• If non-monogamy feels hard, does that mean it’s wrong for me?

    You’ve decided to explore non-monogamy, and initially the idea filled you with excitement. You liked the idea of having multiple partners, of exploring new experiences and connecting with people who filled your life with romance and joy. Perhaps you’re exploring on your own, or maybe you’ve opened up an existing relationship. The first few experiences…

  • Practice news: Couples counselling now available

    Fairy Wren Counselling is now offering couples counselling sessions. Couples counselling can be a fantastic tool to support you as you work through challenges in your relationship and find creative solutions to move forward. Some of the reasons you might come to couples counselling might include: Working with me can be a great way to…

  • What can you let go of this new year?

    I’m a very goal-oriented person, which is part of the reason that I became a counsellor. I really enjoy helping people to identify their goals, make a plan and then support them to move towards them. The new year is always an exciting time for me, because so many of us are focusing on goals…

  • Getting over the monogamy hangover

    A lot of issues that polyamorous folks face come from what is sometimes called “The Monogamy Hangover”. This is where monogamous ideals, beliefs and values linger in the background, even when you’ve chosen to be non-monogamous. These ideals can create emotional, cognitive and behavioural patterns that might cause angst and conflict in your non-monogamous relationships.…

  • 5 things to do when making a big decision

    Decision making can be such a challenge, especially if you struggle with anxiety. There can be so much stress about choosing the right thing, weighing the options and worrying about the path not taken. When you’re grappling with a choice, here are 5 things that you can do to make the process a little bit…

  • New pets and grief

    Getting a new pet is typically a time of excitement and joy. However, if you’ve previously lost a precious animal companion, a new pet can bring up fresh feelings of grief. This can be really shocking and confusing if you’re not expecting it. Losing a pet is heartbreaking. Animals have a way of weaving themselves…

  • Chat GPT is not your therapist

    There have been a few times in the last couple of months where Chat GPT has come up in my counselling sessions. I’ve had a couple of new clients mention that they were drawn to book in with me because they’d been using Chat GPT to try to help them work through feelings of shame…

  • The first step towards healing from Burnout

    Burnout is when you reach a point where you no longer have the resources to deal with your daily demands. It’s when you’ve been running on empty for so long that your entire system begins to break down, and even the simplest of tasks become too difficult to even comprehend. When I see clients who…

  • Journalling prompts to explore anxiety

    Journalling can be a really powerful tool to help you to understand your thoughts and emotions. Writing in a journal can give you a safe place to explore what’s going on in your mind and help you to untangle the busy thoughts that might be swirling around in there. I particularly like journalling as a…

  • “What story am I telling myself?” – a powerful exploration

    Let me paint you a picture. You send a text to your partner to ask whether they want to meet up for coffee later. You excitedly wait for their response. The minutes tick by, and as your impatience grows your anticipation turns to frustration. You begin to feel annoyed with your partner, perhaps even angry…