Psychotherapists and Counsellors Answer your Questions

It's the only thing I've wanted to do since the age of about 15 when the idea first came to me. I've always had a gift for listening to and helping people, and genuinely love getting to know and...

It's the only thing I've wanted to do since the age of about 15 when the idea first came to me. I've always had a gift for listening to and helping people, and genuinely love getting to know and understand others. Being a part of a positive change in someone's life is incredibly rewarding, and I would never want to do anything else.

Years spent working as a music therapist working with clients who had a range of issues, I found that I was constantly required to adapt to my clients needs and take on new challenges to help them...

Years spent working as a music therapist working with clients who had a range of issues, I found that I was constantly required to adapt to my clients needs and take on new challenges to help them reach their therapy goals. This lead to a natural transition into psychotherapy and counselling as helping others gain insight into their issues and my own personal journey along the way has always been important to me.

My own experience of change and quest for self knowledge.

My own experience of change and quest for self knowledge.

After many years of personal development work and a passion for mindfulness practice, I chose to find a way of making these practices central to my work. To work at something I love. I find this very...

After many years of personal development work and a passion for mindfulness practice, I chose to find a way of making these practices central to my work. To work at something I love. I find this very satisfying, purposeful and fulfilling.

I grew up in a family as one of four children and my younger sister was severely intellectually disabled. I know this to have been a powerful influence upon me at many levels. I was very attuned to...

I grew up in a family as one of four children and my younger sister was severely intellectually disabled. I know this to have been a powerful influence upon me at many levels. I was very attuned to the emotional nuances in many of the people around me. Later as a teacher working with the first Vietnamese and Kampuchean refugees here in Western Australia I knew I had the compassion to be with and support them however I realised fairly quickly that I needed to learn more about the experience of psychological trauma in order to be of further and greater assistance. I had also been one of the initial teachers establishing the school on Home Island on the Cocos (Keeling) Islands. The love I felt for and received from the Cocos-Malay people influenced me in wanting to train more specifically in counselling and psychotherapy so as to be able to better support people from different cultures as they made cultural transitions. In short, I understood early in my life that I was capable of feeling deep compassion however, that alone was not sufficient to work well with people. I knew I needed to learn something about psychological theory and knowledge as well. I needed to bring together the heart and feelings with sound theoretical knowledge so as to apply both for the benefit of others.

I had a close sister who committed suicide when we were in our teens, and I first needed to understand how such things can happen, and then to understand how they can be prevented. I then became...

I had a close sister who committed suicide when we were in our teens, and I first needed to understand how such things can happen, and then to understand how they can be prevented. I then became aware that I had also been through severe trauma in our dysfunctional family and needed to learn to deal with the effects and heal myself. Having learn these things, I then wanted to share what I learnt to help others on the journey. I have also met some amazing psychotherapists, especially hynotherapist Maureen Kaluchi of Sydney, who made an enormous difference to me and mentored me. And I find it a real honour to be able to walk with others when their lives become a struggle, to hold hope for them when they are unable to do so, and then to watch them blossom and thrive.

Whilst working as a Registered Nurse, I became interested in human behaviour and peoples psyche. I was always curious and wondered why people reacted the way they did. I also questioned my own...

Whilst working as a Registered Nurse, I became interested in human behaviour and peoples psyche. I was always curious and wondered why people reacted the way they did. I also questioned my own behaviour times and discovered that I learned more about psychotherapy and counselling whilst I was having my own therapy (required 250 hours to complete my training). Coming from Scotland, I was around lots of drugs and alcohol and dysfunction as a child, I became an over empathiser and as an adult I had to re-learn strategies and boundaries to keep this in check.

I chose to become a psychologist to help people improve their lives by alleviating emotional, psychological and relational pain.

I chose to become a psychologist to help people improve their lives by alleviating emotional, psychological and relational pain.

Mid life brought about big changes in my life. One day I had well paying job and a career in St Georges Terrace. The next day I was retrenched along with many others. Even though I had reached the top...

Mid life brought about big changes in my life. One day I had well paying job and a career in St Georges Terrace. The next day I was retrenched along with many others. Even though I had reached the top in my career I had always felt out of place. Together with my wife I started a wilderness backpacking business guiding people throughout remote landscapes. Over a six year period I discovered people unfolded and became emotionally and spiritually well as we walked and talked and listened to each other. We began running trips with Aboriginal people in the Pilbara and time after time I saw the same thing happen. I discovered we healed as we spent time together.

My personal experience of being supported by a counselling professional. Experiencing anxiety and depression as a young person led me to access a counsellor. It was my first experience with an adult...

My personal experience of being supported by a counselling professional. Experiencing anxiety and depression as a young person led me to access a counsellor. It was my first experience with an adult who listened to me without judgment. In later years the declining health of my mother to breast cancer led me back into therapy to understand my grief and loss. Both these experiences were supportive and transformational.

-My own soul-searching has led to long life exploration of inner and outer life. -I am fascinated by the vastness of the psyche. -Psychotherapy is the skill I have to share my contribution to the...

-My own soul-searching has led to long life exploration of inner and outer life. -I am fascinated by the vastness of the psyche. -Psychotherapy is the skill I have to share my contribution to the humanity. My hope is to provide a space so that others could feel save in finding what is needed in themselves.

A deep interest in how the mind works and why people do what they do. My first concern was to understand why some people hurt other people. The deeper my explorations went I found that the way we...

A deep interest in how the mind works and why people do what they do. My first concern was to understand why some people hurt other people. The deeper my explorations went I found that the way we think limits our horizons. Understanding this I am always interested in challenging assumptions, beliefs and judgments and opening up new possibilities. It is a continuous and continuing challenge, mystery and adventure which is deeply rewarding. I like being of assistance to people and my motivation for being a therapist is that I like to help. Because I'm also very interested in the mind and also our whole experience of life I like to help through psychotherapy. I enjoy doing therapy and am continually fascinated by peoples lives, their stories and often their bravery. I also find that the deeper I go in therapy the greater the appreciation and understanding goes. From that place wiser decisions are possible.

I find it fascinating to understand how our mind works, how the brain develops. I've been in therapy for a few years, and it cleared my mind. I started learning to become a counsellor later in life,...

I find it fascinating to understand how our mind works, how the brain develops. I've been in therapy for a few years, and it cleared my mind. I started learning to become a counsellor later in life, initially it was more an extension of my personal journey. I found it illuminating and felt the need to help others in the same way. I started with volunteer jobs in different associations. I realized how lonely many people feel when they struggle with mental health, and how less sometimes is needed to help them. I went back to studying Psychology and Counselling, and now try to support others overcome their struggle and live a meaningful life.

My childhood experiences and my curiosity about human interactions formed the basis of my decision to become a counsellor/psychotherapist.

My childhood experiences and my curiosity about human interactions formed the basis of my decision to become a counsellor/psychotherapist.

As a people's person I love to interact with a broad range of individuals from multi cultured and diverse backgrounds, I found people asking me how did I achieve the things I had done. This included...

As a people's person I love to interact with a broad range of individuals from multi cultured and diverse backgrounds, I found people asking me how did I achieve the things I had done. This included being a Triathlete, a Laboratory Technician, a Business Management Consultant and a mother. This made me ask the question of how do I give people support and advice if I have no training in this area, so I set off to undertake mature age studies and found my love of helping people inspired me me to gain a degree in Counselling develop my new mantra of Believe and Achieve.

I was drawn to psychotherapy out of curiosity, to make sense of myself and other people in a caring, helpful way. I'd studied and practiced a variety of therapeutic approaches - art and Sandplay...

I was drawn to psychotherapy out of curiosity, to make sense of myself and other people in a caring, helpful way. I'd studied and practiced a variety of therapeutic approaches - art and Sandplay therapies, creative imagination and inner work - and was keen to draw all the thinking and methods together in some form of framework that resonated.

I have been interested in human behaviour since I was a young girl. However it wasn't until I had many years of life experiences that I felt counselling was my true calling. I worked in aged care and...

I have been interested in human behaviour since I was a young girl. However it wasn't until I had many years of life experiences that I felt counselling was my true calling. I worked in aged care and it was they who encouraged me to go and get my degree. I haven't looked back since.