Hi I’m Gemma and this is my journey…

The desire to help people came at an early age for me, during my teen years when life got a little more complex and emotionally hard to navigate. Feelings of anxiety, not fitting in, not being good enough affected my confidence, my mental health and produced states of low mood and isolation. After trying to mask and try and push through these feelings it wasn’t until a teacher and from the help from my parents I began to seek help from a school counsellor and started my own therapy journey. This continued on and off throughout high school and into adult life, where even more challenges came along, navigating relationships, friendships, figuring out what I wanted to do with my life and who I wanted to be.

Like many others in their 20’s, it was very much a time for taking on opportunities, being spontaneous, finding your people, making mistakes and learning from them. A few years after completing my Bachelor of Social Work, my passion for helping others navigate their adult years led me to enrol in a Masters of Counselling, understanding and practicing the valuable profession of counselling and therapy.

My Counselling style and Approaches

My counselling practice is grounded in a trauma-informed and holistic approach. Meaning I draw from a range of various interventions including client focused, mindfulness based, values and strengths, cognitive, nervous system education and psychoeducation. I focus and prioritise working at your pace, prioritising safety, connection, and meaningful change.

My approach is warm, gentle, down-to-earth and compassionate.

I draw on both clinical training and real-life lived experience to support people through life’s ups and downs.

During our work together, I implement the following interventions and frameworks.

• Humanistic Approaches

• Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

• Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT)

• Narrative Therapy

• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

• Body Based and Nervous System Awareness