A BIT ABOUT ME

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I'm offering private, professional counselling in the inner suburbs of Sydney, Wollombi, and also online - wherever you find yourself.  
 

I grew up in Sydney, and lived on the NSW coast for a few years before returning to the inner-west. 

Like most people, I have experienced both hard times and easier times, and counselling has helped me to accept myself, make sense of the challenges life has thrown my way, and to become the creative, respectful, assertive, and caring person that I really l wanted to be.

My first career was in media, and after volunteering in a personal support role for 5 years I trained up so I could take on counselling clients professionally.  

I have been facilitating groups and counselling one-on-one for almost a decade now.

 B.A / Graduate Diploma of Counselling  

 PACFA (Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia) full member  

I started on this path in 2007 when I began as a personal support volunteer for the Red Cross. 

In times of disaster and emergencies, I was activated to provide information, support and guidance to people who were overwhelmed by the situation. 

I also provided companionship and compassion to people isolated from their families and communities.

I have been counselling clients  from all walks of life, one-on-one since 2014. 

Over the years I have supported clients with Anxiety and Panic Attacks, Assertiveness, Anger management, Burnout, Decision Making, Depression, Divorce / Separation, Emotional Crisis, Ethical dilemmas, Existential Issues, Gay and Lesbian Issues, Gender and Sexuality, Grief / Bereavement, Guilt and Shame, Isolation and Loneliness, Insomnia, Intimacy Issues, Life Threatening Illness, Life Transitions, Men's Issues, Pain / Rehabilitation, Phobias, PTSD, Safety Planning, Self Development, Stress Management, Suicidal Feelings, Trauma Recovery, Violence, Workplace Issues and of course, Work-Life Balance. I have also spent several years engaging men in the ethical journey of stopping their controlling or violent  relationship behaviours.

I also volunteer free counselling services to homeless and disadvantaged people in Sydney's inner suburbs

I can accept face-to-face clients in two locations: Ashfield and Wollombi.

I was lucky enough to do training in phone and skype counselling just as this technology was becoming more relevant and commonly used as a therapeutic tool.

I now work part-time in an Australia-wide phone-based counselling service funded by the DSS, providing structured short-term counselling to people caring for family members with illness, addiction, disability or mental health concerns. 

In private practice, I provide counselling via Zoom to locals and expats. I can provide contact details when we book our first appointment.

My experience also includes many years of facilitating supportive and psychoeducational groups related to behaviour change, anxiety, phobias, parenting and family safety. This has provided me with a lot of handy tools and models for understanding what might be happening for you... I can bring these theories into our sessions to see how they might be helpful in addressing what you are hoping to address.

I am committed to self-examination and have been lucky enough to work with compassionate and insightful counsellors for over 15 years.

All counsellors must also engage in what we call "Clinical Supervision". This helps us to refine our skills and reflect on how our own life stories can impact and be impacted by the work we do with our clients. Again, I am privileged to have had supervision with experts in Reality Therapy, Gestalt Therapy, Invitational Practice, Sandtray Therapy, and various facets of psychology, counselling and psychotherapy.