What prompted you to move into counselling as a profession?

From a young age I have always been interested in understanding people and their stories, and I was one of those children who was always listening in to the ‘grown-up’ conversations. The trajectory of my working life reflects this interest as I have worked in recruitment and training and then as a primary teacher for a short while. While I was teaching, I stumbled across an advertisement for postgraduate training in ‘art therapy’, which I had never heard of before. I can remember being excited about the prospect of combining my love for art with training as a therapist.

What is the biggest reward in being a counsellor?

It is immensely rewarding not only to facilitate and witness moments of healing and positive change in my clients, especially around sexuality and relationship issues, but also to be trusted enough for people to share the deeply personal and intimate parts of their inner emotional worlds and private experiences with me.

What is the biggest challenge about being a counsellor?

I am a neurodiverse counsellor who frequently finds time management and anything to do with numbers quite frustrating and challenging. I have learned the hard way that I have to be very intentional about setting aside regular time for administration and outsourcing some of the most challenging tasks.

Name a highlight of your Australian Counselling Association (ACA) membership

Reading about the small but significant steps of progress being made by members of ACA in gaining recognition for the counselling profession as valuable source of mental health services by governments and other important stakeholders.

How would you like to see the counselling industry change in the future?

It is my hope that counselling services provided by experienced, qualified and well-trained professionals will be accessible to those in need.

Describe a valuable learning experience that you had as a counsellor

There is no specific experience that stands out but I have often been awed by the tremendous courage and tenacity shown by clients in the face of adversity and heartache. I have also learned a lot about myself.

How many clients do you see each week?

I see about 15 to 20 a week.

What do you love about running your own professional practice?

I absolutely love the freedom of setting my own hours and having my own unique space in which to work.

What pearls of wisdom would you offer to a student counsellor or a colleague?

Make sure you take very good care of yourself and continually check to see how you are doing, especially during times of stress. I think we should all see consistent self-care as an integral part of our work as counsellors.

Do not shy away from bringing up the topic of sex with clients. They often don’t realise that it’s ok to talk about sex in therapy, or they may feel too anxious or embarrassed and may be waiting for ‘permission’ to do so.