Navigating Life’s Challenges:
The Empathetic and Effective Support of Therapy

Facing life’s challenges can sometimes feel overwhelming, and you may find yourself yearning for clarity, peace, and resilience.

Whether you’re grappling with unresolved trauma, striving for mental and physical alignment, or navigating the path of active addiction, therapeutic support could be the pivotal turning point you need.

My therapeutic approach emphasises resilience and overcoming present challenges.

Together, we aim to equip you with the tools to handle life’s ups and downs more effectively. We focus on your journey towards becoming an enhanced version of yourself, one day at a time.

As a professional who has personally navigated through my own depression, anxiety, PTSD, and addictive behaviours, I bring a unique depth of empathy to our sessions.

My firsthand experiences allow me to provide not only a safe and supportive space but also a compassionate understanding of your struggles.

Together, we’ll work towards unlocking your potential and journeying forward.

You are not alone, and with the right support, you can transform your life.

THERAPY TIMETABLE

FEES

The Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia report the majority of counsellors and therapists in Australia charge between $100 and $160, while the Australian Psychological Society recommends $246 per 45 minute session.

Individual sessions are available at my Terrigal Clinic, Gosford Clinic, or via telehealth on Zoom or phone. In the interests of everyone being able to benefit from mental health care, I have two levels of fees.

Standard Fee:

The standard fee for a 45-minute appointment is $130, payable at the time of booking.

Community Rate:

I am committed to supporting the wellbeing of our entire community. That’s why I offer a Standard Fee of $130 and a Community Rate of $90.

There are 4 appointments at Terrigal, 2 appointments at Gosford, and 4 Telehealth appointments each week that have the Community Rate available (please see marked in red on the timetable).

Each individual can have up to 6 appointments at the Community Rate each year.

The Community Rate is designed for those who find the Standard Fee a barrier to accessing my services. I trust my clients to choose the rate that best fits their circumstances, as part of my dedication to accessible mental health care.

Please Note: If you want to book an appointment at the Community Rate, please see the timetable above and where and when the Community Rate appointments are available, and book yours in one of those spots.

Medicare and Health Funds

In terms of Medicare rebates or bulk billing, counselling in Australia is generally not covered. My services are not covered by Medicare either, however, please check with your health fund if you think you might be covered.

Are you ready to book a session with me?

Specialising In
addiction, Complex PTSD, Social Anxiety,
and unresolved childhood trauma in adults

Bachelor of Health Science
Bachelor of Applied Science
Graduate Diploma of Counselling
and Psychotherapy
Certificate in Alcohol and Other Drugs
Certificate in Positive Psychology
Bachelor of Psychological Science/
Masters of Clinical Psychology [current]

NDIS Registers Behaviour Support Practitioner
also
Self managed and plan managed NDIS capacity building funding under 15_056_0128_1_3: Assessment Recommendation, Therapy or Training – Other Professional

MY COUNSELLING METHODS:

In my counselling sessions, I use one (or a combination of several different psychodynamic approaches including:

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

A form of therapy that is effective in treating depression, anxiety, substance use disorders, eating disorders, and severe mental illness.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

A type of therapy that helps people behave more consistently with their own values, using mindfulness techniques and acceptance skills to guide their response to things that are outside of their control.

Motivational Interviewing

A counselling method that is basically a conversation about change and helping people achieve their goals by helping them to make that change.

Narrative Therapy

A counselling approach that centres people as the experts in their own lives. This approach maintains that people are separate to their problems, and like Motivational Interviewing, focuses on having the person accept that everything they need is already within them.

Positive Psychology

A way of thinking that focuses on positive traits and experiences and highlights a person’s character strengths, optimism, life satisfaction, happiness, gratitude, compassion, self-esteem, self-confidence, and hope.

Some of the areas I can help specifically with:

goal setting (personal and professional)

getting past obstacles and blockages with people, places and things

living with – as opposed to struggling with – your own mental ‘uniqueness’ and thriving regardless

rebooting your thinking so that you can live more positively, more on purpose, and able to be more kind to yourself

feel like you can achieve more both personally and professionally

be more aware of your accomplishments when you achieve them

be better with conflict resolution both at home and in the workplace

improve your communication skills

be able to live more in the present, and be more positive and hopeful

build more resilience and be able to deal with life’s challenge when they arise

procrastinate less and get more done

be happier and more content with your life

Bec’s Therapy Journey

Bec* started her therapy journey around 18 months ago. Her last two relationships ended badly, and she was determined to get into another relationship as soon as possible because she felt like that would ‘fix’ her. She thought she would rather be in a crappy relationship than feel all alone.

When we started sessions together, Bec was very guarded about her past, and some of the abuse she had experienced when she was younger. But over the space of a few sessions together, we were able to dig into some of her trauma, I was able to show her that she wasn’t to blame for any of it, and that she deserved good people in her life, a good relationship with a good person. She was finally able to see that deserved better.

Now, Bec is happily single, and patiently waiting until she meets someone that she deserves as much as they deserve her.

Are you ready to start your therapy journey?

* Bec’s name and identity was changed to protect her anonymity.

What will you get out of therapy with me?

YOU CAN THINK DIFFERENTLY.

This is probably the biggest benefit of working with me. I can help you interrupt your current thought patterns and introduce more positive thoughts, more empathy, and more balance to your life.

YOU CAN BUILD RESILIENCE.

Unfortunately, the only way to resilience is through hardship, but you don’t have to dwell there forever. I can help you be more resilient, and more able to deal with life’s challenges along the way.

YOU CAN BE HAPPIER.

When you have more clarity of purpose, maximise your focus, and start to speak to yourself more positively and with more kindness, you will be happier in everything you do, every day.

Here’s what you are (probably) worried about:

“Is there something wrong with me?”

Nope. My style of therapy helps with all different kinds of people presenting with all different kinds of issues and blockages. Sometimes it’s just to be more productive at work, or to seek a new career path, and sometimes it’s for an issue that is fairly deep down and difficult to get to. Everyone is different. But there is nothing wrong with you, or wrong about you.

“Is my therapy kept private and confidential?”

Yes. Firstly all of my records are kept safe and secure, and I endeavour to not have a paper trail of any kind in any part of my business. All communications conducted online are fully encrypted also so that’s some added security there as well. The only time I might have to break out confidentiality is in the interests of your safety or the safety of others, if I have to arrange a referral to another therapist or agency, or in accordance with state or federal laws in the interest of your therapy.

“Why wouldn’t I just talk to one of my family, or one of my friends?”

You can, and I think you should. But a lot of my clients tell me there are some things that they either can’t, or don’t want to discuss with people in their lives for whatever reason. I am objective in your life and that objectivity can bring great clarity that someone who is deeply involved with you, or related to, can’t bring. Also, your family and friends may not be professionally trained to help you heal, grow and change, as I am.

“Do I have to tell you everything?”

Nope. You can tell me as much or as little as you like. If I am doing my job properly, we will both unravel your story pretty effectively anyway in the first few sessions. But if there are things that you would rather I not know, or things you just don’t want to share, that’s completely up to you.

“Are you going to lock me into this forever?”

No. You book sessions individually as you go. There is no lock-in contract. That said, I find that a minimum of 3 sessions works best for most of my clients.

“Can you just fix me or tell me what to do?”

No, and if I did, you should find yourself another therapist. For a start, there is nothing wrong with you, so you don’t need to be fixed. And secondly, that’s not how this works. It’s about growth and change and healing, not fixing. I don’t use the words ‘should’ and ‘must’ very often because that kind of prescriptive therapy doesn’t work for me when I am the client of the therapist, and I don’t feel comfortable doing that with any of my clients either.

“What sort of people do you work with? And who don’t you work with?”

I primarily work with people who are having a personal issue of some kind, but they might also be either employed in, or the founder of, a small business or startup business. That said, not all of my clients fit that description, and I am not bound by it. I mostly work with people who present with either depression, anxiety, bipolar or another kind of mood disorder, PTSD, or addictions.

I don’t work with children, families, or couples.

“I don’t need a therapist.”

OK, maybe you don’t. But since you have read this far down the page, you might be feeling like there is something that I might be able to help with. Everybody needs a little bit of help sometimes.

Clare’s Therapy Journey

Clare* first came to me after about a year of her social anxiety – which she always felt since high school – getting increasingly worse. It was becoming so debilitating more recently to the point where she said she had been going weeks without leaving home or seeing any other people in either a work or social situation. The pandemic had just made all this feel a bit more acute for her.

Social anxiety can be such a restrictive thing to live with. It’s more than just shyness, it’s the constant fear that you are going to be judged or made fun of, where that fear of embarrassment or looking stupid or even just feeling less-than is one of your greatest fears, and where feeling worried about being the centre of attention ends up leading you to becoming reclusive and socially isolated.

Through a combination of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Motivational Interviewing, Clare is now able to function much more effectively in social situations, has implemented a goal of leaving home every day, and even trying to start a conversation with a stranger regularly – something she never could have even imagined herself doing a few months ago.

Are you ready to start your therapy journey too?

* Clare’s name and identity was changed to protect his anonymity.

What makes me a good therapist for you?

I know how hard it is to find a good coach or therapist.

Honestly, I have been through a few trying to find the best one for me in the past too.

One of the main reasons it can be difficult finding a good one is because most of us don’t feel immediately trusting and able to share our innermost thoughts and fears and feelings with a stranger right away.

I know I definitely struggle with that.

I am good at what I do because you and I probably aren’t very dissimilar. I have a lived experience of anxiety and depression and PTSD, and I’m a recovering addict. I. make no secret of that, because it’s not something that has any shame attached to it for me any more. I think of those things as my SUPERPOWERS, and they are a big part of what makes me, me.

Because I know what it’s like to live a life with these superpowers, I am very well equipped to be able to relate to you and your own superpowers, whatever they are.

Matt ‘s Therapy Journey

When Matt* started his therapy journey, he described himself as a “secret, lost mess”. To the outside world, he looked like he had everything together. He looked happy and successful. But inside was a very different story.

Matt spoke to himself about himself very poorly. His self-esteem was so badly affected by relationships with family when he was growing up that he didn’t trust anyone, and didn’t think he was worthy of being trusted. Or loved.

Worse still, he medicated those feelings with drugs and alcohol, and had been for a long time. Matt came to me to get clean and sober, but we soon worked out his addictions were symptoms of something much larger.

He is new to therapy, but is attacking it wholeheartedly, and we are moving in the right direction now. Matt now has some control over his addictions, and his self-talk – and self-love – is much better.