Meet Monique

I have not always found it easy to ask for help. For many years, I tried to work through personal challenges alone using my strong ‘will-power’ until I couldn’t any longer. That’s where my journey into counselling and growth began many years ago.

Growth for me is more than managing unhelpful behaviour, feelings or thoughts. It is about growing in awareness, being in touch with my feelings and my body. Growth is about relating, being able to communicate well. It is about authenticity, being open and congruent. Growth is about loving, giving of myself in relationships. It is about enjoying life, being spontaneous, creative, taking risks, being present and coping with difficult circumstances. Growth is about connection with the Source of life, in the many ways that is understood whether it be God, nature, humanity or spirit. Growing is realising and using my potential.

I come to counselling after more than 30 years in legal practice. Many people ask me, why the move from law to counselling? In many ways, I think I have been counselling for most of my life. People have often looked to me for support during difficult times. I feel that counselling is what I was “made” to do, it just took me a while to realise it. In the course of my work as a lawyer, I have gained insight into many of the challenges that individuals and families face and the inadequacy of the law to meet those challenges in any transformational way. When I began a Master of Counselling degree in 2020, I wasn’t entirely sure where it would lead. What I have discovered, is a passion and skill for helping people who have lost their way, find their way home.

My Counselling Philosophy

Research has shown that the quality of the therapeutic relationship is more important than the tools or techniques used. Renowned person-centred psychologist, Carl Rogers put it this way: “If I can provide a certain type of relationship, the other person will discover within themselves the capacity to use that relationship for growth and change, and personal development will occur”. For this reason, my focus is on building a strong therapeutic relationship.

I am not here to ‘diagnose’, ‘fix’ or ‘advise’. The work we do together is a collaboration, a co-creation. You are an active participant in the process. I believe we learn more from experience than being told what to do. My sessions are highly experiential.

In the work we do together, I support you to:

  • connect with your body, emotions and thoughts;

  • become aware of patterns that no longer serve you;

  • heal from past experiences;

  • gain practical skills for clarity, communication, compassion and collaboration;

  • move from conflict to connection;

  • cultivate a strong sense of meaning and purpose; and

  • integrate your learning into your everyday experiences.

My Counselling Framework

My work is grounded in gestalt therapy and informed by non-violent communication, attachment theory, family systems and interpersonal neurobiology.

Human beings are complex. We are each made up of and exist within complex systems: biological, psychological, emotional, social, environmental, and spiritual. I believe well-being is about wholeness and wholeness is about connection and integration across many domains. This means my focus is not your symptoms but gaining an understanding of your unique system. I take a holistic view of you as a person in the context of your own unique biology, family relationships, experiences, cultural background, and spiritual beliefs.

I am trauma informed. In my work, safety and stabilisation always come first. You cannot grow unless there is safety.

My Way of Being & Doing

In my training, there is a strong emphasis on the person of the practitioner. I believe that my way of being is just as important as my knowledge and skills. I cannot expect you to do work that I am not prepared to do myself. I must do my own work, and I take this responsibility very seriously. I regularly have my own personal counselling and participate in ongoing professional development and supervision.

I believe that a strong therapeutic relationship requires real (genuine, not phony) human connection and collaboration. From the very outset, I will work with you to form a genuine connection, set goals, and receive your feedback about the direction and helpfulness of sessions.