Counselling Services
HomeOur Philosophy - How we work
We take a whole-person; humanistic, principle-centred and strengths based approach to our work. Our role primarily focus is on assisting people to explore, understand and develop ways to enrich their life journey. The key is to balance the mind, body, soul and spirit. Using a number of tools including exploration, discussion and psycho education we are able to integrate solution-focused strategies (mind) with sensory motor/somatic awareness (body), healthy emotional development (soul) and respecting what gives meaning and purpose for each person (spirit). We do not ascribe to any particular psychological, religious or political school of thought in our approach.
Our work is tailored to suit each person's needs in partnership. Those who choose to use our services are provided with the opportunity to review this at regular intervals in sessions.
In essence, we believe enhancing well-being and fulfilment is fundamental. Every person has the ability to learn how to best guide him or herself through personal issues including past and present conflicts. Our belief is that we are all able to choose how we deal with our life experiences and what we make of these. This may include addressing the impact of circumstances that we could not or cannot control. It involves looking at the decisions we make and the actions we take in situations where we were or are unable to affect the outcome. How we go about achieving this is more important than the fact that we achieved it. It is not what has occurred in your life that matters but what you do with it!
Inherent in this, is our belief that we all have choice as to how we deal with our life experiences and what we make of these. This includes addressing the impact of circumstances that we could not, and cannot, control. It also involves exploring the decisions we make, and actions we take, in situations where we are able to affect the outcome. How we go about achieving this is more important than the fact that we achieved it. It has not what has occurred in your life but what you do with it that matters!
For people who have endured severe and extreme stress, trauma, or abuse, it is important for them to understand and work with their natural, protective defence mechanisms which have helped them to cope or survive. These defences develop in response to the demands of abnormal situations or events and are normal however while valuable and protective at the time, over time they may no longer be useful and may in fact cause us difficulties. These behaviours, beliefs and perceptions can become problematic. By understanding the purpose and benefit of these defences, the individual can begin to work with, rather than against, themselves and find meaning in their experiences. This assists in helpful thinking and decision making instead of re-enacting past negative experiences and patterns.
In supporting this process of recovery we offer inspirational and hopeful stories of others who have overcome challenges in their lives so that they can view their experience as a journey rather than an end point. Each journey is as unique as the person who enters into it and the stories of others assists with normalising the feelings and assists in understanding that one is not alone. We believe people are best served by being assisted to find their own answers at their own pace.
We Specialise in Trauma Work
Our services focus on the following:
- Children and young people.
- Therapeutic group work.
- Relationship trauma including grief and loss, separation and divorce, sexual and relational behaviour.
- Victims of crime including those classified as both primary and secondary victims under the umbrella of the Victims of Crime Assistance Tribunal such as domestic violence, sexual assault, violent robbery, abduction, stalking, murder, bullying, workplace assault, intervention order breach and domestic abuse.
- Those affected by natural disasters or emergencies.
- Couples counselling.
- Parenting and Family work.
Why we're best suited to meet your needs
We have many years of experience assisting people from a multitude of backgrounds in resolving every day stress, as well as extreme trauma, loss and grief. We understand the need for work-life balance. We know how to achieve practical results and we believe in helping people to enrich their lives and fulfil their potential. We care about excellence and quality in all we do.