South East Suburbs, Melbourne, VIC
Counselling
Counselling for Helping Professionals Navigating Change, Ambivalence, Grief and the Emotional Weight of Caring for Others.
Looking after ourselves beyond supervision.
Clinical supervision helps us maintain and develop our professional practice. But supervision isn't counselling. When personal stressors, life changes or professional exhaustion begin to affect our inner world, it may be time to consider having a space that is just for you.
I provide counselling for helping professionals, including counsellors, therapists, social workers, nurses, allied health professionals, carers and leaders who may be navigating the unique personal and professional pressures that can come with caring for others.
Change is one of the threads that runs through much of my counselling work.
Sometimes change is something we choose. Sometimes it is something that happens to us. Sometimes we want things to change while another part of us desperately wants things to stay the same.
Workplace change. Professional change. Changes in relationships. Changes in health. Changes in identity. Grief and loss. The exhaustion that comes when change simply doesn't seem to stop.
I am particularly interested in the experience of ambivalence, distress and grief that can sit underneath change.
My approach is not about pushing you towards change or telling you what you should do. It is about creating enough safety and space to understand what is happening, honour your autonomy and explore what feels possible for you.
I would like to invite you to view the podcast 'The Right Therapist by Source', where the founder of Source Therapy, Laura Duggan, interviews me about "Why you feel stuck: Ambivalence, the Inner Critic and Change". It speaks to how I approach change in counselling and is also relevant for supervision. Enjoy!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOXzEw16_Iw
The sections below explore some of the places where this can show up for helping professionals.
Supporting You Through Change and Change Fatigue
At the heart of my counselling is the belief that we can navigate change and challenges when ambivalence, distress and grief are met with compassion rather than judgement or blame, and when our autonomy and capacity for choice are honoured.
Struggling with change is a normal part of the change journey. This can be true when we're navigating changes in our personal lives, as well as workplace or systemic change fatigue. Struggling isn't a personal failure, nor does it mean you haven't been resilient enough.
Together, we can:
- Create space to explore ambivalence and distress: Take time to pause and reflect on what's important to you, why you might be feeling stuck, and what might be getting in the way of feeling confident or ready for change.
- Understand your stress responses: Become curious about what's happening when your nervous system is under pressure, notice the inner critic and explore ways of responding with greater compassion.
- Make sense of professional grief and systemic fatigue: Talk about the things that are difficult to change, the losses that can come with professional practice and the impact of working within systems that may not always support the work we want to do.
- Reconnect with what matters to you: Explore your values, strengths and what is important to you now, while considering what meaningful change might look like on your own terms.
You don't have to carry it all on your own. Sometimes creating a little space to stop, reflect and be heard can help us see what we need next.
Counselling for Professional & Personal Carers: When Caring Changes Us
Whether you're caring for clients all day or supporting a family member at home, the emotional weight can be heavy, and the exhaustion can be very real.
Sometimes we're so busy caring for others that there isn't much space left to notice what we're carrying ourselves. If you find yourself frantically paddling beneath the surface while trying to look like you're coping, counselling can offer a safe space to pause, breathe and explore what you need.
Together, we can:
- Unpack the guilt and the "shoulds": Explore the expectations we place on ourselves and the difficult feelings that can come when we can't do everything for everyone.
- Make space for grief: Talk about anticipatory grief, changing relationships, loss and the uncertainty that can come with caring for someone we love or supporting others professionally.
- Explore boundaries: Consider where your needs fit within your caring responsibilities and what healthy, compassionate boundaries might look like for you.
- Find some breathing space: Untangle competing priorities and explore what might bring a little more balance, relief, connection and hope into your life.
You don't have to stop caring about others to make space for yourself. Sometimes caring for yourself begins with having somewhere safe to put down what you've been carrying.
Navigating Chronic Illness and Health Changes as a Helping Professional
Counsellors and health practitioners get sick too. We can also carry deep, silent shame when our own health falters.
Managing a demanding practice while navigating changes in your health can feel incredibly isolating. There can be grief, uncertainty, frustration and sometimes the uncomfortable feeling that our bodies are no longer doing what we expect of them.
Counselling can offer a compassionate, non-judgemental space to pause and explore what this change means for you.
Together, we can:
- Explore your changing relationship with your body: Make space for the emotions, frustrations and adjustments that can come when your health changes.
- Process grief, shock and ambivalence: Explore the many feelings that can accompany a new diagnosis, chronic illness or an uncertain health journey.
- Consider your professional identity: Reflect on what it means to be a helping professional while also needing help yourself, and explore any shame, vulnerability or expectations that may arise.
- Explore what sustainable practice might look like now: Consider your capacity, boundaries and professional needs without rushing to have all the answers.
It's not about completely overhauling your life or practice. It's about making space to listen to yourself, explore what has changed and consider what feels possible and meaningful for you right now.
