Begin Your Path to Healing.
Begin Your Path to Healing.
These FAQs are designed to provide a better understanding of how I work
Life brings seasons that can leave us feeling overwhelmed, stuck, or lost. Perhaps you’re navigating anxiety, depression, relationship concerns, grief, addiction, trauma, or work stress. These are often symptoms of deeper issues such as shame, fear, loss of identity or meaning. You may fear that facing these feelings will make things worse—but I believe your unconscious mind and body already knows on many levels, the very thing you fear. There is courage and freedom in shining the light of insight into the dark places to illuminate and liberate yourself.
I provide a safe, non-judgmental authentic connection to assist to make sense of things. The goal is to help you understand yourself better, work through pain, grow in self-compassion and confidence and increase capacity to make empowered choices.
You might also be simply asking big questions about life transitions, your future, or your purpose. Therapy can be just as powerful for growth as it is for healing.
Our work together starts with a conversation. You bring your story, your goals, your uncertainty, your habits, your hopes. I bring my experience, my presence, and a collaborative approach.
In our first sessions, we get to know each other. I help you clarify what you’re hoping for, and explore the areas of life that may be impacting your wellbeing. I don’t sit back and nod; I engage with curiosity, care, and openness. Together, we uncover what matters to you and move toward the change you seek.
My practice draws on a bio-socio-psycho-spiritual framework:
As a counsellor who is also a Christian, I can work deeply with Christian clients, exploring faith and spirituality, where relevant.
I am inclusive, non-evangelical, and always client-led. I respect and welcome people from all walks of life and backgrounds. My approach is open-minded, trauma-informed, and sensitive to the impact of culture, gender, sexuality, socio-economic background, and spiritual identity. I have a special interest in spiritual abuse and the complexity of wrestling with the intersection of faith and wounding.
There is no minimum number of sessions and the frequency can be tailored around your schedule and budget and my availability, although it usually takes a couple of sessions to get to know you and work out what your needs are.
I have both long-term clients and people who have come for a few sessions to sort out a specific issue.
A Psychiatrist is a medical doctor and can prescribe medication. They diagnose illness, manage treatment and provide a range of therapies for complex and serious mental illness.
A Clinical Psychologist has a strong focus on those with a psychosis or other serious mental illness, whilst a Psychologist has a focus on individuals who have fewer pathological mental problems. Both Psychiatrists and psychologists can be registered for a Medicare rebate through a mental health care plan (some social workers too). Under the medical model, most psychologists and psychiatrists work with evidenced based therapies, like CBT, and there is a set number of sessions where results should align with Medicare stipulations.
A counsellor is non-diagnostic, often working outside of the medical model (although a highly qualified counsellor should have training to be able to identify mental illness and be willing to refer to psychologists and psychiatrists in some circumstances). Many counsellors use evidence based shorter term interventions such as CBT, but they are also able to employ other styles of therapy to be more client- centred e.g. expressive therapies, talk therapy, mentoring, career counselling. Some clients would say that counselling is based more on the relationship with the person of the counsellor and working collaboratively rather than a diagnostic and treatment framework.
It is important to work with a counsellor who is:
– registered with a professional certifying organisation that has an outlined code of Ethics;
– covered by insurance;
– undertaken higher level tertiary study (including a minimum number of clinical client hours and clinical supervision).
I have a Master in Counselling and am registered with PACFA and CCAA and am fully insured. To become qualified, I had to undertake 200 hours of face-to-face counselling; 50 hours of clinical supervision; and 30 hours of my own personal counselling with a registered professional. My grade point average was 6.3 and I received a Dean’s Commendation Award. This rigorous training far surpasses shorter qualifications and is comparable to psychology training.
It is normal to have concerns about your confidential information. I uphold the PACFA Code of Ethics in handling and storing personal information to protect your identity, privacy and confidentiality.
What you say to me is confidential and will not be passed on to anyone else without your consent except where:
If you find yourself repeating patterns you don’t like; stuck in a rut; indecisive and second guessing things; attracting the wrong kind of people into your life; often in conflict with others; or avoiding full participation with people and activities, then these are signposts for looking deeper.
Perhaps you minimise or dismiss certain masking behaviours such as the amount of time you spend on partying, buying stuff, porn, gambling, alcohol, drugs, smoking, gaming, obsessions (with tasks, appearance, exercise, everything having to be in order) and it’s time to evaluate if these things are really working for you? Maybe you have great people around you who agree with you or give you their advice (wanted or unwanted), but you want an unbiased and objective person to assist you to evaluate choices and direction of life so you are sure they are your choices.
If any of these things ring true, then have a few sessions and see what you find out about yourself!