Counselling for assertive communication: how to avoid angry or tense communication.

Petra is a Registered Counsellor and member of the Australian Counselling Association (ACA) with experience in various roles across the healthcare industry. She holds a Diploma from the Australian Institute of Professional Counsellors and a Graduate Diploma in Relationship Counselling, as well as advanced accreditations in grief & loss, addiction, abuse and eating disorders.

Petra has worked extensively with a diverse range of individuals across multiple organisations in both the aged care, clinical and charity sectors. Through her time at the Butterfly Foundation, Petra empowered her clients through evidence-based therapy to help them overcome negative eating patterns. Petra also has specific experience treating complex mental health in elderly clients, supporting them through issues such as trauma, grief and cognitive decline. Prior to her commencing a career in counselling, Petra worked in various roles within the corporate space, collaborating and liaising with an assortment of professionals, helping shape the person-centred approach she utlises in therapy today.

In private practice, Petra’s focus is to meet and understand where individuals are at in their lives, and best support them using a variety of therapeutic modalities including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Solutions Focused Therapy, ACT, Strengths Based Therapy and Narrative Therapy. In her sessions, Petra assists her clients in a range of concerns, including anger management, depression, anxiety, relationship concerns, grief & loss, self-esteem issues, workplace stress, as well as more complex mental health including eating disorders and addiction.

Petra is an insightful and altruistic counsellor, who believes everyone is unique in their counselling needs and, as such, aims to personalise each session to the individual. Creating safe, supportive and confidential spaces for people to engage, Petra uses empathy and understanding to support her clients in their mental health journey and onto more fulfilling lives.

Wade is a Counsellor and Psychotherapist, registered with PACFA. He holds a Bachelor of Counselling from the Australian College of Applied Psychology and a Graduate Diploma of Mental Health and Neuroscience from the University of the Sunshine Coast, with extensive advanced training in Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy.

Wade’s career began in hospital and community mental health settings, including several years leading a therapeutic program and multidisciplinary team. This gave him broad experience supporting people through a wide range of life challenges before he moved into private practice.

Since moving into private practice, Wade works with individuals, supporting them with a range of concerns including anxiety, stress and burnout, low mood, grief, relationship and attachment difficulties, and past trauma. He has a particular interest in trauma, attachment, men’s health and addiction-related concerns.

Wade’s approach draws primarily on Internal Family Systems, integrating trauma-informed, attachment-based, psychodynamic, EMDR, and polyvagal-informed techniques. He works deeply and relationally with his clients, taking the time to understand what’s beneath the surface and build a genuine sense of trust and connection. He believes lasting change comes through the relationship itself, not just the techniques used within it.

Wade describes his style as clear, honest and human, creating a space paced to each client where they can explore what’s present for them without judgement or pressure.

Silvia is a Registered Counsellor and Psychotherapist with the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia. She holds a Graduate Diploma in Counselling from the Australian College of Applied Psychology (Sydney), a Bachelor of Psychology and Sociology from Greenwich University (London) and is currently working towards full certification as a Somatic Experiencing® practitioner with Somatic Experiencing® International.

Silvia’s journey of connecting with her authentic self, self-discovery and curating conscious relationships inspired her to help others navigate their own challenges. She has since obtained experience in various mental health settings including for Not-for-Profit organisations, in-patient services at South Pacific Private Hospital, as a grief counsellor, and as a school counsellor.

Silvia brings a wealth of knowledge, insight and life experience to her work in private practice. She is experienced working with a wide range of concerns including depression, anxiety, stress, addiction, trauma, bereavement, self-esteem, anger management, life transitions, addictions, eating disorders and relationship issues. Silvia also has expertise in group facilitation and regularly facilitates programs on wide-ranging topics such as emotional regulation, negative core beliefs, co-dependency and parenting. Silvia’s work has been featured in Australian magazines including Marie Claire, Women’s Weekly and Body + Soul.

As an Integrative and Trauma-Informed therapist, in her work, Silvia draws on various approaches, including Gestalt Therapy, Psychodynamic Therapy, Somatic Experiencing® techniques, and Family Systems Therapy. She also draws on Attachment Theory, Polyvagal Theory, Inner Child Work, and Mindfulness-based techniques.

Silvia is a warm, supportive and compassionate counsellor, who tailors her approach to meet the unique needs and circumstances of each client. She is passionate about fostering a sense of self, healing relational wounds and conflicts, and resolving unfinished business from the past through a safe and caring therapeutic relationship.

Silvia can help to guide you to foster resilience, cultivate inner balance and develop new ways of responding to life’s situations.

Andrea is a registered psychologist with over 20 years experience in the field. She holds a Bachelor of Arts (Psychology), a Postgraduate Diploma in Psychology, and a Diploma in Sexual Health Counselling from ASSERT. She also completed a comprehensive one-year training course in Ellyn Bader’s Developmental Model of Couples Therapy.

Andrea has worked in private practice since 1999. She sees both individuals and couples and is able to provide both short-term and long-term therapy, as well as psycho-education, advice and support for people in emotional or relationship distress, sexual counselling services, and trauma-informed therapy.

Andrea uses a holistic approach which combines behavioural, interpersonal and mind-body therapies in her professional interactions with clients. She helps to locate the underlying emotional and physical responses to a particular problem, working at a deep level with both mind and body in order to effect long-lasting change. To this end, Andrea utilises her training in Inner Space Techniques - a form of meditative body-oriented therapy that helps to access these core emotional undercurrents within the body as well as change repetitive thought patterns.

She is also able to help her clients process and regulate their emotions, understand their negative patterns of behaviour, develop better communication strategies and increase their body awareness.

Andrea is experienced in working with a range of client presentations, including depression, anxiety, grief, stress, sexual difficulties, anger and complex trauma (including sexual trauma). Andrea is also an accredited sexual health counsellor.

As a relationship counsellor, she is able to support couples through all sorts of relationship issues, including infidelity, intimacy, arguments and communication problems.

Andrea is also highly experienced in dealing with the psychological repercussions associated with body-image, desire, sexual trauma and gynecological problems (including pregnancy issues, miscarriage, termination and menopause).

Alexandra is a highly experienced Registered Counsellor, Psychotherapist and Relationship Counsellor, who holds a Bachelor of Counselling, Psychotherapy and Human Change, as well as various diplomas in Group Work and Facilitation, Problem Gambling and Couples Counselling.

Alexandra has worked extensively with complex and diverse clients providing psychoeducation within government and non-government settings, working mainly for non-profit organisations. She has worked as a bilingual cross-cultural counsellor for NSW Health, speaking both English and Greek, and has worked in counselling and group therapy roles for St Vincents de Paul, Nepean Local Health District and Relationships Australia.

Alexandra has an emotionally client-centred perspective to her therapeutic process, creating safe, respectful and confidential environments to conduct her counselling sessions. Drawing on a variety of modalities, she uses a systematic approach based on Attachment Theory, Solution Focused Behavioural Therapy, as well as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. Through her years of experience, Alexandra assists her clients in a wide array of concerns, including depression, anxiety, stress management, grief & loss, work related issues, as well as more complex mental health such as trauma, abuse, schizophrenia and chronic pain management.

Through her career at Relationships Australia, Alexandra has extensive experience working with couples, from both traditional and same sex relationships, with a focus on issues like communication, intimacy problems, parenting difficulties and infidelity.

Alexandra instills a ‘come as you are’ mantra, often using a holistic approach to tailor her sessions to her clients’ personal needs for the best possible outcome, as well as supporting them moving forward with their lives.

Ali is a Registered Counsellor, Psychotherapist and Couples Therapist with over 15 years experience in the mental health industry. He holds both a Bachelor of Psychology and a Masters of Counselling and Psychotherapy, both from University of Western Sydney, as well as various accreditations in treating trauma.

Ali has worked as a treating counsellor in the government, not-for-profit and education sectors including at STARTTS Refugee Support Service, the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide, the Department of Communities and Justice, and the Public Health department. This experience has fashioned his collaborative approach and ability to to assess and treat individuals from diverse backgrounds. Drawing on his advanced knowledge of trauma-informed counselling, Ali has experience supporting various vulnerable populations, including both war veterans, refugees and at-risk youth.

In private practice, Ali is passionate about educating his clients on mental health, coping strategies and self-care techniques to facilitate positive growth and change. Drawing on a range of modalities to suit his client’s needs, Ali tends to preference the use of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Psychodynamic Therapy, Mindfulness, Trauma-Focused Therapies and Narrative Therapy. In his sessions, Ali assists his clients with a variety of concerns, including depression, anxiety, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), mood disorders, anger, as well as substance abuse and behavioural addictions.

Working with couples, Ali combines Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy (EFT) and the evidence based Gottman approach to understand the dynamic within each relationship and to support couples with a range of concerns, including communication, arguments, parenting, intimacy, stagnation and infidelity.

Ali is an altruistic therapist, striving to act with empathy and guidance when supporting his clients. By aiding individuals through times of emotional, psychological and behavioural challenges, Ali helps foster positive changes and support his patients to lead happier and healthier lives.

Theodora is a Registered Psychologist with over 10 years of experience. She holds a Bachelor of Arts (Psychology) from Macquarie University and a Postgraduate diploma in Psychology from the University of Western Sydney.

Prior to working in private practice, Theodora worked in community and non-government organisations supporting individuals, couples and families in the areas of mental health, family and youth services, and relationship counselling. Through her experience, Theodora gained the skills to assist her clients with issues such as depression, anxiety, stress, relationships, anger management and grief. Theodora has also worked extensively with survivors of domestic violence, and she specialises in trauma therapy.

Theodora also specialises in relationship counselling. She has completed a Graduate Diploma in Couple and Family Therapy, and worked as a relationship counsellor for Relationships Australia for 7 years. Theodora provides support to couples presenting with a wide range of concerns, including affairs and betrayals, dysfunctional communication, intimacy and parenting.

Theodora is trained to provide a wide range of therapeutic modalities adapted to the needs of her clients. These include: Systems Theory, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, and Emotional/Affect Regulation Therapy.

In her work with both individuals and couples, Theodora recognises that her clients wish to understand their presenting issues and make sense of their lives. She aims to assist her clients in understanding the why of their situation and the how to affect change, often drawing from theories related to childhood experience and attachment.

Megan is a Registered Counsellor and member of the Australian Counselling Association. She holds a Diploma of Counselling from the Australian Institute of Counsellors, as well as advanced accreditations in a number of areas including suicide preventation, relationship counselling, conflict resolution, abuse and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture competence.

Throughout her career, Megan has worked extensively with a diverse range of clients in both the private and community health space. Prior to commencing private practice, Megan worked in corporate roles for a number of years, which required the facilitation of training programs and client management, helping her holistic and person-centred approach to counselling today.

In private practice, Megan creates a safe and empathetic atmosphere to facilitate the use of introspection to gain news understandings. Megan uses evidence-based interventions to observe and tailor her therapy to the individuals’ needs, as well as aid those in crisis to develop personalised long-term solutions. Her preferred approaches include Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Solution Focused Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), goal setting and Mindfulness. In her work with couples, Megan favours the Gottman approach

Megan is able to assist clients with a range of concerns, including depression, anxiety, relationships, intimacy, grief and loss, stress, body image, life skills, conflict resolution, as well as more complex mental health such as domestic violence and trauma. In her work with couples, Megan supports her clients to lessen conflict, increase intimacy and affection, remove barriers to feelings of stagnation and increase connection between partners.

Megan is a compassionate and altruistic practitioner focused on helping individuals and couples gain insight into their lives through a warm and empathetic approach. With a focus on building a trusting relationship and open environment in her sessions, Megan helps her clients to overcome life’s difficulties and live happier, more fulfilling lives.

Dinah is a Registered Counsellor and member of the Australian Counselling Association. She holds both a Graduate Diploma in Psychological Sciences from the Australian College of Applied Professions and a Graduate Diploma of Counselling from the University of New England, as well as a Bachelor in Biomedical Science from the University of Technology Sydney.

Having worked in the medical and mental health space for a number of years, Dinah has supported individuals experiencing moderate to severe mental health concerns, providing acute care and support for those in crisis. Through her time in both private and non-government organisations, Dinah has used evidence-based therapies to empower patients on their mental health journey.

Within private practice, Dinah has a holistic, person-centred approach to her counselling, building personal strategies and developing positive thinking through empathy to strengthen her clients’ interpersonal skills. Using a range of therapeutic approaches, Dinah has a particular focus on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Mindfulness Strategies. During her sessions, Dinah assists her clients in a range of concerns, including depression, anxiety, stress, grief and loss, self-esteem and phobias, as well as more complex mental health such as addiction and eating disorders. Dinah has a special interest in supporting clients with issues surrounding sexuality and gender identity.

Working with couples, Dinah has a broad range of experience with both traditional and non-traditional relationships, focusing on issues including arguments and communication, intimacy and sex, infidelity and stagnation.

Dinah is an empathetic and optimistic practitioner, taking a client-focused approach during her sessions. Working in partnership with her patients, Dinah aims to empower and bring about positive change as her clients move forward with their lives.