Welcome to Thrive Wellness - Toowoomba
Thrive Wellness is a health clinic offering Clinical Psychology, Exercise Physiology and nutrition services in the Toowoomba area.
Our goal is to support you to be healthy in your mind and body so you can be doing what matters to you.
Our philosophy
We believe that as much as possible, people should be able to manage their own health. At Thrive Wellness our aim is to promote self management of both your physical and mental health. Our clinicians will work with you to collaboratively identify treatment goals that are important to you, have measurable outcomes and enable you be active in doing those things that matter most to you.
We recognise that relief of symptoms is only part of a bigger picture when it comes to your health. We aim to provide treatments that have functional outcomes - such as getting you active again in your work and hobbies - not just reduction of pain or distress. We believe it is important to provide you with practical resources and strategies to be able maintain the long-term health of your mind and body.
In working towards symptom relief it is useful to be aware that many treatments can seem to initially increase symptoms. This is because we often automatically adopt strategies for managing symptoms that provide short-term relief but not long-term management. Treatment may require ceasing use of these strategies of short-term relief while implementing a more effective management. This is explained in relation to psychological wellbeing in our article, "It Gets Worse Before it Gets Better" - but the same patterns also often apply for our physical health.
Our Services
We are dedicated to providing affordable, specialised treatments to all ages - children, adolescents and adults.
Our Exercise Physiologist and Bowen Therapist offers assessments and treatment for a range of muscular, neurological and metabolic conditions and physical pain or injury. Treatment plans are customised to your individual needs, taking into account the interaction of factors such as physical symptoms, nutrition, sleep, beliefs and emotions.
Our Clinical Psychologist offers assessments and treatment for obsessive compulsive disorder, borderline personality disorder, depression and anxiety.
Our Clinicians
Dr Paul McQueen, Clinical Psychologist
Dr Paul McQueen is the Clinical Psychologist at Thrive Wellness. He has experience working in both adult and child mental health services in Queensland and Victoria and in providing supervision to psychologists in public mental health service and private practice settings.
Dr McQueen has particular interest in the treatment of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Borderline Personality Disorder and Depression.
More about Paul McQueen
Michelle Nolan, Psychologist
Michelle is a registered Psychologist at Thrive Wellness and is passionate about improving the mental health of individuals in the Toowoomba community. She has over 8 years experience working as a Psychologist in public hospital and private practice settings, where she has worked with children, adolescents and adults. In her pursuit for excellence to provide better outcomes for her clients, she is currently undertaking a Masters in Clinical Psychology at Charles Sturt University, enhancing her clinical intervention skills.
Felicia McQueen, Exercise Physiologist; Nutritionist
Felicia McQueen is the Exercise Physiologist, Bowen therapist and Nutritionist at Thrive Wellness. She has experience in working with all bodies, from infants through to the elderly, in areas of injury prevention, rehabilitation and chronic disease management. She has experience supporting families with multiple allergies and intolerances and has keen interest in the role of nutritional medicine to the autonomic nervous system in optimising cellular health and reversal of disease processes.
More about Felicia McQueen
Thriving - Health News & Insights
Welcome to our new home
As of the 1st of June, Thrive Wellness is now located at 189 Herries Street, Toowoomba. We look forward to seeing you in our new home! One of the benefits you will find at our new location is ample parking at the rear of the building. The main entrance from the car park at the rear is also wheelchair accessible.
I’m drinking lots of water but can’t quench my thirst. Why?
What a heatwave!! (*pauses to wipe brow) Instinct has us reaching for water to quench our thirst, but for some of us, regardless of how much we drink, we remain thirsty. Why? Did you know your body needs more than just water in order to hydrate? Specific minerals, called electrolytes – sodium, potassium and chloride especially – are necessary to hydration. While most people are aware their body is comprised 60% water, few realise the important role electrolytes (present in blood and other bodily fluids) play in enabling their body to hold onto and use the water they drink. Hydration…
Eat well, think well
A healthy diet isn’t just about physical health – research increasingly emphasises the importance of diet to our mental health.
Secrets to achieving more in less time
Sometimes there just aren’t enough hours in the day. Our lives are so busy; it is so hard to allocate time to all the important things we want to get done. Read on for the secret to doing more in less time.
Humans: not optimised for logic
The Wason Selection Task is a logic puzzle that, despite its simplicity, less than 10% of people can answer correctly. Are you one of those few?
Hungry hungry hippocampus: Diets and your brain
Wanting to eat better, lose weight or improve fitness is one thing … for many of us, actually achieving these goals can prove elusive. Common sense is not always enough to achieve lasting change, and there is such diverse and too often contradictory information out there on health, fitness and dieting.
Neuroplasticity in action
The thing that amazes me most, watching this video, is that even under circumstances that are tremendously prejudiced to failure, the neuroplasticity of the brain makes success possible. What might your brain be capable of that may seem impossible to you today?
The Science on Mindfulness
Mindfulness forms an important part of a range of strategies we use at Thrive Wellness to facilitate psychological well-being. So far we have never written on the subject on our blog. Now, once again, the Radio National program All in the Mind has done a great job summarising what mindfulness is and the current state of the science on its usefulness. Also included are some good personal accounts of its benefits. Have a listen to the program, or read the transcript, here: All in the Mind – On being mindful.