Fremantle Counselling Services
Styles of therapy – A focus on mindfulness & somatic psychotherapy.
I offer somatic psychotherapy and mindfulness-based counselling for anxiety, trauma, relationship challenges and personal growth.
People come to counselling for many different reasons. Sometimes anxiety or stress has become overwhelming. Sometimes relationships fall into familiar patterns that feel difficult to shift. At other times people sense that something deeper is possible — more steadiness, more awareness, or more freedom in how they respond to life.
At Uplift Counselling in Fremantle, I offer somatic psychotherapy grounded in the Hakomi Method. This approach combines mindfulness with an understanding of how past experiences are held in the body and nervous system. This creates unconscious patterns that can put limits on how freely we live our lives.
Rather than working only with thoughts, somatic psychotherapy brings gentle awareness to the deeper emotional and physiological patterns that shape our reactions. When these patterns are explored safely, new responses and greater flexibility can begin to develop.
Some people come seeking practical tools to manage immediate challenges. Others want deeper psychotherapy that works with long-standing patterns. The work is collaborative and paced carefully, so that difficult experiences can be explored safely and meaningful change can unfold over time.
Who Comes to This Kind of Therapy
People come to counselling in Fremantle for many different reasons. Some are looking for support with anxiety, relationship difficulties or unresolved experiences from the past.
Others are interested in personal growth and developing greater awareness through mindfulness and psychotherapy.
Somatic therapy can support both.
See Mindfulness and Psychotherapy pages for more information
Issues I Commonly Work With
People seek counselling in Fremantle for many different reasons. Some of the areas I commonly work with include:
Anxiety and Chronic Stress
Anxiety is not only something we think — it is something we feel in the body. Tightness in the chest, shallow breathing, restlessness or a constant sense of alertness are signs that the nervous system has become stuck in a pattern of stress.
Somatic psychotherapy helps people notice these patterns as they as they arise in everyday situations.. Through mindfulness and gentle attention to bodily experience, it becomes easier to recognise the roots of anxiety and what keeps it going.
Over time this awareness allows new responses to develop. People often find they can regulate their emotions more easily and feel a greater sense of internal steadiness.
Trauma and Difficult Past Experiences
Difficult or traumatic experiences can leave lasting patterns in the nervous system. Even when the events themselves are in the past, the body can continue to react as if the threat is still present. This may be traumatic experiences like abuse or injuries, or it may be childhood experiences which were difficult, which we could call developmental trauma.
This may show up as anxiety, emotional shutdown, hyper-vigilance or reactions that feel difficult to control.
Somatic psychotherapy approaches these patterns slowly and carefully. Rather than forcing people to relive painful memories, the work focuses on safely bringing awareness to how those experiences are held in the body.
As this happens, the nervous system can gradually process what was previously overwhelming and move towards greater regulation and safety.
Relationships and Couples
Many relationship difficulties arise from emotional patterns that developed earlier in life. When strong feelings are triggered we often react automatically – withdrawing, becoming defensive, or repeating familiar dynamics.
Counselling can help bring these patterns into awareness. By slowing down and exploring emotional reactions as they happen, it becomes possible to understand what is driving them.
From there people can begin to respond differently, developing clearer communication and healthier ways of relating.
Couples counselling focuses on these interaction patterns between partners. this helps each person understand and change the automatic responses shaping the relationship.
Life Transitions and Meaning
Periods of change often bring uncertainty. Relationship changes, career shifts, relocation or loss can unsettle the structures that once gave life a sense of stability.
Counselling provides space to reflect on these transitions and make sense of what is unfolding. Through mindfulness and careful exploration of experience, people often find greater clarity about what matters to them and how they want to move forward.
Difficult transitions can become opportunities for growth and re-orientation.
Personal Growth and Mindfulness
Some people come to therapy not only because something is wrong, but because they want to understand themselves more deeply.
Mindfulness-based somatic psychotherapy supports this kind of exploration. By paying attention to thoughts, emotions and bodily experience in a curious and non-judgemental way, patterns that once operated automatically begin to become visible.
As awareness grows, people often experience greater freedom in how they respond to life and relationships.
For many people this work becomes part of an ongoing process of personal development and self-understanding.
How Somatic Psychotherapy Works
Somatic psychotherapy is based on the understanding that our experiences are held not only in our thoughts, but also in the body and nervous system.
Many emotional reactions happen automatically. We may notice anxiety arising in certain situations, a habit of withdrawing in relationships, or reacting to situations we later wish we had handled differently.
Often these responses developed earlier in life as ways of coping with difficult experiences.
The Hakomi Method works by bringing mindful awareness to these patterns as they appear in the present moment.
Rather than analysing intellectually, we explore how they show up in thoughts, emotions and bodily sensations.
When these patterns are approached with curiosity and safety, new responses can begin to emerge.
Over time the nervous system can move out of automatic survival responses and into a greater sense of regulation and choice.
The aim of the work is not to force change, but to create the conditions where deeper patterns can gradually shift. I find that this goes deeper and creates more lasting change.
What Happens in a Counselling Session?
Beginning therapy can feel like a big step, and many people are unsure what to expect.
Somatic therapy sessions are conversational and collaborative. We begin by talking about what has brought you to counselling and what you would like support with.
Because the work is mindfulness-based, there are often moments where we slow things down and pay attention to what is happening in the present moment.
This might include noticing emotions, thoughts, or sensations in the body.
From this place of awareness it becomes easier to:
- understand emotional reactions more clearly
- regulate the nervous system
- explore underlying beliefs and patterns
- respond differently to difficult situations
Some sessions focus on practical tools for navigating everyday challenges. Others involve deeper exploration of long-standing patterns or past experiences.
The pace of the work is always guided by your comfort and readiness, creating a steady space where meaningful change can unfold over time.
FAQ: Common Questions About Counselling
Do I need to know how to meditate?
No. Mindfulness in therapy is simply about learning to notice what is happening in your present experience with curiosity and without judgement.
It does not require any previous meditation practice.
How do Medicare rebates work?
If you receive a Mental Health Treatment Plan from your GP, you may be eligible for Medicare rebates for sessions with me.
Your GP can discuss whether this is appropriate for your situation and provide a referral if needed.
Is This Approach a Good Fit?
This approach tends to suit people who are interested in understanding themselves more deeply and are open to exploring their inner experience.
You might find this approach helpful if:
- anxiety or emotional reactions feel automatic
- you are curious about mindfulness or body-based approaches
- you want to develop greater emotional awareness and regulation
- you’re interested in personal growth as well as addressing specific problems
- you’ve already reflected on your patterns but they still repeat
You don’t need any prior experience with mindfulness or meditation. Sessions are paced carefully and adapted to your comfort and needs.
If you’re unsure whether this approach would be a good fit, you’re welcome to arrange a brief introductory phone call.
Fremantle Based Counselling Room
Uplift Counselling is conveniently based in the heart of Fremantle. Easily accessible from the Fremantle train station and by car. On site parking is available.
Is online counselling available?
Yes. Sessions can be held via video for people who are unable to attend in person. Online counselling can be helpful for those with busy schedules or living outside Fremantle.
Arrange a First Session
If you would like to begin counselling, you are welcome to book a session or arrange a brief introductory phone call.
Uplift Counselling is based in Fremantle and works with people across the wider Perth area.