Jodie Myintoo Counsellor

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Jodie Myintoo Counsellor

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My name is Jodie Myintoo and I am a government accredited counsellor.

Counsellor | Author | ACA Member
Trauma, family violence, separation & emotional wellbeing
Helping adults and children understand big feelings, healing & the nervous system
Books & resources I am also Author of my book " The Broken Can Become Warriors"

I am also co-author 1 of 9 authors
"JOURNAL TO WELLNESS "

Tune in 97.7FM Casey Radio Monday Mornings I connect with Bill and Fid Breakfast Show. I offer counselling in:
Family Law
Separation
Anxiety/ Depression
Trauma
Grief/Loss
Anger Management
Relationships

My approaches I will use in session is mainly solution focus and person-centred therapy, I honour that the client is the expert in their own life and I support them to discover this through counselling. I offer a safe and supportive space, where you can talk about your difficulties or challenges you are currently experiencing, I want to help you find positive ways to manage the current situation

25/09/2026

Is it a T-REX????

This is one little moment from Zander’s story in my children’s book "Why Do I React Like That?"

A noise in the night. A shadow. A branch tapping against the window.

And suddenly Big A is absolutely certain there is a T-Rex outside. 🦖

For a child, that fear can feel completely real.

That is something I wanted to capture how our nervous system responds.

This is why Big A and Big H are real brain parts, but made to be characters to simplify understanding.

The book moves through lots of different everyday moments and reactions that children may recognise in themselves, and that parents and carers will probably recognise too.

Because sometimes what looks small from the outside can feel ENORMOUS inside a developing brain.

In this moment, Big A is reacting to all those big feelings swarming his mind and big sensations happening inside Zander’s body and doing exactly what it is designed to do, trying to keep him safe.

But this is why Big A needs its best buddy and pal, Big H. 💙

So what happens next?

How does Big H support Zander through this very convincing T-Rex moment? 🦖

That is part of what children discover as the story unfolds in this book.

And this is just one of many relatable moments throughout "Why DoIReactLikeThat?".

Helping children begin to understand what is happening inside their own brain and body.

Available now through my website and Amazon. 💗

21/09/2026

Seeing people begin to understand their brain through Big A and Big H is exactly why I created this book.

The comments coming back have been so lovely, especially hearing parents say things like, “I didn’t know my brain did this.”

That is the whole purpose behind

Why Do I React Like That?

To take neuroscience and make it simple, visual, interactive and easy for children and families to understand together.

And hearing that families are actually doing the activities, making the jars and having conversations about big feelings makes my counsellor heart very happy. 🥹

Thank you to everyone who has purchased a copy, shared the book, recommended it or sent me feedback.

This little book is starting some very important conversations. 🧠💙🩷

Link in Bio! 🩷

16/09/2026

Why Do I React Like That?

Is officially here. 🩷💙

Seeing these little books sitting in front of me feels very special after all the work, thought and heart that went into creating Big A and Big H.

Created to help children understand what is happening in their brain and body when big feelings show up and to remind them that their reactions make sense and they can learn ways to respond.

Even helpful for us adults too .
🙂🙃

Launch price: $19 + $5 postage
Use code: BIGHWISE at checkout
Order directly through my website 👇

LINK IN BIO 👈👈👈👈👈

Written by Jodie Myintoo
Illustrated by Grace Silvester

Will be on Amazon soon..

14/09/2026

They’re finally here!

There is something quite surreal about finally holding

"Why Do I React Like That?" In my hands.

Big A and Big H story actually began with me.

Understanding what was happening in my own brain and body helped me make sense of feelings, memories and reactions with greater curiosity and compassion.

I began using the concept in counselling sessions and saw how children connected with it.

I also discovered that this simple way of understanding our brain could support adults too.

A supervisor encouraged me to take the concept beyond the counselling room, and eventually that little idea became this book. 💗💙

Big A and Big H introduce children to the amygdala and hippocampus in a playful, accessible way while exploring feelings, memories, reactions and choices.

The book also includes interactive activities for children to complete with a parent, caregiver or safe supporting adult.

Amazon is almost ready! One final formatting adjustment and I can approve the Amazon edition.

For now, I have a limited number of printed copies available directly from me.

💗 Launch price $19 📮 $5 postage Australia wide.

Please send me a private message if you would like a copy.

Big Shout out and thank you to Grace Silvester for bringing my characters Big A, Big H and their world to life so beautifully.

Something that helped me understand myself has become something I can now share with others.

That feels pretty sensational.
💗💙

06/09/2026

Today, on Father’s Day, I find myself thinking about the men who shape our lives.

For some, that person is Dad.

For others, it might be an uncle, grandfather, Poppy, stepdad, teacher, coach or simply a beautiful human who stepped into our world and somehow became part of our story.

Someone who felt like home.

A protector.

A navigator.

Someone whose presence helped us feel a little safer while we were learning how to find our own way in this BIG wild world.

For me, there were men in my life who left footprints that remain long after they have gone.

My Dad and my Uncle David are two of these amazing men, missed every day.🌈

There is also my stepdad who I am blessed to still make memories with.

Are they perfect?

Absolutely not.

None of us are, and perhaps expecting perfection takes something away from the beauty of being human.

They were men with their own stories, their own wounds, their own lessons and limitations.

Men doing life with what they had, while also evolving from what came before them.

And maybe that is part of what makes a positive male role model so powerful.

It isn't perfection that shapes us.
It is presence.

It is the person who shows up.

Who guides without needing to control.

Who protects while still allowing us to grow.

Who teaches us something about courage, kindness, integrity and what it means to keep evolving.

So today I also hold space for those who may find Father’s Day complicated.

Maybe your Dad is no longer here. Maybe Dad was never your safe person.

Maybe someone else filled that space in your heart.

Or perhaps today you are remembering a person who simply made you feel seen, protected and loved.

Whoever that person was, sometimes we carry pieces of them forward without even realising it.

In the way we love. In the way we protect. In the values and morals we choose.

In the cycles we decide to change. And in the safe place we try to become for somebody else.

Some people leave us, but what they gave us can continue to evolve through us.

Today, I remember the men who feel safe and like home. Thank you.

23/07/2026

The Legacy We Leave

The older I become, the less interested I am in being right and the more interested I am in understanding what shapes the human heart.

As a counsellor, I witness incredible courage.

I also hear the pain of how sadly unhealed shame, fear, ego, and the pursuit of power can quietly become the architects of suffering in so many.

We are not here to be perfect.
Perfectionism is a myth.

We are here to grow.

To learn.
To repair.
To leave this world a little kinder and gentler than we found it.

It is easier to judge than to become curious.

Easier to protect our pride than to ask the hardest question of all:
"What part of this belongs to me?"

That question is not about blame. It is about courage.

There was a time I believed that if I tried harder, loved more, explained myself better, or simply became "enough," acceptance would eventually follow.

One of life's hardest lessons is realising that not every heart is willing to receive what we offer.

Sometimes acceptance was never ours to earn.

That is not a failure.

It is an invitation to stop seeking our worth in places that have never been willing to hold it.

Our legacy is not built by the values we speak.

It is built by the values we live.

There is a profound difference between discernment and disdain.

Discernment protects our wellbeing.

Disdain hardens our heart.

Healthy boundaries create safety; contempt creates distance.

Compassion should never be confused with accepting harm.

We can understand another person's story while still holding them accountable for the impact of their actions.

The greatest question any of us can ask is not,

"Who was right?"

But....

"What legacy am I leaving?"

Because long after our words are forgotten, our impact remains.

The legacy we leave is not written in stone.

It is written in the hearts we touch.

09/05/2026

I celebrate because of my three amazing children, they are the ones who gifted me this day..

This honour....to be a mum.

Mother’s Day is more than flowers, breakfast trays, and photos.

It is a day to acknowledge the quiet strength of mothers.

The women carrying the invisible mental load.

The protectors. The nurturers.

The exhausted mums still showing up while holding everyone else together.

The mothers trying every day to raise kind, emotionally safe, resilient humans in a world that can sometimes feel overwhelming.

It is for the protective “mama bears” whose nervous systems stay alert because loving deeply often means worrying deeply too.

It is also for those missing their mum today.

For those carrying grief, loss, or longing. For the people who wish they could have one more conversation, hug, laugh, or cup of tea with the woman who helped shape their world.

One of the greatest privileges of motherhood is witnessing tiny hands become strong, intelligent, independent humans with their own voice, humour, dreams, and values.

Motherhood is rarely found in perfection.

It is found in the ordinary moments.

The school lunches. The late-night talks. The comforting hugs. The “text me when you get home.” The sacrifices made quietly behind the scenes. The fierce protection. The unconditional love shown through action, consistency, and presence.

Because being a mother is not defined by words alone.

It is reflected in how someone shows up, protects, nurtures, guides, and loves across time.

To every mother and nurturing mother figure: We see you. We honour you. And we thank you for the love you continue to pour into the world.

Happy Mother’s Day.

18/04/2026

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month.

Still healing, and that is NOT a failure.

It is evidence of what you have carried and survived.

A time to honour survivors, acknowledge the lifelong impact of trauma, and speak truth to what so many carry in silence.

Sexual assault leaves more than memories.

It lives in the nervous system.

In the body that reacts before the mind can explain.

In moments that feel safe one day, and overwhelming the next.

There are days that feel light.
And there are days that feel dark and heavy, where the past sits close to the surface.

Both are part of healing.

We do not heal by pretending it did not happen.

We heal by gently, safely learning how to sit with what did.

To allow the tears without shame.

To acknowledge the anger without judgement.

To understand that these responses are not weakness, but the body remembering.

I SEE YOU!

You do not need to feel alone.

And you do not need to carry shame that was never yours.
Over time, with support, awareness, and care, the nervous system learns something new.

That the danger is no longer here.
That you are allowed to feel safe again.

What was done to you was never your choice.

But healing, oh that becomes yours!

We have a superpower I call choice.

Even after everything, we still hold the power to choose ourselves, again and again.

So please, keep choosing you.

YOU MATTER more than what was done to you.

You are not broken.

You are responding exactly as a human being does after harm.

And even now, still healing
you are here!

05/04/2026

When we honour truth, we support nervous system safety.

Easter is often associated with connection, forgiveness, and renewal.

Yet for many people, holidays can activate stress responses when they involve environments where harm has not been acknowledged or repaired.

From a trauma-informed perspective, being expected to “keep the peace” can reinforce patterns of emotional suppression, hypervigilance, and relational distress.

Peace is not the absence of conflict. It is being able to safely share how you feel. To be seen, if wrong has been done for acknowledgement.

Which can bring the presence of safety.

Your nervous system knows the difference.

Honouring your nervous system is a gift to yourself.

It is listening to what feels unsafe, overwhelming, or dysregulating, and responding with care, not dismissal.

Research consistently shows that healing occurs in environments where individuals feel safe, respected, and able to express their reality without fear of dismissal or retaliation.

Choosing boundaries is not avoidance.

It is a protective and regulating response.

This may look like:

💕imiting or declining contact

💕 setting clear relational expectations

💕prioritising environments that support nervous system regulation

These choices are not about rejection.

They are about aligning with wellbeing.

This Easter, renewal may not come from maintaining tradition.

It may come from disrupting patterns that no longer support safety and growth.

Honouring your nervous system, this is your gift to yourself.

Because when we honour truth, we create the conditions for genuine connection, accountability, and lasting change.

Happy Easter to you, whatever this looks for you.

Picture: the beautiful innocence of Easter egg hunts with my youngest who is now a grown adult. 🐇💛

❤️

04/04/2026

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month.

Children cannot consent.

Consent requires: cognitive maturity, informed understanding
and equal power.

A child or young adolescent does not have these in relation to an adult.

This includes young teenagers.

This image is of me at 14.

A 14-year-old is a child!

Maintaining clarity is essential.
Responsibility does not sit with the child’s behaviour, appearance, or perceived maturity.

Accountability lies entirely with any adult who makes the decision to engage inappropriate behaviour with a minor.

Clear language protects children.

Ambiguity does not.

Address

Melbourne, VIC
3910

Opening Hours

Monday

10am - 8pm

Telephone

0414968932

Website

https://www.jodiemyintoocounsellor.com/shop

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