I know that reaching out and starting therapy is difficult. Opening up to a stranger can be daunting. 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.

Who am I?

To get the boring stuff out of the way, here’s a quick overview of who I am:

• I’m a qualified counsellor and therapist based in Elsternwick, Melbourne

• I provide counselling to adults (18 years and over)

• I offer sessions to people in Australia and worldwide (excl. USA and Canada)

• I have a Master in Counselling degree

• I’m a Level 2 member of the Australian Counselling Association (ACA)

• I’m a Professional Member of the Association for Size Diversity and Health (ASDAH) and Blue Knot Foundation

• I was born in the USA, grew up in Belgium, and immigrated to Australia almost 10 years ago. I speak English and Dutch (both native), as well as basic French. I understand basic German and a little bit of Swedish. All my sessions can be in English or Dutch.

• I’m included in the Victorian Inclusive Practitioners list

What am I passionate about in therapy?

I am incredibly passionate about helping others to make peace with their bodies. As you can read in the next section, I have personal experience with body image issues earlier in life, and I have set up Out of the Woods Counselling Practice so that I can support others who are going through similar things.

Acceptance, empathy, and self-compassion are very important in my work. I’m particularly passionate about supporting:

• people who live in bigger bodies

• people who are navigating the body changes that come with pregnancy and postpartum

• people who are experiencing body image difficulties, body dysmorphia, and disordered eating

When I work with my clients, I explore any events or relationships that have shaped how they view their bodies. We also look at how society and culture impacts body image, and how the mechanisms of dieting for weight loss can have a long-term impact on the body and mind. If you’re interested in it, we might also explore more new ways of eating like intuitive eating.

My story

I won’t pretend like I know exactly what you’re going through, but I’ve been down a road that probably has many similarities to your story.

I’ve always had a difficult relationship with food and my body. As a teenager, I logged every food that went into my mouth into the MyFitnessPal app. I tracked the number of WeightWatchers points I’d eaten that day. At my first office job, I remember texting my friend that I was starving because I hadn’t eaten in hours. And I was proud of it.

In my mid twenties, I found myself at a crossroads. I’d used very intense exercise and dieting to lose quite a lot of weight. I was finally as thin as I’d always wanted to be. And I realised I wasn’t happy when I’d reached this miracle weight.

I was so hungry. I couldn’t focus. I was always thinking about the next time I would allow myself to eat. Planning my next workout and obsessing about the next meal took up so much time and mental energy. I remember thinking: “this isn’t sustainable.” So I decided to take the path I’d never explored: making peace with my body instead of trying to fight it. Mending my fraught relationship with eating and food. Nourishing myself instead of depriving myself.

I learned about intuitive eating, the vicious cycle of dieting, and how diets often set you up for failure. With much difficulty, I slowly learned how to eat when I was hungry. I gained back the weight I’d lost and had to come to terms with the fact that maybe my body just wasn’t meant to be thin. Yes, I was bigger again, but I was so much happier.

Of course, living in a bigger body came with its own challenges. Like many people living in fat bodies, I had to reckon with my own internalised fatphobia. Medical professionals and their weight bias. Not being able to find the clothes I’d like for important events. Worrying that other people will see me as less competent or professional because of the weight.

Then I became pregnant. After experiencing an early pregnancy loss, my second pregnancy caused a lot of anxiety. Having to step on the scale at the hospital. Talking about BMI. Seeing my body change. The fear of being told to go on a diet.

As it is for many, the postpartum period was incredibly rough. Coming to terms with the fact that not only had my life, my body had changed, too. And underneath it all simmered the question: what kind of relationship with my body do I want to model to my child? How can I be kinder to myself and my body?

The road to body acceptance can be long and full of hurdles. It’s a myth that there is a final destination where you never have a bad day and always love your body. I believe that your relationship with your body is ever-evolving and requires regular attention. But if you feel stuck the way that I felt stuck more than 10 years ago, I will say this: there is so much room for growth, and it is possible to arrive at a place where you feel more at peace with your body.

And when you’re at that place, you will find that the difficult days, where your body feels too much or not enough, will become less frequent and easier to manage.

What do I bring to my practice as a counsellor?

• A healthy dose of laughter and humour

• An emphasis for self-compassion and empathy

• Taking the time to celebrate the small victories just as much as the 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.