shifts, working with teens, and why it is okay to pause and reimagine your work.
🎧 Listen: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6iYAjDtzwffqwiRoYrqTW2
📬 [email protected] | 🌐 https://www.alignedcarensw.com.au

🌈 Jess Farrell – Outpatient Mental Health
Jess works with autistic kids, teens and adults, advocating for neuroaffirming, inclusive care. We explored trauma informed practice, team collaboration, and how speech pathologists can (and should) be part of mental health services.
🎧 Listen: https://open.spotify.com/episode/7HZfhWMYKNut9QK4CKeNnQ

We are proud of these episodes and grateful to our guests for sharing so openly. If something in these conversations stood out to you, we would love to hear your thoughts.

🔗 Search Mindful Speechies wherever you get your podcasts or follow us on Spotify.

🧠 You can’t separate communication from mental health.

When Kizzy Searle and I started the Mindful Speechies podcast, we knew we wanted to have real conversations - not just about speech pathology as a profession but about the people behind it.

Whether we’re supporting families of kids with additional needs, helping someone who struggles to connect socially due to speech difficulties, or working with clients who feel unheard, we’re always working with more than just words.

We’ve recorded a few episodes diving into these themes:
You can search Mindful Speechies wherever you get your podcasts or listen on Spotify here:
🎤 What Happens When We Put People First? with Rachel Chapman
🎤 The Power of Listening in Speech Therapy with Margaret Jacobs
🎤 And, of course, our pilot episode about why we started this in the first place.

You can search Mindful Speechies wherever you get your podcasts, or listen on Spotify here
:
🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4yyR06XYytKA7aScClQKL9