Mrs Lisa Paul
Counsellor, Mental Health Nurse CMHN
Lisa Paul Counselling & Psychotherapy
Windsor, NSW 2756
In Person + Online Therapy Australia-wide
Philosophy & Vision
I’m a Perinatal Psychotherapist and Mental Health Nurse, supporting mothers and their babies through the emotional landscape of pregnancy, birth, and early parenthood. I offer a calm, compassionate space to explore your experience—without judgment, only care. Every journey into parenthood is unique. Some come seeking support through loss or trauma, others through the deep, often unexpected shifts that early parenting can bring. Some are untangling past wounds that resurface as they step into this new chapter. Whatever your path, I walk beside you—supporting, guiding, and helping you find steadiness as you navigate it all. Alongside traditional therapies, I also offer gentle, frequency-based support like Acutonics® to help bring balance to mind, body, and spirit.
Background
I have been working with mothers who have been struggling with mental health concerns such as mood disorders, grief and loss and trauma for the past 8 years.
I have spent a lot of time learning and studying various therapies and how they work in helping people affected by trauma. I wanted to understand the effects of trauma on the brain and more importantly how the mind deals with this.
The foundations for my practice, stem from my experience as a midwife/nurse for the past 25 years, however the increase in anxiety/depression, birth trauma and previous traumas became more and more evident, and I knew that this was where I wanted to specialize in and support women navigating their way through.
Services
I have spent many years caring and supporting couples as they transition into parenthood. This combined with my never ending love of learning, took me from the wards in the hospitals into a more specialised service in mental health. I transitioned from being a Midwife to now a Perinatal Counsellor/Psychotherapist - and I love it.
I am passionate about parents and babies getting off on the right foot together, getting mothers to feel better about themselves as mothers. I know the difficulties that arise and I hear you when you say out loud "this is not what I thought it would be". Navigating those emotions that come with the loss of who you used to be and the unknowing of who you are now, can be worked through and you can recover.
Quality Provision
As a therapist, I draw on my counselling training and my experiences and education as a Perinatal & Infant Mental Health Nurse/Midwife & Circle of Security Practitioner. I have done ongoing training's in psychotherapy and trauma work. I have worked with women who have complex backgrounds and women who are just struggling coming to terms with motherhood. Everyone's story of how they got to where they are now - is different.
Areas of Special Interest
Accreditations
- Grad Cert. Mental Health Nursing - 2020 - Western Sydney University
- Graduate Diploma in Counselling - 2015 - Australian College of Applied Psychology
- Diploma in Nutrition - 2009 - Nature Care College
- Advance Diploma Homeopathy - 2005 - Nature Care College
- Graduate Diploma in Midwifery - 1995 - Western Sydney University
Modalities
CBT - Compassion-Focused Therapy - DBT - EMDR - Focusing - Holistic - Integrative - Internal Family Systems - Meditation - Mindfulness - Person Centred - Psychodynamic - Trauma-Informed
Therapy Approach
I’m an integrative therapist who brings together a range of approaches to support you in a way that feels right. As an informed DBT therapist, and with training in EMDR (Level 2) and Internal Family Systems (Level 1), my work is grounded in trauma-informed, recovery-focused care. I also support parents and families through Circle of Security and have a strong foundation in perinatal and infant mental health. Together, we’ll create a warm, supportive space where you can explore what’s going on, feel truly heard, and move toward healing at your own pace.
Professional Associations
- Australian College of Mental Health Nurses
- Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia - Clinical
- International Institute for Complementary Therapists
Practice Locations
Old Hawkesbury Hospital
6 Christie Street
Windsor NSW 2756
Windsor - Parking off street in Christie Street or underground parking (signposted)
Suite 25/Level 2
12-14 Waratah Street
Mona Vale NSW 2103
Appointments
Face to Face appointments or Online options are available.
Available Tuesdays and Thursdays Windsor NSW
Mondays - Mona Vale NSW
Fees & Insurance
$185 per 50 min session.
Medicare Rebates for Non-Directive Pregnancy Counselling Item Number 81010.
3 subsidized sessions. GP referral needed.
Payment Options
Initial $100 direct deposit will confirm your appointment.
Details will be sent in an email.
Balance is payable via EFT,. Credit card/EFTPOS at session.
Contact Lisa
Please contact me to make an appointment
A conversation with Lisa Paul
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I saw there was a gap in the health system in supporting mothers and fathers especially with the transition to parenthood. Everybody focuses on the birth of this baby and the baby itself when it comes but how many times do YOU feel heard? How many times do people check in and ask how your going?
In my experience, while having a baby is a wonderful experience, it also comes with an enormous trailer load of different feelings - which can be different for everyone. Commonly, issues around not being a good enough mother, loss of your identity, relationship difficulties and all the psychosocial aspects around finances, employment, previous mental health complaints and traumas - its a list that is as individual as the birth experience itself.
I wanted to support mothers, to help them find in them their own sense of worth as a mother, to show them that its not a perfect set up and nor should it be, that its ok to make mistakes. I also have a passion to work with those wounded mothers, those who have had difficult childhood experiences, traumas from childhood or from the birth. Mothers who have had anxiety that it feels like its crippling and depression so deep that you struggle just to "be there" for your child. -
My main approach which has also made a huge difference in my own life has been the work of Dr Richard Schwartz. He developed the evidence based Internal Family System model of therapy and I have embraced this whole heartedly both professionally and personally.
I love the gentleness, simplicity and the non pathologizing aspect of this model.
I don't believe that people come into mental health problems as a baby, I believe that it comes through our experiences and influences from our families, culture and society as we are growing up.
His model has resonated so deeply with me and when I describe it to my clients, its like something clicks in them. -
The Perinatal area from pregnancy to postnatal period of first couple of year and women who have a trauma background who feel ready to work with that.
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Internal Family Systems
Person-Centered
Mindfulness
Compassion Focused Therapy
EMDR
CBT
DBT informed
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That varies on how open the client feels to start to heal an how motivated they are for therapy.
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Oh I love it.
I cannot see me doing anything else now.
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Seeing my clients start to get that self awareness and insight. That's when healing begins.
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Hell YES Lol.
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Wow where to I start............
Social Media - while I have it, I hate it too......
I think communication is a huge problem, we are losing the ability to know how to interact with each other personally.
Less tolerance towards each other and so much judgement and criticism.
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Becoming Us by Elle Taylor for parents who have just had a baby. Great book on how relationships change and why.
Hold me Tight by Dr Sue Johnson - great one for helping relationships in general.