What Brings You to Counselling?

Humans are, for the most part, social creatures. Our bodies and psyches are wired for connection - but in the modern society, sometimes those connections seems difficult, or overwhelming or just out of reach

Shame or anxiety or any number of difficult feelings and situations might be preventing you from forming nourishing relationships - or you might notice that there seems to be no real desire to connect to other people

Counselling can help you to identify a way through the loneliness, build confidence and redefine the inner-circle and communities that will support you to live a full and happy life

So, you want to shake an old habit?

Sometimes we can't quite identify what keeps us stuck in a pattern of self-limiting or self-destructive behaviours

Counselling can provide the confrontation and challenge - along with the support and skill-building - that is necessary to replace old habits with new ones (that will probably be better for you in the long-term)

OK, so you're going through some big changes

If you've received important news, lost a person who mattered to you, or are going through a big change - you might be feeling like you're up to your neck in uncharted waters. You're wondering how on earth you will be able to weather the storms that are surely coming your way?

Whether you need to process feelings of grief, develop new coping skills, make a big decision or just find your way again, a counselling conversation is a good place to find your bearings in times of change

Have you ever done anything to your partner that didn't feel right to you, and left the people in your household scared or upset?

I often work with people who have used or are using abusive behaviours in their relationships. I spent about 3 years co-facilitating a Men's Behaviour Change Program. My approach to counselling in these situations is to invite you identify the kind of person you really want to be, figure out what's happening within you that leads you astray, and support you to learn to choose behaviours that are safer for you and your loved ones

Perhaps violence or abuse is happening to you?

I have several years experience in supporting people who are in relationships that leave them feeling scared, stressed, confused, indecisive, broken or abused.  I can help you to identify and name your partner's patterns of abuse, find your power, and brainstorm ways to keep yourself and your children safe from harm

If you would prefer to speak with a female counsellor, please contact 1800 RESPECT (1800737732) or get in touch with one of my fabulous colleagues in the WellBeings.Group 

Are you finding it hard to locate English-Speaking Counsellors in your part of the world?

The international experience brings with it a whole range of emotions. Even though you have signed up for adventure, opportunity and excitement - it's also common to feel lonely, daunted, disconnected, out-of-your depth and sometimes just very homesick

If you or your family have relocated to the another part of the world, you might find yourself without the support and social systems that gave you the resilience it took to make this huge decision in the first place. Relationships might be strained, your plans might not be working out quite as you had hoped... And expat connections are also infamously transient, so it can be hard to make lasting friendships

We're speaking the same language...

A long time ago I went to Sicily to settle down... and almost immediately I knew it wasn't going to work. I can only imagine what might have happened if I had found a social network to support me there... in my own language.

So whether you're a long-term expat, a new arrival, or just travelling the globe, reaching out for counselling in your mother tongue might just offer you the extra support you need right now

Online counselling can give you the private space and time to reconnect with your own strengths, your reasons for moving abroad, and the range of experiences you're going through on this chapter of your adventure

With FaceTime or Zoom and an internet connection, it makes no difference where you are... You can reach out to me via text or WhatsApp message, and we can start talking soon

... and you're wondering what to expect?

There's no formula for how counselling works because everyone's situation is different.  

It makes sense for us to get to know each other a bit first, and look at what is happening in your life generally. 

Our first phone consultation will  involve talking about why you've decided to reach out for counselling  assistance. I might ask a few brief questions to help figure out how we  might work together

As a counsellor, I can listen  to your story and ask questions aimed at coaching you to become more  mindful of how your thoughts, feelings, emotions and behaviour maintain  the patterns in your life. The real work of making your life the way you  want it to be is largely up to you

It's quite common to feel strong emotions  or worry about what will happen once you make the decision to open up  your life for examination

Sometimes it's hard to start talking. I don't  like to rush people, but I also know that inaction rarely leads to  life-long change. So I might offer you a gentle challenge to think  creatively about new ways to improve your situation

You  might be back on track after two or three sessions, or you might need  more time to deal with the big stuff. Many people just want to change  one or two problem behaviours, and this can sometimes be achieved in as  little as 6 sessions

You might prefer to take your time unpacking  everything. How long you do counselling for is up to you.  

My sessions are usually one hour long but often the first meeting goes a bit longer, at no extra cost

I look forward to hearing from you!