Mindfinch Psychology

by Anja Schmidkunz

Who am I? 

My name is Anja and I am the mind behind the “Finch”. My curiosity for the mind and human behaviour started at an early age in a place I didn’t expect but led me to a lifelong exploration of what it means to be human. Eventually it resulted in me becoming a registered Psychologist (in 2012). My career started in Forensics where I spent many years working in high security prisons. It further evolved through several clinical and hospital settings running Anxiety, DBT, Bipolar and Drug & Alcohol groups. Finally, I found my place in the private practice arena, working in more holistic settings and now in my own solo private practice at Mindfinch Psychology.

I was born to German parents but was raised in Asia. I have spent the last 20 years studying, working, and living across Australia and the UK, with a bit of travel in between. I am what they call a "Third Culture Kid," raised in a culture and country significantly different from the homeland and culture of my parents. I am intimately familiar with questioning themes of belonging, identity, and navigating significant life transitions and the emotions that come with them.

Who am I really?

If you met me outside of the workplace you’d learn that I’m a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP) and an Introvert, so I take my own mental health pretty seriously. To debrief and recharge you’ll find me somewhere in nature, walking it off.

Otherwise, you might find me in my kitchen baking, at a live music gig, or anywhere that serves delicious food. We would likely discuss the latest episode of Queer Eye or our favorite music experiences. I'm a food nerd, so I can chat endlessly about baking, but I'll give you my full attention and curiosity when it comes to family, life stories, or anything life throws at us.

Be warned that I am notoriously known amongst my clients to use pop-culture references, song lyrics and RuPaul quotes as inspiration in my sessions.

The story of Mindfinch

In case you were wondering what Mindfinch means, welcome to an insider family joke. Mindfinch originated from a personal travel experience in the Galapagos Islands, where you'll inevitably encounter Charles Darwin's finches. Darwin's exploration of the islands earned him naming rights for 18 previously undiscovered species of birds.

I've never been asked to name a new species of bird but if I was, I'd probably let their feathers, colours, or the sound of their call inspire me. Not Darwin, though. No, Darwin's birds were named simply by size and location they were found. Case in point: the small tree finch, the medium ground finch, or the large cactus finch. It turns out hardly any of them were even finches, yet the names stuck.

It started a tradition in my family that any bird (not just finches) seen in nature be referred to by its most obvious descriptors. We have "discovered" many a 'roof finch'‘, 'barb wire finch,’, ‘sand finch’, and even a 'punk finch' (that's a bird with a mohawk - pictured). So it was only natural that my practice, focusing on the mind, be called Mindfinch.

Get in touch with Anja

If you’re curious and interested in setting up an appointment or have any questions about starting therapy, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Intro chats: You can opt for a short, free, no obligation intro chat via zoom or phone. Let us know in your message if you’re interested in an intro chat. You should never feel obligated to choose a therapist just because you’ve had an intro chat with them. You will not be asked to make a decision during the intro chat and should feel free to take your time in coming to any decision. 

If you prefer to communicate via e-mail that’s perfectly fine too. Let us know your preferred method of communication and send through any enquiries.

NOTE! You should receive a reply within 24 hours. If you don’t, please check your junk mail as it seems that most of my replies end up in junk/spam folders.  

Clients of all cultural and faith backgrounds, gender or sexual identities, ages and abilities are welcome at Mindfinch. This is intended to be a safe and welcoming space for all.