“Most psychologists treat the mind as disembodied, a phenomenon with little or no connection to the physical body. Conversely physicians treat the body with no regard to the mind or the emotions. But the body and mind are not separate and we cannot treat one without the other. "

Dr Candace Pert   

I am a Gold Coast counsellor and somatic psychotherapist (body oriented psychotherapy) and yoga teacher, based at Varsity Lakes on the Gold Coast. I  work in a wholistic way with you encompassing all aspects of your health and wellbeing.  I'm interested in hearing your story, as well as working together to understand how your body might be hearing and experiencing your story. In working together we will explore both the body and mind aspects of your experience to support you to find a space that not only feels right in your body but also makes good sense to you as well. Working in this embodied wholistic way, life changes arise through a union of body and mind versus merely working on changing your thoughts to get you to a new place.

You might be experiencing anxiety and depression. Not able to sleep at night and lacking energy to be in life. I work predominantly with people who have experienced trauma in their life and are finding it difficult to actually be in the present moment without all the memories and intense feelings of events from the past. Our work together is to learn how to regulate your traumatised nervous system so that it’s easier to safely navigate the natural feelings that arise in day to day life. When we can achieve this then it is so much easier to try and make sense of all that has been happening in your life.

I have a particular interest in how past and/or current trauma impacts your relationship with your body as well as how you navigate the world. If you have PTSD or Complex Trauma, the most important part of recovery is to have and know your body and to be able to regulate the feelings and sensations that arise in day to day life that can be overwhelming. Many traditional ways of approaching trauma have been to invite you to talk extensively about what has happened to you, which can actually just re-traumatise you all over again. It certainly isn’t useful for your nervous system to be put through that. In working together our priority is to support you to find ways to stabilise your mood and to be able to regulate the traumatised nervous system. This is the first and most important aspect of our work before we even begin to try to make sense of your lived experience and some of the subsequent decisions you may have made as a result of past trauma.

I am a Registered Clinical Psychotherapist, Clinical Mental Health Practitioner and Clinical Supervisor with the Psychotherapist and Counsellor Federation of Australia (PACFA). My foundational Yoga Teacher training was with the Life Foundation in Dru Yoga. I am a member of the International Yoga teachers Association (IYTA). I am an accredited provider on the Redress Program for Institutional Childhood Abuse and Victims of Crime NSW. In conjunction with my clinical practice I also facilitate workshops for both Clinicians and Survivors of Trauma for the BlueKnot Foundation. I also co-founded Trauma Sensitive Yoga Australia in 2012- an organisation committed to increasing the awareness of how to apply the benefits of yoga as part of a total trauma recovery program. Please check out my workshops page for the latest workshop offerings. I am also a member of the Australian Traditional Medicine Society (ATMS4314).

Qualifications

B.Bus(UQ Honours), Master of Commerce (UNSW), ND ( Nature Care College NSW) , Grad Diploma in Counselling (ACAP), Diploma in Contemporary Somatic Psychotherapy(AACSP), Master of Counselling (UNE), Diploma in Dru Yoga (Life Foundation) Certificate in Trauma Sensitive Yoga (JRI - Boston 40hours), Professional Training Course in Buddhism & Psychotherapy ( AABCAP 280 hours)

Workshop Highlights

Wheel of Supervision - Levels I & II - CEP ( 2010/11)

From Trauma to Dharma- A somatic Approach to Working with Trauma - Manuela Mishke -Reed (30 hours 2014)

The Art of Focusing in Supervision - CEP ( 6 hours - 2014)

Recognising & Resolving Traumatic Stress- Bessel van der Kolk (18 hours - 2016)

EFT - Lighthouse Resources ( 6 hours- 2016)

Working Somatically with Trauma - Pat Ogden (6 hours 2016)

Grief & Loss Robert Neimeyer ( 6 hours- 2017)

Somatic Origins of Developmental Trauma - Ruella Frank ( 18hours - 2018)

Compassion Focused Therapy for Psychosis - Eleanor Longden ( 12 hours - 2018)

Working with Suicide & Suicidal Ideation - Antonio Murphy (6 hours - 2018 )

When the Body Says No- Mind/Body Unity and the Stress- Disease Connection - Gabor Mate ( 6 hours - 2018)

Transforming Anxiety & Stress by Integrating the Embodied Brain - Dan Siegal ( 9 hours - 2022)

Australian Childhood Conference- August 2022- Sessions with Ruth Lanius, Dan Siegal, Paul Gilbert, Stephen Porges & Ed Tronick