My Approach
My approach is holistic, compassionate and evidence-based. Together, we will explore the bigger picture, make sense of your experiences, understand the connection between your mind, body and nervous system, develop practical tools and strategies, and, where appropriate, engage in processing work.
This approach has evolved over more than 10 years of practice and has been shaped by both my professional work and personal experiences. I continue to work in this way because I have found that understanding ourselves and our experiences allows therapy to be tailored to the individual, while helping people become active participants in their own wellbeing.
Looking at the Bigger Picture
Mental health, wellbeing, and nervous system functioning are influenced by a complex interplay of factors. Many of the challenges we experience are rarely shaped by a single factor and instead reflect the ongoing interaction between our biology, brain and nervous system, life experiences, relationships, environment, physical health, and the ongoing demands of everyday life.
Because of this, I believe it is important to develop a broad understanding of the factors that may be contributing to your current challenges. Together, we will explore areas such as your childhood and life experiences, relationships, physical health, mental health history, environment, current stressors, strengths, values, and goals.
We may also consider the impact of work, family responsibilities, social supports, lifestyle factors, and other circumstances that may be influencing your wellbeing.
By taking the time to build a comprehensive picture of your experiences, we can better understand what may be contributing to your current challenges and tailor therapy to your unique needs, goals, and circumstances.
Understanding the Why
Exploring the factors contributing to our challenges is only one part of the picture. Equally important is making sense of why we may be thinking, feeling, behaving, or responding the way we are.
Many people come to therapy feeling overwhelmed, frustrated, fearful, or critical of themselves because they do not fully understand their experiences. It is not uncommon to hear things like, "It doesn't make any sense," "It came out of nowhere," or "I know it's silly, but..."
I have found that our experiences often begin to make more sense when we view them within the broader context of our lives and through the lens of psychology, biology, the brain, and nervous system. While we may not always like what we are experiencing, understanding it can help reduce fear, shame, and self-judgement while fostering greater self-compassion and acceptance.
As we begin to recognise the reasons behind our patterns, we can also start to identify the purpose they may be serving. Many thoughts, emotions, behaviours, and coping strategies developed for understandable reasons, even if they are no longer supporting us in the way they once did.
Understanding a pattern and its purpose does not necessarily mean it is helpful, aligned with our values, or helping us move towards the life we want to live. However, it does provide a foundation for identifying the changes we would like to make and tailoring the tools and approaches we use throughout therapy.
Mind, Body & Nervous System
Traditional discussions about mental health often focus heavily on thoughts, emotions, and behaviours. While these are important, they are only part of the picture. Our body and nervous system also play an important role in shaping how we think, feel, behave, and respond to the world around us.
For this reason, I take a holistic approach that considers the connection between the mind, body, and nervous system. My work integrates cognitive therapies such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) with Polyvagal-informed and somatic approaches, allowing us to support both the psychological and physiological aspects of mental health and wellbeing.
Part of this work involves helping clients map their nervous system and better recognise their unique patterns of response to stress. This may include identifying triggers, early warning signs, and understanding how stress can influence thoughts, emotions, physical sensations, behaviours, and the urges that arise in response to stress.
Stress and adversity can show up differently from person to person. Some people become anxious, restless, overwhelmed, or hypervigilant, while others may feel disconnected, exhausted, shut down, or emotionally numb. There is no right or wrong response; these patterns often reflect the ways our nervous system has learned to adapt and protect us. By recognising these patterns earlier, we can often respond more effectively and reduce the likelihood of becoming overwhelmed by them.
Alongside developing this understanding, I also place importance on helping clients understand the science behind what they are experiencing and why certain tools or strategies may be helpful. My hope is that this knowledge helps people make informed decisions about their wellbeing and feel more confident supporting themselves both during and beyond therapy.
Practical Strategies for Everyday Life
I believe therapy should provide practical tools and strategies that can be applied in everyday life.
Together, we will identify the tools and approaches most likely to support your unique experiences, goals, and nervous system responses. There is no one-size-fits-all approach, and what works for one person may not work for another.
Somatic and body-based tools focus on regulation, grounding, and creating a greater sense of safety within the body. These approaches can help strengthen awareness of nervous system states, build nervous system capacity, support regulation, and improve our ability to respond effectively to stress, challenges, and everyday life.
Cognitive strategies can help us better understand and respond to worry, rumination, intrusive thoughts, self-criticism, and unhelpful thinking patterns. They can also help identify the core beliefs that may be influencing how we think, feel, and respond to the world around us. These approaches aim to build greater cognitive flexibility, helping us develop new perspectives, respond more effectively to challenges, and reduce the impact that unhelpful thoughts can have on our wellbeing.
My goal is help you find practical tools, skills, and strategies that you can continue drawing upon long after therapy has ended.
Processing & Integration
For some people, developing insight, understanding, and practical tools is enough to create meaningful change. For others, there may be value in exploring some of the deeper experiences, memories, or beliefs that continue to influence their thoughts, emotions, behaviours, relationships, and wellbeing.
When appropriate, we can work together to explore how past experiences, including difficult or traumatic experiences, have shaped the way you view yourself, others, and the world around you. This can include identifying and understanding core beliefs, recurring patterns, and emotional responses that may no longer be serving you in the present.
My approach to this work is collaborative, paced, and guided by your goals, readiness, and individual circumstances. There is no expectation that you need to revisit, retell, or process difficult experiences before you feel ready. If this type of work is appropriate, it will only occur once a foundation of safety and coping strategies has been established.
Where appropriate, I may draw on approaches such as Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR), alongside other evidence-based therapies, to support meaningful and lasting change.
Personalised Resources & Support
Therapy can sometimes involve a lot of information, particularly in the early stages, and it can be difficult to remember everything from session to session. Because of this, I often provide follow-up emails containing personalised information and resources designed to reinforce key concepts we have discussed and encourage ongoing reflection.
These resources have been created by me to complement our work together, and I also provide copies for you to keep so you can revisit them whenever needed. They provide a helpful reference point, allowing you to return to key information and concepts in your own time.
The Anxiety and Wellness Clinic acknowledges the Kaurna people as the custodians of the lands and waters of the Adelaide region. We pay respect to elders past, present, and emerging. We acknowledge and respect the Kaurna people’s emotional, physical, and spiritual connection with their country and communities.
The Anxiety and Wellness Clinic also celebrates diversity in our community and aims to provide an inclusive space for the LGBTQA+ and Intersex community. We also strive to offer a disability-friendly service.