Meet our team
Monique Warshall
Psychotherapist and Founder
Hi, my name is Monique.
I have always been curious about why we do things, and what drives us and the inner stories of our minds. It was my curiosity that began my professional career as a psychotherapist as well as my personal journey of healing. I’ve come to realise that the most complex relationship we will ever have is with ourselves and that is why I invite you to begin that journey with me by your side.
Our internal world is made up of the many voices of our experiences. These voices – or parts – shape who we are. All your parts are welcome here, and there are no bad parts. I’m here to collaborate with you to get to know your internal world in a safe, connected, and nurturing space.
I want to support you to befriend these parts, rather than disconnect from them. What if you could befriend the inner critic, the overthinker or the judge?
Areas I am passionate include addiction, trauma, grief, relationships, boundaries, and self-esteem. I enjoy collaborating with people of all ages and I am always open to new experiences.
I founded this space after a decade working across clinical settings in the not for profit and private sector. Most recently I was Deputy Director of Malvern Private Hospital and manager of the therapeutic program.
Qualifications
- Master of Counselling Psychology
- Graduate Diploma of Counselling
- Graduate Diploma of Psychological Studies
- Bachelor of Social Science (Criminal Justice)
- Clinical PACFA Member 28273
- Currently studying a Master of Counselling and Psychotherapy.
Contact Monique:
Gemma Urbini
Family Therapist, Mental Health OT and Reiki Master
Hi! I’m Gemma,
Qualifications
- Master of Clinical Family Therapy
- Master of Occupational Therapy
- Bachelor of Arts (Dance)
- Reiki Master
- Eating disorder therapy trained (FBT, CBTE, SSCM, MANTRA, CCSW)
- Havening Trained
- AHPRA registered
Contact Monique:
Michelle Woolley
Psychotherapist and shamanic practitioner
Hi, my name is Michelle,
Healing is a journey that is not meant to be lived alone. As your Therapist/Healer I become a fearless companion to your journey. I will hold space for anything you bring into a session and meet you exactly where you are tracking. I will find places of unbalance and misalignment and watch your breakthroughs.
I have been practicing as a Counsellor since 2012 and have since expanded my therapeutic skillset through Reiki, energy healing and shamanic training to become a recognised Shamanic Healing Practitioner.
This skill would allow me to powerfully upgrade your energy field and aid in finding yourself again. Additionally, I have been a registered nurse for 33 years, a job that while it is not seemingly in this field of work, it brought forward my high levels of intuition and psychology that I now access every day.
I am a Level ll Internal Family Systems (IFS) trained therapist. This therapeutic approach is effective at sustaining someone’s healing—a quality I admire most about IFS. I also use the Attachment theory which is relevant to relational experiences.
Currently, I am undertaking training in shamanism to further my ability to help someone heal themselves.
However, my place of healing took work. I have my own story of suffering and pain in which I have leaned into over the years and my experience proves the power of therapy and healing in bringing unimaginable freedom and a feeling of wholeness. I am so grateful to be in this position of wisdom today where I can bring this life-altering opportunity of healing to more people of the world.
Additionally, i have a special interest in working with people who are experiencing difficulties during antenatal and postnatal periods. Previosuly, I have worked for PANDA (Perinatal Anxiety and Depression Australia) as a telephone Counsellor which was inspired by my prior experiences as a remote area nurse in Arnhem land, supporting aboriginal women during their antenatal and postnatal periods. My work in this community spanned across 3 years and continues to make a significant impact on my approach to healing people everyday.
Above all, I adore working with people. I am skilled in working with individuals who have experienced developmental trauma, addiction and loss and grief.
You deserve healing and the freedom that it yields.
Blessings,
Michelle
Qualifications
- Master of Social Science (Human Services – Counselling)
- Cert IV Telephone Counselling (Lifeline)
- Grad Dip of Nursing (Cardiac)
- Bachelor of Health Science (Nursing)
- IFS Level II Practitioner
- Reiki Level I,II and 3A
- PACFA Membership: 27677
- One Tribe Shamanic Training completed, August 2023
Contact Michelle
Amy Somers
PSYCHOTHERAPIST
I support clients to make sense of what is happening emotionally, and connect with their experience in a way that offers relief and hope. I have a lot of experience and a particular interest in working with people who experienced childhood abuse, trauma, and neglect, and are struggling with the painful emotions that often carry through to adulthood including low self-worth, anxiety, feeling like a failure, perfectionism, and difficulties in relationships. I am available to work with people in active recovery from drug and alcohol use, people who struggle with body image, and people who find themselves in the same kinds of unsatisfying or hurtful relationships.
My work is trauma-informed, meaning we go at a pace that feels right for you. I also work with emotions and increasing connection to the body, as trauma and emotions get ‘stuck’ in the body. I use parts-work and chair-work in sessions for clients who are interested as I personally have experienced how powerful this kind of work can be and my clients tell me the same. Being a therapist is privilege for me, supporting people to explore the “edges” of life that often feel undisclosable and to find meaning and options where things have felt stuck or hopeless.
I have advanced training in Focusing Oriented Therapy, and I am trained in and integrate Emotion-Focused Therapy (an emotion and attachment-based therapy) and Internal Family Systems principles. I am also available to provide advanced companioning for anyone learning Gendlin’s Focusing.
I take care of myself by sometimes remembering to meditate, focusing-practice, swimming, walks, dancing, and I do my own therapy and receive regular supervision of my work.
Qualifications
- Masters of Counselling & Psychotherapy
- Graduate Diploma in Education
- Bachelor of Laws / Bachelor of Arts
Contact Monique:
Rachel Molloy
Psychotherapist
Hi, I’m Rachel.
I work as a counsellor and psychotherapist at a leading addiction treatment hospital in Melbourne, working with individuals and groups, and in private practice. My experience in working with addiction is through the lens of complex trauma, with trauma being defined as any experience that overwhelms our ability to remain open and present to an experience. An experience that overwhelms our ability to cope. The “complex” part means that such experiences happened repeatedly, and perhaps continue to happen.
When we can’t stay with an experience and the feelings that come with it, we find strategies to make it more bearable, and these often cause us more pain and suffering than the original experience.
If limiting ways of relating to ourselves and others are built on a series of strategies to avoid uncomfortable emotions, then it makes sense that if we become more comfortable and able to sit with so-called “negative” emotions like fear, shame, anxiety, anger and sadness, that we can open ourselves up to live life more fully and more authentically. When we change the way, we relate to ourselves we can let these dysfunctional strategies go and we can feel more alive.
These strategies, or defences, extend beyond substance or behavioural addictions to include but are not limited to, overthinking, overworking, controlling behaviours, people pleasing, caretaking, denial, repression, minimisation, rationalisation, procrastination, social withdrawal, isolation, suicidality, muscle tension, sleeping difficulties and other health problems. Avoidance of our experience is the foundation for a myriad of mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, issues with boundaries, assertiveness and/or relationship challenges.
In the context of a trusting therapeutic alliance, I will work with you to find a sense of safety in the relationship and in the exploration of all aspects of your experience. I will seek to help you to better understand existing patterns and learn new ways of being in a relationship with yourself and others.
My job is more of a vocation than a job for me. I’m passionate about building deep connections. I bring my own authenticity, my love and compassion for humanity, a sense of curiosity, and an open-minded and non-judgemental stance. I bring my background in yoga and meditation in terms of my personal experience of being present in my thoughts, feelings and bodily sensations to better guide your process. I bring my life experience, including some of my own challenging experiences that I have explored in my own therapy which further aids my empathy and my belief in the process of change.
Professional Training and Interests:
- Person-centred theory and counselling
- Attachment Informed
- Interpersonal Processes
- Focusing-Oriented Therapy
- Emotion Focused Therapy
Qualifications
- Master of Counselling and Psychotherapy
- Bachelor of Social Sciences (Psychology and Sociology)
- Bachelor of Business (Marketing)
- Graduate Diploma of Yoga Teaching (500 hrs)
- Yoga Teacher Training (500 hours)
- Meditation Teacher Training
Leo Cullen
Clinical Psychotherapist
Welcome.
I’d like to say something very simple to you. It comes from my experience of working over the years with people. And it is this. There are times in our lives when we just need to talk to someone. If you need to talk and want to have a safe place to chat things through, then get in touch. I have studied many things over the years but it all boils down to the fact that, in our lives these days, there may be very few places where we can really have a good conversation and get stuff off our chests.
The people with whom I have worked would all agree that after conversations with me, their lives are better. Many of them describe it in terms of having a better toolkit to deal with the ordinary problems of life.
My style of working is conversational, gentle and caring.
On its own, counselling is often about problem-solving. While psychotherapy has an element of counselling, and does indeed solve problems along the way, it also may yield deeper and richer results. As a Clinical Psychotherapist, I realise that it is not only the content of what you are saying that’s important. But it is also the themes that you are introducing in conversation that are crucial to addressing the difficulties you may be facing and the recovery you seek. In that sense, the work of the therapist is to listen with curiosity and pure attention.
It’s an invitation that I see as very non-judgemental. I approach all things with a quiet curiosity.
Comfortable with listening, I see myself as introverted, and the therapeutic process as something very special, private, and confidential.
These are some of my hopes for you when you come to see me. So welcome!
Qualifications
- BA (Philosophy & Sociology)
- BD (Spirituality)
- Graduate Diploma in Humanities (Counselling)
- Graduate Diploma in Chemical Dependency (Alcohol & Drugs)
- Graduate Certificate in Family Violence Studies
- Masters Degree in Psychology
Contact Monique:
Shoshana Blagin
Psychologist
I am a psychologist with 14 years of experience working with children, teenagers, and adults. I have worked in public mental health services (both community and CATT teams), chronic pain clinic, brain-behaviour neuropsychology clinic, children clinic, and several private practices.
I have always had a curious mind and a love for learning. One of the areas I was particularly interested in when I was at university was the mind and the brain. What is the mind? Is it the same or different to the brain? What is the experience of self truly made from? These are the questions that intrigued me and sparked my initial curiosity to follow the career path of becoming a psychologist.
When clients come to me I will initially conduct a comprehensive assessment, in order to gain an in-depth understanding of their challenges. Collaboratively we develop a formulation and treatment plan. I always take the time and effort to connect with each unique individual, as it is well established knowledge that a strong therapeutic alliance is key for successful outcomes.
I provide a safe and compassionate space for clients to process and integrate personal narratives, access internal resources, release stress and achieve personal goals. I draw upon “parts work” to support individuals to come home to the SELF, our inner essence that is wise, authentic, compassionate, creative and clear. Ultimately the aim of psychology is to alleviate symptoms and improve wellbeing in all areas of life.
I am particularly interested in trauma and how trauma may manifest in the body as symptoms and dis-ease. I am interested in helping individuals recover from chronic health conditions such as somatoform disorders and chronic pain. I draw upon therapeutic modalities that recognize the interaction between the mind and body and offer interventions for effective healing.
I am also interested in supporting parents to navigate universal parenting challenges and teach co-regulation techniques in order to deepen the connection bond with their children.
When deemed appropriate, I incorporate art, movement, improv, humour and sand-play in my work. I connect well with children and teenagers. You will find my approach compassionate, curious, engaging, warm and authentic.
Qualifications
- Masters of Clinical Psychology
- Graduate Diploma Psychology
- Bachelor of Science
- Certification of Hand-in-Hand Trainer
Contact Monique:
Elizabeth Anile
THERAPIST
Hi there! I’m a registered therapist, bayside local, mum of one and a journalist in a past life. I work with a range of clients presenting with a broad range of challenges. My passion is working with people feeling disconnected from their desires, purpose and joy who are ready to reconnect with their spark.
I’m passionate about how trauma impacts the body. Understanding what triggers the body to feel unsafe can be the key to unlocking deep healing and lasting change. I firmly believe there is no one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to dysregulation. That’s why I will work with you at your pace, tailoring a therapy plan to what works best for you.
My style is trauma-informed, relaxed, warm, and conversational. I like to blend aspects of traditional talk therapy – such as cognitive behavioural therapy and acceptance and commitment therapy – with somatic body work, parts work, and mindfulness.
AREAS OF INTEREST
- Attachment issues
- Relationships
- Co-parenting
- Single parenting
- Conscious parenting
- Motherhood
- Burnout
- Grief
- Anxiety and depression
- Self-worth and love
- Stress and overwhelm
- Separation and divorce
- Dealing with people with personality disorders
- Incarceration trauma
- Generational trauma
- How trauma presents in the body
Qualifications
- Somatic Attachment Therapy | The Embody Lab
- Master of Counselling | Victoria University
- ASIST Suicide Prevention Training Program
- Bachelor of Communications (Journalism) | RMIT University
Michelle Smith
Strategic Psychotherapist, Clinical Hypnotherapist and Strategic Coach
Hi, my name is Michelle
I spent 20 years working in the corporate world before finally listening to my “inner mentor” who was insistent that it was time I started working with people, rather than numbers. And my “inner mentor” has proved right. Becoming a professionally qualified Strategic Psychotherapist, specializing in Clinical Hypnotherapy has been the best decision I ever made. Every day, I am working with people, and seeing lives transformed. Clients come to me with a problem – something that is stopping them from being their best – and they leave with an understanding that their problems are not a permanent condition, and with a sense that they have more control over their own happiness than they imagined possible.
The work we do together is all about you understanding how your mind works, and developing the skills to interrupt old patterns of limited thinking and behaviours that aren’t serving you anymore.
We start by discussing the problem that exists for you today, what life would look like for you if the problem didn’t exist, and then identify what thought patterns may be getting in the way of where you want to be. Through a combination of psychoeducation, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Hypnosis, I help you to interrupt the problem patterns to create lasting change that helps you begin to live the future you most want to create.
For many, the idea of Clinical Hypnosis will be unfamiliar. Forget the idea of clucking like a chicken! When used in conjunction with Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Hypnosis acts as a way of amplifying the effects of CBT, improving the therapeutic efficacy by 70-90%, thereby getting much faster, and lasting outcomes in behavioural change than traditional therapy has been able to achieve on its own. There are no scripts involved, every session is tailored to your particular concern. Results can start to be seen after the first session, but to lock in a lasting shift, typically a minimum of between 3 and 6 sessions are required.
Areas that are most responsive to this approach of therapy include:
• Management of anxiety and stress
• Mild depression
• Burn out
• Pain management
• Support for Fertility and IVF
• Phobias
• Addiction
• Weight loss
• Sleep improvement
• Performance Enhancement
I work in the clinic on Wednesday and am also available for Telehealth appointments. Bookings and further information about my treatments can be found via my website at www.mindsofdistinction.com.au or contact me at hello@mindsofdistinction to organise a free initial 15 minute consultation.
Qualifications
- Dip. Strategic Psychotherapy and Clinical Hypnosis
- Certificate of Neural Linguistic Programming
- Certificate of Strategic Coaching
- B.Comm
- GradDipCA
Contact Monique:
Bianca Zukowski
holistic therapist
Hi, I’m Bianca,
I am a holistic therapist who uses movement, nutrition, breathwork, counselling, and spinal energetics to shift old stories, patterns, and trauma from our bodies so that we can heal and embrace ourselves as whole activated beings.
My journey has been one ignited by curiosity and self-discovery. From being a young beauty/massage therapist and yogi, I travelled all over the world with an open mind and heart discovering ancient and modern modalities of healing. Returning to Australia I began finding ways to incorporate these practices into daily living and sharing them with those around me.
After studying Holistic Counselling/Psychotherapy (2005) I helped create statewide school programs for teenagers to connect with yoga and meditation and where my passion for tending to our mental health as brightly as our physical intensified.
For me, movement has always been about release. Healing our physical, emotional, and energetic bodies through repetitive movement that becomes meditation. It is in breathing through the discomfort, the glitch, the ick, the tough emotions, that we deepen, open, and create change for ourselves.
I work with humans at all stages of life. I specialise in working with women going through perimenopause and menopause. Supporting and navigating with an emphasis on connection, development and empowerment through knowledge, nutrition, and ritual practice.
I believe creating a nourishing space of awareness and non-judgment, of helping others to accept who and where they are, and the journey they are on. We all start at our beginning, and I am so happy to be here with you.
Qualifications
- 2023 - Spinal Energetics group facilitator
- 2023 - Spinal Energetics online
- 2023 - Spinal Energetics Level One
- 2020 - Diiloma of Counselling AIPC
- 2011 - Personal Training Certificate 4
- 2007 - Diploma of Health Science - Nutrition, Flower Essences ACNM Australian College of Natural Medicine
- 2004 - Diploma of Health Science - Holistic Counselling ACNM Australian College of Natural Medicine
- 1996 - Diploma of Health Science - Massage and Aromatherapy RMIT
Lisa Rebecca
Counsellor
Hi I am Lisa,
As a mature woman, I have a passion for connecting with individuals and families. I believe in the opportunity and privilege to identify and support intergenerational family change. As a trained nurse for over 20 years, I continued my studies as a Counsellor specialising in Alcohol and other Drugs and then with post-graduate studies in Family Therapy.
I have gained valuable experience working with clients impacted by substance use, grief and have compassion for the restoration of families. I have worked as a reunification family counsellor with a government agency and provided various counselling services within a hospital rehabilitation setting while extending my services to work privately with clients and their families. My passion is to help clients understand the language of their emotions and to create positive changes to support their lives
It is my extensive experience as a facilitator of family educational groups and therapeutic process groups that adds creativity to my work. It allows me to actively hold space that validates therapeutic healing and creates empathy and self-compassion.
In my work, I use a variety of psychological techniques and strength-based approaches when working in sessions. My current influences include family systems therapy, client-centred care and motivational interviewing.
Those that know me, say I am a warm and compassionate person. I enjoy spending my downtime with my family and my grandchildren.
Qualifications
- Bachelor of Science (Nursing)
- Graduate Diploma in AOD Counselling
- Family Therapy trained
Catherine Angel
Counsellor and Art Therapist
Hi, my name is Catherine.
I am a Counsellor and Art Therapist helping people better connect to their emotions, and true Selves. I believe therapy involves partnering on a journey to better understand and integrate our experience of life. Working collaboratively via a range of methods, I help people access different parts of themself in the moment and begin to understand their internal system. These systems are shaped by our life experiences which often lead to maladaptive coping mechanisms, psychological protectors, or unconscious patterns. As such, I frequently help clients process trauma, addiction, attachment and interpersonal challenges.
I have come to this place through intense study and personal work. I have my own journey of healing and lead a life that focuses on psychological, emotional, physical, and spiritual health. I practice privately, and also work at a leading addiction hospital, facilitating group and individual therapy for people overcoming a range of substance and behavioural addictions. I blend Internal Family Systems and Art Therapy to offer a non-pathologizing and supportive space, capable of nurturing the psychological, emotional, physical, and spiritual parts essential to healing and growth.
A Masters qualified Art Therapist and registered member of the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia (PACFA), I am an informed Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapist, and continually developing my craft.
Qualifications
- Masters in Therapeutic Arts Practice – Therapy Stream
- Adv. Dip Transpersonal Art Therapy
- Bachelor of Communication
- Dip. Visual Arts
- IFS Circles certificate
- PACFA membership: 28538
Leonor Ordornez (Lel)
Practitioner of Shiatsu and Oriental Therapies
Hi, I’m Leonor (Lel) and I’m a practitioner of Shiatsu and Oriental Therapies. I come from a diverse range of work and life experiences, with a degree in law and social sciences, and have worked for a variety of organisations over the years, including for a period of time where I advocated for members of an asylum seeker and refugee centre.
I shifted my focus from the legal sector to engaging with people in the realm of health and wellness, motivated by my long term interest in health issues and emotional well-being for myself and my children.
Over the years my children had sparked my interest in the healingpotential of touch and bodywork and ultimately: Shiatsu.
I had observed the impact massage had on their sleep patterns and emotional regulation as I explored massage techniques myself. These observations were further deepened when they attended the pediatric clinics at the Australian College of Shiatsu.
As a Shiatsu practitioner, I feel completely in alignment, embracing the instinct of nurture and care that comes naturally to me and which Shiatsu allows me to share with those seeking to find their own sense of well-being and restoration.
And as a Shiatsu therapist, I see myself as a facilitator – listening closely to the body and assisting you to connect with yourself and your own personal journey. I am particularly interested in working with women, young children, teens and families.
Shiatsu treatments are received on a futon mat, on the floor, through loose comfortable clothing. Shiatsu was developed in Japan and based on concepts of Traditional Chinese Medicine: pressure is applied to the meridians and points on the body using palms, thumbs, feet, elbow, knees and stretching to improve the flow of Qi/energy and restore balance both physically and emotionally. It’s suitable for a wide range of conditions and suitable for all ages.
Qualifications
- Bachelor of Social Sciences (UTS)
- Master of Laws (UTS)
- Diploma of Shiatsu and Oriental Therapies (ACS)
- Shiatsu Association of Australia - Registered member
Contact Monique:
Caroline Hales
Therapist
Hello my name is Caroline
I am passionate about supporting people to gently transition through crises and change and to learn how to embrace your uniqueness and purpose.
During the sessions I facilitate my focus is to provide a safe and nurturing place, so that you can come and be heard and learn how to release your burdens, self judgements and overthinking to uncover the hidden gifts within all of the confusion and pain.
It is my privilege to support you in redefining your life through a journey of self exploration, reconnecting you to your inner resources, sense of strength and the innate wisdom within you.
My role is to empower you to see life through a different lens, cultivating the power of hope and possibility and guide you in the direction of your most authentic self.
I am here to bridge the gap between your current situation and how you are currently feeling and where you want to be.
The “Integrative Mentoring” session is a person centred focus that encourages you to turn towards yourself, with a sense of curiosity and reverence. You will be guided back through your belief system, the bias, the self reproach that has contributed to the pain you carry. Over time you will learn how to lean towards acceptance and self care.
In a “Spinal Energetics” session, there is minimal counselling and the focus is towards your physical and energetic and facilitating your body’s ability to unwind deep tension and stress.
Creating meaningful change takes time and effort and I encourage people to consider booking three sessions. This allows your nervous system to relax and open up and to make longer term changes.
In my personal life I support myself through meditation, yoga and their deeper philosophies. I enjoy cold water dips, beach walks. I love creating communities for people to come and connect with like minded people.
In my practice I offer in person and online individual sessions, 6 month individual and group mentorship programs. Local and international retreats.
More information at: www.carolinehales.com and https://enliven-retreats.com.au
Qualifications
- Diploma Brennan Healing Science Practitioner 2003- 2007
- Facilitation Skill for promoting Health & Wellbeing 2007 - 2009
- Certificate in Art & Creative Expression 2003
- Certificate in Craniosacral Therapy, Upledger Institute 2002
- Diploma Ki Massage 2000
- Certificate in Anatomy & Physiology 2000
- Reiki Healing, Level 3 2001
- Yoga Teacher Training 2018
- Spinal Energetics - Individual & Group Sessions 2023
- Currently studying a Master of Counselling & Psychotherapy 2024
