Meet Monique
I am a clinical counsellor registered with PACFA. My background is in law. My formal qualifications include a Bachelor of Jurisprudence, Bachelor of Laws, Master of Laws, Master of Counselling and Graduate Certificate in Gestalt Therapy.
I have been happily married for 35 years and have three adult sons and two grandchildren. My home and clinic are in the beautiful Brisbane bayside suburb of Wellington Point.
Many people ask me, “Why the move from law to counselling?” When I began my counselling studies, I wasn’t quite sure where it would lead. It came at a time of great personal and spiritual upheaval in my own life. I hoped if nothing more, it would help me become a better wife, mother and lawyer. I believe it did, and so much more. What I discovered was a passion and skill for supporting people who seem to have lost their way, find their way “home”.
While I have come to counselling later in life, I believe the 25+ years I worked as a lawyer in large and small firms across Australia provide me with many unique insights into the challenges facing many professionals, business owners and families, including work-related stress, anxiety, depression, burnout and relationship breakdown.
It is a great privilege to be in a position to harness my life’s experience and learnings to support my clients on their path to healing and wholeness.
My Counselling Philosophy
Research has shown that the quality of the therapeutic relationship is more important than the tools or techniques used. Renowned person-centred psychologist, Carl Rogers put it this way: “If I can provide a certain type of relationship, the other person will discover within themselves the capacity to use that relationship for growth and change, and personal development will occur”. For this reason, my focus is on building a strong therapeutic relationship.
I am not here to ‘diagnose’, ‘fix’ or ‘advise’. The work we do together is a collaboration, a co-creation. You are an active participant in the process. I believe we learn more from experience than being told what to do. My sessions are highly experiential.
In the work we do together, I support you to:
- connect with your body, emotions and thoughts;
- become aware of patterns that no longer serve you;
- heal from past experiences;
- gain practical skills for clear communication & collaboration;
- move from conflict to connection;
- cultivate a strong sense of meaning and purpose; and
- integrate your learning into your everyday experiences.
My Counselling Framework
My work is grounded in Gestalt Therapy and informed by my learnings in other approaches including, Relational Life Therapy (RLT), Emotions Focussed Therapy (EFT), Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT), Family Systems Theory, Attachment Theory, Interpersonal Neurobiology and Non-Violent Communication (NVC).
Human beings are complex. We are each made up of and exist within complex systems: biological, psychological, emotional, social, environmental, and spiritual. I believe well-being is about wholeness and wholeness is about connection and integration across many domains. This means my focus is not your symptoms but gaining an understanding of your unique system. I take a holistic view of you as a person in the context of your own unique biology, family relationships, experiences, cultural background, and spiritual beliefs.
I am trauma informed. In my work, safety and stabilisation always come first. You cannot grow unless there is safety.
My Way of Being & Doing
In my training, there is a strong emphasis on the person of the practitioner. I believe that my way of being is just as important as my knowledge and skills. I cannot expect you to do work that I am not prepared to do myself. I must do my own work, and I take this responsibility very seriously. I regularly have my own personal counselling and participate in ongoing professional development and supervision.
I believe that a strong therapeutic relationship requires real (genuine, not phony) human connection and collaboration. From the very outset, I will work with you to form a genuine connection, set goals, and receive your feedback about the direction and helpfulness of sessions.