Video Relationship Counselling

A published Author of the book ‘BE by Design: How I BE Is Up to Me’, certified HeartMath coach, craniosacral therapist, somatic prenatal and birth therapist and accredited NLP trainer, Christine is passionate about, and dedicated to working alongside couples and families to embrace the best version of themselves. She achieves this through the use of compassionate and empowering psychological solutions that are practical, easy to implement, and make a difference to people’s lives. Christine completed a PhD at Bond University, specialising in building secure attachment within relationships.

Christine draws upon a wide range of approaches in her counselling sessions, including: (i) enhanced bonding and attachment therapy for couples, families and individuals who want to create accountable and loving relationships; (ii) mindfulness to live in the present free of old conditioning, patterns, negative & unhelpful beliefs, stress, anxiety and depression; (iii) Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) to address issues relating to self-esteem, self-worth and communication challenges; (iv) Positive Psychology; and (v) conscious parenting techniques for parents wanting to create healthy and unconditionally loving relationships with their children.

To read our interview with Chris about the relationship and marriage counselling services she offers, click here.

Professional Affiliations

• Psychologists Board of Australia
• Australian Psychological Society – Full Member (MAPS)
• The Association For Prenatal And Perinatal Psychology And Health (USA)
• Alumni, Bond University (Australia)

Please note: Christine offers online counselling, and does not offer appointments in person. To read more about our Online Counselling options, click here. 

In her quest to help couples find swift relief from heartache and get back to love in a timely and speedy way she  has immersed herself extensively in the teachings from the great world experts in Couples Therapy and Sex Therapy such as Sue Johnson EFT, Terry Real RLT, The Gottmans Evidence Based, Integrated Couples Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (ICCBT), Barry Mc Carthy’s Relational Sexuality Therapy, Imago, PACT and more.

In addition, Dee is a certified Master Life Coach so also bringing the broader Life Happiness aspect to her couples therapy. Her carefully curated blend of these learnings equip her with unique expertise in Marriage Revitalization where she guides couples towards transforming their relationship in a way that is sustainable for long lasting close togetherness.

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 Alinda 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.

Alinda is a Sexual Health Therapist and 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. Alinda is due to complete her Masters in Medicine Science and Sexual Health through the University Of Sydney in November 2017, and continues to increase 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, and painful sex or Vaginismus.

Sexual issues can often cause distress and conflict in relationships and sex therapists can assist with these difficulties. As a qualified Sex Therapist, Alinda 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.

With respect for the relationship and care for his clients, Chris 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.

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

Regardless of how much pain you are in and how troubled your relationship is, as your couples counsellor, Catherine is committed to helping you improve your relationship.  Couples therapy with Catherine goes beyond “damage control”, she will help you grow as individuals as well as a couple.

If you are like most couples that come to see Catherine for couples or marriage counselling, you can most likely relate to some of the following:  you are not communicating effectively, left feeling frustrated and distressed; trust has vanished from your relationship; stress due to children, work, finances, family pressures or illness is damaging your relationship; one or both of you have contemplated or threatened to leave the relationship; you or your partner has had an affair and you are either reeling in feelings of betrayal, riddled with guilt for what you have done, and/or unsure of how and if you can repair the damage; sexual difficulties like mismatched libidos or erectile dysfunction make you feel unwanted, inadequate and disconnected; one or both of you has had a difficult personal history that makes your relationship dynamic more challenging (e.g. childhood trauma, difficult relationships, depression, anxiety, addiction issues, or mental illness).

Catherine is also available for appointments for Pre-Marriage Counselling, Narcissism, Anger Management, Porn Addiction, and is available for phone and skype appointments.

Catherine has learned that regardless of how stuck and discouraged you feel, there is always a way to overcome your problems. As a counselling psychologist, she provides a unique balance of intellectual and analytical understanding with a deep capacity for empathy. As a result of growing up in Switzerland and studying in Germany, she also is able to do therapy in German.

Over the years, Emma has worked with couples that have experienced communication difficulties, infidelity, imbalances in power, issues with extended family, life transitional difficulties and conflicting ideas on matters such as child rearing, lifestyle differences and finances.

Emma has a particularly strong interest in both individual and relationship counselling and is passionate about assisting couples become more adaptive by helping each person understand the other’s needs, improving communication styles, practicing conflict resolution and assertiveness skills and promoting strengths within the relationship.

Emma currently manages her own allied health practice and embraces a holistic approach to mental wellness. Emma is available for consultation after hours and welcomes face-to-face counselling as well as telephone and Skype counselling.

Adam brings warmth and compassion to his work with clients. He is committed to helping his clients build self-awareness and develop effective strategies to address their concerns. By identifying core values and goals, Adam’s clients learn ways to overcome barriers and pursue a better life. Adam provides a nonjudgmental environment where clients feel safe and encouraged as they engage in the counselling process.

Each session with Adam is tailored to meet the clients’ personal therapeutic needs. He incorporates many models of counselling into his practice, including Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy, Dialectical Behaviour Therapy, Mindfulness-Based Therapy, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy.

Suzanne 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).    Suzanne 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,  Suzanne 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.

Marlena finds great pleasure in working with couples. Her personal and professional journey of healing and growth has shown her how essential healthy relationships are to our happiness and wellbeing.

She believes that we all get a bit stacked at times and require support. Marlena recognises that relationships are complex and can bring both joy and hurt; and that it is through relationships that we heal, grow, and live satisfying lives.

With over 20 years of experience working with individuals, couples and families, Marlena has the expertise to help you heal.

She has been trained and worked with a range of evidence-based therapeutic modalities including Psychobiological Approach to Couples Therapy (PACT), Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT), Mindfulness-based techniques, Motivational Interviewing (MI), Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT).

Choosing approaches uniquely suited to you and your concerns, Marlena will help you solve your problems whether you are an individual or a couple. She uses whichever techniques are most likely to bring you a more rewarding relationship and a happier life.

In addition to helping individuals and couples resolve relationship issues, Marlena has worked intensively with issues of trauma, depression, anxiety, various addictive behaviours, including problematic gambling, eating disorders, grief and loss, mental health, abuse, self esteem, stigma, and parenting difficulties.

Marlena is bilingual and can counsel in both English and Polish and is a registered Medicare Provider.

Over the past 18 years Tony has earned himself a reputation of working collaboratively with clients in a friendly, warm and understanding manner. His caring, compassionate and empathic nature coupled with his overall light-hearted approach make him very easy to talk to about any issue. Over the years Tony has gained significant skills in assisting individuals and couples experiencing difficulties with: Anger; Anxiety; Communication; Conflict Resolution; Depression; Infidelity; Internet Pornography; Relationship Issues, Same-Sex Attraction / Relationships; Self-esteem and Violence.

Tony is a full member of the Australian Association of Psychologists Inc, the Psychology Board of Australia, the Australian Association for Cognitive Behaviour Therapy and the Australasian Ego State Therapy Association. He also draws on other approaches including: Family; Narrative and Solution Focused Therapies.

Tony’s 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 at. This allows him to gain an appreciation and understanding of their situation. He then helps them understand their own thoughts and behaviours and collaboratively develops mutually agreed tailored interventions aimed at positive behavioural change.

Some of the goals that Tony sets collaboratively with his clients are about: honesty and accountability; open communication; negotiation and fairness; economic partnership; shared responsibility; shared power; respect and trust; support; non-threatening behaviour; intimacy; physical affection and personal integrity.

Some of the results clients can achieve after working with Tony include: feeling better about themselves, their partner and their relationship; communicating better; being better able to resolve issues as they arise;  resolving past issues and looking forward to a better future; feeling once again that they want to be in their relationship and having their ‘spark’ re-ignited.

Tony is a full Member of the: Australian Psychological Society; Psychology Board of Australia; Australian Association for Cognitive Behaviour Therapy; Australasian Ego State Therapy Association and Australian Division of Independent Professional Practice.

Tony feels that people ‘inviting him to be a guest’ in their lives in their time of need, is a privilege which he finds professionally and personally humbling.

Linh is passionate about supporting and empowering her clients to create and maintain loving, trusting and respectful relationships.  Linh’s personal style is described as friendly, gentle, caring and non-judgemental.  Therapeutically, Linh’s approach to therapy is warm and creative, she combines diverse interventions and strategies that are tailored to suit the specific needs of her clients.  These include Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Supportive Person-Centre Therapy, Mindfulness and Strength-based Therapy, Solution-focused Therapy and Systemic Family Therapy.

Achieving a loving, connected and trusting relationship is Linh’s ultimate relationship therapy goal.  Linh has extensive experience working with couples in distress, including cross-cultural relationships that are affected by breaches of trust, affairs, compulsive behaviour, ADHD and addictions, intimacy and sexual problems, conflict and anger management, injuries and health crises, pain management, legal problems, stress, depression, anxiety, trauma and loss/grief.

Having worked with families, children and couples for many years, Linh has an in-depth knowledge and understanding of the complexities within a relationship at different levels of interaction.

Linh works closely with her clients by providing the knowledge and therapeutic tools or resources to achieve healthy, deepening and enriching relationships.  She supports and encourages endless gentle and empathetic communications, deeper emotional connection and intimacy, an openness to share and embrace each other’s vulnerabilities and needs, and a willingness to work as a strong team, that is to accept no matter the problem – it is OUR problem to work through together.

Suffering is the base of happiness, those that have felt the deepest grief are best able to experience supreme happiness.  Alexandre Dumas

Maria is experienced in working with children, adolescents, adults and couples. Her experience includes working with a range of diverse issues.  These include depression, anxiety, phobias, self-esteem, trauma, work-related stresses, parenting issues, relationship difficulties, separation, divorce, and grief and loss issues.  Key models in her approach to counseling include Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), Mindfulness, Solution- Focused Therapy, Interpersonal Psychotherapy, Exposure Therapy and Emotion-focused therapy for relationships.

Read Maria’s interview about her work here. 

Maria believes that the fundamental key to successful relationships is being able to communicate effectively.  She enjoys helping her clients identify and change the unhelpful and sometimes destructive patterns and behaviours in their relationships.  She is passionate about facilitating personal growth in every individual and in empowering them to find hope, strength and resilience no matter what their history.  Maria’s warmth and valuable life experiences enables her to relate easily and empathically to clients from diverse backgrounds.  Her ability to develop a genuine, respectful and collaborative relationship with clients greatly assists in achieving positive therapeutic outcomes.  Maria is married with 2 teenage children.

Her easy collaborative style and patience helps create a safe and comfortable environment in which relationship issues or challenges can be explored. 

Wendy has worked in many areas of counselling over the years and topics regularly explored in sessions include: 

• Managing conflict and dealing with communication problems (whether it’s the communication style or the issues themselves that are problematic)  
• Managing the impacts of different parenting styles on a relationship  
• Re-partnering and navigating the complex issues arising when living in a blended- or step- family 
• Painful separation and divorce issues – regrouping and navigating the way forward including the needs of children 
• Processing trust and betrayal issues 
• Dealing with the relationship challenges when a partner is very ill (physical health or mental health e.g. anxiety or depression) or has experienced trauma 
• Processing Grief and Loss 
• Dealing with intimacy or desire differences 
• Processing trust and betrayal issues 
• Extended family issues impacting the relationship e.g. cultural, health, aging 
• Transitioning to retirement issues e.g. differences in readiness for retirement, revitalising a long term relationship, differences in dealing with adult children who don’t want to flee the nest etc. 

Wendy is well-acquainted with the work of a broad range of relationship specialists however her approach is strongly influenced by her extensive training in the evidence-based Emotionally Focussed Therapy (Dr Susan Johnson), and also in the Gottman method with Drs John and Julie Gottman.  These models both provide ‘relationship roadmaps’ which clients regularly report are very helpful in sustaining the positive changes they have been looking to achieve or had not thought were possible.  

Whilst face to face consults are a preference, Wendy has experience in telephone and Zoom/Skype counselling and is open to provide this service should this be appropriate. 

Wendy is well known and committed to the relationship counselling industry.  She is active member of MCEFT (Melbourne Community for Emotionally Focussed Therapy), a member (and past executive member) of MAREAA (Marriage and Relationship Education Association of Australia), a member of ICEEFT (International Centre for Excellence in Emotionally Focussed Therapy) and a member of the ACA (Australian Counselling Association).  She was on the editorial advisory board of the Threshold Magazine (previous national journal for relationship educators) and has been broadcast on TV, Channel 31, as a panel member on The Exchange. 

Ruth believes the most important ingredient of any relationship is a shared sense of trust. Trust is the foundation for reliability, dependability, honesty, good faith and intimacy. Her approach to couples counselling explores how to transform impasses in relationships into opportunities for insight, inspiration and growth. Are you being the best you can be?

In addition to appointments for Relationship Counselling & Marriage Counselling, Ruth is also available for Pre-Marriage Counselling, Anger Management, Porn Addiction Counselling, Narcissism Counselling, and Phone and Skype Counselling.

Leanne’s focus is on allowing the individual and couple to express their needs in a safe and nurturing environment.  Her method of counselling includes Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Mindfulness and Motivational Interviewing, often integrating the three to achieve the best outcome based on individual needs.

When working with couples Leanne 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 Leanne’s interview about her work here. 

In addition to marriage/relationship counselling Sydney, Leanne is also available for appointments for family counselling,  pre-marriage counselling, sexual difficulties, porn addiction, anger management, narcissism, and phone appointments.

She has worked in Australia and overseas, and therefore has a deep understanding of the main challenges facing couples from different cultures.

Sharon’s desire is to help clients build healthier, deeper and more satisfying relationships, and she focuses on empowering each individual to reach their full potential.

She is committed to working with individuals who present with a range of issues, including anxiety, stress, trauma, and cultural adjustment issues.

Sharon has a caring, warm and genuine nature that assists her in working with both individuals, and couples struggling in a relationship. Her relaxed style provides a comfortable and safe environment within which clients can explore their deeper issues and challenges.

She is passionate about helping couples feel more emotionally connected, more aware and in tune with each other’s needs, improving communication skills, managing and reducing conflict, dealing with betrayal and loss of trust, negotiating parenthood, and providing a deeper understanding of their situation and patterns so they are better equipped to deal with issues that may arise in the future.

Sharon uses a holistic and integrated approach and utilises a range of therapeutic techniques, tailoring therapy to suit each client’s needs. She views the therapeutic process as a journey where every participant works together to achieve the desired goals.

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

Ros 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.

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

Ros 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 Ros about the marriage and relationship counselling she offers here.

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

Andrea 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. Andrea 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.

At the heart of David’s therapeutic approach is respect and a desire to be relevant and useful for the couple. Respect for each individual is paramount and the aim is to help the individual build workable strategies for themselves and the relationship. With many couples who find themselves stuck there are important underlying emotional problems. To help work through these emotionally focused therapy is the most useful. The object of the therapy is to harness the strengths that the client already possesses. This “strength based” approach is vital to making the most of the therapy experience and ensuring a process of continuing growth.

David is happy to help with a range of difficulties from anger management, porn addiction and substance abuse through to issues concerning physical intimacy. David bases his approach on compassion and understanding. The pathway through to a better future for many individuals and couples requires establishing core values and a clear vision of goals, Working through difficult emotions, assumptions, expectations and “history” is important for most couples.

The goal of therapy is to help couples who value their relationship and want to make it work better. Based on his experience he knows this is possible and is positively supportive of any couple that takes the courageous (and wise) step of seeking help. He starts from the position that the relationship is something of great value and as long as it is not destructive for either party can be the most important vehicle for personal fulfillment. David has written a number of articles for medical professionals on the importance of relationships and the importance reaching out to men. David is available for regular sessions as well as telephone and Skype consultations.

David regularly gets positive feedback. In particular his approach may suit those who have found other approaches less solution focussed than they would like. His approach aims to meet clients where they are at. As this is usually in a crisis he aims to establish a plan quite quickly by identifying the key issues and what is need to stabilise the relationship until more long lasting strategies can be applied. He will provide more structure than many clients have experienced in the past and guide clients carefully matching the pacing and direction to their needs.

Read our interview with David about the marriage counselling and relationship counselling he offers here.

‘It is in the struggle for a better us that I become a better me.’

Beverley offers a safe and confidential space where relationships and patterns of behaviour can be gently explored. Beverley is an experienced relationships counsellor, with same sex, gay or heterosexual relationships. She is familiar with the dynamics of families, inlaws and stepfamilies.  If during therapy one or both of you discover that the emotional switch has been turned off and the decision is taken to separate, therapy can help sort out this process especially when there are children involved.

Beverley specialises in relationship counselling and can also provide infertility counselling. When an individual or couple have been diagnosed with infertility this can cause stress and despair. Beverley has experience and expertise acquired from many years of  working with fertility professionals in Sydney. She will provide information on different treatment options available to individuals and couples so that they can make an informed choice that will suit their needs. Counselling provides a space where a couple can learn how they can nurture their relationship during fertility treatment.

When an individual or couple are advised that their best option is to use donor sperm, donor oocytes or donor embryos, counselling is an informative way of ensuring that all parties are on the same page as far as hopes and expectations are concerned both before and after treatment.

A major life change occurs when a couple have a baby, even when the baby has been planned parenthood can cause a lot of joy but also a lot of stress. This is especially a difficulty when couples want to conform to a high standard and take a baby’s restlessness or crying as a sign that they are not fulfilling their role. The experience of parenthood can cause a couple to disagree and argue. The lack of uniformity on expectations around parenting might polarise a couple. It is useful at this time to attend counselling where the norms of parenting and different views and values are thoroughly addressed.

As well as Sydney relationship counselling and porn addiction, Beverley also offers pre-marriage counselling.

We all want our lives to be fulfilling and meaningful as an individual. As a couple part of this fulfillment comes from a relationship that has sustained love, passion and mutual respect. Given the challenges we are subjected to in modern life we often fall into dysfunctional patterns of managing ourselves in our relationships which can result in levels of unhappiness or dissatisfaction. The ability to turn this negative dysfunctional pattern around, and to embrace a new and healthier way to relate as a couple is truly exciting, giving new hope for a different and more rewarding future.

Sarah finds it a privilege to be able to step into the lives of couples in trouble, and assist them to find insight, address issues, explore new ways of doing things and above all, reach a new understanding of yourselves which will allow positive changes in your relationship.

As well as relationship counselling and marriage counselling, Sarah is available for appointments for pre-marriage counselling, sexual difficulties, porn addiction, narcissism and anger management.  For those clients unable to attend the clinic, Sarah has facilities for phone and skype appointments.

Angelica’s couples are encouraged to use homework exercises she provides to actively engage with one another to increase the benefits of therapy work. She regularly suggests specific exercises, books, readings, videoclips, podcasts, and games.

Angelica is also interested in helping people to regain self worth, process trauma, and manage difficult personalities.

In addition to her 16 year’s experience in the public and private sectors, Angelica is a published researcher, has presented at conferences and workshops.

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

Angelica 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.

Understanding that people may seek relationship counselling for a range of reasons, Stuart’s first task is to help each individual clarify his or her goals. He attends to the health and wellbeing of each individual in the relationship and does not assume that one or both people want to stay together. If both parties do, Stuart helps them explore the strengths and weaknesses of the relevant aspects of the relationship. These may include communication and conflict management, fairness and power, trust and commitment, managing personality differences or individual mental health concerns, aspects of intimacy, and managing external stressors on the relationship such as finances, parenting, extended family, work, health, fertility issues and addictions. Within the counselling sessions, Stuart fosters mature, respectful and constructive conversations to help the couple communicate and problem-solve more effectively in the ‘real world’.

Click here to read our interview with Stuart about the marriage counselling and relationship counselling services he offers.

In addition to relationship/marriage counselling, Stuart is also available for Pre-Marriage Counselling and Anger Management.

Cherie has always held a strong interest and value in relationships and 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 to bring 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.

Cherie 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.

Cherie has trained in and uses: family systems therapy, couple counselling, Hakomi (Body Centred Psychotherapy and Mindfulness), CBT, Self Psychology, ACT and Schema Therapy.

As well as providing Sydney relationship counselling, Cherie is also available for pre-marriage counselling, appointment relating to narcissism, and phone and skype counselling.

Valda works with individuals, couples and groups in both long and short-term psychotherapy and counselling. Her therapeutic style follows an integrative approach, drawing from diverse theories according to each clients’ needs or preferences. These include: schema therapy,cognitive behavioural, mindfulness-based, solution-focused, client centred, psychodrama, and psychodynamic approaches.

Relationship counselling is one of Valda’s passions.  She has extensive experience working with couples in distress, including same-sex couples and cross-cultural relationships. Her areas of interest and expertise include: sexuality issues, affairs or other breaches of trust, porn overuse and other compulsive behaviours, narcissism in relationships, conflict and anger management, stress, trauma, and grief. Valda also assists couples who are planning cohabitation or marriage, blending families, or considering a separation or divorce.

Creating a safe environment, where individual and cultural differences are valued and confidentiality is taken seriously, is central to Valda’s approach.  She enjoys helping clients solve problems and develop the full potential of their relationships.

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 Deborah uses is evidence based and identifies emotion as the most important factor in adult attachment and the way couples bond.  There is an emphasis on the way in which partners connect emotionally and when in distressing patterns how they can be helped to reconnect to build stronger bonds.  Deborah 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.

Deborah 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 Deborah can help you to work through your relationship issues and help you to achieve a deeper connection with your significant other.

Charley has a direct and educative style. She has a calming effect and knows when to be warm and when to be more direct. She has the flexibility to be different ways with different people. She uses stories, charts, whiteboard and anecdotes to help you understand concepts or help you have a deeper insight into your experiences. She is results-driven and uses therapies that are both powerful, safe and based on scientific evidence.

Charley will take you on a journey of self-exploration, investigation, reflection, offering different perspectives and to help you see things in a new light or things as you haven’t seen before. If you’re ready for positive change in your life and ready to try new things, she will gladly guide you on your path.

She deals with a wide range of issues, specialising in relationship counselling.  Charley also sees clients for parenting, helping couples to reconnect after an affair, addressing imbalances in relationships, reduce arguments and fighting by helping with more effective ways to address difficult issues, porn addiction or porn issues, sex therapy, pre-marriage counselling, anger, depression, anxiety, stress, sleep, grief and loss.

She also has a special interest in trauma and has helped many overcome later obstacles created by childhood or adolescent sexual or physical abuse. Due to her insight into couples, she sometimes brings up your issues before you do.

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

Charley is caring and passionate about helping people to reach their potential. She provides a safe and supportive environment in which clients can process distressing emotions and learn new skills to lead healthier, happier, more fulfilling lives.

She is available for Skype sessions for out-of-town clients.

She has a special interest in individual and relationship counselling and seeing clients with sexual difficulties.  Kathrine 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, Kathrine 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.

Kathrine 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.

At the core of her approach, Trish promotes the interest of the relationship. Differences may not always be resolved but accepted as part of respecting each other and prioritising the needs of the relationship.

Both individuals and all couples seeking relationship support will benefit from her years of experience and training by the world’s leading relationship experts such as Dr John Gottman. Trish utilises evidence-based approaches to develop an individualised treatment approach.

Typical issues that she sees contributing to relationship disharmony are communication, finances, sex, parenting, trust and extended family.

Trisha has worked in not for profit and government organisations within an employee assistance model for over a decade. She has a wealth of experience working with workplace issues including work stress, rehabilitation, bullying and harassment. Her areas of interest are Depression and Anxiety, Grief and Loss, Separation and Addiction work.

She works with individuals to progress towards their goals in a supportive and empathetic manner. Using a solution-focussed, strengths based framework, clients find positive approaches to address the presenting issue as well as practical strategies to manage the situation, whatever it may be.

She is trained in CBT, ACT, IPT and Motivational Interviewing. However will develop interventions based on the individual client’s way of operating, tailoring strategies to the client’s learning style.

Other areas of interest are in addictions, depression and anxiety, stress and grief and loss.

Trisha offers phone and Skype consultations for clients who are unable to attend the clinic.

Joe provides a supportive, safe and caring environment. He has an eclectic approach to therapy, with skills in a number of therapeutic techniques including: Interpersonal Therapy, Solution Focused Therapy, Cognitive Behavioural therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy.

In relationship counselling Joe 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 Joe here.

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

With her openness to the developmental transitions within families, she brings rich insight and collaboration to the emergence of new meanings for couples and assists them in the creation of a rich, full and meaningful lived experience. Her philosophical stance reflects an exposure to a wide range of approaches, and this is used to create a non-judgemental, open and accepting space within the counselling environment.

Elizabeth understands that many couples who come into counselling are discouraged about the direction their relationships have taken, feel hopeless about making changes, and can be accusatory and blaming toward their partner for the state of their relationship.  They have seen this result in an increased defensiveness on the part of each partner. Elizabeth’s commitment to the couple relationship is paramount in assisting the couple to view their dilemma as an opportunity to develop new alternatives in their relationship which allow them to stop struggling, reconcile their differences and enhance their relationship.

In addition to relationship/marriage counselling, Elizabeth is also available Pre-Marriage Counselling, Anger Management, appointments relating to Narcissism, and is available for phone and skype appointments if necessary.

She particularly loves working with couples and families, as she feels that having healthy relationships is essential to our overall happiness. Melanie has experience working with a variety of issues that couples and families face, such as communication breakdown and conflict, infidelity and issues with trust, achieving a satisfying sex life, separation and joining of families, and even to explore how to re-ignite the ‘spark’ in a romantic relationship.

Read Melanie’s interview about her work here.

Melanie provides relationship counselling in sydney, as well as pre-marriage counselling, narcissism counselling and porn addiction counselling.

Dearne uses different therapeutic approaches depending on the individual’s needs.  These include: Person Centred, Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Solution Focused and Transactional Analysis.

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.

Dearne has a very supportive and caring nature and sees clients from the Mona Vale Office.  She provides sydney relationship counselling, as well as pre-marriage counselling, anger management, porn addiction and narcissism counselling.

The most satisfying and fulfilling part of couple work for Korey which she finds heart-warming is:  hearing a couple speak about how they are now attuned to each other.  The couple therapy process has enabled them to experience a higher sense of security, connection and acknowledgement in their relationship. Korey is passionate about individual and relationship counselling and believes it is an honour and privilege to be allowed to hear somebody’s life story.

Her experience has involved working with: couples, families and individuals dealing with challenging life events such as: 1) working through traumatic events such as infidelity; 2) people with terminal illnesses and their bereaved families, partners and friends; 3) men, women, young people and children who have been sexually assaulted and/or abused.  Korey 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.

Korey has studied in several areas of the social sciences. She 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.  Korey is a Registered Psychologist & Clinical Social Worker.

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

Kellie has a very caring and respectful nature and has experience using a range of therapeutic approaches depending on the client’s need (eg. systemic therapy, mindfulness, solution-focused therapy, emotionally focused couple therapy, cognitive behavioural therapy).  She is passionate about assisting individuals, couples and families overcome their relationship difficulties and achieve more fulfilling, healthy and loving ways of relating with each other.  She provides a safe and non-judgemental environment for clients to identify and explore their relationship issues and individual needs. Kellie focuses on providing practical skills to work through these issues, such as improved communication and conflict resolution skills, for personal growth and enabling relationships to grow in more positive ways.

In addition to counselling, Kellie also works in Indigenous Affairs and has a personal interest in improving the health, social and emotional wellbeing of Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.

Kellie sees clients out of the Caringbah Office for relationship and marriage counselling in Sydney, pre-marriage counselling and family counselling.

Cristina has over ten years of experience in providing a variety of evidence-based techniques and therapeutic approaches such as CBT and Psychodynamic Therapy. Her approach to support counselling is caring and empathic.

In addition to working in private practice, Cristina is also a lecturer and researcher. She teaches several psychology units (postgraduate and masters levels) at Australian College of Applied Psychology and University of Sydney. In the corporative setting, Cristina has worked as a cultural consultant in several countries focusing on expatriates stages of adaptation. Her PhD thesis was on expatriates’ strategies of integration in Australia, and she particularly looked into intermarriages and conflict resolution styles during adaptation. As an academic, Cristina has presented several papers in international conferences and published several book chapters and peer-reviewed papers in renowned journals. Cristina speaks English, German, Portuguese and Spanish.

Cristina provides couples counselling in Sydney, as well as pre-marriage counselling, anger management and narcissism counselling.

Ann-Marie joined the Psychology profession following a successful career in banking. Hence she brings a solid understanding of workplace issues and how work stress/change can impact a relationship.

Ann-Marie uses a range of therapeutic interventions and tailors her approach to the needs of the individual and or couple. While being supportive and compassionate, Ann-Marie is practical and grounded with the intent of promoting empathy, insight and sustainable behaviour change.

Married with two children, Ann-Marie enjoys the challenge of living what she encourages about work/life balance.

Ann-Marie can do phone or skype sessions

Cheryl’s primary areas of interest are relationship and family psychology.  Because Cheryl trained directly under the tutelage of Drs John & Julie Gottman in the Gottman Method Couples Therapy she has an up-to-date, evidence-based approach to her work with clients.  She also draws upon key relationship therapies including emotion-focused, attachment, and psycho-dynamic.

Importantly, Cheryl’s understanding of the connection between psychological experience (for example depression, anxiety and anger) and relational problems informs her holistic approach which gently and effectively supports both individuals and couples in their quest to reduce their emotional pain.

Cheryl provides counselling in all areas of life and relationship including:  remaining connected (or recapturing the ‘spark’); managing conflict; dealing with betrayal and loss of trust; negotiating parenting-hood and blended/step-families;  re-partnering and rebuilding after separation;  and navigating the potential ‘minefield’ of extended family. Cheryl also brings a practical focus to her work in the area of communication skills training, assertiveness coaching, and anger management.

Cheryl is a Member of the Australian Psychological Society and is recognised as a leading practitioner in the field of relationship counselling.  She served over a number of years on several relationship community bodies including: the editorial advisory board of ‘Threshold’ (Australia’s leading journal of marriage & relationship education) and the National Committee of Marriage and Relationship Educators (MAREAA).

Prior to entering full-time private practice Cheryl was employed for 8 years as the Manager, Relationship Education at LifeWorks Relationship Education & Counselling Services, one of Victoria’s largest not-for-profit relationship agencies.  Cheryl welcomes telephone and skype counselling for clients who prefer these modalities, or for whom attending face-to-face sessions is problematic.

It is of particular interest to Ann to work with people who want to improve their relationships. This has seen her help many couples improve their communication, resolve long-standing disagreements, overcome struggles with sex and intimacy, or ‘simply’ reconnect after having drifted apart. Ann’s interest in relationship work extends beyond romantic relationships to include extended family relationships, relationships at work, friendships and so on. She has also worked with individuals and successfully helped them deal with depression, anxiety, loss and grief, anger, narcissism, indecision, and troubles related to work and career, to name a few. Finally, Ann has led many group programs that have helped people to improve their self-awareness, particularly in the corporate sector.

Ann likes to partner with her clients and engage them in decisions around the areas of focus, the duration of the work, how progress will be reviewed, and what success looks like. In this way, Ann’s clients are active participants in the therapeutic process and ultimately, in their own healing.  Ann achieves this with clients via face-to-face, SKYPE-based, and telephone-based meetings.

Having worked as a psychologist for many years, Ann keeps up to date with the practice and application of current psychological techniques. She effectively translates what is known about human psychology into effective practice, tailoring it to the individual needs of her clients so that they understand it as it relates to them and can take it with them into the future.

Please note: Dr Ann offers online counselling, and does not offer appointments in person. To read more about our Online Counselling options, click here. 

Deborah 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. Deborah 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.

Deborah 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 Deborah’s interview about her work here.

Deborah 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.

Throughout the years her special interest has been in working with couples. She has spent many years involved in pre-marriage education, providing seminars and workshops for couples, and focusing her professional development on relationship counselling.

She has been married for 20 years and has 2 teenage children. Her own personal experiences have helped enormously in understanding the joys and challenges of being in a relationship. She has a passion to see them work, a passion to help couples and families remain together, a passion to provide for couples and families the support they need in an environment which in so many ways can be hostile and challenging for modern families.

Gale enjoys assisting in all types of relationship concerns including friendships, family members and co-workers.

Gale also has a strong interest in physical health and psychology, mindfulness and stress management and can incorporate these types of strategies within the relationship counselling.

In a warm, supportive and non-judgmental environment Karina can help to overcome communication struggles and painful interactions to assist in reconnecting with your partner as well as assist in gaining insight, develop strategies to manage relationship difficulties more effectively.

Working with you as an individual, she can help in the areas of: anxiety, trauma, grief and loss, addictions, depression, anger, stress management and self-esteem.

Karina has a flexible, down to earth and compassionate approach and is effective at getting to the cause of the problems and drawing on a range of evidence based interventions to assist in therapy. She draws on a number of therapeutic modalities including: Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Schema Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Ego State Therapy frameworks. For over 20 years Karina has been using Hypnosis to assist in changing behaviour, symptoms, and attitudes for issues/problems.

She can help couples and individuals who:

• Feel resentment or anger building due to unresolved differences
• Experience chronic misunderstanding or confusion about their relationship
• Are in high conflict relationships
• Are in crisis
• Experience feelings of betrayal due to infidelity
• Experience emotional or verbal abuse
• Are dealing with a controlling spouse
• Feel traumatic relationship histories are impacting on their current relationships
• Feel lonely and hopeless about their future
• Are having difficulty communicating

Karina is a graduate of University of Sydney (NSW), Griffith University (Gold Coast, QLD) and Bond University (Gold Coast, QLD).She has worked in Mental Health, Corrections, Sexual Health, Employment Services and Work Rehabilitation companies. Karina has been in private practice for 24 years.

Dr. Sanja has been a registered psychologist in Melbourne since 1993, with AHPRA endorsement as a counselling psychologist, and has worked in the acute and community mental health services.  In the last fifteen years she has also worked in the addiction field managing Gamblers Help Southern- the largest standalone problem gambling service in Victoria. She has also had a private practice over this period focusing generally on the supervision and development of other health professionals; including psychologists. She is also currently employed with a private hospital setting as a senior psychologist providing both clinician supervision and client interventions.

She has extensive experience with disability, mental health, addictions, trauma, couples counselling, as well as high prevalence disorders; anxiety and depression. She is also a trained hypnotherapist and is able to treat chronic health conditions such as smoking reduction and cessation, and teaching relaxation and breathing techniques.

Dr. Sanja has also worked extensively with CALD communities and understands the issues of marginalisation and disadvantage for some communities such as the GLBTI community.

For couples, Christopher focuses on the underlying needs that are typically unmet when relationships become distressed.  These needs may include a desire to be truly heard and responded to by the individual’s partner, the need for connection, safety and intimacy and sometimes the need for greater autonomy in the relationship.  These personal needs are explored in great depth as when they are unmet relationships become battlefields of characterised by arguments, verbal attacks and withdrawal which leaves both individuals feeling hurt and hopeless about the future.  Christopher typically sees positive results from therapy after a few initial sessions and he primarily follows an Emotionally Focussed Therapy (EFT) approach in his work with couples.  Christopher also uses Cognitive Behaviour Therapy and Interpersonal Therapy (IPT) approaches.

Christopher also sees clients for anger management, narcissism, pre-marriage counselling, phone and skype counselling.

Committed to continual learning, more recently, Meredith has attended Tavistock Relationships, London, undertaking further training in Advanced Couples Therapy.

Meredith believes that relationships offer life’s most profound joys, however often they bring conflict, anger, disappointment and sadness.  “When our own needs and expectations do not meet those of the person we love, it can be hard to know how to find a solution, sustain intimacy and keep and build trust.  Counselling offers a way to find clarity and solve problems, even those that are very long-standing.  However, counselling can also feel like a step into the unknown and I meet the couple’s experience with deep respect, providing emotional safety for each person in a way that is described by others as respectful, gentle and knowledgeable.  I am strongly committed to using evidence-based strategies to work jointly with couples to achieve their goals”.

Counselling is offered for all areas of relationship challenges such as conflict, loss of trust, recovery from infidelity, navigating family dynamics, parenting and step-parenting, and the impact of trauma, grief and loss on relationships.  Counselling also addresses changes that may occur over time such as the loss of vibrancy in the relationship; whilst also building on and celebrating a couple’s strengths.

Christina 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).

Christina 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 Christina has helped hundreds of individuals and couples.

Christina 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.

Christina 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 Christina’s clients are active participants in the therapeutic process, and therefore in their own healing.

Noga’s approach combines CBT, solution-focused therapy, narrative and psychodynamic perspectives with emphasis on positive psychology. Warm, genuine and compassionate, she seeks to create a safe, non-judgemental space to enable clients to open-up and reflect. Noga’s strength is keeping a positive focus. She empowers clients to set meaningful goals and nurtures their capability to change. She builds, and relies on client engagement and commitment as the basis of treatment success, while problem-solving strategies are always discussed and tailored to suit each individual’s need and situation. Noga has also worked in corporate and organisational settings, consulting to companies and professional organisations to help individuals and teams to surmount career related issues.

Read Noga’s interview about her work here.

Joclyn believes that our close relationships form a very important part of our well-being. She is passionate about assisting her clients to grow and nurture their relationships and has many years of experience in teaching communication, conflict resolution and social skills required to achieve this.

Joclyn is very passionate about working with couples and individuals on their relationships and helping them create health relationships. Joclyn has had some training using Gottman’s work and from the Hart centre on relationships. Joclyn tailors the sessions to suit the needs of her clients and works towards helping couples achieve their goals. Joclyn has helped many couples make positive changes in their relationships through learning to communicate, understand and listen to each other better, deal with conflict better, learn to let go and forgive each other and learn to support each other and work as a team. Joclyn aims to engage with both couples to help them both work together to achieve their goals.

Ann has a particular strong interest in relationships issues, depression, anxiety, alcohol and other drug issues, same sex relationships and trauma.

She is very committed to helping individuals who present with a range of issues, including depression, anxiety, self-esteem issues, parenting difficulties, work place issues and trauma.

Ann uses a range of approaches, including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Emotion Focused Therapy and Mindfulness. Ann also uses Schema Therapy that assists people with the more difficult long-standing problems.

She is passionate about helping couples feel more emotionally connected, more in tune with each other’s needs and to improve their overall communication skills.  Ann’s approach is tailored to meet needs of her clients.  She works with her client’s goals and hopes for the future while at the same time providing direction and focus when needed.  Ann views the therapy as a journey where everyone works together to achieve the desired goals for therapy.

Her entire psychology working life has been spent working within the Western suburbs of Melbourne, an area of highly diverse cultural populations, and high levels of social and economic disadvantage.

Dr Trish works with individuals with a wide variety of problems in living. This includes adolescents and adults with anxiety and mood management problems; victims of crime or other traumatic events; and those with difficulties in the area of weight management and overeating, as well as with couples.  She operates her private practice from GP’s surgeries in the Western area of Melbourne.

Dr Trish is a trained specialist in the use of cognitive-behaviour therapy (CBT) with individuals across disorders and age ranges. She is an expert in the provision of therapy interventions to individuals with Borderline Personality Disorder, and those who have experienced traumatic events. She is also registered with Victims of Crime service agencies.  In addition, she teaches and supervises psychology students at RMIT University.

Bulk billing under a Mental Health Care Plan is available by negotiation for patients in financial difficulties.

Hania takes an integrative approach to counselling; she collaborates with her clients to meet their unique therapeutic needs and counselling goals, using a variety of tools and techniques. She supports her clients’ inner growth process through counselling and coaching, with an emphasis on developing strengths and a positive outlook, turning problems into opportunities. Each client can expect a warm and nonjudgmental environment with Hania, where they can be open and reassured while seeking guidance to address any issues they’d like to resolve.

Hania tailors counselling process by adapting a range of therapeutic and coaching approaches. They include: Systemic Therapy (Individual/Couple/Family), Imago Couples Therapy, Emotion-Focused Couples Therapy, Relational Life Therapy, Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy, Mindfulness-Based Therapy, Existential/Phenomenological Therapy and Transactional Analysis (TA).                Hania is strongly committed to helping her clients overcome life’s challenges with effective, practical counselling support.

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.

Robyn 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. Her approach draws predominantly from Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Narrative, Solution Focused and Brief Therapy.

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

Robyn 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.

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

Each session with Morgan is focused on his client’s needs by starting where the client is at.  Morgan incorporates Person-Centred Therapy, Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, Mindfulness-Based Therapy and Solution-Focused therapy in his practice 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, Morgan has a substantial background working in management and consultancy in the public and private sectors.

Click here to read our interview with Morgan 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)

Mariel’s friendly and practical approach creates a safe and comfortable environment in which to explore difficulties and realise positive change. 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.

Mariel’s doctoral thesis was on migration and the psychological identities that this experience creates. She tutored in psychology at Swinburne University and counselled at the 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.

For the last decade Mariel has worked in private practice and for the last seven years she has specialised in couples counselling and family counselling. She has helped couples with relationship difficulties better manage the personal issues with children and family during marriage, separation, and divorce.

Mariel is fluent in Spanish.

Mariel’s areas of expertise
Mariel 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

Therapeutic approaches
Depending on her client’s needs and preferences Mariel uses a variety of evidence-based approaches including:

– Emotion-Focused Therapy for couples (EFT)
– Gottman Marital Therapy
– Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
– Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
– Interpersonal Psychotherapy
– Narrative therapy
– Schema Therapy
– Attachment-Focused Family Therapy

With an established career as a specialist cancer and breast cancer nurse, Helena also has a special interest in sexual functioning and intimacy for women and men who have undergone treatment for cancer and other significant illness. Helena is married with three adult children, and is a first time Grandmama of a beautiful two-year-old grandson.

She works as a Clinical Sexologist / Counsellor in both Bunbury and Perth, in a Psychology and Counselling practice managed by her and her husband.

As well as her private practice, Helena works in a GP practice in Fremantle, and with a specialist Gynaecological clinic in Leederville. She also works with a not-for-profit organisation providing counselling support for those with an intellectual and/or physical disability and those on the autism spectrum.

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

Linda 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.

Linda uses a range of therapeutic approaches to suit her clients’ needs. These include Emotion Focused Therapy, Integrative Behavioural Therapy, Bowen’s Family Systems Approach, Mindfulness, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, and Behavioural Activation.

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

She values the importance of providing a warm inviting therapy space that individuals and couples feel they can relax and confide in, away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.  Having engaged in therapy herself, she knows what it is like to sit on the other side of the therapy couch and feel the vulnerability of being human, flaws and all, and to explore difficult truths about oneself but also how freeing it is to learn to embrace self-compassion, confidence and self-expression as part of the therapy journey.

Investing in yourself, or your relationship, by attending therapy is never time wasted and you don’t have to do it alone – Linda is here to guide you on your counselling journey.  She has personally counselled thousands of individuals and couples throughout her 13 year career and takes a lot of pride in helping people to transform their lives.

Linda works with a holistic approach to counselling and aims to help you to improve the significant relationships in your life – including the primary relationship with yourself.  She has a diverse collection of counselling modalities that she can adapt to be able to cater for individual or couples needs as they arise.

She has been trained by some the world’s best therapists and in different modalities, including the Gottman Couples Methods and she will often use the Gottman Relationship Check Up to help couples to get to the nitty-gritty of what is going on for both parties in the relationship and work from there.  She has completed Acceptance and Commitment Training (ACT) to an advanced level and uses this daily in her practice.

Another technique Linda has found to be positive is the use of a therapy dog – she often joins in the sessions and makes people feel relaxed and comfortable.  A French Bulldog welcome is not to everyone’s liking and that is completely fine – she respects her client/s choice and the dog will not be present if not invited.

Sex Therapy

Linda’s interest in the area of Sex Therapy has continued to grow as it became apparent to her that separating sex therapy from relationship and individual counselling is difficult and combining the two can help reduce the amount of time that people spend in therapy.

Chrisi has received training from world leaders in couples therapy and research. This is an area where current knowledge in best-practice approaches is important. Her approach is guided by therapies shown by research to be effective for couples with deeply entrenched issues or who are in significant distress, as well as for couples at the other end of the spectrum who are seeking to enhance their relationship and improve wellbeing.

Chrisi provides clients with relevant insight, knowledge and skills that support them to change unhelpful relationship patterns, respond productively to relationship difficulties, and ultimately build healthier and more satisfying bonds. Chrisi values supporting clients to better manage conflict and distress. She has extensive experience helping couples to improve their relationship and respond to problems in ways that serve as vehicles for closeness, rather than driving them apart. Her approach to relationship counselling can also help partners to clarify ambivalence or uncertainty about their relationship, to heal relationship injuries and to better function together as a team.

In addition to working with couples, Chrisi has a particular affinity for working with clients experiencing relationship breakdowns, requiring support with dating, encountering difficulty forming or maintaining relationships, and those experiencing recurrent relationship patterns. Chrisi is passionate about supporting clients to gain a deeper level of insight into these patterns, and a greater capacity to engage in alternate responses. Common relationship patterns she helps clients break include: repeatedly dating (physically or emotionally) unavailable partners, sabotaging relationships, experiencing intense jealousy or mistrust, fear of abandonment, dependency, avoiding closeness and intimacy, or avoiding relationships all together.

Chrisi also regularly works with sexual problems, and issues that can contribute to relationship strain including depression, anxiety, infertility, grief and addiction. She provides a safe and inclusive space to explore relationship concerns and works with same-sex couples as well as heterosexual couples.

Chrisi’s qualifications include a Masters degree in Clinical Psychology and a Bachelor of Psychology with Honours. During her training, Chrisi received the Australian Psychological Society Prize and a University Medal. She is fully registered with the Psychology Board of Australia, and is a member of the Australian Psychological Society.

Peter invests his enthusiasm and energy into identifying each person’s strengths, from which he can guide rebuilding trust or hope in marital or personal distress.  The joy from seeing a person awaken to a new reality in life is what Peter strives to achieve.  He helps committed couples to benefit from a reinvigorated vital and intimate partnership.  He believes every person deserves their experience-rich life journey to be fulfilling and purposeful.  Peter incorporates the latest neurobiological understandings with the emotional underpinnings of human functioning to help each person or couple be the best they want to be for themselves, each other, and their family.  Peter can offer individual therapy and support where an individual needs to resolve personal vulnerabilities or participate in individual therapy.

Peter’s professional development has focussed on helping people build a critical reflective capacity.  This enhances resilience within individuals and couples to the everyday life struggles that sometimes overwhelm.  He has training certificates awarded from prominent world leaders from respective science-based specialties in the primary areas of his interest.  His ongoing professional development has focussed on couple therapies, trauma treatment, relationship repair, attachment bonding disruptions and resolution, internal family systems theory, sexual therapy, Asperger’s syndrome diagnosis, transactional analysis, narrative therapy, monitoring self-harm and suicidal ideation, personality disorder support, dissociation, understanding psychosis, dealing with child sexual abuse and veteran mental health.

Peter is motivated to honour and foster the spiritual, cultural and philosophical orientation of individuals.  He respects all forms of gender relationships and is sensitive to multicultural and multifaith perspectives.

Following retirement from a corporate career, Peter has reinvigorated his motivation and passion for helping those in personal distress.  Accordingly, with his deep understanding of the demands of corporate life and its influence on family dynamics, Peter is also equipped to support the needs of professionals and senior executives.

Please note that Peter does not offer Medicare or private health fund rebates.

As part of the requirements for her Master’s degree, Jenny’s thesis focused on the way in which a person’s experience in their family of origin affects their partnerships (Imago theory). Jenny uses methodologies based on this orientation in the course of her work with individuals and couples, including helping partners to clarify their vision of relationship, and to improve their communication skills so that distortions in understanding are reduced.

As well as being a psychologist, Jenny has a pharmacy degree, and is skilled in identifying those ways in which a person’s use of medication can affect how they function in relationships. She is experienced in collaboration with medical practitioners, in order to assist clients with clinical depression and/or anxiety.

In approach, Jenny is supportive, inclusive and egalitarian, and assists clients from diverse backgrounds and a full range of gender orientations and nominations.

She is able to provide facilities for onsite Eftpos and Medicare claiming.

Jenny was married for 26 years, but is now widowed, with two young adult children.

Mark has a strong passion, interest and enthusiasm in relationship counselling for both individuals and couples.

Mark’s primary areas of interest are relationship counselling for individuals and couples. Mark has been trained from a psychodynamic perspective. Psychodynamic therapy can be useful in linking a client’s current troubling thoughts, feelings and experience of relationships with their patterns of behaviour. Any current issues are also understood and explored in relation to any contributory or underlying factors from past life experience. These areas form the focus of the work and the aim is to facilitate personal growth, self-awareness and behavioural change.

Mark has developed an interest in attachment theory as a means to further understand relationship behaviour and distress in his couple work. He is keen to understand how you relate to yourself and as a couple and how this links into the way you both cope with issues and difficulty as a couple. Mark aims to enable his couple clients to develop insight into the underlying meanings behind their behaviour and from this to develop themselves within their relationship gaining confidence/capacities to take risks, adapt and improve their patterns of communication, listen with understanding and be more open with each other in order to feel more connected and lead more fulfilling relationships.

Mark is particularly interested in working with couples around relationship issues and communication difficulties and marriage therapy. Mark also has interest working within the perinatal period (from fertility issues, conception through to young pre-school families). As Mark focuses on attachment needs within the couple it’s important that couples have no romantic attachment interest other than each other.

In his individual practice Mark is interested in working with relationship issues, life changes or transitions, persistent depression or anxiety, medically unexplained physical symptoms, sexual identity issues, problem porn use and trauma recovery.

Mark is a warm, measured, engaging person with an actively curious manner that assists him in working with his clients as they work towards developing themselves individually and in how they function within their relationships.  He is married with a young, primary school-aged family.  As well as face-to-face appointments for couples and individuals, Mark is happy to take phone or skype appointments for individuals.

Russell completed Level I, II and III Certification training at The Gottman Institute in Seattle, USA. The Gottman Institute is world-renowned, having conducted intensive, long-term scientific studies into why marriages succeed or fail.

Russell also completed training in Emotion Focused Therapy (another evidence-based form of couples therapy). Russell completed training by Dr Leslie Greenberg (a Canadian Psychologist and one of the primary developers of Emotion Focused Therapy).

Russell also uses Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Mindfulness and Motivational Interviewing when he is helping individuals who have anxiety, depression or stress.

Russell works collaboratively with individuals and couples so that the sessions are tailored to meet the clients’ needs. He seeks to empower clients.

Particular areas that Russell is very experienced in:

•       Individual and/or couples counselling to help people manage conflict using evidence-based strategies.
•       Training in communication skills.
•       Improving a couples’ friendship and connection. Increasing intimacy.
•       Individual and/or couples counselling to help people cope with step-family dynamics.
•       Helping to re-build trust after the disclosure of an affair.
•       Individual and/or couples counselling to help people deal with infertility or sterility.
•       Supporting clients who have experienced a miscarriage.
•       Helping individuals to cope with separation/divorce. Grief and loss counselling.
•       Counselling adult survivors of childhood abuse.
•       Cancer counselling.
•       Helping clients who have anxiety, depression or stress.
•       Helping men who are struggling.

Are you feeling unhappy about your relationship? Are you arguing about the same issues and unable to reach a solution? On average people wait 6 years before seeking help with a relationship problem. The longer a problem persists, the greater the resentment builds towards your partner.

Seeking help can feel confronting. People are sometimes anxious because they don’t know what will happen in couples counselling. Russell knows that this can be a very difficult time. If you could use some support, Russell would like to help.

Russell provides face to face sessions in the Sydney CBD on Sundays. Russell can also provide Skype or Zoom sessions for on a Thursday, Friday, or Saturday. Eligible patients in rural and remote areas (Modified Monash Model areas 4-7) can now access Medicare rebates (with an appropriate referral) when the person has an individual session with a Psychologist via videoconference.

Heidi works with the different dynamics between the people in the relationship to assist with better communication and connection while understanding there is no-one-size-fits-all when is comes to therapy. Heidi works with couples in areas of intimacy and building trust after an affair, conception support, sex in long term relationships, cultural and religious factors that may be affecting the relationship, improving communication, self esteem, new relationships, conflict resolution and moderate depression and anxiety.

Heidi understands the sensitivity and difficulty people experience when dealing with relationship and sexual issues. She prides herself on providing a safe, confidential and respectful environment to assist people to address these issues. Heidi works with a solution focused approach combined with evidence based strategies such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) to assist clients in managing thoughts, behavioural patterns and work towards outcomes that best suit the individual/couples situation and needs. Heidi’s approach in therapy helps clients achieve awareness in their sexual health, better communication in their relationships and re-learn sexual techniques and behaviours.

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

Several new areas of counselling William 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

The mutual respect and reciprocal nature of Dianna’s approach allows her to use a variety of evidence based practices and techniques to help her clients get to a place that is healthier and happier through developing respect and understanding. Dianna has helped hundreds of people in this way over the past 20 years.

Dianna’s passion in helping couples recognise what they are bringing to the relationship and the impact it has on themselves, as well as their partner, is the foundation of her approach. This has seen her help many couples improve their communication, resolve long-standing disagreements, address their fertility needs, develop trust and respect, overcome struggles with sex and intimacy, move through life transitions, navigate family influences or to reconnect.

In Addition, Dianna’s interest and extensive knowledge in working with romantic relationships is extended to working with family relationships, friendships, relationships at work, small businesses and partnerships. As a registered and qualified Counselling Physiologist she works with individuals and families in successfully helping them to deal with a variety of needs, such as depression, anxiety, loss and grief, anger, narcissism, emotions, fears, indecision, sensitivity and troubles related to work and career.

Finally, Dianna has led group programs that have helped people to improve their self-awareness, sensitivity, understanding of how they perceive the world, IVF and Fertility. Dianna prefers to collaborate with her clients and engage them in open and honest discussions around their main areas of focus, the duration of the work, how progress will be reviewed, and what success looks like. Dianna’s clients are active participants in the therapeutic process and ultimately, in their own healing beyond the counselling room. Dianna is able to offer face-to face, SKYPE-based and telephone-based meetings.

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. Janet 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.

Janet also has several years experience conducting Skype consultations.

She provides truly empathetic support as she journeys with her clients through a variety of challenges they face, providing them with real and practical tools to manage conflict, deepen their connection and strengthen  friendship and intimacy.  Key to the success of Terry’s work is relating to both partners with equity and empathy, helping them to repair, rebuild and connect.

Whether you are looking to deepen your relationship, recover from an affair, manage ongoing conflicts, work through financial issues, work through addictions, deal with family issues, external stresses on the relationship, or many other issues facing couples; Gottman therapy is designed to teach you the tools to manage these and deepen the bond and happiness in your relationship.

Sessions focus on the couples immediate needs as well as the goals they have set out in their plan which we develop together. We learn about key tools and practice using these.

She prioritizes the therapeutic relationship with each person to create a safe and empathic environment as a base for exploring challenges and facilitating personal growth. Kirsty truly values the role that she has with each client and draws upon the strengths and values within each person to work towards their goals.

Kirsty has experience and a strong interest in working with those experiencing relationships issues, mood and anxiety distress, interpersonal and identity difficulties, loss and adjustment counselling, and trauma.

Kirsty draws upon evidence-based psychological interventions including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Acceptance & Commitment Therapy, Schema Therapy and Mindfulness.

Rose’s 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, Rose 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.

Rose combines 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. Some of the therapies Rose utilises include: Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, Solution Focused Therapy, Mindfulness – Based Therapy, Eye Movement Therapy, Stress Management and Neuro Linguistic Programming.

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

Darleen is keen to remain at the forefront of credibility and integrity in her chosen industry. As a certified professional, Darleen 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. Darleen works with many successful clients to achieve happiness.

Darleen 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, Darleen’s acute awareness of what works and what doesn’t has meant that she has been able 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.

For couples and relationships, she works with communication difficulties, loss of connection and intimacy, parenting tensions, blended families, cultural differences, affairs, separation and divorce, life-transitions, and grief and loss. She also has experience working with LGBTQI couples. Eleni supports couples to more deeply understand their relationship dynamics and patterns, to work towards accepting their differences, to attend to unresolved hurts, and to re-establish their emotional bonds.

For individuals, she has special interests and experience in pregnancy and postnatal care, anxiety, depression, trauma, stress, self-esteem, grief and loss.

She has worked with specialised relationship services including Relationships Australia and Lifeworks, as well as in the area of perinatal mental health. She additionally holds a role as a sessional lecturer at the Australian Institute of Professional Counsellors (AIPC). Her 15+ years of dedication to the field of therapy reflects her passion and inspiration for enhancing life experiences through self-growth, human-potential, meaningful relationships and responsibility. Eleni recognises our infinite capacity to heal from our wounds when faced with life’s challenges. She is motivated to support her clients to access their qualities of strength, courage, self-awareness and resilience.

Her therapeutic approach utilises frameworks from an integrative psychotherapy lens, including couple and family therapy, emotion-focused therapy, somatic therapies, mindfulness, psychodynamic psychotherapy, and neuroscience. She is a trauma-informed practitioner, and she has committed to years of professional development and supervision.

Eleni respects the uniqueness of each person’s experience. She is committed to developing a safe, non-judgemental, reflective and nurturing therapeutic experience to facilitate positive change. She is a compassionate, warm, attuned and sensitive therapist who takes care to attend to your deepest vulnerabilities.

Eleni can also provide counselling in the Greek language.

Sharon has a particular interest in assisting couples to explore those matters that are often sensitive or difficult to discuss including sexual problems.  Sharon’s 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.

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

When we enter long term relationships, we do so with hope and optimism  – with little thought of challenges that might arise. When confronted with these, many of us are able surmount them and our relationships bond into robust partnerships. Unfortunately when we encounter problems  (whether because of unforeseen differences in beliefs or expectations, differences in child raising or in the face of pressures such as financial) these can stress or threaten our relationships – leading to a cycle of emotional distancing,  communication difficulties, conflict,  emotional estrangement, abuse or at worst violence.

In those instances where couples decide to separate, John respects this and offer separation counselling to enable a parting with as much respect and as little hurt to each party and their children.

• I have had a Counselling and Therapy Practice for 47 years
• Co-founder of Master of Counselling at ANU
• Founder of First Professional Marriage Guidance Training Programme in the ACT
• Supervisor of relationship counsellors  in the ACT
• Consultant to SA Marriage Guidance Council (now Relationships Australia) 1974 – 1978
• Family Therapy and Relationship Training at McMasterUniversity
• Founder of Master of Clinical Psychology at Adelaide University
• Member of founding committees of SA Family Therapy Association and ASSERT (now Sexology Australia)

Elaine 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. Elaine 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 uses a humanistic, person-centred approach in her practice including Gestalt therapy and mindfulness techniques. 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.

Iman 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.

Iman 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!

Iman 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, Iman 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. Iman 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, Iman 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 is a discernment counsellor and she loves helping couples make that very important decision – to stay or go. Iman 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, Iman 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.

As a male counsellor David is often told that he brings a different dynamic to couples therapy, without siding with either partner. He sees his role in couples therapy is to put the truth on the table so that the couple can decide on what they will do with that truth, and not make any judgements.

Although he draws from constant training in different methods of counselling, David enjoys the viewpoints of ACT for couples and the work of Dr John Gottman, but he has also studied Narrative Therapy and CBT. Clients tell him that he uses a common-sense approach to his work with them. He looks to use his training to provide resources and the opportunity for the couple to explore their relationship experiences in a more open way. This has proven to be successful in partners increasing their understanding their own reactions and also being more understanding of the impact on the other.

David doesn’t allow any particular counselling methodology to define the way he works with clients – rather, he joins with the couple where they are at and understands what is important to them and what they are hoping to achieve from the counselling process.

Tara works with couples using The Gottman method, Emotionally Focused Couple’s Therapy and Relational Life Therapy.  Furthermore, she draws upon narrative therapy, solution focused and interpersonal therapies models.

Using an integrative approach Tara can tailor a therapeutic approach to suit her client’s needs.  She doesn’t subscribe to the notion that one gloves fits all and believes her client’s benefit from this individualised approach.

Tara has a special interest in working with couples who are in crisis: struggling with issues of infidelity, conflict resolution and navigating parenthood.  In addition, Tara has completed specialised training to work with couple’s transitioning into parenthood for the first or subsequent times. Tara also works with couple’s in a proactive manner being relationship coaching or pre-marital therapy.

Tara believes our important relationships shape the quality of our lives and her goal is always the same: to find ways to strengthen her client’s relationships.  Tara values her client’s input and prefers to work collaboratively with her clients to navigate a way forward.  She understands the benefit in her client’s being actively invested in the therapeutic process and taking charge of their lives and their important relationships.

Franco hasn’t always been a psychologist.  He has worked in a number of significant roles in the Public Sector for over 20 years, initially as an economist and later 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 Franco to pursue his dream of becoming a psychologist helping professionals and executives individually and in couple therapy.

Building on his successful career as an Executive and training as a coach, Franco 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.”

Franco’s 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.

Michaela is an empathetic, open minded and practical therapist. She has been working as a counsellor for four years and feels it is truely an honor to provide the tools for people to grow and connect and then witness the domino effect this has on their lives. She utilises varying approaches during therapy as she enjoys tailoring her approach to suit the needs of her clients. These include techniques from Gottman, Emotional Focused Therapy and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. Michaela is a big believer in incorporating psychological techniques in to your life in ways you find enjoyable and accessible to create maintainable positive changes.

In addition to her counselling, Michaela has spent 9 years running a personal training business. As a result of this she is a strong believer that physical and mental health go hand in hand. This has had a direct influence on her holistic view on therapy which she use to support her clients in an empathetic and practical manner.

When Michaela is not working as a therapist she enjoys time with her large, tight-knit family, practicing Muay Thai and she can never get enough of being out in nature.

Francesco 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.

Francesco works with couples in the areas of building trust, navigating divorce, couple and family reunification, same-sex relationship difficulties, infidelity, sexual disorders and violence. He also conducts individual sessions in the following areas: abuse, eating disorders, gender identity stress, anxiety, depression, bullying, drug and alcohol addiction, panic attacks, grief, loss and traumas.

Francesco has 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.

Francesco 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. Francesco 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.

Francesco 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.

Francesco has been 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, Francesco 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.

Francesco can also deliver therapy sessions in Italian language (Francesco conduce terapie anche in lingua Italiana).

Her approach is responsive, empathic and relational. Carolyn 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. Carolyn will initially explore your goals for the relationship and help identify where your strengths and challenges are.

Carolyn 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. Carolyn will support you to give it your ‘best shot’ and create lasting change.

She listens with empathy and then provides couples with practical tools and strategies to help her clients overcome difficulties they are experiences and supports them to work towards a connected and harmonious relationship.

Courtney uses an evidence based and holistic approach to tailor her session to meet each couples individual circumstances. Here approach to relationship counselling is Emotionally Focused Couple’s Therapy and Relational Life Therapy.  Furthermore, she draws upon narrative therapy, solution focused and interpersonal therapies models.

Kellie considers it an honour to work alongside each couple to identify and address the unresolved needs and emotions within their dynamic while also giving them tools to work on these areas outside of session. She believes that communication is the foundation of a healthy relationship and that conflict can ultimately be a source of intimacy when couples learn to manage it well. She knows the deep sense of hope and fulfillment in being able to learn to face life’s challenges together.

Kellie believes that reaching out for support is a sign of strength and an important part of maintaining a healthy relationship. She desires to meet you wherever you are in your journey and provide a space where each partner can feel genuinely heard and respected. Throughout her work with couples, she has seen first-hand the many different destructive patterns and breakdowns which can develop within relationships.

She recognizes that you are the experts in your own relationship, and she invites you to work as a team to develop solutions which are meaningfully tailored to your unique experiences. She believes that inherent within this open and supportive counselling dynamic are boundless opportunities for the development of both personal and collective insight as well as the restoration of hope. She highlights the importance of individual growth as a necessary component of relationship growth and therefore works to gently challenge and encourage each partner to take ownership of their path forward.

She looks forward to getting to know you and supporting you on your journey.

Ilana 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.

Ilana is the author of a honours-thesis entitled “Psychoanalysis and Holocaust: an intersectional approach”

Julie has trained many of Melbourne’s counselling and hypnotherapists as a senior lecturer at leading colleges and universities in Melbourne.

Having seen many clients over the past 24 years, Julie’s clinical experience is both extensive and diverse. Her sexual therapy and relationship counselling has provided many clients find a safe port to begin the process of discovery and recovery.

Many adults present with sexual issues related to healing after the end of a relationship, requiring special understanding and counselling to overcome any obsticals. It is often important to intervene early, repairing any resentments and hurts before they become a larger problem.

At times non-sexual relationships outside of the primary coupleship (sometimes referred to as “emotional affairs”) cause insecurities and jealousy. These situations need special understanding to sort out before permanent damage is caused, or the relationship difficulties become terminal.

Sexual dysfunctions or other sexual issues can arise from many different beginnings, such as a life stage dilemma, past emotional difficulties and thought patterns, as well as physical medical health issues. Discovering and understanding these issues will assist on the road to healing and wholeness.

Hypnotherapy is often helpful in cases requiring behaviour change, such as dealing with porn addiction, premature ejaculation and many other aspects of sexual therapy.

As a trained hypnotherapist, Julie is able to effectively use hypnotherapy to assist with behaviour change for both sexual and other issues as desired by the client.

Formally, Jess is a qualified counsellor and member of the Australian Counselling Association. She has experience working with individuals and couples within a range of areas including relationship breakdown, communication issues, infidelity, depression, anxiety, eating disorders, trauma, LGBTQI+, issues with self-compassion and grief and loss.

Alongside an empathic, client-centered approach to therapy, Jess focuses on using proven working methods to help provide a pathway to healing. Such approaches are evidence-based Couples Therapy, including the Gottman Method, Emotionally Focused Therapy, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. These theories aside, she will work to ensure your needs are priority and tailor the treatment to your relationship and its dimensions.

Jess’ practice aims to reconnect you with your natural passion, purpose and establish your deeper capacity for love and intimacy. Her role is to provide you with a place to heal; with an ideology that expresses, ‘sometimes we just need a helping hand’.

Developing healthier minds creates more productive relationships and positive personal environment.

Couples usually make appointments only when the chill in their relationship has reached zero degrees. What once had been a loving relationship is now characterized by irreconcilable differences in their beliefs about financial decisions, physical intimacy, contact with relatives, and even how to load the dishwasher. They are used to hearing daily comments from each other such as:

“I can’t put up with your sporting obsession, and you’re always ignoring me!”

“I can never do anything right”

“I’m here at home all day with the kids, how would you possibly understand what that is like?”

“You are always blaming me!”

Because they have practiced their side of the argument for so long and they are so good at knowing how to attack each other’s weaknesses, persistent patterns have developed.

Change takes time and relapses will occur!

Couples often arrive believing that the therapist’s job is to “fix” their partner. Many couples are sceptical about whether therapy will work.

Each needs to understand that they are both good people; however, their patterns of communication have created a daily fencing duel. The therapy process will hopefully return you to your prior loving relationship only after you each become aware of how each contributes to this daily duel and begin to make changes. Awareness about the part that you each play in this relationship drama is essential.

Couples often arrive at the session believing that each partner will be laying out his or her “position” and the therapist will act as a referee to decide who is right. It is not a matter of one person being right or wrong, since both partners make sense from their perspective.

Paula points out to couples that the process will work if they both “are willing to try on some new ideas and own their part in it.”

By pointing out the importance of the “we” and not the “me” in their relationship, they begin to understand that both are expected to participate by making changes. This means that counselling is a joint venture to better understand the relationship rather than an adversarial one.

Lê relates her passion for relationship counselling works in this way;  “With couple work, Lê see herself as doing something similar to a Conductor in a symphony orchestra: tuning and retuning musicians and their instruments (the couples, the families) to the love of their music, sometimes subtle, and other times more direct when they haven’t practiced for a long time”.  “With individual work, Lê holds a mirror in many different angles for clients to reflect on areas where they want or need to attend to, to bring their life into a peaceful and wholly shape”. Lê is highly experienced in working with issues around conflict resolution, enhancing communication, listening and intimate connection, trust and respect differences.

In addition to relationship counselling, Lê works with clients to address a range of concerns including self-esteem, depression, stress and anxiety, grief and loss, anger management and cross-cultural issues. Whilst she primarily works from a Systemic and Client-Centred approach, Lê also draws from Attachment Theory, Gottman Therapy, Emotion-Focused Therapy, and Mindfulness techniques.

Lê views counselling as a collaborative process between clients and herself as a therapist.  She recognises that clients come to counselling from diverse life experiences and acknowledges their uniqueness.  The attuned pacing process, at times slow, at times faster, like a dance, creates a safe, trusting and warmth environment in sessions.  Lê’s clients referred to these qualities as profound and insightful and connectedness.

Lê speaks English and Vietnamese and is a Buddhist meditator. She also holds a Mindfulness Meditation Certificate.

I’m fortunate to have received cutting-edge training from the preeminent world authorities on relationships, Prof. Susan Johnson, Prof. John Gottman and Dr. Julie Schwartz Gottman.

Early in my career, well before writing “Heart-Centered Parenting” (available on Amazon), I was a love and relationships columnist for a national magazine.

My 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, my comprehensive knowledge of the complexity of relationships helps cultivate the intimate environment clients yearn for.

I 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

I 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.

Samantha 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. Samantha 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.

Samantha 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.

Kim assists her clients to explore their concerns and see and experience a future with positive change. Counselling sessions can develop into a positive, uplifting, and empowering experience.

Each session with Kim is developed to meet the clients’ personal therapeutic needs. Kim incorporates many contemporary models of counselling into her practice, including: Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Narrative Therapy, Mindfulness, Person-centred and Solution-Focused Therapy. Kim uses an integrated, client-centred approach, and is skilled at helping her clients address a variety of issues. Kim is ready to listen, so make the choice, to make a change and experience how counselling can help you to create a brighter today and tomorrow.

Kim is a proud member of The Hart Centre and registered with The Australian Counselling Association.  Kim ensures ongoing development and enhancements of her skills to deliver fresh and relevant professional support for her clients.

Kim’s practice is located at Brookwater midway between Brisbane and Ipswich in Queensland. It is a bright and comfortable modern building where you can talk in private.

Ana is experienced in working with clients dealing with stress, burn out, work harassment, depression, anxiety, lack of motivation, low self-worth and relationship and family breakdowns.

Ana works with adults, couples and teenagers. She creates a positive and honest relationship with her clients in order for them to achieve their goals. Ana motivates her clients and helps them through difficult situations. She is aware that asking for help is not easy, but it is the first step towards positive change.

Each session with Ana is tailored to meet her clients’ personal therapeutic needs. She incorporates many contemporary models of counselling into her practice, including: Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Solution Focused Therapy, Mindfulness, and Solution-Focused Therapy. Ana uses an integrated, client-centered approach, and is skilled at helping her clients address a variety of issues.

Too often people abandon a relationship believing it to be unsalvageable when it can not only be saved but improved way beyond what they believed possible.  All it takes is a willingness to be open, honest and experience the discomfort that comes with change.  The only difference is that unlike repeating the same old behaviour expecting a different outcome this discomfort will end.

Shelley provides a non judgemental, connected, safe and solution focused space which sees the therapist and the clients as partners in the experience.  The client is always responsible for setting the vision and Shelley will do her best to provide the “how to get there” opportunities so the client can arrive at the “best fit” solution for themselves.

Should you choose to work with Shelley you will grow your communication and ability to connect with the person that you love.  You will learn about your patterns and triggers and how to choose safer, kinder and more loving responses.

Shelley has been in the field for some time subsequently she has a comprehensive set of tools and experience to assist you identify and remove the blocks that you are experiencing.  This includes interventions such as Acceptance Commitment Therapy, Enhanced Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, Narrative Therapy, Clinical Hypnotherapy, enhancing emotional intelligence, understanding each others’ perspective, family of origin influences, love language, the assumption trap, managing conflict and realising personal growth so you can contribute positively to the relationship.

Shelley is a warm, approachable human being who is committed to helping you heal the wounds you have inadvertently inflicted on each other so you can move forward into a relationship of your choosing.