OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST & COUNSELLOR
A thought. A feeling. A sense something needs to change.
Hi, I’m Clare a registered Occupational Therapist and Counsellor. I use a mind-body-brain approach to counselling exploring thoughts, emotions, sensations and how our body responds to what it is experiencing.
Sometimes it’s easier to start with a thought. Sometimes it’s easier to start with a feeling or something you're noticing in your body.
There is no one right way to begin. We start with what works for you and build from there.
YOU’LL PROBABLY HEAR ME SAY
“There are no bad parts.”
The parts of you that feel messy, loud, shut down, or hard to live with are not the enemy. Even difficult responses are easier to be with when you understand why they're happening.
“But first, why?”
Before trying to stop or change a thought, feeling or behaviour, we want to make sure we understand it. When and how does it show up, and does it help in some way?
“Two things can be true.”
You can have two conflicting feelings at the same time. Two people can experience the same situation differently. One doesn't have to be wrong for the other to be true.
MIND-BRAIN-BODY
Your mind can know one thing your body can say another.
We can know we’re safe and still feel anxious. Want to say no, but find ourselves saying yes. Lose our temper when we are trying so hard to stay calm.
Our nervous system sometimes reacts before we have time to think. A nervous system-informed approach helps us understand and work with these responses, rather than simply trying to think our way through them.
MY SERVICES
What I Offer
Adults
I offer person-centered talk therapy, drawing on Internal Family Systems (IFS), Polyvagal Theory and mind-body approaches. A therapy session with me might involve talking things through, discussing strategies, exploring emotions and body sensations, or understanding nervous system responses and how it relates to what you are experiencing.
Children & Families
Children often communicate through play, behaviour and their bodies before they have the words to explain what’s happening. I use non-directive Child-Centred Play Therapy and my Occupational Therapy lens to understand what may be sitting underneath and use those insights to help parents better understand and support their child.
Safe and Sound Protocol
I offer the Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP), a listening-based intervention developed from the work of Dr Stephen Porges, creator of Polyvagal Theory. Using specially filtered music, SSP is designed to support nervous system regulation and can be incorporated into therapy where appropriate.
WHO I WORK WITH
Different people. Different reasons for being here.
Among the reasons people come to see me include feeling anxious, overwhelmed or shutdown; difficulties in relationships or friendships, understanding and navigating neurodivergence; people pleasing and perfectionism; anger, big feelings and emotional overwhelm, and adjusting to change or difficult life experiences.
These experiences rarely fit neatly into seperate boxes. Anxiety can sit alongside finding it hard to say no. Anger might have overwhelmed, grief, fear or feeling misunderstood underneath it. What looks like one problem can make more sense when we understand what’s driving it.
I am passionate about helping people build confidence in understanding themselves, trusting what they notice, and learning to priorities their needs alongside others.
ADHD, autism & different ways of experiencing the world
Neurodivergence is an area of particular interest to me, both professionally and personally. I don’t see neurodivergence as something that needs to be fixed. Therapy can instead make space to understand how your brain works, what your nervous system and body need, what makes life harder, and what genuinely works for you rather than constantly measuring yourself against how you think you should function.
You may be diagnosed, exploring whether you might be neurodivergent, or simply trying to understand yourself better.
When a part doesn’t want to be here.
Hopelessness & Suicidal Thoughts
When part of you feels like its at breaking point it can be hard to know where to turn. Rather than wrestling with these thoughts alone or pushing them aside, we can get curious about what's happening.
There is a space here to talk, at your pace, without judgment in a safe and grounded way.
Please note: my practice is not an emergency or crisis service. If you are in immediate danger or need urgent support, please contact your local crisis service or emergency services.
PROFESSIONAL STANDING
Qualifications & therapeutic approaches
Registered Occupational Therapist - Curtin University (2012)
Child-Centered Play Therapy - Formerly Play Therapy Australia trained and certified (2016)
Internal Family Systems (IFS) - Internal Family Systems Counselling Association (IFSCA) trained & certified (2023)
Certified Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP) Provider - Unyte Health (2026)
My practice draws on:
Polyvagal Theory & nervous-system-informed practice
Neurodiversity-affirming practice
Sensory & body-based approaches
Trauma-informed practice