I am a compassionate, caring and non-judgmental counsellor who has over 30 years’ experience in the education sector, including as Program Director in a tertiary setting, and more recently working in a primary school setting.

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I appreciate that life brings many challenges, and I have a keen interest in assisting people to thrive and succeed in the face of these challenges. 

 

I view therapy as a partnership, I have some instructions and directions, but you decide where you want to go and how fast you want to get there. I incorporate many kinds of therapies into my sessions depending on the client's needs, but I favour Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT) as one of my foundational approaches. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy supports people build a rich and meaningful life in the midst of the many challenges that life can throw at you.  I work with clients to help them clarify what is important to them so that they are better prepared to act in ways that line up with these values. Nothing gives me greater joy than helping clients disentangle themselves from unhelpful thoughts, feelings, urges, memories or images so that they can focus on and engage in what’s important in the here and now. 

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I am passionate about helping clients with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and to assist them to break free of the hold that this can have. OCD is a bully! and it tells its sufferers that the compulsions (either mental or physical) will help you gain comfort, control and certainty of your own particular obsessions (what you fear). The trouble with compulsions however is that it marks the obsession as dangerous, and so the brain is more like to focus on it and unfortunately you can get caught deeper and deeper into OCD’s unhelpful story. In therapy with OCD clients, I focus heavily on first helping clients understand this disorder, and then work alongside the client to assist them to gain freedom from OCD’s grip.

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With regard to Relationship counselling, I am interested in counselling practices that assists each partner to be heard and validated and to work with them to help regain their sense of connection. I use many of the Gottman and Gottman intervention tools in my approach, as well as Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy. I work with clients to identify negative behaviour cycles that often develop in a relationship and help them learn new ways of interaction to build mutual understanding and connection​.

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I am a Christian and would be happy to work with clients who wish to integrate their own Christian spiritual practices and beliefs into their therapy.

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Trenna

Master of Counselling Practice

Graduate Diploma of Education (Education and Training of Adults)  

Associate Diploma in Radiologic Technology

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