Psyche-Soma Psychotherapy

Rekindling connection between mind, body, and soul

Melbourne based psychotherapist - culturally responsive - trauma informed - holistic psychology

As we journey through life, there may come times we require support through a particularly difficult event or we may wish to explore and understand more deeply about our ongoing thoughts, feelings, behaviours, relationships, and experiences.

I am a Naarm/Melbourne based psychotherapist offering counselling and psychotherapy for people of diverse backgrounds, lifestyles, cultures, and identities. My approach is collaborative and curious, ensuring that the client is in the driver’s seat of their therapy journey. I embrace each individual’s uniqueness and strive to support my clients towards their own definition of wellbeing.

Recognising that the ‘one size fits all’ approach does not work in therapy, I integrate dynamic, evidence-based therapy methods to suit the diverse needs of each client. In doing so, I am able to develop thoughtful, individualised treatment plans that are tailored specifically to each client’s unique needs. In addition to traditional talk-therapy modalities, when appropriate I also incorporate body-centred enquiries which can help strengthen the connection between thoughts and feelings, increasing awareness of emotions and assisting in emotional regulation.

I have an anti-oppressive practice that puts high value on equity and inclusivity. I feel particulalry passionate about helping those from marginalised communities and welcome those who identify as LGBTQIA+, Indigenous and POC, folks of different abilities, I am sex-positive and sex-worker friendly.

I work with:

  • Anxiety

  • Bi-cultural/cross-cultural issues

  • Challenging family dynamics

  • Depression

  • Grief & loss

  • LGBTQIA+ matters

  • Life transitions

  • Marginalised identities

  • Mind/body connection

  • Relationships

  • Self-esteem

  • Shame

  • Trauma, PTSD, and C-PTSD

  • Women’s issues

"To heal, we must come back into our bodies. And to come back into our bodies, we must feel.” 

- Resmaa Menakem

Psyche-Soma (Mind-Body)

In the dominant health care system, the mind and body are often treated as separate entities - the body as the physical thing that can be physically treated. The mind, often reduced to an imbalance of chemicals located in the brain. Challenging this narrative, psyche-soma is a notion coined by paediatrician and psychoanalyst D.W. Winnicott who viewed the mind-body as a single system, where the psyche (mind) resides in the soma (body). This aligns with traditional indigenous and Eastern views of health where the mind and body are treated together as a whole system. Modern research in attachment, neuroscience and trauma studies provide scientific evidence for this belief. As a firm believer of this holistic approach, I offer culturally responsive, gender affirming therapy that does not exclude those who do not ascribe to the values of the mainstream biomedical views of health.

The acknowledgement of this mind-body connection is also important for the treatment of trauma related concerns including PTSD and C-PTSD, where the body automatically responds to perceived physical, psychological, or emotional threat by disconnecting with the body. This disconnection can show up in a number of ways including numbness, dissociation, chronic tension, or a general sense of feeling “shut down.” If you would like to discuss how I may be able to support you with your mental health concerns, please contact me to discuss how we may be able to work together.