Narcissism Relationship Counselling

In particular, over the last ten years, his interest and learning in the field of couples work has grown exponentially. He is trained in Gottman therapeutic tools and processes and loves how the approach is based on Dr. John Gottman’s more than 40 years of research and experience. He is a constant reader and learner, and loves to bring that learning into the counselling room.

Special interests and experience include: conflict & communication issues, gridlocks, emotional control and regulation, infidelity, relationship confusion, addictions (gambling, porn, alcohol and drug), sex and intimacy issues as well as anxiety and depression.

In a past life, he worked in the corporate world in the field of organisational psychology and human resources and so understands some of the issues and stressors that come with needing to earn a living, finding or changing careers and dealing with all manner of workplace-related issues.

Whether it is a couple, family or other relationship, this Hart therapist can help you to identify, understand and change areas that may be causing you worry and distress. Your relationship is unique and so too are its circumstances and challenges. Online consultation is also available.

In her sessions, she focuses on the health of the relationship as her main focus. She adds insight, care and humour into her sessions. She is an advocate of thoughtfulness and authenticity and she brings her compassionate yet honest attitude in to her sessions as a way of modelling. Where couples decide to separate, she supports both parties’ needs and facilitates a safe space for couples to navigate through that painful process.

When working with couples it is important that both parties attend the sessions as this therapist doesn’t provide individual sessions to couples.

She also works with separated parents who are both committed to establish healthy ways for co-parenting.

This therapist does not offer mediation.

She also offers counselling for singles, pre-marriage and life coaching (which she has experience and qualifications in).

As a keen witness and agent of change, our Hart therapist is excited and committed to accompany you along your journey of growth, healing and transformation. It is never too late to make a change and it is always a great time to start!

This may involve working to nurture and improve an existing relationship or reflecting on what’s not working well. She works from the basis that relationships are complex and require lifelong attention. In her practice, she has found that when personal relationships are not working well, the ability to cope with other areas of life and often affected too.

This hart therapist is warm and inviting, open and insightful. She is passionate about assisting couples to feel more in tune with each other, improve communication and connect at a deeper level. She works hard to ensure a safe and supportive space for individuals and couples to explore their inner world and that of their partners.

Her therapeutic approach draws from a range of overarching frameworks including family systems, psychodynamic psychotherapy, emotion focused therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy and couple and family therapy.

She works with individuals and couples experiencing a range of difficulties including communication, sex, desire and intimacy, infidelity, parenting, addictions, navigating the online space, grief, loss, infertility, the joining of two families and separation.

The first counselling session aims to obtain a ‘helicopter’ view of the relationship or issue. This may include the difficulties that have brought the couple to counselling, the history of the problem, what the couple would like to get out of the sessions and some information about past experiences. This then becomes useful in subsequent sessions to address the important matters as they arise.

This hart therapist is a mum, wife, teacher and counsellor. She began her journey supporting families and children as a teacher. Fuelled by her passion to do more and help kids and their families, she gained her Masters in Guidance and Counselling.

Her passion for relationship counselling was ignited as she realised that the best way to support children was to support their adults to build health and flourishing relationships. Her professional journey led her to indigenous communities in Cape York where she and her hubby remained for 6 years. This time on The Cape deeply shaped her practice and gave her extensive experience working with people with complex needs and backgrounds.

Today, she uses her vast professional experience and taps into her personal journey as a wife and mum to practically support couples both as individuals and a joined whole. She supports clients on the Gold Coast in Queensland Australia and online worldwide. Motivated to help people work smarter in their relationships and improve their heart connection she delights in supporting people to find simple and personal strategies that transform lives and relationships from the inside out.

In his life time, our Hart therapist has participated in what it means to engage in change and what is involved in self-understanding.

The challenges people discover during their existence shapes individuals and are often a result of their unique past experiences, and when solutions are ineffective and can’t be integrated in life, causing unnecessary disruption and unhappiness; these may need to be explored in a therapeutic setting, which requires a sensitive and personalised approach.

He is an excellent communicator and collaborates with his clients throughout their sessions in terms of procedures and their evolvement. He invites to his services those who are looking to improve their overall wellbeing and existence, through a holistic and supportive platform in order to sustain a successful outcome.

Over the years, he has adapted several modalities that have been highly recognised in the therapeutic profession and is decidedly competent in applying the appropriate technique to suit your circumstances.

He provides practical ways to help partners move forward, to create emotional connection, that strengthens relationships. He is non-judgemental in his approach and offers an unbiased service.

Several new areas of counselling he is offering now include;

1. Intimacy & Desire Counselling

Desire problems can include:

• lack of desire by one or both partners
• mismatched libidos
• Maintaining a good sex life when tired from children
• Power struggles and who chases who – the masculine/feminine
• Getting your sex life back on track after life gets in the way
• Lack of communication about sex and sexual problems
• Sexual knots or combinations of misinterpretations and shutdowns
• Recovering from affairs
• Sex over 50 – including menopause, slower erections, lack of desire and resentment

2. Sex Therapy

• Erectile difficulties
• Premature ejaculation
• Delayed ejaculation
• Orgasmic disorders
• Painful intercourse /vaginismus
• Fetishes, Exhibitionistic disorder
• Hypersexual disorder
• Paedophilia

3. Sexual trauma

4. Porn addiction

This Hart Psychologist draws from her cognitive behavioural training and is mindful of the importance of tailoring therapy to the individual client needs.

As a parent in a busy home, she understands the challenges many couples face in managing their own lives and providing a stable home for their children.

She believes communication and honesty are vital in building a loving relationship, and that through supportive counselling the most challenging relationships can succeed and grow.

This Hart therapist enjoys working with couples who might be in a committed relationship that has lost its way or a relationship recovering from infidelity or if their old patterns of interactions are no longer serving them.

Her practice is trauma-informed and provides clients with skills to explore their individual and shared stories, uncover blockages and habits that prevent them from achieving an authentic loving relationship and rekindle connection and intimacy.

She aims to support clients to improve their coping and communication skills and understanding of their needs and help them discover ways to grow together in a healthy relationship.

Her areas of expertise in working with couples include Relationship Breakdown, Post-separation, Communication Skills, Infidelity related issues, Anxiety, Grief and Loss and LGBTQI+ counselling.

She has extensive experience as a relationship and trauma counsellor, and has previously worked at Relationships Australia Tasmania and Relationships Australia Queensland. Currently, she also works at Sexual Assault Support Service along with running her private practice. She has experience working with family and relationship counselling, victims of crime counselling, redress counselling support and employee assistance counselling.

She received her Honours in Psychology and completed her Masters in Psychotherapy and Counselling from Western Sydney University. She is a clinical member of the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia (PACFA).

This Hart therapist can also provide counselling in Hindi.

She implements evidence-based psychological theories to normalise your current situation, and realistic achievable strategies to make a positive difference when you leave each session. Elena makes sure both parties are heard equally and have the space to express their perspective, ultimately building stronger empathetic connections.

Together with her practice in Arana Hills; Elena is also the Brisbane Mothers’ Mental Health Network Coordinator, publishes monthly articles in several outlets, and customises training & education for her clients on her YouTube channel. These are examples of a holistic approach to her clients needs for education, empowerment and normalising how we all can struggle at maintaining our unique and healthy relationships.

Her ultimate aim in couples counselling is to increase intimacy, affection and respect in every relationship. This will lead to stronger empathetic communications and ultimately reduce conflicts because each partner grows greater compassion and understanding for each other. By listening to all perspectives, she is able to Identify negative cycles or patterns that hurts their relationship and adopting new positive and healthy interactions. This doesn’t only help the couples in the session, it can also be implemented into each others daily lives to impact their work, family and friend relationships as well – leading to greater sense of wellbeing and shared purpose.

Not only is this Hart Counsellor highly-qualified in marriage counselling, general counselling and family life counselling, but she also draws on her life experience to offer a holistic approach. Using her experiences running a business for many years, as well as the challenges of bringing up three now adult children, she’s well-equipped to understand the stresses of family and work life. She works hard to create a comfortable, trusting and relaxed setting in which you feel confident to voice your concerns and approach challenges with newly learnt skills.

Having worked with many different clients across Melbourne, she is committed to helping those facing life’s struggles by building confidence, identifying behaviour patterns and developing the skills to create a happier and healthier way forward.

This Hart therapist works with both adult men and women as well as adolescents. He also works with men both young and old, focused on issues around relationships, parenting issues including those related to step/blended families, perpetrators of domestic violence as well as those experiencing domestic violence in their intimate relationships and clients going through separation and divorce.

He believes that no matter who we are, we can all benefit from talking to somebody about issues and challenges that affect our lives. If you are having issues with your relationships or an emotional breakdown due to divorce, failure, or loss of a loved one.

He tailors his approach to each individual client’s therapeutic needs, combining a wide range of therapeutic approaches. These include, Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy, Solution Focused Brief Therapy, Gottman method, Mindfulness-Based Therapy, Gestalt Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Attachment Theory, person centred and trauma-informed approaches.

This Hart therapist works from a person-centred approach, which means that everyone has the resources to resolve the challenges they face. She helps her clients develop skills that will empower them to address conflicts better. She believes emotional growth results in a healthy way of thinking, which leads to healthier relationships. She works with individuals, couples and families from different cultural backgrounds. She has lived experience of stress, anxiety and low self-worth. She also has experience of moving to a new environment and successfully adapting in the community. This gives her a unique insight into the experiences of individuals from diverse cultures.

She will work with you in a caring and compassionate manner to help you explore your inner strength, so you feel stronger and more powerful. If you are facing uncertainties and challenges in your life, she will travel with you to meet you where you are in your life to understand how you see the world. She believes that you have the resources that are unique to you.

With respect for the relationship and care for his clients, he is able to support couples have conversations they may never have had. He then works together with his clients to find solutions which support the safety and well-being of everyone.

He draws from a variety of counselling theories and approaches which are chosen according to what his clients are looking for. His particular areas of interest are: intimacy, communication, affairs, grief and loss, parenting, and other family challenges.

In couples counselling, she works collaboratively with her clients to help them express what they need in their intimate relationships to feel safe, secure, and uniquely valued.

She has a strong interest in relationship issues resulting from affairs and betrayals, depression, chronic illness, intergenerational trauma, grief and loss, and problems with sexual and emotional intimacy. She is also committed to working with clients who are experiencing conflict arising from major life transitions (e.g., births, deaths, marriages, children leaving home, starting school, relocation, job changes and retraining), and in the prevention of intimate partner violence.

She uses a range of therapeutic approaches to suit her clients’ needs.

She is passionate about supporting her clients to create new meaning and opportunities in life.

She helps clients who are dealing with grief, loss, anxiety, self esteem, relationship difficulties, end of relationships, life changes and personal growth. She offers a completely confidential safe place to work through these areas and gain positive insights. She has a warm and empathetic style. She uses client lead counselling techniques and will meet you where you are, and will help you to get to where you want to be.

She is a member of the Psychotherapists and Counsellors Federation of Australia, and the International Coaching Federation. She has a Bachelor of Counselling (Coaching) from the Australian College of Psychology. She loves to help people find the best possible versions of themselves.

This likable approach fits the counselling needs of her clients. Her calm, relaxed style, enables her to work successfully within all areas of therapeutic intervention.  She is a registered clinical psychotherapist and counsellor, registered parent educator, trainer and facilitator.  She is an International Member of Youth for Mental Health, QCoss, AASW and is MAASW accredited.

She has 16 years extra post graduate experience and credentials in Clinical Focused Psychological Strategies and Skills; all Mental Health matters, including suicidality. She has worked nationally, in both governmental and non governmental agencies.

In reflection, she says  “The past ten years have been challenging yet extremely valuable  years, working within some very difficult areas of counselling.  The reward comes when achieving a turn in perspective for people, it has been a true leveller, to realize that no matter where people are situated on the socio-economic spectrum, we all feel and think in the same dynamic, we all hurt, and we all can heal. She has worked the northern shores of Sydney, and all major capital cities nationally.

” The best reward for me I feel comes when a person discloses that they have seen other counsellors, some for years, and they state, without any significant changes. We live in a very complicated world, I understand well the complexities that go with doing so.  Without reaching out when we are hurting, we are at risk of developing depression, to not speak about our emotional pain, puts us at risk.. . . it’s not a bad idea nowadays, to put your hand up and ask for some guidance and support, this is the hardest thing for some to do, but the most crucial step, as it is the first stroke on a canvas for creating a new life ahead. Most people that come in for support and counselling, work well, and so they are able to recover, get stronger, and move ahead with their lives.”

Other specialist areas include couples and relationship counselling, ADHD, spectrum disorders, manic depression, childhood and adult mood disorders, confidence and self-esteem issues for women and men, addictions, self harming,  sexual abuse, cult affiliation and abuse, torture and trauma victims.  She has worked nationally, at the highest level of clinical psychotherapy and counselling, and in some very difficult localities and social settings.

She is approachable and outcome focused. She is creative in helping increase awareness and both understanding and respectful when helping unpack her clients past and present challenges. She will work with her clients to get back on track in a safe and supportive environment and focuses on providing the tools needed to improve their self-esteem and self-confidence, strengthen relationships and reach their individual goals.

She looks to empower her clients and individualises the therapeutic approach for each person. She does this by using evidence-based, cognitive behavioural therapy techniques that go way beyond just listening to the issues or concerns at hand, and truly helps you to progress to the life you want with greater wellbeing and life satisfaction.

She has received cutting-edge training from the preeminent world authorities on relationships, Prof. Susan Johnson, Prof. John Gottman and Dr. Julie Schwartz Gottman.

Early in her career, before writing a novel, she was a love and relationships columnist for a national magazine.

Her couples’ consultations facilitate emotional connection and the longevity of love.  While appreciating the uniqueness of each client, in terms of their feelings, concerns, needs, priorities, background and personality, her comprehensive knowledge of the complexity of relationships helps cultivate the intimate environment clients yearn for.

This Hart Psychologist can help couples:

• Identify interaction patterns that lead to distress
• Communicate in ways that emotionally connect them
• Manage conflict and problem-solve in a productive manner
• State needs clearly
• Work through unresolved issues
• Negotiate change
• Repair emotional wounds after betrayal, abuse or emotional neglect

She can help individuals:

• Change self-defeating thoughts and behaviours
• Clarify thoughts and emotions
• Explore the unrewarding aspects of their life and increase their sense of contentment
• Develop insight into what underpins their unfavourable reactions and behaviours
• Expand awareness, acceptance and compassion towards self and others
• Feel some relief if they’re in pain, or adapt to circumstances that are outside their control.

Clients can expect respect, compassion and a down-to-earth approach.  Every consultation is aimed at deepening their emotional connection and developing a more satisfying involvement.  When we improve the quality of our intimate relationship, we improve the quality of our life.

By using the therapeutic relationship for change and highlighting your strengths she will assist you in meeting your therapeutic needs.

She will often adjust her techniques to meet the client’s needs as each individual is unique and demands a different hearing/ approach. She integrates Mindfulness in her sessions, finding the method can be very useful at times.

She is the author of an honours-thesis.

This Hart therapist works with clients in a safe, accepting, and non-judgmental way and supports the clients to develop different perspectives, challenge thoughts and gain self-awareness.

She provides tools, resources, and knowledge to help the client to achieve their goals and desires. She creates a rewarding relationship with her clients to help them to obtain a renewed sense of wellbeing.

She utilises Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Emotionally Focused Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Solution Focused Therapy in order to meet the client’s therapeutic needs.

This Hart therapist works with adults, children and adolescents to create positive outcomes for people to change their lives. She provides a safe and confidential environment where everyone including couples, families, children and adults can explore their feelings and experiences. It is here that people can truly understand and accept themselves and move forward into an inspired life.

She recognises that counselling can be confronting to begin with, but has seen first-hand the positive changes that counselling can have. She encourages you if you want to change or are facing difficulties in your life to take a leap of faith and believe that life can be better and that you can live life to your greatest potential with the help of counselling.

She works with both individuals and couples in her Adelaide practice, who present with a wide range of issues including: anxiety, stress, depression, anger issues, communication difficulties, relationship and sexual problems, infidelity, parenting problems and much more.

She has a special interest in working with couples, in new or long-standing relationships. She gently brings awareness to any destructive patterns and habits that may have formed over a long period of time, or may have been brought from previous relationships and childhood experiences. Her skill is in seeing the things that may be difficult to see from the inside and helping people, without judgement or pressure, to find a way forward that honours the needs of both partners.

She works with clients in a creative and open way that ensures it is a joint process that seeks to empower and bring confidence to everyone involved. She is naturally skilled in hearing her client’s unique perspective and understanding and bringing to light the ways people are thinking, feeling and behaving and how this is affecting their interactions and personal sense of wellbeing. She is experienced in teaching and supporting people to communicate in healthy, honest and respectful ways that greatly improve their relationships.

Her approach is responsive, empathic and relational. She understands how skills developed in the therapy space need to be transferable to a couple’s home life. She provides specific strategies and tools to get things ‘back on track’, improve communication and effectively manage conflict. It’s often the ‘little things’ couples fight about or the ‘same old’ things, which become roadblocks to intimacy and connection. She will initially explore your goals for the relationship and help identify where your strengths and challenges are.

She loves spending spare time with her husband, adult children, toy poodle and going for walks in nature. She also enjoys creating large abstract artworks on canvas, which often informs her counselling work around what requires more focus or attending to.

Working on your relationship takes commitment, practice, time and courage. She will support you to give it your ‘best shot’ and create lasting change.

Before becoming a psychologist, he worked in a number of significant roles in the Public Sector for over 20 years, initially as an economist and later as an Executive for 16 years.

This experience has given him great insight and understanding of what it is like to be a professional or an executive working in complex roles and managing a range of life, relationships, and workplace challenges. He has experienced what it is like to be a professional or executive who feels stuck in a negative pattern or cycle in their life, work or relationships.

This personal experience of being in a ‘life funk’ … worried about not performing to others’ expectations … feeling that he is letting down his wife (also an executive) and children … not truly following his own path and true passion.

This passion is about helping people like him … to improve their life, relationships and work. To find out what makes them tick and figure out what is ‘holding them back’ from achieving their dreams.

This passion led him to pursue his dream of becoming a psychologist, helping professionals and executives individually and in couples therapy.

Building on his successful career as an Executive and training as a coach, he decided to pursue his true passion in becoming a psychologist in private practice. He has established a special practice that delivers cutting edge therapy and counselling to executive and professional clients. Through his extensive experience as a psychologist and coach, he has come to understand what works and what doesn’t work in therapy and what leads to lasting change.

His psychological approach draws inspiration from Carl Jung, Alfred Adler and Karen Horney – famous psychologists in the 20th century – that ‘all problems are interpersonal problems.’ He has witnessed through in his own life and his clients – that our problems are manifested through our relationships with significant people in our personal, education and workplace life. He observes that:

“In my own life and the life of my clients, I now recognise that individuals present or are confronted with problems that at the root level are in connection to their relationships.”

His aim is to help you get to the root cause of the problem and to overcome the hidden roadblocks that have stopped you (as an individual or couple) feeling better and living the life that you want to live. In doing so, you will feel more confident, happy, hopeful and better connected to those around you.

This Hart therapist is down-to-earth, nonjudgmental and respectful: he creates a safe and trusting environment for his clients to discuss, explore, and resolve their concerns. Even in the most trying of circumstances, he gives his clients the support they need to turn their most challenging circumstances into opportunities for positive change. He equips his clients with practical strategies and workable solutions to all manner of concerns and difficulties. He is especially skilled at helping clients to manage conflict and improve their relationships.

He has a client-centred and outcome-focused approach to counselling. He tailors each session according to his clients’ unique personal needs and situations. He is strongly committed to helping his clients achieve their personal and professional life goals.

Working with individuals who may need to create a better work-life balance, need tools to help mange anger, struggle to maintain relationships, recovering from a broken relationship, moving on from loss, separation, divorce and stress management and sleep improvement are all areas where she can assist. Additionally, she has experience working with couples offering improved communication skills, support in the recovery from infidelity, reigniting desire and mismatched libido and many other relationship concerns.

Our Sexual Health Therapist is a member of ASSERT (Australian Society of Sex Educators Researchers and Therapists) and ISSHM (International Society of Sexual Heath).  Sex Therapists are qualified counsellors and healthcare professionals who have had extensive training in human sexuality. Along with a Psychology Degree, she has her Masters in Medicine Science and Sexual Health from the University Of Sydney. She continually increases her clinical knowledge with further research and training. She has extensive clinical experience with Erectile Dysfunction, performance anxiety, delayed and premature ejaculation, porn and sex addiction, sexual fetishes and painful sex (Vaginismus), low desire, low libido and sexual trauma.

Sexual issues can often cause distress and conflict in relationships and sex therapists can assist with these difficulties. As a qualified Sex Therapist, she uses specialised clinical skills and theoretical knowledge to help people deal with sexual difficulties or concerns.

Clients can expect her mature, professional and clinical experience to aid them in achieving the goals desired. A focus on result driven therapy has provided many others with success, and her ability to create a comfortable environment to discuss intimate and personal issues is of great value and importance.

This Hart therapist upholds the highest standards of professionalism and ethical practice. She is an accredited Mediator with AIFLAM and RMAB, an accredited Family Group Facilitator, and a member of the ACA. She is committed to fostering healthy communication, resolving conflicts, and strengthening familial bonds through evidence-based therapeutic interventions.

As a certified professional, she demonstrates her commitment to her clients. They always have the assurance that she not only knows what she is talking about, but she is dedicated to delivering solutions. She works with many successful clients to achieve happiness.

She is a down to earth woman who knows success in life and is often supported by those who love her most. She also recognizes the importance of self-growth in herself and others. Being a mother of three (3), a wife, a daughter and a grand mother of two (2) she knows the importance of strong and reliable relationships. These are the foundations that allow one the freedom to move forward with confidence.

Throughout her many and varied experiences, her acute awareness of what works and what doesn’t has allowed her to help others in developing their own successful strategies and procedures. From her experience of different types of counsellors and coaches, she noticed a more flexible, attuned and direct approach was needed to fully service the needs of individuals.

When visiting the clinic, you will be welcomed by the new therapy dog “Andy”. He is an 8 month old Dachshund  who will be visiting once a week whilst in “training”.

Her holistic approach moves clients forward quickly and successfully. By acknowledging and addressing the root of problems, she provides clients with the tools to create permanent, positive change in their lives while encouraging a greater sense of self-awareness. Open minded, compassionate and respectful, she is committed to helping people improve their wellbeing by resolving conflict and developing effective communication and problem-solving skills. The ultimate aim is for clients to experience a more fulfilling life, better relationships and a deeper understanding of themselves.

Shecombines both eastern and western therapies and her highly effective approach is based on addressing all aspects of wellbeing including mental, emotional, physical and spiritual health.

She is a Professional Counsellor, Life Coach, Master NLP Practitioner, Time Line Therapist and Hypnotherapist.

Clients find she has a warm, empathic and non-judgemental approach which allows them to safely explore their issues. She also has a fine understanding of the importance of relationships in people’s lives, for their sense of well-being, happiness and health. She knows how painful and stressful it can be when these relationships founder, and she recognises the courage involved in taking the step to seek help. She worked full-time at Relationships Australia for six years at the beginning of her career, and has also been trained in individual therapy. She is also experienced in working with female same-sex couples, and with people suffering from childhood traumas.

She also has several years experience conducting online Skype consultations.

Her ultimate therapeutic goal is to assist clients in unleashing their own potential and overcome and/or manage their psychological and other issues so that they can live a fulfilled and meaningful life. She provides a therapeutic environment that is conducive to healing and empowerment through her compassionate, warm, non-judgemental and caring approaches.

She is particularly passionate about assisting couples and others dealing with interpersonal issues to develop skills to improve their own resilience, self-esteem whilst enhancing their communication styles and managing conflict.  She not only loves to assist clients in addressing their relationship problems but also in deepening and enriching their relationships to promote sustainable growth and happiness.

She employs an integrative, holistic, flexible and client-centred approach in her psychology practice, using an array of scientifically proven techniques to assist clients.

He provides effective therapeutic support to adults, couples and families. He also teaches and supervises counselling students.

Each session with this Hart therapist is focused on his client’s needs by starting where the client is at. He incorporates a range of therapeutic approaches to address a variety of concerns, in a way which is meaningful for each of his clients.

He is a clinical member of the Psychotherapy and Counselling Association of Australia, Australian Society of Sex Educators and Research Therapists NSW, and the Australian and New Zealand Mental Health Association. Prior to working in private practice, he has a substantial background working in management and consultancy in the public and private sectors.

Click here to read our interview about the counselling he offers.

Memberships:

• Clinical member Psychotherapy and Counselling Association of Australia (PACFA),
• Australian Society of Sex Educators and Research Therapists NSW ASSET (NSW),
• Australian and New Zealand Mental Health Association ANZMHA)

Her passion is to teach couples how to “fireproof “ their relationship through learning the skills of communication and conflict resolution, and providing them with a template for resolving past and future challenges with a new found confidence.

She often sees couple relationships troubled by poor communication skills; an inability to resolve conflict; difficulty in making joint decisions; trust and infidelity issues; different approaches to parenting styles, money, sex and extended families as well as problems associated with separation and divorce.

She works with both individuals and couples to discover new ways of experiencing themselves and their relationships that are rewarding and fulfilling.

She works with Face to Face counselling as well as Skype, Email and Phone Counselling.

She has run Couples Workshops, Pre-Marital Education for Engaged Couples and Weight Awareness programs. She has attended a wide variety of Conferences and Workshops over the years both in Australia and Internationally.

She is married with children.

She is a certified Sex Educator and Sex Therapist with ASSERT (Australian Society of Sex Educators, Researchers and Therapists 2009)  and is a clinical member of AAFT (Australian Association of Family Therapists).  She applies Bowlby’s Attachment Theory & Family Systems Theory to assist clients in their efforts to improve their wellbeing and relationship effectiveness.

Clients are encouraged to learn about, and develop the capacity to shift perspectives, and to appreciate the importance of our relationships – how it impacts our development, sense of self, ability to deal with others, and mental health.  That understanding their partner’s brain and attachment style can help them defuse conflict and build a secure relationship.  Also trained in the Gottman Method of Couples Therapy, she utilises the Gottman Relationship Checkup  and report to identify the relationships strengths and challenges, concerns and recommendations.

Sessions are available in person, or via telephone or Skype by arrangement.

This Hart therapist most enjoys working with couples who are committed to putting in the effort required both personally and relationally, as this is where lasting change occurs.

She takes a collaborative and learning approach to work with couples. Each relationship is unique and a human’s individual needs and goals for their relationship matters. She helps couples chart a way forward to get out of being stuck and stop fighting and to build connection, bonding and achieve their goals. Enough loneliness, distance and disengagement!

She has 3 qualifications- counselling, applied science and an aspect of science devoted to human factors and the manifestation of mental health issues to bodily symptoms.

In addition, she is trained in multiple therapeutic modalities… because her work as a couple’s therapist is one of her passions. She also supervises and trains therapists in the Developmental Model of couple’s therapy.

She is a discernment counsellor and she loves helping couples make that very important decision – to stay or go. She is a specialist in this field as she has facilitated teams making complex decisions.

For couples who are uncertain about whether to divorce or not, she can facilitate the decision-making process, on this important matter. Building trust and good communication are paramount to successful relationships. She helps to build greater connection and care between couples who choose to stay together or to separate amicably, if staying together is not the goal.

She has a keen interest in working with couples and families and believes that good relationships can be central to one’s psychological and physical wellbeing.

She is particularly passionate and committed to assisting couples develop skills and resilience to tackle life problems and work towards addressing the needs of each individual as well as the needs of the couple. She has a special interest in sexual intimacy, trust, conflict and communication issues. She works with couples towards achieving realistic and wise decisions about their relationship.

Her warm, caring approach and respectful non-judgmental manner validates her deep belief in engaging with her clients and developing a trusting, safe and collaborative environment.

She uses evidence – based psychology to improve the wellbeing of young people and adults.  Her approach incorporates cognitive-behavioural therapy, solution focused therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy as well as elements of mindfulness and positive psychology.

Read this therapist’s interview about her work here.

She is available for appointments for Sydney Marriage Counselling, Relationship Counselling, Family Counselling, Sexual Difficulties, Porn Addiction, Narcissism, Pre-Marriage Counselling, Phone Appointments and Skype Appointments.

This Hart therapist has specialised training in sex therapy both in Australia and the USA. She also understands personally and theoretically the impact that trauma can have on both the individual and the couple dynamics in any relationship. She is currently undergoing further advanced trauma studies in Eye Movement Desensitisation & Reprocessing (EMDR).

She creates a safe, non-judgemental environment that enables her clients to share openly their thoughts and concerns. This then enables her to utilise a number of different techniques and modalities which allow her clients to move to a more positive, open and even joyful space, taking with them the tools they have learned, allowing progression of their own journey. In this way, she has helped hundreds of individuals and couples.

She works with individuals and couples struggling with issues pertaining to gender, sexuality, self-acceptance, grief and loss, adoption, depression and anxiety, eating disorders, and interpersonal relationships. Together she explores with her clients their values, identifies their commitments and the aspects of their life that are important to them, and then works to sensitively peel back the numerous life stressors that might keep her client from not living the life that is desired.

She offers an integrated holistic approach, working with the emotional, the physical, the mental and the existential/spiritual. She believes that a treatment plan should be individually tailored to each client or couple. She likes to partner with clients, involving them regarding the focus of the work, the duration, the review of work and what success will look like. In this way, her clients are active participants in the therapeutic process, and therefore in their own healing.

She has a special interest in individual and relationship counselling and seeing clients with sexual difficulties.  This Hart Psychologist understands that relationships are rarely smooth sailing and that with some knowledge you can create the relationship that you really want, or move on in the least stressful way if this is the direction you wish to take.

In addition to seeing clients for relationship counselling and sexual difficulties, she is also available for appointments relating to Pre-Marriage Counselling, Anger Management, Narcissism, Porn Addiction, and is also available for phone/skype appointments if needed.

She is a warm and caring person, who will listen to both sides without judgement or bias, and will give you practical steps to ensure you both realise your full potential individually and in your relationship.

She focuses on assisting couples to identify barriers to healthy, mutually nurturing relationships and to develop alternative patterns of interaction. Her experience in adult mental health equips her to help partners in narcissistic relationships regain their confidence and self-respect. She is especially sensitive to the unique issues faced by same-sex and cross-cultural couples.

As a family therapist and family mediator, she is familiar with the issues involved in separation and divorce, re-partnering and blended families. She offers family counselling on these issues, among others. She is also sensitive to male depression, which is often misjudged as irritability and anger, especially in the context of marital breakdown.

She believes that the fast pace of modern life makes it too easy for couples to forget the important principles of a healthy relationship: CODE; Compassion, Openness, Depth, Equality. Her gentle, caring and compassionate approach will help you make the desired positive changes you choose for your life and your relationship. Other areas of interest and areas of expertise include depression, anxiety, post traumatic stress disorder, recovery from sexual abuse, workcover and education.

She offers counselling via Skype or phone, in circumstances where face to face counselling is too difficult to arrange.

She has a doctorate in education and in addition to her private practice, is also a researcher at the university. She has also co-authored the book ‘A Girl’s Education’.

Read our interview with her about the marriage and relationship counselling she offers here.

When she is not at work, she enjoys a busy lifestyle with her partner and their children.

She is a certified Emotion Focused Therapist (EFT) and has obtained her certification with the ICEFT. In particular, she is interested in understanding how best to assist couples when there has been a significant traumatic or hurtful event/s. She commenced working with couples in 1993 while on a placement with Relationships Australia.  Since this time, she has continued to undertake specialist training in working with couples.

She has been in the field of counselling since 1986, and has an employment history of providing counselling for non-government, government and private agencies. Areas she has training include: Emotionally Focused Therapy – Couples & Individuals, Relationship Counselling, Schema Therapy, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Grief & Bereavement Therapy, Hypnosis, Recovery from Abuse, Body Image issues, Workplace Stress management, Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, Adjustment Disorder, and Anxiety & Depression.

She has studied in several areas of the social sciences, and holds the following degrees: Honours B. Soc. Sc. (Pysch.); Graduate Degree in Psychology; Bachelor of Social Work; Bachelor of Education; Graduate Diploma in Counselling and a Master of Counselling.

Please note: She currently offers Sex Therapy from her Brisbane CBD clinic only.

See all of our Relationship Counselling Brisbane locations.

Having trained in Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy at Curtin University of Western Australia, and studied Family Therapy and Family Research at University of Colorado, Boulder, USA, the approach she uses is evidence based. She identifies emotion as the most important factor in adult attachment and the way couples bond. With an emphasis on the way in which partners connect emotionally and when in distressing patterns, she helps partners reconnect to build stronger bonds.  She also draws from other therapies such as psychodynamic and cognitive-behavioural, in addressing and working through individual factors that also impact on our relationship with ourselves and partner.

She can assist with communication difficulties and the management of conflict, intimacy issues both physical and emotional, reconnecting after an affair, and issues to do with power and control.  She is also aware of the many and varied challenges faced by couples across the life span and can assist couples through difficult developmental transitions such as having children, coping with ageing, illness, and the blended family.

Within a confidential, safe and supportive environment, she can help you to work through your relationship issues and help you to achieve a deeper connection with your significant other.

She has a particular interest in assisting couples to explore those matters that are often sensitive or difficult to discuss including sexual problems.  Her approach to such matters ensures that you can feel comfortable exploring matters of sensitivity without the usual level of distress that typically goes with discussing such issues.

She is passionate about helping people to rebuild strong relationships by helping couples and families to explore and investigate what makes each other feel happy and loved.  She will work with you to help each partner in the relationship recognise how to successfully, and happily, meet each other’s needs so that you can re-kindle that ‘in-love’ feeling once again and heal your relationship.

Whether your relationship is with your spouse, your friend, your partner or your children, she will use her supportive, warm and caring approach to helping each of you understand how to love one another once again so that each partner in the relationship can feel valued, respected, understood and loved.

In addition to her specialising in relationship counselling and seeing clients for sexual difficulties, she also sees clients for pre-marriage counselling, anger management, narcissism and porn addiction.

She believes in providing a safe and respectful environment for both opposite and same sex couples, at any stage of their relationship. In order for helpful outcomes to be achieved for each individual, she assists couples to build on their strengths and improve their skills in listening, communication and connection. She is friendly, professional and takes care to ensure counselling services are tailored to the needs of her clients.

Sessions are available face to face, over the telephone or Zoom depending on your preferences.

Over the past 24 years, he has earned himself a reputation for working collaboratively with clients in a friendly, warm, and practical manner. His caring, compassionate, and positive nature, coupled with his overall light-hearted approach make him easy to talk to about any issue. Over the years, he has gained significant experience in assisting individuals and couples living with low self-esteem; anger; anxiety; depression; unproductive communication; infidelity; internet pornography; relationship issues; conflict; same-sex attraction/relationships; and violence.

He is an AHPRA-registered Psychologist and a full Member of the Australian Association of Psychologists Inc.; Psychology Board of Australia; Australian Association for Cognitive Behaviour Therapy; and North-West Peer Support Group in Melbourne.

He uses many therapeutic modalities in his eclectic approach.

His motto ‘working towards better mental health’ is underpinned by his belief that one of his key roles is to meet his clients where they are. This allows him to gain an understanding of their situation. He then facilitates their thinking so they can better understand their situation and options, and make their informed decisions about their relationships.

Some of the goals that he sets collaboratively with his clients are psychoeducation, interpersonal skills training, honesty and accountability, reciprocally safe and respectful communication, negotiation, conflict resolution, equality, practicing mutually consistent standards, collaboration, shared responsibility and decision-making, interpersonal trust and support, non-threatening behaviour, intimacy, personal integrity, and mutual transparency, presence, and respect.

Some of the outcomes that clients have reported to him are feeling better about themselves, their partner and their relationship; improved communication; effective conflict resolution; healing from historical emotional hurts; wanting to be in their relationship again; having their ‘spark’ re-ignited; and looking forward to a better future. Based on these reports, in 2020, Julie Hart presented him with the first-ever Hart Centre Award for being “The Associate who consistently received the most positive client feedback, Australia-wide”; a humbling honour that he graciously received on behalf of his clients.

Underpinned by respect, his counselling focus is on providing psychoeducation and skills training, so couples can feel empowered to address and resolve life’s inevitable challenges outside his consulting room. Hence the efficient transition of many of his clients from reparative to preventive counselling.

He feels that people ‘inviting him to be a guest’ in their lives in their time of need, is a privilege for which he is grateful.

He is aware of the importance of healthy communication and the role emotions play in relationships. Without effective communication tools and the ability to clearly express emotions, couples and families often face a vast array of difficulties.

This Hart therapist trained in Italy to become a psychotherapist. After his degree in Clinical Psychology, he completed a post graduate degree in Family Psychotherapy. He has more than 10 years of practice in working with clients experiencing a variety of mental and relational health issues.

He is currently pursuing a PhD in Telehealth/Digital Health at the University of Melbourne. He has been involved in academia for more than 10 years publishing also several works.

He loves to diversify his interests in a variety of mental health issues and relationship conditions in order to support his clients in every stage of their lives. He has gained extensive experience in public and private sectors and helps his clients to recover from different mental and relationship issues by harmonising theoretical and clinical understanding.

He supports couples facing a range of emotional and relationship issues such as communication breakdowns, sexual disorders, loss of trust, parenting styles and extended family issues.

He has intensively trained to treat individuals, couples and families. He has had the opportunity to attend The Family and Relationship Therapy Centre which is led by some of the European pioneers of the Systemic Family approach. He stays up-to-date with the ongoing European therapy methodologies, bringing science and new models to his practice.

Furthermore, he has also completed a post graduate degree in Clinical Sexology.  This allows him to competently work with individuals and couples through a wide range of sexual issues.

He can also deliver therapy sessions in Italian language.

This Hart therapist’s practice combines experience and knowledge with care and compassion. She provides a strong client centred approach, working collaboratively with couples to identify priorities, support wellbeing and work towards positive change. She believes it is important that couples gain hope, relief and a way forward right from the first session.

In her work with couples, she offers valuable tools to reduce stress and build communication confidence and competence. She also offers the opportunity to connect current relationship patterns with past life experiences, with the aim of assisting clients to gain new perspectives and greater insight and empathy for themselves and each other.

She assists a wide variety of individuals and couples from diverse cultural backgrounds and couples from LGBTIQ+ communities.

She has extensive experience working with individuals and couples who may be struggling with anxiety, depression, anger, past or current trauma and abuse, grief and loss, relationships difficulties across the life cycle, parenting struggles, separation and divorce and other life transitions. She also offers step family formation and transition work; recovery from experiences of family violence/ trauma and assistance to take responsibility for harmful behaviours in relationships.

She has a commitment to gain regular feedback from her clients, in order to create a safe and effective therapeutic relationship. She uses this feedback to inform her work, and is able to employ a combination of evidenced based relationship therapies, such as Emotion Focused Couples Therapy, Gottman and interpersonal neurobiological methods. She is also able to employ Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), systemic and narrative therapies.

She is exceptionally qualified in couples counselling, and in helping couples sort through the issues and dysfunctional patterns that prevent them enjoying their relationships. She believes that the nearly all troubled relationships can be assisted to regain the openness, joy and flow that are the hallmarks of health.

Her doctoral thesis was on migration and the psychological identities that this experience creates. She tutored in psychology at a University and counselled at a university’s Psychology Clinic. She was also a crisis counsellor at a suicide line. In her early career she worked in community settings, counselling families and individuals dealing with child protection and parenting, suicide risk, mental health and relationships issues. Later she supported those living with dementia, their families and carers, through counselling and educational activities targeting the general public and volunteers.

She has worked in private practice for over 10 years, specialising in couples counselling and family counselling for over 7 years. She has helped couples with relationship difficulties better manage the personal issues with children and family during marriage, separation, and divorce.

She is fluent in Spanish.

Areas of expertise
She has experience and training in assisting clients with a broad spectrum of presenting concerns, including:

– Relationships – communication, infidelity, and relationship dissatisfaction
– Family breakdown, including divorce and related difficulties
– Parenting and family issues
– Support for families and carers affected by mental illness or physical illness
– Peri- and post-natal depression
– Depression
– Grief and loss
– Anxiety, including social anxiety
– Generalised anxiety and perfectionism
– Obsessions and compulsions
– Post-traumatic stress
– Self-esteem
– Stress and burnout
– Difficulties of adjustment to life transitions
– Career challenges – return from parental leave, career change, redundancy
– Work/life balance
– Working with cultural diversity, cultural values and beliefs

Depending on her client’s needs and preferences, she uses a variety of evidence-based approaches.

Her focus is on allowing the individual and couple to express their needs in a safe and nurturing environment.

When working with couples, she likes to consider the whole family environment, and will occasionally see the couple individually to work on issues that are presenting within the relationship. This allows for total openness and a space to learn more about your own behaviours without feeling judged or criticised. The aim of relationship counselling is to open communication so as to nurture the relationship and get reacquainted with each other, to find out what our partner needs, and sometimes to also discover exactly what it is that you need.

Read our interview with this Hart Psychologist here. 

She is also available for appointments regarding family counselling,  pre-marriage counselling, sexual difficulties including low libido, porn addiction, erectile dysfunction and premature ejaculation, anger management, anxiety and depression, addiction, narcissism, trauma and eating disorders. She is available for face-to-face as well as online and phone appointments.

This Hart Psychologist has always held a strong interest and value in relationships. She enjoys working alongside couples as they gain insight into their process, consider their own and their partner’s wants and needs, make choices, and learn new ways of approaching familiar situations. This supports them in bringing about the changes that they hope for.  She can help with negative emotional patterns, communication and conflict, family disputes, and a wide range of sexual problems, including orgasm disorders and porn addiction.

She enjoys all aspects of her psychological practice and also offers individual therapy for adults. She has special interest and experience in treating the effects of trauma and working with adults healing the scars of earlier difficult life experiences. She has experience working with a range of areas including: fertility problems, grief and loss, anxiety, depression, life planning, and life transitions.

In addition to her special interest in relationship counselling, her experience in private practice includes supporting people in crisis or at risk, as well as their families and friends, treatment of grief and loss, depression, anxiety, pregnancy issues & post and antenatal depression. She also provides sex counselling for the areas of mismatched libidos and erectile dysfunction.

Couples are encouraged to use homework exercises she provides to actively engage with one another, which increases the benefits of therapy work. She regularly suggests specific exercises, books, readings, videoclips, podcasts, and games.

She is also passionate about helping people regain self worth, process trauma, and manage difficult personalities.

In addition to her over 20 year’s experience in the public and private sectors, she is a published researcher and has presented at conferences and workshops.

When she is not sharing her time between her clients, supervisees, and charity work, she prioritizes self care and family, as a wife, and mother of two children.

She is available for appointments relating to relationship and marriage counselling in Sydney, pre-marriage counselling, sexual difficulties, problematic pornography use, anger management, narcissism, and phone and skype appointments.

He has a broad range of experience having worked with many groups including individual therapy with children, adolescents and adults as well as provision of couples and family therapy. He has particular interest in couples and relationship counselling, having seen ample evidence in his practice, that the pursuit of a healthy functioning relationship is a vital to wellbeing. He has a lot of experience working with autism.

He provides a supportive, safe and caring environment. He has an eclectic approach to therapy, with skills in a number of therapeutic techniques.

In relationship counselling, he provides an accommodating client focused approach to working through the personal, interpersonal and emotional issues bought into the room by the couples he works with.

Read our Interview with him here.

He is also available for Anger Management, Porn Addiction and Narcissism therapy, and is available for phone or skype sessions for clients who are unable to attend the clinic.

He also works with his clients in the treating of: depression (especially in the context of a relationship), anxiety, PTSD, narcissism, panic disorder, sleep hygiene, anger management and family counselling.

He is enthusiastic, warm and engaging and he values highly the importance of a constructive, nurturing and intimate relationship.