If it affects your daily feelings, sleeping, eating, and general wellbeing, then yes.
Occasional anxiety is a normal part of life, but when it becomes a part of your everyday life, it may be time to seek help. We all know what anxiety can feel like. That jittery, tingly and heart-racing sensation spreads across your body when you’re dealing with a problem, uncertainty or a significant life event. The feeling is not quite that of fear or stress, though they have a bit in common. For some, those feelings dissipate once the issues have been resolved. For others, anxiety doesn’t go away. It can often worsen over time and interfere with your daily activities, including work, school, and relationships.
Anxiety can affect you in many ways, ranging from mild to disruptive and overwhelming. You may feel tense or uncomfortable, and suffer from excessive sweating, trembling, nausea, IBS, irritability, difficulty breathing or a racing heartbeat. Your mind may be overthinking by worry, confusion, obsession, frustration, irritability or despair. Sometimes, these feelings or symptoms may come on suddenly and intensely, which can signify that you have a panic attack. If any of this resonates with you, I’m here to help. We might not have an off button for our brains, but thankfully we can train our brains to be well-behaved and get better.
Anxiety is a necessary and normal emotion. However, it’s not normal when it infringes on your day-to-day living and becomes a hindrance. In its purest form, anxiety keeps us on track, reminds us of things, and keeps us out of danger. It was beneficial when a woolly mammoth was chasing us; anxiety was there to keep us alive! Today, while we have far fewer immediate perceived threats, the physiological sensation of anxiety from a work deadline or fight with a loved one can feel the same. No wonder we don’t like the feeling, as it can feel incredibly intense and horrifying!
How Does Anxiety Counselling Work?
Firstly we spend time talking about important things in your work and home life, including your relationships, work and daily life habits. This helps me gain insight into you and what makes you tick. Through therapy, we can reduce your experience of anxiety and help you live a calmer and more balanced life.
How Can I Help You Recover From Anxiety?
I tailor treatment to suit you; it’s not one size fits all. Anxiety is not a pleasant emotion for the majority, so we naturally want to avoid experiencing it. To learn to cope with the discomfort, part of the anxiety therapy process is about sharing the situations you fear. We take our time with this, and I provide guidance and support around what’s causing your anxiety. The first step in therapy is to normalise anxiety, everyone has it, and it’s part of being human. Once we understand that everyone naturally has it, it can take the edge off it. We discuss things in your life that might affect your anxiety and work with them to get you feeling better. For many people, it’s not always a simple case of anxiety, but situations, workplaces, family, or relationships contribute to their angst. Once the problems are solved, the anxiety tends to dissipate. Not everything can be resolved, but we can learn how to deal with how we perceive our problems and how we feel about them.
Whatever it is that makes you anxious; therapy can help. Over time, you should notice a decrease in the intensity of your fear – until one day, you find it no longer affects you as much. In anxiety counselling, we will practice this together by identifying your anxiety triggers.
Having relationship problems is entirely normal, but they can become problematic when you aren’t communicating well, don’t feel understood, are frustrated and angry, or, at worst, don’t speak to one another for days.
The purpose of the sessions isn’t for me to pick sides, assign blame, or choose who is right or wrong. Together, we seek solutions and learn how to formulate new communication techniques based on your unique needs as a couple.
I’ve found my method of delivering couples counselling to be highly effective, and those couples who stick to their sessions tend to see a decrease in their problems. I’m a trained mediator, which is hugely beneficial as it helps to keep the conversation in check, be respectful and gain positive outcomes.
The first session is with both of you, lasting one hour and forty minutes (a double session.) You will have plenty of opportunities to speak about your concerns and what you’d like help solving.
Following on, we break into individual meetings for the subsequent two separate sessions, allowing each party to discuss their issues without the other partner. These sessions are entirely confidential. It enables you to discuss anything you don’t feel comfortable sharing with your partner, allowing you to clarify the issues you’d like to resolve. I do not bring anything you said back into your further sessions as a couple.
We then come together as a couple for further sessions. Couples therapy usually lasts around twelve sessions, and I offer counselling packs to facilitate this. We need to commit to having regular sessions with one another, which helps with a commitment to resolving what’s been happening in your past.
Sessions are usually held once a week or fortnight to best suit you. Having problems in relationships usually occurs over a lengthy time, so we need to come together to resolve the issues regularly over time.
There will be homework and things you may not be used to doing with one another, such as weekly meetings, date nights, reading and other fun things. I promise you it’s engaging and not too taxing! Rest assured, those couples who are eager and willing to try new things find much success in resolving their issues and having a successful relationship once again.
Other fees, terms and conditions
Life coaching
Availability
Mediation
*Bulk packs
- Bulk packs are recommended when you decide to commit to your therapy
- Bulk packs offer a 17% discount
(6 sessions for the price of 5) - Bulk packs are paid in full in advance of services.
- All packs are intended to be used in full.
- Partial refunds for unused sessions are not available
Business starter
- I offer a special Counselling Business Start-Up Assistance Program
- This is based on my own hard-earned experience
- Pricing by arrangement
Payments
- Payments are due in advance of service
at the time of booking - I use Square for online payments
- Mastercard and VISA, and Amex Cards accepted
- No cash payment accepted
Corporate wellbeing
- As part of your corporate wellbeing strategy and employee assistance programme, I offer Mindfulness & Stress Reduction Programs.
- Pricing by agreement
Health fund rebates
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I have a complimentary 15-minute phone consultation to see if you can help me?
Yes. Please call or text me. If I am unavailable, please leave a short voicemail or email me. My phone line and voicemail are entirely confidential.
Do you accept Mental Health Care Plans, and do you, Bulk Bill?
No, Mental Health Care Plans and Bulk Billing are only applicable to Psychologists. A GP referral is required to see a Psychologist. Sessions and information remain on your Public Medicare File, and a formal diagnosis may be required and noted on your public health record.
Do I need a referral from my General Practitioner?
No referral is necessary.
Can I book a session online, so I don’t have to call you?
Yes, click on one of the Book a Session button scattered across the site to book an appointment 24/7.
How many sessions will I need?
The number of sessions varies enormously and depends on the issues you bring, and we will discuss this at your first session.
What’s your protocol for Couples Counselling?
Your first session will be a double session of 100 minutes; this enables you to discuss the issues presented. Following on, I will meet each of you individually for 50 minutes. We then regroup for further sessions. There may be a requirement for additional individual sessions based on your circumstances. Typically couples counselling lasts around twelve sessions.
Do you offer discounts?
Yes, I have six sessions available for five. All packs are to be used in full and full payment is to be made in advance of service. Packs are to be used in full. Partial refunds are not available for unused packages.
How do I pay you?
Mastercard, VISA, Credit or Debit Card taken on the day of session booking to confirm your session (payment in advance of service)
Can I claim Health Fund Rebates?
The funds below have counselling rebates available in Australia. Please get in touch with your fund directly to check your level of cover and whether you can claim based on your level of cover.
- Medibank Private
- AHM
- Doctors Health Fund
- Grand United
- Pheonix Health
- Saint Lukes
Are our conversations confidential?
Yes absolutely: All consultations are Private and Confidential*. Records withheld under the Privacy Act 1988 (Some exceptions to the rule*.) We will discuss it at your first session
What techniques do you use?
I utilise proven techniques, including Person-Centred Therapy, Positive Psychology, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Solution-Based Therapy and Mindfulness-Based Therapy suited to the individual. I am qualified in Yoga Breathing techniques to calm anxiety and teach you meditation.