Change happens through relationship.
I’m Anna, a counsellor and psychotherapist offering online sessions from Dharawal Country in the Illawarra.
Most people who come to work with me have already spent years trying to understand themselves.
They can see the patterns that have shaped them. They’ve spent time making sense of their history.
And yet, in relationships and moments that matter, familiar ways of responding can still take over.
Insight hasn’t necessarily changed what happens in the moments that matter most.
You might recognise some of this in yourself:
➾ Finding yourself adjusting, holding back, or shaping yourself around others - and losing touch with what you actually need
➾ Feeling disconnected from yourself, or unsure how to return to what you need
➾ Feeling caught in familiar relationship dynamics that don’t work - and not knowing how to shift them
➾ Finding yourself drawn to relationships where your needs remain unmet (or feeling anxious about losing the relationship that matters to you)
➾ Going quiet or withdrawing when what you really want is closeness
I don’t see these patterns as dysfunctions to eliminate, but as ways of relating that developed for important reasons.
They make sense in the context of your history - even when they no longer feel helpful or sustainable.
These patterns often persist, even when we understand where they come from.
How we work together
In our sessions, we’re not focused on fixing or analysing you.
We stay with what’s here, at a pace that feels manageable for you.
At times, we may talk about what’s happening in your life.
At other times, we may notice what’s happening in the moment - including within yourself, or between us.
As this unfolds, patterns often become clearer - and new ways of relating begin to emerge.
Over time, the way you experience yourself in relationship can begin to change.
Not all at once.
And not by forcing anything to be different.
Over time, you may notice:
᯽ You can stay connected to yourself, even when you’re with someone else
᯽ You recognise what you need, and can keep that with you
᯽ You find more awareness and choice in moments that once pulled you into old patterns
᯽ You find yourself drawn to different kinds of relationships - or relating differently within the ones you’re already in
᯽ You can stay present in moments where you might once have withdrawn or gone quiet
There is often more space.
More steadiness.
More choice in how you respond, rather than feeling pulled into familiar ways of relating.
“It was the gentle way you hold space for absolutely anything.
I feel really heard - and beyond that, I feel really empowered and equipped.
I feel a lot better in my close relationships.
It’s been life-changing.”
- Counselling client
Working together
I work by staying with what’s unfolding, rather than trying to direct you toward a particular outcome.
You don’t need to perform, manage yourself, or become someone else here. Change develops through the experience of being met over time.
If you’re feeling drawn to this way of working, you’re welcome to book a first session.
You can use that time to get a sense of how it feels to work together, without any pressure to decide immediately.
If you’d prefer to ask a question first, you’re welcome to get in touch via the contact form.