I know that reaching out and starting therapy is difficult. Opening up to a stranger can be daunting and scary. That’s why I want you to get a better understanding of who I am, so that you can decide whether we might be a good fit.

I am a qualified counsellor based in Elsternwick, Melbourne and provide online counselling to people (18 years and older) in Australia and worldwide (excluding USA and Canada). I have a Master of Counselling and am a professional member of the Australian Counselling Association (ACA).

As an immigrant, a cis woman living in a fat body, and a parent, I bring a wealth of lived experience to my work as a counsellor.

I am multilingual and speak English (native), Dutch (native), French (intermediate), and understand German (basic) and Swedish (very elementary).

Who am I?

As a cis woman living in a fat body, I’ve learned how difficult it can be to feel fully supported and understood by therapists who don’t have the experience of living in a similar body. I firmly believe that it’s a radical act of resistance to live in a fat body, and I have made it my mission to support others who are on the path to accepting their bodies as they are. I don’t believe that weight loss and dieting are the solution to the issues we face as fat people, and I let this belief guide my practice as a counsellor.

As an immigrant, I know that it can be hard to feel understood by therapists who haven’t been through an immigration experience. I was born in the US, raised in Belgium, and immigrated to Australia almost 10 years ago. The immigration experience wasn’t as idyllic as I’d imagined. I struggled to understand the accent. I found it difficult to make new friends. It took a long time to find work and once it did, I had to adjust to a new workplace culture. In the first year, I often felt sad, lonely, and isolated, and I questioned whether I had made the right decision. I missed home much more than I expected, and it took years to build my new community here in Australia. If you have gone through or are currently experiencing a similar situation, my hope is that I can support you and make you feel less alone in this experience.

As a parent, I have a deep and intimate knowledge of all the ups and downs that come with pregnancy, birth, and new parenthood. During my pregnancy, I questioned whether something was wrong with me for not enjoying those 9 months. After experiencing a pregnancy loss, I was anxious about appointments, tests, and scans. Throw in an emergency C-section, a big drop in pregnancy hormones, and a difficult physical recovery, and I found myself in the perfect storm of grief for my old life and being overwhelmed by the newborn life. I didn’t experience the “newborn bubble” that everyone around me seemed to love so much. As a new parent, I had to navigate this new role as a mother, a difficult recovery, and the changes to my body. Thankfully, I found comfort in others who had gone through similar experiences, and I slowly became more accepting of the changes in my life. If you have experienced similar thoughts and feelings, you’re not alone and I’m here to support you.

What do I do?

My sessions are relaxed and don’t feel clinical. They are guided by you and what you need at this stage of life. My goal is to make you feel supported and heard, and to help you make sense of yourself, things that have happened to you, or whatever future you envision for yourself. 

You can read more about my approach here.

It can be scary and overwhelming to share your most difficult struggles and darkest thoughts with someone. I don’t shy away from conversations that feel big, scary, or messy. As someone who’s experienced mental health struggles herself, I promise you’re not alone with these thoughts and feelings.

What do I bring to my practice as a counsellor?

• A healthy dose of laughter and humour

• Taking the time to celebrate small victories and big wins

• Listening to the thoughts that feel too big, messy, dark, or scary to share 

• A multicultural background and a deep respect for different cultures, languages, and nationalities

• An anti-diet, Health at Every Size® approach to weight and body image

• Lived experience as a fat person

• Lived experience of immigration, displacement, and isolation

• Lived experience of pregnancy, pregnancy loss, postpartum, and being a new parent

If it sounds like we’d be a good match, I’d love to hear from you.

Qualifications

• Master of Counselling

• Level 2 Member of the Australian Counselling Association (ACA)