I am an Accredited Mental Health Social Worker and accredited EMDR practitioner based in Richmond, Melbourne, offering therapy for people experiencing the ongoing effects of traumatic or distressing experiences.

Before training in EMDR therapy, I often heard clients describe a similar experience: they had spent years talking about the same issues in therapy but had not experienced meaningful change. They understood their histories and patterns intellectually, yet the emotional impact of their experiences still felt very present.

This led me to explore therapeutic approaches that could help people not only understand their experiences, but also process and digest them.

EMDR therapy offered a way of doing this. Rather than relying only on insight or discussion, EMDR works with the brain’s natural capacity to process difficult experiences so they can be integrated more fully. Many people find that memories or emotional reactions that once felt overwhelming begin to lose their intensity.

My approach to therapy

My approach to therapy is thoughtful, attentive and collaborative. I work carefully with each person’s experiences, paying close attention to what feels manageable and safe.

Our work usually begins with an initial assessment phase, where we take time to understand your history, current difficulties, and what you would like to change. This helps us build a shared understanding of the work ahead and decide whether EMDR therapy is a suitable approach.

People often say that they feel deeply listened to and understood in our sessions. I place a strong emphasis on attunement, creating a space where clients can explore difficult experiences without feeling rushed or overwhelmed.

EMDR therapy is a comprehensive therapeutic approach. While many people are familiar with the phase of processing traumatic memories (which includes the eye movements often associated with EMDR), the work also involves careful preparation, developing the internal resources needed to approach disturbing memories safely, and time for integration as new insights and changes begin to take shape.

As therapy progresses, many people find that memories begin to feel less charged, and that new perspectives, greater self-understanding, and a renewed sense of possibility begin to emerge.

Who I work with

I work with adults experiencing difficulties such as:

• anxiety and panic

• depression

• the effects of traumatic or distressing experiences in childhood or adulthood

• PTSD and complex trauma (C-PTSD)

• negative beliefs about oneself or longstanding difficulties with self-esteem

• difficulties in relationships that may be shaped by earlier experiences

I also offer early intervention EMDR, a short-term therapy designed to help people process recent traumatic events, usually within the first six months after they occur.

Training, credentials and professional involvement

• Accredited Mental Health Social Worker (AASW)

• Accredited EMDR Practitioner (EMDRAA) – EMDR training completed 2018

• EMDR Consultant-in-Training

• BSW, University of Melbourne, 2006

I am currently completing training as an EMDR consultant, which involves supporting and supervising other therapists who are learning EMDR.

I work in collaboration with EMDR Academy, supporting the EMDR training programs provided by Dr Jenny Dwyer. I am also a contractor in the Early Intervention EMDR program, providing short-term EMDR support following workplace traumatic events.

I am trained in the Group Traumatic Episode Protocol (G-TEP), a group-based EMDR approach used following shared traumatic events, and am available to facilitate G-TEP groups upon request.

A note on diagnostic terms

While diagnostic terms can sometimes be useful, my work in therapy focuses primarily on understanding a person’s experiences and how those experiences continue to affect them in the present.

Many of the difficulties people bring to therapy make sense in the context of their histories. Our work together focuses on helping the brain process these experiences so they no longer have the same emotional impact.

Working together

People often come to therapy unsure whether their experiences are “serious enough,” or worried that their difficulties may be too complex or overwhelming to work with. You don’t need to have everything clearly worked out before reaching out.

If you are wondering whether EMDR therapy might be helpful, you are welcome to get in touch. I offer a free brief phone consultation so that we can discuss your situation and consider whether working together might be a good fit before scheduling a first appointment.