At the start of your initial session, we will review your consent form and I’ll answer any questions you have about it. I’ll then invite you to share what has brought you to counselling.

As you speak, I’ll listen carefully. I may take some notes to ensure I capture the key details of your story accurately, and I’ll ask clarifying questions as necessary. Generally, I aim to let you speak without interruption so you can share your thoughts fully.

Once I have a deeper understanding of your concerns, I will confirm that I’ve understood what you hope to get out of our time together. If I’ve missed an important aspect, I encourage you to correct me—it’s vital that we are both working toward the same goals.

Depending on what we’ve discussed, I may offer insights, share practical tools you can use immediately, or recommend resources like books or podcasts. If we find there is more to explore than time permits, we can discuss booking further sessions. I will always provide my professional recommendation, but the decision to continue is entirely yours.

A few minutes before we finish, we will recap our conversation and talk about what you’d like to do next, whether that’s a follow-up session soon, a check-in down the track, or something else that suits your needs.

Important: Because I cannot live your consequences for you, I will almost never tell you what you ‘should’ do. Rather, I will explore with you what it is that you would like to do.

Confidentiality is a cornerstone of the counselling relationship. Your sessions will remain strictly private, with a few specific exceptions required by law and professional ethics:

• Court subpoena: If a court subpoenas my session notes, I am legally required to provide them. Should this occur, I would discuss the request with you and seek guidance from my clinical supervisor or a legal advisor before proceeding.
• Safety & mandatory reporting: If I form the belief that you or someone else is at imminent risk of serious harm, I am obligated to take action to ensure safety. This may include contacting the emergency services or relevant protective agencies.
• Professional supervision: Like all registered mental health practitioners, I participate in regular clinical supervision to ensure I am providing you with the best possible care. During supervision sessions, I may discuss our work, but I do so without using your name or identifying details, to protect your privacy.

My session notes are written and stored securely in accordance with the Australian Privacy Principles. You can request a copy of them at any time and I will endeavour to provide them to you within two business days.

It depends on what your goals are. If you just want to talk about something that’s happened (or is about to) and work through the emotions involved, you may feel that one session is enough.

If you want to work on exploring certain behavioural patterns and making some changes, or you want someone to keep you accountable to your goals, you may need several sessions.

These are just examples. It’s really up to you.

Yes, I offer online sessions via Zoom. I generally prefer our initial consultation to be held in person in my Upper Ferntree Gully office. This allows us to establish a strong therapeutic connection and ensure that the online format will be the most effective and safe way for us to work together moving forward.

If attending in person is not practical for you, e.g. due to living remotely or being unable to leave your home, please contact me to discuss your circumstances.

My practice is currently focused on working with adults (18+). I do not provide general counselling for children or adolescents.

If you are looking for support for a young person, I recommend searching for a practitioner who specialises in child and adolescent therapy, as they use specific developmentally appropriate techniques, such as play therapy, that fall outside my current scope of practice.

The following search tools may help you locate a suitable practitioner:

• ACA Find a Counsellor
• PACFA Find a Therapist

I provide one-to-one counselling for individuals. I do not offer couples, marriage, or family therapy. However, I am able to help individuals explore and navigate their feelings about their important relationships. If you are working through a difficult breakup, navigating family conflict, or wanting to understand your own patterns in how you relate to others, we can focus on these themes together in our individual sessions.

If you specifically require therapy where two or more people attend sessions together, I recommend using the following search tools to locate a Relationship or Family Therapist:

• ACA Find a Counsellor
• PACFA Find a Therapist

No, unfortunately, Medicare rebates (such as those offered under a Mental Health Care Plan) do not currently apply to private counselling services. This is a topic of ongoing advocacy within the profession, but for now, my services are privately funded.

I am currently in the process of registering with major health funds. From July 2026, I expect to be able to provide the necessary receipts for you to claim a rebate.

Please note that eligibility depends on your specific insurer and level of cover. I recommend contacting your provider to confirm if ‘Counselling’ (as opposed to ‘Psychology’) is included in your extras. I will update this page as soon as my provider numbers are active.

No, you do not need a referral or a Mental Health Care Plan to see me. You can simply book an appointment directly.

If you already have a Mental Health Care Plan:

These plans are designed to provide Medicare rebates for sessions with a Psychologist or an Accredited Mental Health Social Worker. If accessing a government rebate is your priority, I recommend seeking a practitioner in one of those fields. See Which professional is right for me? for more information about these roles.

Note: While counsellors cannot currently offer Medicare rebates, my full fee ($120) may be lower than the ‘gap’ or out-of-pocket cost you would pay to see a Psychologist after the rebate is applied. If you decide you’d like to work with me despite the lack of a rebate, I’m happy to help you. We just won’t be able to make use of your Mental Health Care Plan. You could consider keeping your plan in case you later decide to work with a professional who can offer the rebate.

As a range of professionals provide mental healthcare services in Australia, choosing the right support can be confusing. While all the roles listed below share a foundation in behavioural science and evidence-based talk therapy, there are some important differences in our training and how we work. Also, individual practitioners will have their own strengths, areas of interest, and ways of working. The right fit depends on what you need from therapy and the personal connection you feel with your practitioner.

Note: You may choose to work with more than one of these professionals at a time.

Registered Counsellor (me)

A Registered Counsellor helps you navigate difficult emotions, life transitions, and relationship challenges. Whether you have a diagnosed mental health condition or are simply navigating a painful work or personal situation, I provide a non-judgemental space where we can focus on your healing, growth, and wellbeing.

In Australia, ‘counsellor’ is not a protected term, meaning anyone can use it regardless of training. To ensure your practitioner is adequately qualified, always look for registration with the ACA or PACFA. I hold a Master of Counselling from the University of Canberra and have Level 2 registration with the ACA (registration #29542). This registration requires me to undergo regular clinical supervision and ongoing professional development to ensure your care meets the highest ethical and industry standards.

Important: While I am trained to recognise common mental health conditions, counsellors do not provide formal medical diagnosis. If you feel that a formal diagnosis might be an important step for you – perhaps to access medication or specific support services – I can provide a letter to your GP outlining my clinical observations to help facilitate that process.

Mental Health Social Worker

An Accredited Mental Health Social Worker has completed a degree in Social Work followed by at least two years of specialist supervised experience in a mental health setting. They are authorised to treat specific conditions identified in a GP’s Mental Health Care Plan. In addition to counselling, they are uniquely trained to help you navigate practical life factors, such as housing, financial systems, or government advocacy, to support your wellbeing.

Psychologist (Registered, Provisional, or Clinical)

Psychologists occupy a range of roles including in research and academia. Those who have chosen to specialise in clinical work provide talk therapy and are the professionals you see if you require formal assessment or a diagnosis for conditions such as ADHD or Autism.

• Registered & Clinical Psychologists can offer Medicare rebates if you have a referral from your GP or a Mental Health Care Plan.
• Provisional Psychologists are in their final stage of training. They do not offer Medicare rebates but often have lower fees while working under senior supervision.

Psychiatrist

A Psychiatrist is a medical doctor who specialises in mental health. Because of their medical background, they focus on the biological causes of mental health issues and are the only professionals on this list who can prescribe and manage medication. You must have a GP referral to see a Psychiatrist.

If you are working with a Psychiatrist, you will likely also be working with another type of mental health professional. This helps make the services more accessible and affordable.