FAQs

I work from the fundamental belief that you, the client, are the expert in your life and work. I believe every person is creative, resourceful, and whole. As such, I will never give you answers, but help you find your answers. If you are working with a coach or counsellor who tries to tell you how to lead your life, or makes you in any way feel judged, it might be time to seek out a new therapist.

No. Please talk to your friends for that.

Coaching is action oriented. It’s future focused, solution focused and empowering. A coach partners with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximise their personal and professional potential. Professional coaching focuses on setting goals, creating outcomes, and managing personal change. I’ll help you to understand your values and strengths, clarify your direction, create a clear vision, cultivate a positive mindset and we’ll work together to develop your sense of self-belief. While coaching can be therapeutic, it’s not therapy. Coaching is a positive, validating, supportive experience. You’ll leave feeling clearer about your direction, confident in your ability to achieve your objectives, and you’ll have a greater degree of self-awareness. If you want to know more, you can read my blog WTF EVEN IS COACHING? here for the full lowdown.

The coaching process is characterised by a few things. Coaching will provide you with a supportive and non-judgemental space for you to discuss whatever is important to you. Coaching is solution-focused which means we may spend a small amount of time trying to make sense of why things are the way that they are, we’ll also be asking ‘what can we do about it?’ I won’t ever tell you what to do. The choices are yours, you’ll be asked questions that encourage you to think differently and to open up new opportunities. My job is to brainstorm with you when you are stuck and help keep you accountable for doing the things that you say you are going to do.

For general coaching, the framework I use is this:

WHAT MATTERS MOST TO YOU? Understanding your values, which help drive purpose and motivation, needs and priorities. Your values are excellent guideposts to help you make decisions.

WHAT ARE YOU CAPABLE OF? Understanding your talents, character strengths, skills, inner and external resources, includes things to unlearn from the past - unhelpful patterns, habits, boundaries that need to be revisited etc.

WHAT CAN I DO? Exploring possible pathways, deciding on options, steps towards the future plan).

HOW AND WHEN WILL I DO IT? Setting timeframes, accountability, pact with self. I have different frameworks for specific coaching programs around communications, and boundaries.

No.

Although I do work with some executives, I am not an executive coach.

Yes. I won’t help you write your resume or update your LinkedIn profile, but I can help you get clear on your skills and strengths and how they might transfer to a different job. I can help you make values-based decisions around current and future employment and help you get clear on the kind of roles you want to seek out.

Yes, a coach can help you to identify strengths, develop them, and identify both personal AND professional goals. Work on personal development and the benefits flow through to your professional life. Win-win.

Check the handy guide to readiness here.

Reflective exercises are part of the process. I’m always thoughtful about the exercises and readings I suggest – they are designed to increase and deepen your awareness of certain patterns and doing them will enhance coaching outcomes.

Usually 2 – 3 weeks apart to allow time for insights to be processed, and action steps to be taken. Coaching usually provides some momentum if your life so you want to take advantage of that and not leave too much time in between sessions.

Counselling is coping oriented and helps people with problems in life. Together we make a plan to get you where you want to be in your life. Counsellors don't formally diagnose like a psychologist can nor can they prescribe medication like a psychiatrist. But what a counsellor can do is offer a qualified ear, suggest evidence-based tools and help you find a way through your concerns.

Some approaches in counselling are similar to coaches in that they focus on solution-oriented change and goal setting.

A counsellor doesn’t diagnose mental health conditions. If you feel you would be best served by a formal diagnosis, a psychologist offering a mental health care plan (through your GP) is your best path forward. Counselling will help you to discover new ways of coping, making changes, developing new skills and finding what works for you. The main aim of a counsellor is to help you work through various issues so that you can cope with your problems better. Counselling centres on you, and how to build new skills to deal with your situation and manage the tricky and feelings that go with it.

I use Solution Focused Therapy, to help you understand your current situation. I will support you to problem solve, identify your strengths, and focus on building solutions that are right for you. My counselling is also informed by Acceptance and Commitment Therapy which is a behavioural therapy that focuses on psychological flexibility. ACT is an action-oriented approach to psychotherapy that emphasises acceptance as a way to deal with negative thoughts. It helps us behave more consistently with our own values and apply mindfulness and acceptance skills to our responses to uncontrollable experiences.

The good news is that you don’t. You can seek counselling without a referral from your GP.

There’s a lot of advocacy work being done in this space, but unfortunately, counsellors are not currently covered by Medicare.

Unfortunately, this option only applies to counsellors with a degree or an Australian Graduate Diploma. I’m working towards an Australian Graduate Diploma but that is some year’s off.

A 60-minute session is $130+GST payable at the completion of the counselling session. You can pay by Eftpos, or mobile facility. I also offer a free 15-minute phone consultation to discuss your situation and next steps. The session cost is comparable to a mental health care plan out-of-pocket ('gap') payment to a psychologist.

It depends on your needs - everyone is different. Most clients will see me weekly for between three to six visits. Some clients will also book 'booster' sessions once per month.

The frequency of sessions depends on your needs, but usually either weekly or fortnightly. I try to schedule sessions so you can have the same day/time each week or fortnight.

I take client confidentiality very seriously and I inherently hold confidentiality as a part of my practice. There are a few exceptions to confidentiality in counselling which would be discussed ahead of counselling commencing and in our counselling agreement.

I will find out more about you, why you’ve come to counselling and what you would like to achieve through counselling. We then set a plan to achieve these goals and monitor progress along the way. I also like to set tasks which you complete each week so you can practice new skills.

At the moment, all my sessions are online via ZOOM. It is a convenient way to access my counselling service.

While I can’t guarantee that counselling will solve the specific problem you are facing, I can guarantee that I will make every effort to provide you with a dedicated, considered, confidential and professional service.

Cancellation fees are as follows:
0-24 hours' notice - full fee is payable.
24-48 hours' notice - 50% fee is payable.

​Please be respectful of my schedule and contact me via email or phone to re-book.

I'm a registered counsellor through the Australian Counselling Association and hold a Diploma of Counselling qualification (Australian Institute of Professional Counsellors). I also have a Bachelor of Communications, a Mental Health First Aid certificate and am an accredited Professional Life Coach via the Australian Life Coaching Institute.

• Bachelor of Communications
• Diploma in Counselling
• Cert 4 in Professional Life Coaching
• Mental Health First Aid certificate

Advanced study majors:
• Relationship counselling and conflict resolution

Pending:
• Mindfulness-Based Therapies
• Counselling Clients with Addictions

Yes, you can go to a counsellor just to talk. Many people seek therapy as a safe, confidential space to talk about their experiences, feelings, and challenges.