Online Counselling to local and remote locations across Australia

Counselling in Mona Vale, NSW on Sydney’s northern beaches.

Counselling is talk-based therapy where you have an opportunity to express your thoughts, ideas, stories and emotions in a private environment. This may be experienced sitting face to face in Tranquillo Place Mona Vale. Or you can access counselling online using Zoom – high quality encrypted video conferencing software.

Online counselling allows you to sit in the comfort of your own home, and connect via laptop or smart phone. Online counselling is offered across Australia, wherever you can enable an internet connection.

Counselling can help when you are feeling:

overwhelmed, stressed, anxious, exhausted, overcome with grief, low self esteem, struggling, emotional pain & suffering, lack of direction, distressed, panic, numb, or disconnected.

Explain More About Counselling?

Counselling is a therapeutic relationship between a trained, objective professional and a client. The counsellor provides confidential support that is both professional and intentional.

In difficult circumstances, family members and friends are often unable to provide an objective point of view. The counsellor can offer this objective perspective. Ideally you will gain insights and develop strategies to assist in managing your particular situation.

Within a session you might also experience a wide range of counselling and psychotherapy modalities – techniques, styles, models, etc. Sometimes talking is not enough and so you may learn new skills.  It may be useful to focusing on breathing and movements that relax, or perhaps a creative activity – whatever provides relief.  Remaining open to exploring what works best for each person is important – it is always different.

When you book you can choose to either meet at Tranquillo Place in Mona Vale OR

Connect online: we create a ‘place’ virtually using the security of ZOOM – the preferred platform for online counselling. (like Skype)

How Does Counselling Work?

by Jane Macnaught

You may bring a specific issue or problem to counselling and we’ll explore what’s important to you, discuss options, techniques and symptom management tools that are available to support you through this difficult time.

I work from a holistic perspective. This means that whilst working with you, I will take into account all of the factors that are influencing your well being, and how you got to be where you are now. These may be environmental, social and family issues. We’ll also look at your moods, stressors, how you are sleeping, eating and so one – everything is connected to your wellbeing.

How I work?

We will talk.   I will listen.   We simply sit and chat.   In person.   Or online.

I am skilled in a variety of counselling modalities – using a person-centred approach with an eclectic mix – this means we may use a variety of methods. I am interested in providing trauma informed, person centred, body-focused somatic therapies, mindfulness and trauma sensitive yoga. (I can explain all of this when we meet)

Basically the research now shows that we learn so much from how our bodies respond to stress.

Where you feel your stress, how you relieve your anxieties, what you do already will help us understand what is working well, and what is not working. You may have some unhealthy habits or patterns and habits that no longer feel part of the future self you want to become.

We know that when stressed, we can have tight shoulders, or when we’re nervous, we may feel butterflies, feel sick in our stomachs, or heavy in the chest with sadness. We might observe and wonder at how you hold your body. This can add further depth to the therapy. “The body keeps the score” (Bessel van der Kolk 2015)

I often introduce mindfulness activities with my clients as a way of calming anxiety. We do these together in the session and you may decide to practice mindfulness in your daily life. Sometimes we focus on the sounds, colours, shapes and smells in the room. (or your room if we are online) Or perhaps focusing on the way your chest rises and falls, ever so naturally, and also becoming aware of breath and sensations in the body.

The therapy approaches are based on the research in neuroscience that now shows how our brain is affected by stress, anxiety and trauma. The new brain research shows us it is possible to change our brain’s activity patterns and structure in order to achieve positive and lasting change. “Recent brain scans done before and after psychotherapy show both that the brain plastically reorganises itself in treatment and that the more successful the treatment, the greater the change.” (Norman Doidge, 2007.)