Dr Tania Morris grew up in Brisbane and studied medicine at University of Qld.   After graduation she relocated to the Sunshine Coast in 1993  to work at  Nambour Hospital as an intern before completing specialty training in Anaesthesia and subsequently Pain Medicine.  In 2012, Tania was tasked with setting up the  inter-disciplinary Persistent Pain Management Service at Nambour Hospital.  She has been Director of this service since its evolution and on a state-wide level Tania has advocated for Queenslanders with persistent pain as the inaugural Chair of the Persistent Pain Management Clinical Network within the Department of Health.

Tania has recently established a business which encompasses training for communication and conflict management skills, facilitation of professional development workshops and mindset coaching and mentoring.  She has branched out with learning new skills to become a certified trainer in Process Communication Model (PCM)  and Leading Out of Drama (LOD).  

Tania considers herself very fortunate to have a loving husband and is proud to be a mother and stepmother to three amazing evolving young adults which provides her with many rich opportunities to practise my communication and conflict management skills!

Tania is excited to see where this new direction takes her as connection is one of her strongest values and believes that to be present for another human being one of the greatest gifts to give and receive. 

Tania, you have worked as an Anaesthetist and Pain Medicine Physician for a number of years – what made you want to work in this field?

I wanted to work as an Anaesthetist as my first specialty because it enabled me to enjoy a team environment, use my technical skills and knowledge to make a difference to patients in the critical time frame of the operating theatre environment and also help relieve suffering of pain in the peri-operative environment and beyond.

I progressed to completing my second specialty to become a Pain Medicine Physician as I saw the need to understand better the management of complex pain experiences for patients.  I was also experiencing the need to connect more with patients for a longer period of time than the short timeframes of the operating theatre environment.  It also afforded me the opportunity for more investment in teamwork on an ongoing permanent basis.  Pain Medicine encompasses much more of the holistic approach to patient care.  I realised I wanted to be more involved with this approach with those suffering persistent pain.  There is often a transition from acute pain to persistent pain and I have a passion to prevent this from occurring.

Tell us about Evolve Shenpa and the reason behind why you have set up?

Evolve Shenpa – “Evolving Beyond Intellect” is an approach to partner with those who are experiencing a gap between what they expect versus what they are experiencing in their personal and professional lives.  They have found themselves “stuck” on a problem and now lack forward momentum in their lives.  Their own expectations of themselves are not being met or expectations from others are not in alignment.  All the technical skills training and logical problem solving they have invested in to date has not helped them progress forward. Signs of stress are showing up more and more often.  They may experience being critical of others around time management and have become over-controlling thinking they can do the job better. They may criticise others for not being as committed or conscientious.  They may find themselves avoiding expressing their needs for fear of displeasing anyone.  They can experience lacking direction and withdrawing more often.  For some boredom is experienced and they start blaming others.  Others may start to manipulate to get what they need in unhealthy ways.   Frustration, righteous indignation, uncertainty, sadness, boredom, vindictiveness, apprehensiveness,  restlessness or anger can be the internal experience.

I am particularly aware of the need for health professionals to develop new strategies if they see a gap to address for themselves.   Health professionals often find themselves incredibly busy looking after everyone else and often overlook what’s most important for themselves.

This gap or struggle can be described as one’s “Shenpa”.  I first heard the word “Shenpa” described by a Buddhist Nun, Pema Chodron.  It is a Tibetan word that when translated means “attachment”.  Pema explains it is actually better described more like being stuck or hooked as a product of a fixed mind set ie being hooked on a problem/struggle as a result of an unhelpful pattern of thinking or behaviour.  You can recognize it by that familiar irritated feeling or negative thought you get in situations eg interacting with an annoying work colleague, experiencing difficult behaviours from family or friends or noticing your own behaviours you wish to change.  You try very hard to solve these problems in the best way you know how but something prevents progress.  Understanding what is that something is the key.

What is PCM and how can people learn more about this to improve their communication skills?

Process Communication Model (PCM) is a behaviour-based method that allows us to be more self-aware, to have better self-management skills and to manage interacting with others more efficiently. It educates us how we each perceive the world and how we prefer to interact with others.  The uniqueness with how we view the world can contribute to our difficulties with communication and to motivating others (or ourselves).  It was developed by an award-winning psychologist, Dr Taibi Kahler.

I was motivated to learn about PCM almost 10 years ago now when I was aiming to have more effective and efficient conversations with health professionals working in high stress environments.  The self-awareness I gained has been priceless to understand my own psychological needs and motivations and how I can impact others more positively than negatively.

People can learn more about PCM knowledge and develop skills by attending a variety of PCM courses or via individual coaching in PCM skills that I will be offering.  There is more information also about PCM on my website or at www.pcmoceania.com

How important is mindset and clarity of thought in today’s world and how can people include into their everyday lives?

I think our mindset is pivotal to how we lead our daily lives.  It is a powerful influence of our perception of ourselves and everyone we encounter.  If we view the world through a fixed mindset we are limiting our potential, and that of others, to flourish and succeed.  It affects everything in our lives, and your mindset determines how you cope with life’s biggest challenges.  Carol Dweck, a Standford University Psychologist, explains that if you have a growth mindset, you are more likely to keep going when you encounter challenges along the way. You will view failure as a learning experience and an opportunity for growth instead of a disappointment.

Managing our mindset gives us choices in our everyday lives.  We can choose to either start our day with a pessimistic fixed mindset or an optimistic, expansive growth mindset.   It is not just about being positive or hippy woo woo stuff.  There is solid science behind how humans can flourish with a growth mindset and overcome obstacles, real or imagined.

We all desire confidence, clarity and certainty in our world.  To see clearly and understand what is happening in our world enables us to be more confident and certain about how we can effect change for ourselves, connect and motivate others and achieve meaningful, tangible and transformational outcomes for our lives.

And what’s next on the agenda for Tania Morris? 

My main goal at the moment is to complete my Diploma of Clinical Hypnosis so I can be of benefit to both my patients with persistent pain and offer this as an option to coaching clients who wish to address their current struggles (Shenpa) via this avenue.  I am also excited about my upcoming PCM Seminar I am running on the Sunshine Coast at the end of October.

Favourite place that you have travelled to and why? 

Alaska, as I love the cold weather and was impressed by the resilience of the people living in that harsh environment.

What do you do to relax?

I love the sensory inputs from walking along the Maroochy river, particularly at sunset.  I practise my mindful walking and enjoy watching the colours of the sky and the reflections of the river changing.  Walks on the beach with the family and my two dogs is also a lovely way to relax.

What mantra do you live by?

“When you talk, you are only repeating what you already know; But when you listen, you may learn something new.”  It reminds me how important it is to be an active and curious listener and be more present for other people.

To find out more about Tania head to:

http://www.evolveshenpa.com.au/

Or Facebook

@DrTaniaMorris