About

“I want to make a difference”

I remember being in the final years of high school and they asked us what we wanted to do when we left school. At that time I wanted to work in the travel industry, so when I left school I did a Tourism course. A couple of years into the course I felt like I wanted a job that “made more of a difference”, but I wasn’t sure yet what that meant. I was in my early twenties and found work as a receptionist in various places, and it was my job in a public hospital’s Emergency Department that turned out to be a life-changer.

What’s Maths got to do with it?

In the Emergency Department I had regular contact with the Paramedics, and I decided that was what I wanted to be. Unfortunately I failed the time-limited maths test by one point (I remember there were questions like “If a train leaves Boston at this time….”). I was disappointed, but as I was talking to one of the Paramedics he asked me why I wanted the job. Obviously I was interested in the medical side of it, but I also really wanted to provide emotional support to people when they were going through difficult times. He pointed out that the Paramedics are busy getting the patient stabilised and to hospital, so the emotional support would often be provided in hospital by the social worker.

It begins……

So began my career! I completed a Bachelor of Social Work at UniSA Magill and when I graduated I decided to work across the field to gain experience in many different settings.

Over the last 14 years I have worked as a Mental Health Clinician for a variety of non-government organisations who support GP’s who refer patients with various mental health concerns including depression, stress, anxiety, grief and loss and relationship issues. I've also worked in many of Adelaide’s public acute and rehabilitation hospitals and for South Australia Police in the Employee Assistance Section.

My approach: Emotions and feelings are not “bad” (even the unpleasant ones)

Your body is wiser than you might be giving it credit for. We go through many experiences in our lives, both positive and negative. If we don’t deal with the thoughts and physical sensations that negative experiences create, our bodies can hang on to toxic energy. This toxic energy can cause or contribute to headaches, stomach and bowel complaints and other health concerns.

Our bodies are wise and will send us feelings and emotions to get our attention that something isn’t right: maybe our workplace is toxic, our relationships are unsatisfying or we are allowing people to treat us badly and ignoring our intuition to leave. Unfortunately many people try to suppress these unpleasant feelings or emotions with food, alcohol, drugs or other numbing “solutions”. These may work for the short-term but if you don’t address the underlying issue it will usually only get worse.

I work with a “whole body” approach, meaning that I think it’s crucial to address the bigger picture. Healthy diet, good sleep and exercise are often over-looked however they are some of the most important things for our mental wellbeing (and our health in general).

I help clients to get in-tune with their bodies, learning what they can about what their body is trying to tell them, what needs are going ignored and how to address their needs.

I then help clients to address what is really going on in their lives rather than ignoring it. Some clients come to therapy but find that they aren’t yet ready to make a change. That’s okay - for some people it’s helpful just to start increasing their awareness of what’s going on and maybe they’ll be ready to address it in the future.

Over the years we have been quick to medicate people. Whilst there are certainly some people who do need medications long-term, I can’t tell you how many clients have told me that they’ve been taking anti-depressant and anti-anxiety medications for decades and they’re still struggling. Something isn’t right. It’s time to start listening to our bodies. This might include trying new things such as seeing a naturopath, re-engaging in yoga or getting regular massage.

Mid-life Musings

Since turning 40 a few years ago I’ve become very aware that life really is short.

I spent my twenties figuring out what I actually wanted to do with my life and then studying. My thirties were spent working a lot and getting experience in my field. Now that I’m in my forties I really want to have work / life balance. I’m not interested in long work days and over-time or climbing the corporate ladder. I’ve finally started my own private practice (a long-held dream) and I’m keen to help my clients pursue what really gives them joy and live lives that are as meaningful and fulfilling for them as possible.

We will all go through challenging times in our lives when we need extra support and understanding. My hope is that I have already made, and will continue to make, “a difference” in my client’s lives, particularly during the difficult times.

If you told me when I was at high school that one day I would be a social worker I wouldn’t have believed you, but a series of events (not all mentioned in here!) led me here and I believe it was meant to be.

This is your life - and you only get one!

It’s highly likely that you have your own similar story, or perhaps you’ve been going through life on auto-pilot, doing what everyone else is doing or what you think you’re “supposed” to do. Let’s work together to make sure that you’re on the right track for you, so that you can look back on a life that was well-lived and that was genuinely, authentically, you.