• Counselling and The “Emotional Hangover”

    Ideally, the goal of counselling is to improve the way that you’re feeling. Counselling offers an opportunity to vent your frustrations, explore your emotions and hopefully, leave the session feeling lighter than when it began. However, you might find yourself feeling more emotional after your counselling appointments, particularly at the beginning of the counselling process.…

  • Counselling and Medicare

    I get a lot of questions from prospective clients about whether you can use a Mental Health Treatment Plan to claim a rebate off your counselling appointments. There seems to be a fair bit of confusion around this topic, and I wanted to clear up some of the common questions. Do I need a doctor’s…

  • Is it important to “find your label?”

    I work with a lot of LGBTQIA+ clients around the exploration of their identity. A lot of my clients will come to our first session and say something like “I know that I’m not straight, but I’m not exactly sure where I fit into the LGBTQIA+ acronym”. It’s quite common for folks to feel unsure…

  • Grief Counselling for Pet Loss

    When I was studying to be a grief counsellor, I was shocked to realise that pet loss was barely touched upon. It was only a few brief lines in the syllabus. This surprised me because I’ve found the loss of a pet to be a profound and unique source of grief. I’ve known so many…

  • What can I expect from an Online Counselling Appointment?

    I feel like the COVID-19 pandemic brought us a lot of things: some good, some bad, some very ugly. Of the many changes and innovations that came about during this period, the telehealth appointment is one that I feel most grateful for. Telehealth has made it easier than ever to access support services like counselling.…

  • Will a counsellor judge me?

    If I had to point to a single thing that holds people back from booking in to see me, it would be shame. Shame is a powerful emotion that often prevents people from reaching out for help, even when they’re struggling. You might feel ashamed about a choice that you’ve made or something you’ve done.…

  • Why Pay a Counsellor to do what A Friend Should Do for Free?

    Last night, I was re-watching an episode of Ted Lasso (my favourite) and I had to pause for thought. Two characters were talking about whether they’ve been to therapy, and one says to the other “Why would I pay someone to do what a friend should do for free?” This question intrigued me, and I…

  • Feeling anxious about starting counselling? Let’s unpack that…

    Beginning your counselling journey is a huge step. It can be intimidating to consider opening up to a complete stranger, especially if the issue you’re bringing to the session is something that feels painful or embarrassing. Maybe your anxiety springs from the thought of confronting an issue that you’ve been carrying around for a long…

  • Counselling to enhance emotional intelligence

    Emotions are tricky little things. They bubble up, unbidden and involuntary, and can lead us to do some pretty wild things. We’ve all been in a situation where we suddenly feel a rush of emotion that takes us from zero to eleven in a matter of seconds. We all know what it can feel like…

  • The Value of Connection

    Connection is one of the most fundamental human needs. We need it to feel safe, secure, happy and fulfilled. In order to feel connected with others, we need more than simply being around other people. It’s not enough to share a space with others: to sit next to someone on the bus, to be in…