Counselling

1:1 Support

Navigating motherhood and mothering is hard work. I believe that our society isn't suitably set up to value mothers, and mothering-work, or providing opportunities for mothers to thrive in modern-day life. This is leaving mothers feeling guilty, burnt-out, resentful, angry, disconnected, and lost. This all takes a toll on identity, mental health and wellbeing, and mothers and families are paying the price.

I believe things can be different, and we are capable of pushing back against the 'shoulds' of what it means to be a 'perfect mother' in our society, and (re)claim a motherhood experience that aligns with our values, on our own terms.

I support mamas and mamas-to-be with:

Preparation for and adjusting to motherhood
Birth trauma and debriefing from birth experiences
Perinatal depression & anxiety
Guilt and anger
Understanding and transforming the way your childhood experiences impact your parenting
Changes to your identity and sense of self in transitioning to motherhood
Impacts of motherhood on relationships
Matrescence - the transitional process of becoming a mother which impacts our physical, psychological, emotional, and spiritual self.
Self-care and personal satisfaction
Termination/abortion matters

Anchor 1

BOOKING

Booking

To book an appointment for counselling, please contact me via phone, email or send a message from this website.

Appointments are available face-to-face from my office in Nowra, as well as via phone, or online (Zoom)

What To Expect

WHAT TO EXPECT

I provide a personalised talking therapy counselling service, drawing on an array of different therapeutic methods, including Narrative Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Play Therapy techniques as well as somatic (body) therapy techniques, and the neurobiology of trauma.

In the first counselling session, I will discuss privacy and confidentiality, and identify my role within a duty of care framework. I will enquire about what brings you to counselling and what you'd like to achieve as a result of engaging in a service. However, I am not only interested in what is not working, or what requires change, but also what is going well, what your interests are, and what brings you joy. Based on this holistic conversation, a plan will be discussed to assist you to achieve your goals.

As an Accredited Social Worker, I am bound by, and practices within, the Australian Association of Social Work (AASW) Code of Ethics, as well as the Victims Services Practice Standards. Please feel free to ask any questions, or request a copy of the respective document/s, if you require further information.

Fees

FEES

As of 1 July 2022, my service fee is $140.00 per 60-minute session.

NDIS:
Individuals with an active NDIS plan, who are able to access a counselling service as part of this, can request invoices to be sent to a third party for payment. Fees for NDIS services are $193.90 per hour, as per NDIS item number 15_621_0128_1_3 (Assessment Recommendation Therapy or Training - Social Worker).

Victims Services:
I also provide a free service to victims of crime, through the Victims Services Approved Counselling service. If you have been a victim of a violent crime (including sexual assault and/or domestic and family violence) please contact me to discuss accessing counselling sessions through the Victims Services scheme. You can also read more about the service here.

Non-Directive Pregnancy Counselling:
If you are currently pregnant, or have been pregnant in the past 12 months, you can access up to three sessions of subsidised counselling with a referral from a GP. This is seperate to a Mental Health Care Plan. Medicare will provide a rebate of $65.75 per session, which can be processed at the time of your appointment. The remaining out-of-pocket cost will be $74.25 per session. You can find out more about Non-Directive Pregnancy Counselling here

All fees are payable at the time of session and can be paid by cash or debit/credit card. If you require an invoice to pay via direct debit/bank transfer, please advise me of this prior to your session.

At present, I am not providing a bulk billing, or Medicare rebate (Mental Health Care Plan) service, except for Non-Directive Pregnancy Counselling sessions.

Cancellation

CANCELLATION

In the event that you need to cancel or reschedule an appointment, please provide me with at least 24 hours notice to avoid a fee. Any cancellation within 24 hours of the appointment will attract a 50% fee.