I’ve always been interested in psychology

I was clear in high school that I wanted to either be a psychologist or in advertising. Both professions looked at human behaviour and fulfilled my interest in questioning why people do what they do, and why they are the way they are.

Successful advertising career in Melbourne

I chose the advertising industry and in hindsight, it was in the right order as I needed to heal before I was able to support others in healing. Advertising, in my mind’s eye, was attractive and exciting! The glamour, the money, the success, the status and the lifestyle of media drew me right in.

Living in Adelaide at the time, I lined up interviews in Melbourne and landed a job with News Ltd, the biggest media house in the world. I loved it and quickly worked my way to the top in advertising. After 18 years, I moved back to Adelaide where I invested in a business and studied a Bachelor of Social Sciences in Counselling.

Nutrition studies to further help my clients

I also studied nutrition, because I noticed that food affected my moods. I wanted to know the truth about the food industry – what were we supposed to be eating? Were diets effective? What is intuitive eating, what is dysmorphia and why do I experience this? Why, when I am feeling ‘not enough’ do I feel extremely fat and disgusting? What is healthy and what is not healthy?

I wanted to have the knowledge to support not only eating disorder clients, but also other clients who have a particular relationship with food. Where do their beliefs around themselves begin to affect how they interact with food and their body image?

Operating in survival mode

I didn’t realise it at the time, but looking back, I was running from trauma, fear and pain. I needed to be successful and perfect by having and gaining the external trappings of success. I had a successful career, an expensive car, lived in a nice suburb, and had nice things. On the exterior, I had created many layers of protection by creating what seemed – to myself and others – to be a well-put-together life. I was watching what others were doing in their life as a cue to what I should be doing, in order to appear to be ‘successful’. I had no inner awareness of who I was and what I really wanted. I was dDirectionless and stuck.

Ignoring severe chronic pain

Underneath the exterior, I had severe chronic pain which I was ignoring and so it was making me chronically fatigued. After moving back to Adelaide, I stopped working for a period of time, but the chronic pain didn’t stop. Through my continuous search for the relief of pain, I stumbled across pilates which helped to reduce it.

Study of pilates created awareness

With pilates I became aware of my body and my breath and how I carried myself. Pilates was another self-awareness tool that moved my bodily consciousness — from disassociated from bodily self, to awareness within my system. My experience with pilates was profound enough that I studied to become a Polestar Pilates instructor and then started my own pilates business. But it wasn’t long before I realised this wasn’t what I really wanted for myself.

I still had pain

I returned to my physiotherapist and pilates trainer and explained that I still had pain. I described my motor vehicle accident and history, so she took an x-ray. She told me there was no evidence that the pain in my neck had anything to do with my previous car accident, and gave me a business card to see a psychotherapist. I was confused about why she was suggesting that I go and see someone who dealt with the mind, but she nudged me along, explaining that he was also a physio.

What do you mean, stuck trauma?

At this point in my life, I knew nothing about trauma – how it can get stuck in our bodies, and how our bodies continue to warn us about danger, even when the trauma is not happening anymore.

For years, I’d lived in a constant state of fear and distress, and I didn’t even know it! Not until I was in session, not until I sat with my pain and my feelings, not until I listened to myself and what my body and my emotions were trying to tell me.

I hadn’t been being authentic

I didn’t know who I was, I could not locate myself. I was showing who I thought I should be, in order to be loved. My identity was of a successful woman who was perfect in the eyes of others. I had been working so hard, always trying to be someone or something to other people. I learnt that I needed to accept myself to be at peace and at one with myself.

The process of moving through pain into power

Before I started therapy, I had no idea I had an inner world! It was all about how things looked on the outside, and to others. In therapy, I began to shed these layers of identity, be ok without them, and learn how to turn inwards. Ultimately, I was on a journey of self-discovery – finding out who I was, and letting go of who I thought I ought to be.

Helping others deal with their trauma

I have an immense interest in understanding trauma, relationships, family dynamics and the attachment breaks that occur in our lifetime – between us and our parents, and us and our partners, in relationship. How we respond to these events and breaks varies greatly with each person. Sometimes it’s masked. Sometimes it’s turned into chronic pain, addictions, bipolar, eating disorders, depression, OCD or one of many other diagnostic mental illnesses.

My first-hand experience has shaped my practice

I believe in therapy and that we all need support and guidance at different times of our lives to make sense of sometimes difficult life situations where you can feel overwhelmed or stuck. We work together to map out you, and the situation that is occurring in your life, and make considerate decisions about what is best for you and your life.

Different modalities

I work with my clients using a number of different modalities and tailor our sessions depending on which method/s work best for each individual.