My Approach

Hey, I’m Suzanne, and I want to share a bit about myself. I know that taking the first step with therapy can be hard, and finding the right fit in a psych can be tricky, so I want to make it a little easier for you, by giving you a sense of who I am and the kind of experience you can expect if you book an appointment with me.

When I meet with someone, my focus is on creating a space that’s free from judgment. It’s important to me that you feel fully accepted, so you can relax and be yourself. I want you to feel comfortable enough to share those deeply personal thoughts and feelings that you might not have opened up about before. Ultimately, my goal is for you to experience the profound sense of being truly understood and acknowledged.

Emotion focused

I practise Emotion Focused Therapy, which will help you get past your conscious mind to what’s really going on underneath. It’s experiential, in that it helps you experience emotions in session, rather than just talk about them. EFT holds, that it’s the experiencing of emotion, in session, that opens the gateway to healing. By exploring and processing emotions, we can address the problems that are in your way. You can read more about EFT here.

Trauma informed

Trauma is also a huge interest of mine. I think trauma therapy should be a gentle process. Many clients say that they find my style of trauma processing surprisingly therapeutic and ‘less scary’ than they anticipated. But whether you’ve experienced trauma or not, your emotional safety comes first. Therapy happens at your pace, you’re in control. If you would like to know more, check out this page.

LGBTQIA+ friendly

I work with people from all genders and sexualities. I’ve created a space where everyone feels welcomed and understood. No judgment, just support. If you would like to know more, check out my LGBTQIA+ Counselling page or my Trans and Gender Diverse Conselling page.

My Philosophy

I believe that our past experiences, especially those from childhood, can shape our present. But with therapy, we can transform our relationship with those experiences and find healing for our present-day struggles.

So, if you’re looking to feel truly heard and seen, I’m here for you. Head over to my enquiry form and let’s start making some positive changes.

My Background

Memberships

I am a Registered Clinical Psychologist with AHPRA and a member of the Australian Psychological Society, the Australian Institute of Emotion Focused Therapy, the Australian Professional Association for Transgender Health and the World Professional Association for Transgender Health.

Education

I have:

• Bachelor of Psychology with Honours
• Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology.

I have completed:

• Levels 1 – 3 in Emotion Focused Therapy.
• Foundations & Advanced Mental Health with The World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH)
• Child Centered Play Therapy professional training program.
• Synergetic Play Therapy certification program.

I am currently:

• Completing an Internationally recognised certification in Emotion Focused Therapy.
• Completing the two year Professional Training Program with The International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation.

I have 17 years of experience working across a range of areas, with the majority of my experience centered around working with adults in trauma, sexual assault, suicide prevention, perinatal mental health and children’s mental health.

My Research

Suzanne’s Honour’s thesis investigated the developmental interrelationships between play, gesture use and spoken language development in children aged 18–31 months.

Hall, Rumney, Holler & Kidd (2013). Associations among play, gesture and early spoken language acquisition. First Language 33(3) 294–312. 

Suzanne’s Master’s thesis explored the relationship between mother’s and infant’s sensory processing styles and the maternal mental health.

Hall & Milne (2013). Exploring the relationships between maternal and infant patterns of sensory processing, maternal mental health and parenting outcomes.