Why I do what I do...
I understand how important it is to you to feel happy in the relationship with your partner and the relationship with yourself. I have helped hundreds of couples and individuals towards repairing their relationship and also growing as an individual. As someone who has gone through my own therapy, I know what it’s like for my clients to be going through their therapy journey.
My passion for counselling began in my previous career as a teacher, this included teaching counselling within education sectors and helping hundreds of students flourish in their careers. This led to my university studies to specialise in Relationships and Trauma and working with couples within the community.
My path as a Relationship Counsellor is a life journey and I feel honoured to work with every client in my counselling practice. To witness their changes towards living in happier and meaningful relationships with their partner and the relationship with themselves, truly brings it back to the core as to why I do what I’m doing – to ‘connect and flourish’.
Qualifications
- Master of Counselling (current)
- Graduate Diploma of Counselling (University of New England)
- Bachelor of Adult Education (Griffith University)
- Diploma of Counselling (AIPC)
- Diploma of Training Design and Development (HBA)
- Diploma of Training and Assessment (HBA)
Specialised training in:
- Emotion Focused Therapy for Couples and Individuals
- Emotion Focused Therapy for Affairs
- Relationship Therapy
- Development Model for Couples
- Integrative Behavioural Couple Therapy
- Sex and Relationships
- Transformation through intimacy
- Compassion Focused Therapy
- Cognitive Process Therapy
- Acceptance Commitment Therapy
Registered Counsellor with:
- Australian Counselling Association
- Australian Register of Counsellors & Psychotherapists
The therapy tools I use
I work with a range of evidenced-based therapy tools in counselling sessions, so you can be assured you’ll go through a process proven to be effective.
Emotion Focused Therapy
I have seen brilliant results in using Emotion Focused Therapy with clients. It works beautifully and effectively with clients in all areas related to relationships, intimacy and sexuality. This allows for deeper awareness of your own beliefs and your attachment style to others in relationships from the past to present. It allows you to gently open up that space of compassion and empathy with your partner.
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) is a type of talk therapy commonly used for processing thoughts, actions, behaviours and physical responses. It allows us to explore your relationship patterns you keep repeating as well as your interpretation of your thoughts and perspectives. I used a blend of CBT and ACT when working with clients to explore their self-identity and life changes and transitions.
Acceptance Commitment Therapy
Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT) encourages clients to accept who they are. It explores your desires and what’s holding you back, to then developing your capacity to sit with these uncomfortable thoughts and emotions with more ease and acceptance. This approach gently challenges you on areas you have control over. I use ACT and Emotion Focused Therapy when working with couples and individuals.
Cognitive Process Therapy
Cognitive Process Therapy (CPT) helps you to process a traumatic event you may have experienced and explore new ways of associating meaning with what happened. Everyone experiences trauma differently and certain triggers can set off instant reactions. Trauma often comes up when working with couples, where partners have experienced some trauma in their past or even as far back to their childhood, sometimes this can be the base cause of their disconnection.
Somatic Experiencing Therapy
This therapy is an evidence-based approach that integrates cognitive (mind), emotion and sensations from the body. This is an embodied (body-based) holistic approach where I work with the client in trauma recovery. Through Somatic Experiencing Therapy, clients are able to fully process their unresolved trauma through a cognitive talk therapy and gentle body movements, to restore the clients’ ability to self-regulate their body reactions and achieve a sense of safety within.
My Story
25 years ago, before I became a counsellor, I first got together with my now-husband. You’ll laugh at my communication style: I would write little post-it notes and put them around the house when I wanted him to do something. Eventually, he asked me “Why are you putting post-it notes everywhere? Can you just talk to me about it?”. Here I was thinking it would be better to leave him post-it notes than confront him and potentially upset him! You can see how communication issues arise and our story is not uncommon. You might even be able to relate to the challenge of feeling comfortable enough to be honest to your partner face-to-face. It’s not always easy, especially if you’ve spent years taking a more passive approach to communication or sweeping issues under the rug.
While I may or may not have experienced your specific relationship struggles, I know what it is like to have a long-term relationship and the ups and downs we all experience. I’m not sitting out on a pedestal somewhere. I’m human too. I want you to know that, so you feel reassured that there isn’t something fundamentally wrong with you if you are experiencing relationship difficulties.
My values & personality
Clients say they find me down to earth, warm and friendly, along with a kind smile. That they feel safe and comfortable with me, and that I am approachable and human. I have been told by some clients, that in their most difficult sessions, they still manage to feel uplifted and optimistic when they leave.
I genuinely care about my clients and how they progress through their challenges to a place of clarity. I am naturally curious about people and believe this is a place where hope can live. Clients will hear me say ‘be more curious and less judgemental’, this allows us glimpses into someone else’s world and tends to bring out more empathy and understanding.
I value the trust that is built between me and my clients. Like a ‘safety net’, it cushions the support throughout our sessions, so clients gain a sense of how to trust themselves and others whilst keeping true to their own healthy boundaries.
What clients have to say
Book an Appointment
In-person appointments available at:
Deception Bay
Book via the online booking system.
North Ridge Estate – (Off Boundary Road, near North Lakes Costco)
Deception Bay, Qld 4508
North Lakes
Book via the online booking system.
‘Soul Spectrum’
Shop 5/25 Discovery Drive
North Lakes, Qld 4509