Single Mother Counselling in Lilydale, VIC

Please reach out via email. Hello! I'm Lauren (she/they) and I am an Arts Psychotherapist and Counsellor based in the Outer Eastern suburbs of Naarm (Melbourne). I have lived experience of being neurodivergent (AuDHD) and I am currently exploring my own queer identity. I am passionate about neuro-affirming care and psychoeducation around neurodivergence, and holistic care for youth, women and queer folk living with disability and trauma. I am a mum to one human teen and one elderly Siamese cat. I am an established artist who dabbles in art journaling, mixed media art, photography, dance and movement and more.

As an Art therapist/Counsellor I work in relation to your needs and goals, in a safe non-judgemental space. During a session, I will check in with you to see if there is anything you would like to share or express. I will share a little about myself to help begin the therapeutic relationship. There is no need to be nervous or worry about being artistic as this is not necessary at all. I can help you work through issues with the healing power of this truly magical therapy. All you need is an open mind and a little curiosity, the sessions are totally driven by you, which means you can participate in the therapy at any stage.

My experience is in helping my clients obtain better relationships with partners, family and friends. I am a facilitator in "Prepare Enrich" and the Gottman's method, A great start to a new relationship or existing one, discover your partners and yours, strengths within the relationship and areas of growth, I Specifically focus on such areas as emotional awareness, self-insight, higher emotional intelligence, emotional astuteness, attachment style awareness. An overarching goal for my clients is to, ‘know thy self’, where you begin and end in your relationships, who are you? What is the essence of who you are?

I am a qualified counsellor with a passion for working with couples, relationships, families, adolescents and individuals. My expertise areas are couples therapy, dugs and alcohol, trauma, ADHD and general depression and anxiety disorders. I worked in the social services for over 7 years as case manager, counsellor and group facilitator and now work in private practice full time. Over 4 years was spent specifically in drug and alcohol and have completed the 4 core competencies required by the Victorian Government to work in this field.

Psychotherapy is not just a process of healing it also one of personal growth and awakening to a deeper and richer life. My focus is holistic meaning I work the whole person and enter into your world to help you make sense of your feelings and experiences. Most of our wounds are formed in our early developmental years and have a deep impact on our sense of self. Therapy creates a safe place to explore and more deeply understand these traumas and develop strategies to help liberate us from suffering.

Lisa is a Counselling Psychologist who is warm, approachable and has worked with people facing all kinds of difficulties. Lisa enjoys assisting people to close the gap between where they are now and the life they really want. This may involve fostering self-compassion, dismantling a sneaky inner critic or exploring long-held family patterns contributing to people-pleasing and self sacrifice. Lisa assists people who are feeling 'blah' and 'meh' to move towards fulfilled and thriving. This occurs through reconnection to self, sometimes after years of conditioning and "shoulds" from others and society.

Viviane has over twenty five years experience working with individuals, couples and families in ways that support growth, clarity, transformation and wholeness. Using a wide range of therapeutic modalities, Viviane provides a safe and compassionate environment where clients have the opportunity to explore themselves and their lives in ever deepening and enriching ways.

As a counsellor my role is to create a safe space for you to explore the issues that you are dealing with in your life, to find understanding, peace and resolution. If you are experiencing frustration, anxiety, depression or trauma from the challenges of everyday life, loss, bereavement, the end of relationships, or abuse, I am comfortable sitting with you and quietly exploring the emotions and thoughts which arise. I intentionally keep my fees affordable, so that cost isn't a barrier for people to access help.

We can focus on a specific problem area you bring to therapy, and delve to a deeper level of understanding of the issue/s so as to resolve it, or we can work in a more fluid, open-ended manner, with self-discovery in mind. While I am not resistant to diagnosis and working within a pathological lens, I like to see people outside of narrow diagnostic labels. In the first instance, my first approach is to understand a client’s suffering by learning about them as unique individuals with complex histories and adaptive coping strategies. As I engage wholeheartedly with clients, my ask is that clients attempt to engage wholeheartedly too.