Psychotherapy & Counselling in Melbourne

qualified professional counsellor

Many people often ask me if the process of hypnosis involves some level of counselling; and it does.

In fact, any accredited hypnotherapist worth their salt will also be formally trained in counselling, psychotherapy and conflict resolution.

You see, it’s really easy to hypnotize a person; but the actual therapy can be hit and miss if your therapist doesn’t have finely tuned counselling skills.

Let’s take the subject of weight loss as an example:

About 90% of my clients already know what they need to do to lose weight; but often emotional factors such as stress, low-self esteem and relationship conflicts come into play.

In these cases, the weight problem is never ‘just’ about food and exercise, but rather a multi-faceted issue that requires the skills of a trained therapist to address with the client.

Counselling Facilitates Lasting Change

Talking with a trained professional counsellor is a great way to unpack any emotional baggage you may have that could be holding you back.

Unresolved emotional issues can cause pain, impact your relationships and hinder your career; but they can be addressed, often in only one or two sessions.

One of the hardest things for people to do is admit they need help. Seeking outside guidance may seem ‘weak’ for some people, as we like to think that we can sort out our problems on our own; but in fact, a person who commits to this kind of change is incredibly strong.

Once you’ve decided to enlist a little outside help, it’s important to find someone to help you uncover the underlying deeper issues, ingrained inner conflicts and subconscious blocks that are stopping you from reaching your highest potential.

Find a Practitioner You Trust

A qualified professional counsellor can help you with:

  • Trauma;
  • PTSD;
  • Communication;
  • Confidence;
  • Relationship issues

No matter what the problem is, I can help. The first step is to contact me and have a chat so we can see if we’re a good fit to work together.

Once we have met, we can select the most appropriate treatment for you; whether that be counselling, couples counselling, psychotherapy or hypnosis. It may be that a combination of these options will work well for you.

What are Counselling and psychotherapy?

The role of a counsellor is to actively listen to you, without judgement or bias, so she can assist you in overcoming the particular problem you’re dealing with.

Often there are a number of factors that spill over into each other, such as anxiety, confidence issues, career problems., etc…so your therapist will prioritise and continue to move the discussion along in a productive manner.

The discussions you have with your psychotherapist are private and confidential, and the goal of your therapist is to offer insight, feedback and suggestions designed to help you see more clearly and move towards a helpful solution.

You should always feel safe and supported with your therapist, as she’s there to facilitate positive change in an easy and respectful manner.

I Have Good friends That Support Me…Why Do I Need a Counsellor?

While good friends are vital in times of emotional stress, your friends don’t have the skills and experience needed to guide you in times of turmoil.

First and foremost, your friends often can’t be objective, and may not tell the truth for fear of upsetting you or altering the dynamics of your relationship.

Also, sometimes your friends are part of the intricate tapestry that needs to be explored in therapy; you’re less likely to disclose your true feelings to friends and vice versa.

Finally, your friends are more likely to ‘offer advice’ based on their own bias, rather than giving you the tools and strategies to find the solution yourself, on your own terms.

One of the biggest differences between a friend and a counsellor is that in a friendship, it’s a two way street; you may feel guilty about taking up your friend’s time with all your problems and feel compelled to steer the conversation back to them.

In the counselling or therapy room, it’s all about you. It provides you with the one-on-one support you need to process your feelings, without feeling pressure to reciprocate.

Choose a Qualified Professional Therapist

When choosing your therapist, make sure she has an accredited counselling qualification. The advantage of choosing a counsellor who also practices hypnosis and minfulness, is that you’ll be provided with a myriad of conscious and subconscious tools that will help you move past any setback or problem quickly.

Gone are the days where you have to attend counselling for week after week, year after year to get anywhere. Most clients can expect to see results after two to three sessions.

All of my counselling and psychotherapy sessions happen in a completely confidential and supportive environment (In our Melbourne clinic, or by Skype if you would prefer to work remotely.) Contact me to find out more about how I can help.