What is Narrative therapy?
"Narrative therapy seeks to be a respectful, non-blaming approach to counselling and community work, which centres people as the experts in their own lives. It views problems as separate from people and assumes people have many skills, competencies, beliefs, values, commitments
and abilities that will assist them to reduce the influence of problems in their lives." - Alice Morgan
In my work, I treat every person as multi-storied- I will never see you as whole defined by one identity or experience. I will not assume that I know who you are or your experience based on any diagnosis or lables you hold, your skin colour, gender presentation, body, work, sexuality, or education. I will assume that wherever there is violence or oppression, there is also resistance, no matter how small or subtle it may seem.
Respectful, humble curiosity and care guide me in my work. Any work we do together will be guided by your hop
es and I will check in regularly to see if we're on track. Counselling conversations aren't able fixing problems. Instead we will create a space in which to identify and unpack problems, dilemmas and questions; and to get clearer about the values, beliefs, skills, knowledges, and connections you hold which might shift your relationship to the problem.
Fees
The fees are sliding scale depending on income: ranging from $70 to $160 per session.
Access
Currently I only provide counselling via phone and video. This means I am able to work with anyone nationally or internationally provided that our time zones allow.
Please let me know if there are any things that I can do to make counselling more accessible for you! This might include cultural practices or protocols that I need to observe, adjustments to the counselling environment or to the way that I relate to you.
Can I use a mental health care plan or NDIS funding?
I am not registered with medicare so unfortunately, I can't use mental health care plans. I may be able to point you in the direction of other folks who are able to support you on a mental health care plan if that's required for you to access counselling. I am often able to provide counselling using NDIS funding. Please get in touch to discuss whether this will be possible with your plan.
I don't identify as LGBTIQA+, can I still do counselling with you?
I work with people of all genders, sexualities and backgrounds. You most certainly don't have to be queer or questioning to work with me.
How often can I have sessions?
This really depends on the work we are doing together and both of our availability. Some people find that a single session is all they require, others come once every few weeks for a short period of time while others might be interested in having regular or semi-regular conversations over extended periods of time.
Can I contact you between sessions?
Some people might want to share updates or other things with me via email between sessions. As I work part time, I will often not be able to respond straight away. I am not able to provide emergency or crisis support. While the majority of our work together will happen during our conversations, sometimes email exchange can be a valuable extension of our work.
What if I decide you’re not a good fit for me?
It’s important to work out whether counselling is going to be an appropriate response for what you’re up against and if it is, it may not be with me. That is absolutely ok! You’ve got to find a counselling relationship that makes possible the kinds of conversations or work you want to do. In that instance I will always be happy to refer you to other practitioners or services.
Qualifications, trainings and professional membership
I have a Master's Degree in Narrative Therapy and Community Work from the University of Melbourne and a Certificate IV in Youthwork from TafeSA. I am a member of the Australian Counselling Association.
More about intersectional feminist, queer and decolonising influences
My practice acknowledges the complex web of intersecting systems which privilege some folks and marginalise others. For me Feminism means believing that every person has a right to autonomy over their own body, to live free of violence and discrimination and to be part of relationships and communities with nurture and celebrate their difference. It means standing against the imposition of rigidly defines roles of binary gender and affirming diverse possibilities for gender, sex, relationships, and families.
It also means making visible the way that systems of class, white supremacy, abelism, heteronormativity and cisnormativity- and all the ideas we have that construct some folks as "normal", "natural" and superior and police difference- show up in people's lives and their every day acts of resistance to these forces.
I am a white settler living on colonised land and this shapes my life and practice in a multitude of ways. My commitment as a practitioner is:
to continue unlearning and questioning the assumptions and un-truths that I have been raised to believe,
to examine my own complicity in ongoing colonisation and the ways it benefits me as a white person,
to take every opportunity to disrupt and challenge racism and imperialism, and
to be guided by indigenous wisdom, practices and ways of being.
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