Authentic & practical therapy

My approach is authentic and down-to-earth, grounded in practical outcomes.

I don’t believe in wasting your time (or money) on talk therapy that feels overly clinical and disconnected.​ 

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​I practice from a client-centred framework, influenced by the work of Dr. Carl Rogers. He believed something powerful: You are the expert in your own life. Rogers believed that every person has within them an innate drive toward growth, healing, and self-actualisation. He saw the therapist’s role not as an “expert” who diagnoses and directs, but as a facilitator who creates the right conditions for that natural growth and change to emerge. 

My approach is also influenced by works and theories from Abraham Maslow, Murray Bowen, Salvador Minuchin, Melanie Klein, Stephen Mitchell, Jessica Benjamin, Rollo May, James Bugental and Virginia Satir. Read more about influences.

I like to build on Freud’s ideas about the unconscious, transference, and early relational dynamics. I gently lean into conflict, in the pursuit of bringing the unconscious into awareness and I believe that early attachments shape adult behaviour, thought patterns and relationships. 

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I am not a directive or dictatorial talk therapist..  I am exploratory. I will provide you with personal challenges and tools to help you find yourself on a path of your choosing.

Change doesn’t come from advice—it comes from feeling safe enough to be challenged and then to explore, reflect, and be open to choice.

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Whether you're navigating mental health challenges, relationship difficulties, parenting struggles, life transitions, or simply need a space to talk things through, I’m here to listen with empathy, respect, and a practical mindset. We can explore new perspectives, build resilience, and work toward the kind of change that feels both meaningful and sustainable.

You already have what it takes, counselling just helps you see it.

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Sharlene

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