Hi, I'm Valerie. I offer a calm, grounded, and supportive space for adults and adolescents navigating trauma, anxiety, depression, addiction, grief and loss, life transitions, and relational challenges.
Clients often come to me feeling overwhelmed, lost, or unsure how to move forward. Sometimes they are carrying grief, or sitting with something that has no clear solution. I am known for my steady presence and my ability to sit alongside people with care and curiosity, including the parts of their experience that may feel difficult or hard to say aloud. Whatever someone brings to counselling, there is space to explore it together, with care and compassion.
My work is trauma informed and draws on a range of evidence informed therapeutic approaches. I take a person centred and flexible approach, drawing on different therapeutic perspectives and practices according to each individual's needs, goals, and preferences. Where helpful, sessions may include practical strategies, mindfulness or grounding practices, and other experiential approaches to support greater awareness, regulation, and choice.
I believe meaningful change can happen when a person has enough safety and support to gently explore their inner world, at a pace that feels right for them. Together, we work toward clarity, healthier boundaries, deeper self understanding, and more grounded choices that feel aligned with who they are and what matters to them.
I come from a multicultural background and, as a parent and someone who has spent more than two decades working in education, I bring a depth of relational understanding, patience, and respect for each person's story and context. These experiences continue to shape my culturally responsive and attuned approach to counselling.
I hold a Master of Counselling and am a Level 2 registered member of the Australian Counselling Association (ACA) and a PACFA Registered Certified Practising Counsellor. I am also a certified ADHD Coach, offering strengths based support for adults and adolescents navigating life with ADHD, with a focus on understanding their strengths, challenges, and practical ways forward.
At the heart of my work is the belief that even in the most challenging seasons, there can be space for something to shift, especially when a person feels heard and supported, and has someone alongside them to explore what is happening.
My Therapeutic Approach
These core values guide every aspect of my practice and our work together.
Compassion
Meeting each person with compassion, empathy, and understanding, particularly when life feels difficult or overwhelming.
Connection
Building a trusting therapeutic relationship is the foundation of healing.
Growth
I believe in a person's capacity for change, growth, and developing a deeper understanding of themselves.
Excellence
I am committed to ongoing learning, reflection, and evidence informed therapeutic practices.
Walk & Talk Therapy
Sometimes, stepping outside can make all the difference. Walk & Talk therapy offers the same thoughtful and supported therapeutic conversation as a session in a therapy room, with the added benefit of fresh air, open sky, and the natural environment.
Moving side by side can create a different kind of space for conversation, while simply sitting outdoors can offer the same sense of connection and calm. For some people, being outside can feel natural and grounding, allowing thoughts and words to unfold with a little more ease.
Walk & Talk is a gentle, grounded option for those who enjoy being outdoors and would like to bring the therapeutic conversation into nature.
ADHD Coaching
As a certified ADHD Coach, I offer strengths based, neurodiversity affirming support to help you better understand your patterns, including attention, motivation, and emotional regulation, and develop strategies that truly fit your life.
Strengths-Based
Focusing on what you do well and building from there.
Practical Strategies
Real tools for focus, organisation, and daily structure.
Emotionally Informed
Honouring the emotional experience that comes with ADHD.
Certified Coach
Qualified ADHD coaching alongside counselling expertise.