This page intends to answer some of the most frequently asked questions about Counselling and Coaching.
If you can’t find an answer to your question here, reach out, I’m happy to help.
Counselling is a process of talking about personal problems with a professional who will help you to address the issues in a positive way and develop strategies to move past the problem.
The Australian Counselling Association (ACA), defines counselling as “…supporting consumers with behavioural change through psychological interventions.”
A Counsellor is a trained professional who can help you develop a better understanding about yourself and share strategies and therapeutic interventions to solve personal, interpersonal problems and challenges of life.
To learn more about how my Counselling service can help you, click here.
Coaching aims to improve an individual’s performance in any given area, or areas, of their life. In a coaching session, I provide the space and opportunity to help you unlock your potential and work towards goals to improve your daily life and your future.
I will ask thought-provoking and motivating questions and share tools to help you stay focused and on track. In searching for the answers, you will come up with the insights and solutions you need to help you take action and accomplish your goals.
Unlike counselling, coaching is not therapeutic in nature, however both can cross over. As a Registered Counsellor, I can provide counselling if required.
To find out how my Personal Coaching can help you, click here.
COUNSELLING
I recommend booking a counselling appointment if you’re feeling sad, overwhelmed, anxious, isolated, or finding it hard to regulate your emotions. Counselling is also very valuable if you’ve experienced trauma or are navigating a life transition, such as a relationship breakdown.
PERSONAL COACHING
Need help unleashing your untapped potential so you can achieve optimal daily performance? My mission is to help you find meaning, purpose and fulfilment in life. To thrive in relationships, crush athletic performance and much more.
FREE 15-MIN INTRO CALL
If you’re not sure which service best suits your circumstances. Or you just have some questions about whether I’m the right coach and counsellor for you, why not book a free 15-minute introductory call?
A quick Google search of ‘counsellors & coaches near me’ will throw up an abundance of dedicated professionals, and unfortunately, some that are not so professional. Of the utmost importance when searching for a Counsellor or Coach is to make sure the person that you’re dealing with is qualified. A quick search on the Australian Counselling Association will confirm your Counsellor’s qualifications.
A Counsellor should provide a safe, comfortable, and confidential environment and make you feel at ease when you first meet.
A great Coach will take the time to really find out what you need from your sessions and deliver that with empathy, compassion and a genuine interest in your wellbeing.
You should feel heard and listened to without fear of judgement. And you must feel supported to take the challenging steps you might need to take in order to achieve your goals.
Your mental health and sense of satisfaction with your life can affect everything from your ability to eat and sleep to work and your social life.
If you’re feeling you’re not coping as well as you ought to be, or simply not living the life you want, then counselling or coaching can help you.
People are great at developing coping mechanisms to help them push through tough times or trauma in their lives. However, some ways of dealing with stress or dissatisfaction can become detrimental over time.
We all need someone to talk to and a support network to help us thrive.
Counselling and coaching sessions will help anyone who’s struggling with destructive behaviour patterns, a personal concern or feeling like they need support to achieve their goals.
No, you don’t need a referral from a health professional to see me.
Most of my clients are referred via word-of-mouth, or self-referred. Other Counsellors also recommend me when they feel I’m a better fit for the person’s concerns.
Booking online is quick and easy. Click here for available appointment times.
Fees are subject to change, so we advise that you click on the booking you’d like to make here to clarify current fees.
Counselling and Coaching is currently available via Telehealth (Zoom) and Walk N’ Talk (when appropriate) and service fees are payable via debit or credit card at least 24-hours prior to your first appointment.
In Australia, Registered Counsellors are not included in the Medicare Benefits Scheme (MBS) so cannot offer Medicare rebates.
Private health insurance rebates are not available at this time.
Since the scheduling of an appointment involves the reservation of time set aside especially for you, a minimum of 24-hour’s notice is required for rescheduling or cancellation of an appointment. If an appointment is cancelled less than 24-hours prior, the full fee will be applied.
However, if a medical certificate can be provided within 48-hours after the missed appointment, which demonstrates your inability to attend due to ill health, we may, in our sole discretion, agree to waive or credit all or part of your session fee.
Your first visit to a new Counsellor or Coach can be daunting, so we’ll usually start by having a chat to make you feel at ease. If you’re ready to talk, I’ll ask you some questions to get to know you better. And of course I’ll allow time for you to ask any questions about working together, my therapy style and essentially decide if it feels like a good fit.
Some questions I might ask are:
I might also explain some of the counselling and coaching strategies and methodologies I may use to help you achieve your goals. By the end of your first appointment, you should have a plan for follow-up sessions and better clarity on how I can help you perform at your full potential.
Ideally, we should be able to estimate how many Counselling or Coaching sessions you might need within your first or second appointment.
However, as each person and situation are different, please remember this is only an estimate.
Some people may only require a few sessions to reach their goals and might want annual reinforcement sessions. Whereas others might prefer weekly sessions for months until they fully resolve the issue they were tackling. Together we can discuss the possibilities and develop a plan that works for you.
As a qualified Counsellor and member of the Australian Counselling Association (ACA) I take my client’s confidentiality very seriously, adhering to a strict code of ethics and practice.
In general, the information that you share with me will remain confidential. This means I must protect your privacy and not share information about you with others. This applies whether the information is given to me verbally or in written form and extends to the fact you have attended or are going to attend counselling with me.
I have a legal obligation to protect this information, and I do so by ensuring all paper records are kept in a secure filing cabinet to which nobody else has access; all electronic records are kept in secure documents to which nobody else has access; and I keep information with your identity (such as you intake form) separate from your session/contact notes.
I will keep your coaching records for at least seven (7) years, and in some cases I may be required by law to retain records for a longer period.
Limits of Confidentiality
It is important that you understand, however, there are certain circumstances under which I will share information about you or about what you have told me. These situations are:
At times, I may also discuss aspects of our work together with my professional supervisor. This is an important part of meeting my professional responsibilities. I will not provide information that could identify you in the course of these discussions.