Counselling for sex and pornography addiction

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).

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.

Sue is a Registered Counsellor and Psychotherapist and a member of PACFA (Psychotherapy & Counselling Federation of Australia). She holds a Graduate Diploma in Counselling from ACAP University College in which she was National DUX, and a Masters of Counselling and Psychotherapy.

Prior to starting a private practice, Sue worked in hospital settings where she gained significant experience in a broad range of presentations including trauma, addiction, anxiety, depression, grief and loss, and relationship issues. In this role she facilitated group therapy sessions as well as one-on-one trauma-informed psychotherapy sessions, and also facilitated patient workshops and lectures. Sue has also worked with renowned experiential trauma programme facilitators across the United States, United Kingdom and Australia.

When working with clients, Sue takes an integrative, trauma-informed and person-centered approach. She also uses a psychodynamic relational model and employs the dynamic interplay between internal world and relational experiences. At times, Sue will also engage creative techniques, narrative therapy and Gestalt therapies to facilitate new ways of processing and expressing feelings.

Prior to her work as a counsellor, Sue worked for 25 years running creative businesses in both design and recruitment where she honed her ability to tailor innovative solutions to individual needs, and build trust-based relationships - skills she now brings to her therapeutic practice.

Sue is compassionate and an authentic counsellor, focussed on creating a supportive environment for her clients to promote personal growth and recovery. Sue is passionate about helping her clients reconnect with their sense of self and purpose.

Before she trained as a counsellor, Claire spent several years in client-facing roles across health technology and the corporate world, in both Australia and the UK, covering account management, client support and office administration. That work taught her to listen closely and to work out what someone actually needs, and she draws on it every day with her clients.

In private practice Claire works with both individuals and couples, and she has a particular interest in relationships, attachment and emotional connection. People come to her about the things that most often bring anyone to counselling, including worry and stress, low mood, difficult past experiences and pressure inside a relationship.

Claire works mainly with Emotionally Focused Therapy and EFIT, and she also draws on psychodynamic, person-centred, trauma-informed and Gottman Method ideas. She describes her style as warm, collaborative and paced to the client, making a space where things that are hard to put into words can be explored without judgement or pressure.

Chris is a qualified Counsellor and Psychotherapist. He holds a Bachelor of Arts (Psychology), a Graduate Diploma of Counselling, and a Masters of Counselling and Applied Psychotherapy. Chris is also a registered member of the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia (PACFA).

Chris has experience working with individuals, couples, families and groups, across a broad spectrum of human issues. These include: relationship problems, depression, anxiety, life transitions, trauma, grief, addictions, and complex mental health problems. Chis is also experienced in working with corporate clients as an EAP counsellor and mediator.

Prior to completing his Masters in Counselling and Applied Psychotherapy, Chris’ professional background featured extensive HR management in corporate and non-for-profit organisations. This work regularly involved incidental counselling, coaching, mediation, assessment, and intervention strategies across a wide array of behavioural, relationship, performance, addiction, mental health and cultural issues.

Chris generally works across a range of evidence-based therapeutic interventions, including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Compassion-Focused Therapy, Psychodynamic Therapy and others. Chris adapts his methodologies as required, to accommodate the unfolding process and the needs of his clients.

Chris is passionate about making a meaningful and empowering difference to the lives of people in need of quality support and a brighter future. Guided by this purpose and his strong belief in the curiosity, creativity and inherent strengths of his clients, Chris’ approach to counselling is couched within a broad framework of openness, empathy and good intention.

David is a Clinical Psychologist and an accredited member of the Australian Clinical Psychology Association. He holds a Bachelor of Arts with Honours from the University of New England, and a Masters of Clinical Psychology from Western Sydney University.

Prior to re-training as a psychologist, David worked as a professional musician, a role he credits as endowing him with high-level listening skills. These skills he brings to his work in the mental health space, where he has practiced in both both in hospital settings (in-patient and out-patient) and also in private practice. In these environments, David has gained experience counselling a diverse range of clients of different ages and from a variety of socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds. He has also provided telephone support for families affected by drug and alcohol concerns in a voluntary capacity. Together, these experiences have helped shape his personalised approach to therapy.

In private practice, David is passionate about supporting individuals through their mental health challenges and life’s challenges. Drawing on a range of modalities, David primarily focuses on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) but also draws on modalities such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), and Psychodynamic Theory.

David can support clients with a variety of concerns, including depression, anxiety, grief and loss, OCD, ADHD, relationships, anger, addiction, stress, as well as more complex presentations such as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and personality disorders.

David is an authentic, warm and non-judgemental psychologist. Whilst he uses various therapeutic modalities to frame his practice, his focus remains on the therapeutic relationship, ensuring that his client’s unique experiences, feelings, thoughts, and beliefs shape his ultimate approach to their therapy. By listening and accounting for his client’s viewpoints, David helps his clients overcome their problems through positive change.

Jonathan is a Registered Counsellor and Psychotherapist, who has worked with clients of all ages during his time in the mental health field. He holds various diplomas in Counselling, including Integrated Psychotherapy and Family Counselling from the AIFC, and is also certified as a Professional Supervisor.

Beginning his career in the youth sector, Jonathan assisted both children and adolescents from disadvantaged and traumatic backgrounds, in which he learnt to tailor his sessions to each individual to create trusting and supportive environments. From his time at various alternative learning programs, such as Youth Off The Streets and the Divergent Edge, Jonathan worked with neurodivergent, disengaged and/or complex-presenting individuals, providing support in the form of individual psychotherapy, crisis counselling and group interventions.

Moving into private practice, Jonathan uses a holistic approach to therapy, exploring the connection between family dynamics, childhood, relationships, as well as the mind and body, to assess and reflect on his clients’ concerns. Utilising an array of evidence-based practices, Jonathan incorporates modalities such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Dialectical Behavioural Therapy, Brief Solution Focused Therapy, Person-Centred Therapy and Mindfulness.

Jonathan can assist his clients with an array of concerns including depression, anxiety, grief & loss, self-esteem, anger, as well as more complex mental health including domestic violence, self-harm and suicidal ideation, addiction and trauma. Jonathan also has a particular interest in neurodiversity, specifically assisting those with ADHD.

Jonathan is an authentic and compassionate practitioner, who prides himself on his practical and insightful approach to counselling. Through supporting the development of appropriate life skills, he helps his clients identify and achieve their goals, as well as move forward with confidence and become the best version of themselves.

Christine is a professional counsellor and psychotherapist. She holds a Bachelor in Social Science, a Graduate Certificate in Psychotherapy Studies and is a member of the Australian Somatic Psychotherapy Association and the Australian Hypnotherapist’s Association.

Christine has over 20 years experience as a clinical counsellor in the public sector (for the NSW Police and Women’s Health) and in private practice. She has experience working with a range of client presentations, including self-esteem, trauma, grief, sexual abuse, domestic violence, parenting, relationship issues, anxiety, depression, post natal depression, workplace stress, disorders of the self and addictive behaviour.

Whilst Christine’s underlying framework is psychodynamic and humanist, she takes a client-centred approach to her therapeutic interventions and utilizes a variety of therapeutic approaches depending on the client’s specific issues and emotional capacity. Christine believes that each person’s requirements are unique and her therapy is guided by that belief. This is a collaborative approach, whereby Christine works together with the client to form a therapeutic alliance.

Both conscious and unconscious processes are explored as people are helped to manage their thoughts and emotions, and challenge patterns of behavior - enabling change, where desired, and better ways of being and living. When Christine works with couples, she uses a combined approach drawing on intra-psychic and systemic modalities, understanding the individuals and what happens between them as a system of relating.

Christine works with the client as a whole person, rather than as a set of ‘symptoms’ or ‘pathologies’ to be treated. People manifest their emotional difficulties in different forms in an effort to adapt. Christine focuses her therapy on what works and the resources people have within to draw from and help them to understand that they can make changes and improve their experience of life.

Naomi is a Registered Psychologist with over 20 years of experience. She holds a Bachelor of Arts (Psychology Honours) from Monash University and has been trained in a variety of therapies for individuals, couples, and families.

Having worked in both public settings and private practice, Naomi has the experience and training to assist her clients with a range of concerns, including, but not limited to, depression, anxiety, addictions, trauma, stress, self-esteem and relationships. Part of Naomi’s approach is to explore how her clients’ present issues have been influenced by their previous experiences.

When working with couples, Naomi aims to bring her clients into a space in which they can be oriented towards caring for, and empathising with, one another. She draws on Family Systems and Attachment theories to inform her approach, and she has been formally trained in Gottman Therapy.

Naomi also has a particular interest in perinatal mental health. She is a recognised provider of perinatal non-directive counselling, and her training in this area has provided her with the expertise to support individuals experiencing mental health issues before, during and after pregnancy.

Naomi’s personal therapeutic approach is warm, empathic and client-centred. She assists clients by drawing on their strengths and helping them develop the necessary skills required to overcome their difficulties, and improve coping.