Counselling & psychotherapy services
I offer individual counselling and psychotherapy sessions:
Face to face sessions in Woolloomooloo, NSW
Online sessions available to clients located anywhere in Australia
Fees: $100 per 1 hour session. Private health rebates available for some funds. Contact me for NDIS arrangements.
Find out more about me and my approach here, or contact me for a free chat to find out if this is the right fit for you.
About my approach
Each person has a unique experience of life and the world - and so there is no one-size-fits-all therapy. I work to tailor therapy to suit to each person’s needs, learning styles and stage of readiness for different types of therapy.
Read more below to find out about my approach and some of the modalities I incorporate into therapy, or contact me if you prefer to chat if you have further questions.
-
A person-centred philosophy underpins my approach. This means I deeply respect each client’s innate capacity and desire to heal, and I will work with you to uncover and grow this. My role is to use my therapeutic skills to support you in understanding and reclaiming yourself to be able to live your life to the full, placing your wisdom, strengths and experience at the centre.
-
A trauma-informed approach to therapy means understanding how traumatic experiences can impact our lives and cause many of our negative symptoms. My role as therapist is to provide a safe therapeutic space, ensuring that any processing of trauma happens at a pace you can cope with, working with you to develop and strengthen strategies to self-regulate and stay safe while in session, as well as in between sessions. I use therapies to support your emotions, body and mind to heal and re-integrate after trauma.
-
Our nervous system has an important role in keeping us safe. Sometimes it can get confused and cause us to react in ways that are not helpful, because of past trauma we have been through. We can learn to heal, tone and make friends with our nervous system again, so it can return to protecting us when we need it, and relaxing when we don’t. I incorporate polyvagal theory and techniques, breathing, Tapping (EFT) and sensory strategies to assist with this.
-
We are many faceted-people. Mind, body, emotions, culture, context and other elements make up who we are - and so therapy can address all these important areas. Sometimes talking to find solutions is helpful, and at other times it is not enough, because we are holding the trauma in our body, or the context we are in keeps us stuck in the same situation.
I will make ongoing assessments with you throughout your therapy about where to focus our work together, respecting what you feel comfortable trying. We might use motivational interviewing or narrative therapy for a more cognitive “top-down” approach, or somatic techniques, creative therapies or emotion-focussed techniques to work from the “bottom-up”.
-
I will respect your cultural identities, however you wish to express this.
I seek to offer a service that is safe for LGBTQIA+ people.
We will work with your connection to land, seas and spirit, where this is important to you.
I acknowledge the cultural lens I bring to therapy as a female identifying, Asian child of migrants living on Aboriginal land.
-
We are all part of many systems - relational, societal, political, cultural and more. These interact and can impact our ability to move about in the world as our true selves. I will work with you to understand and examine the systems and power structures that impact your life, whether relational or family systems, workplace systems, cultural, environmental, political or even your internal systems, with the aim of supporting you to find your voice and agency within these. Narrative therapy, family systems theory and parts work are some approaches that inform this part of therapy.
-
Sometimes focusing on words and talking gets us tied up in knots, and at other times we simply cannot find any words to describe our experience. Creative therapies can help us express our experience by accessing the “right side” (creative, non-verbal side) of our brains to assist with healing, and it can also give a us a safe distance to look at our internal world by externalising it in a gentle way. It can also help us access our subconscious selves where our deeply held wisdom is found. I utilise art therapy, sandtray therapy and music where it is appropriate to bring into sessions.
-
A key aim of therapy is integration of our different parts that make up who we are as humans.
Best-practice trauma therapy integrates multiple modalities in a dynamic and purposeful way to suit each client’s needs. I assess client’s needs as therapy unfolds and bring in the therapeutic tools needed that are appropriate for different stages of your journey.
-
We heal in relationship. As mammals, we are biologically wired to relate to others, and when we are dysregulated, our nervous systems can settle down when we find someone who can safely co-regulate with us. Additionally, when our trauma has originated in relationships, experiencing an appropriate, healthy an accepting relationship in therapy can help us reset our relationship patterns. Therefore the therapeutic relationship in counselling is a tool I intentionally use as part of the growth process, and it will be something we negotiate together.
What can I bring to therapy?
Some people know exactly what they want to get out of therapy, while others may not be able to put it into words, but know they need support. It can be an important part of the therapy process to come to understand ourselves, what we need, and where we want to aim to be. Whichever starting point you are at is okay. It’s not so much about bringing an issue or a goal - but bringing yourself. Turning up is the first courageous step - from there we can work it out together.
I am experienced working with young people through to older people of diverse backgrounds and identities, and use modalities to suit each person.
With my experience working with complex trauma, I am able to see clients with a wide range of presenting issues. This is not limited to but can include:
Attachment trauma
Addiction issues and relapse prevention
Anxiety and panic attacks
Depression
Domestic and family violence
Gender and sexual identity
Climate change anxiety
Grief and loss
Coping with life transitions
Identity and developing a sense of self
Racism and oppression
Colonisation and decolonisation
Cultural identity
Childhood trauma
Religious trauma
Post-traumatic stress
Emotional dysregulation
Relationship stress and boundary issues
Sexual assault
Existential issues
Family relationships and parenting
Intergenerational trauma
Shame and guilt
Neurodiversity
Post-release integration
About Me
I am a Teochew person working on Gadigal land, raised on Darramurragal land, with roots reaching back to Singapore and China.
I have been providing counselling, psychotherapy and case management for people experiencing complex trauma in the not-for-profit sector, health sector and in private practice since 2015.
Prior to this, I have worked in urban and remote community development, international aid and development, cross-cultural training, advocacy for social justice and teaching music and English as an Additional Language.
My values, culture, life and work experiences, professional training, gender identity, experience as a parent, relationship to nature and creativity - all inform my therapeutic work. I am committed to lifelong growth and learning, seeking to understand the diverse experiences and identities of the people I meet.
I am a clinical member of the Psychotherapists and Counsellors Association of Australia (PACFA), Registration number 23027. I am listed on the Australian Register of Counsellors and Psychotherapists (ARCAP) www.arcap.com.au
I adhere to the PACFA Code of Ethics and work under the supervision of an accredited clinical supervisor, and take part in regular professional development and training.
Qualifications:
Graduate Diploma in Counselling (ACAP)
Post Graduate Certificate in TESOL (Macquarie University)
Bachelor of Music (Music Education) (Sydney Conservatorium of Music)
Frequently Asked Questions
-
Counselling usually refers to shorter term periods of treatment, often focussed on specific strategies and finding solutions. Psychotherapy purposefully uses the therapeutic relationship as a tool for healing, particularly where there is attachment trauma and for co-regulation of nervous systems. Every therapist has a different way of practising, and it’s important that you find the right fit for you.
-
Complex trauma refers to the experience of repeated or multiple exposures to trauma, rather than one single incident. This could have happened during childhood or more recently as an adult, and can refer to relational trauma as well as events or incidents we were exposed to. It can have significant impacts on our wellbeing and ability to function now, but it is possible to heal and recover with effective therapy. The Blue Knot foundation has an excellent detailed explanation of complex trauma.
-
As a counsellor, I am unfortunately unable to offer Medicare rebates or bulk billing. National counselling peak bodies such as PACFA and ACA having been advocating for registered, experienced and trained counsellors to be able to bulk bill. In the meantime, I try to keep my fee equal to or lower than the gap fee charged by many bulk-billing practitioners.
Private health rebates are available for BUPA, St Luke's Health, Police Health, GMHBA, Westfund, Emergency Services, Phoenix Health ,CUA Health,AIA Health,Teachers Union Health. Check with your provider if counselling services are covered in your policy.
As part of my clinical registration with PACFA, I adhere to the PACFA Code of Ethics, I have insurance, and am required to engage in ongoing professional development and be accountable to an accredited clinical supervisor.
-
Cancellations within 24 hours of a scheduled appointment will be charged 50% of the fee. Cancellations or requests to reschedule appointment with more than 24 hours notice do not incur any fee.
-
The frequency of your sessions will be discussed and decided with you as we work together. You may need regular sessions to start with for therapy to be effective, then we will assess what level of support you need as your therapy progresses.
Getting here
Address: 102 Crown St Woolloomooloo NSW.
(Opposite East Sydney Private Hospital and Metro Woollies)
Public transport: Walk from Kings Cross station or St James train station (approx 12 mins walk from either station).
Nearest bus routes: 311, 324, 325, 461 to and from the city. The 311 bus stops directly outside.
Parking: Available on surrounding streets.