Spotlight Interview: Madonna Schmierer, Clinic Founder

How did you know you wanted to become a psychologist? 

I had always been interested in making meaningful change in my own life and I had read a lot of books regarding attachment process, family bonding, depression, resilience, and . I had trained and worked as a primary school teacher and always looked to the potential in each child and class group. 

What inspired you to work with adults, whether individuals, couples, or parents?

I was always interested in generational trauma and I had this belief that it was never too late to make changes in your life.

I returned to university as a mature age student because someone said to me and believed (as they had done it themselves and had many examples of others)  that it was never too late to do something. During my six years I came across a lecturer who was doing research on generational trauma for survivors of the holocaust and their healing. This made me think that people can endure soul breaking experiences and survive. This set me on a path for my own research paper as to why some people survive and thrive and some flounder.

Ultimately I wanted to support adults to break generational patterns, foster self-understanding, and uncover ways to live a fulfilling life that feels more manageable, connected and joyful.

What is your typical therapy mode and why do you find it to be so helpful? 

Typically the therapy modes I engage are psychodynamic therapy and emotionally focused therapy for couples, individuals or families. 

The approaches of these modes creates a rich therapeutic framework focused on understanding the whole person in context, their relationships and inner emotional world.

These modalities encourage clients to explore their inner experiences deeply and safely, gaining insight into their past and present, understanding their attachment styles, and building a stronger, more compassionate sense of self. These models support transformative personal growth and more connected relationships.

They are helpful  because firstly it prioritises a safe space where clients feel fully seen and accepted which promotes self-exploration and self-acceptance which are fundamental to personal healing.  These modalities believe in each person’s potential for growth, where they can gain greater awareness of their emotional responses, making room for new, healing experiences. There is exploration of past relationship patterns and clients can gain insight into how their histories shape their current relationship and self-perceptions allowing them to understand and release old unhelpful patterns. It focuses on early relationships and later relational styles. Exploring behaviours, emotional responses and expectations in adult relationships. This awareness fosters more secure and fulfilling bonds with others.

We all feel stressed sometimes, including psychologists! What helps you to manage your own stress?