Hunter Valley Walk and Talk Therapy

15/09/2026

Fancy a nice drive up to Gloucester? Come join Alana from Green Leaf Wellness and myself, as together we offer you the chance to slow down, and connect in with yourself and others.

Grab your ticket here: https://www.greenleafwellness.com.au/

2pm
October 10
Gloucester District Park

17/08/2026

06/08/2026

Other People's Thoughts .... worth holding on to.

04/08/2026

There are no hacks. Maybe in the moment. Maybe short term. But the only way through....is through. Over and over again.

It does get a little....easier. When we allow safe-enough others to come alongside us. When we get curious before trying to flee. When we start acknowledging...'of course I'd feel/react that way, look at the s**t show I've had to live through...'. When we start exploring the place that self-compassion might have in our journey.

As humans, pain is as much a part of the gig as love, joy and contentment. Its just a little more challenging to stay with.

02/08/2026

Humans can be remarkably clever when it comes to how they manage to keep going in the face of adversity. Especially as children. When you've grown up in difficult, chaotic or unpredictable environments, you probably had to adapt to survive.

Maybe you:
Learned to avoid conflict at all costs.
Kept yourself small.
Kept your real thoughts and feelings to yourself.
Became the parent to your own parents.
Realised that the only way to keep things predictable was to stay in control of the situation.

Or perhaps you:
Refused to stay silent.
Became feisty and fought back.
Spoke up for yourself with passion.
Held your ground.
Became proactive about trying to get yourself out of a concerning situation.

There isn't a right or wrong way to survive a difficult beginning. Every adaptation made sense to the younger version of you who was simply trying to get through. There is nothing shameful about becoming whoever it was you needed to become.

But there often comes a point when those old coping mechanisms aren't needed in quite the same way anymore. The trouble is, they can be incredibly difficult to let go of. Partly because many of us have never truly experienced what it feels like to be safe.

Of course we don't want to give up the very things that have protected us for years if doing so feels a little like walking, unarmed, into battle.

This is one of the reasons I work slowly. Before we ask your nervous system to revisit painful experiences, I want it to begin discovering something it may have had very little opportunity to experience.
Safety.

Because when we don't feel safe, change and growth can remain just a bit too far out of reach.

The good news is that, with time, we can begin experiencing moments of safety... perhaps even for the very first time.

It may feel unfamiliar. It may even feel a little frightening.

But learning to trust yourself enough to allow those tiny moments of safety to exist can become one of the most powerful things you ever do for yourself.

25/07/2026

This is happening on Monday at 2pm. If you or someone you care about has a hidden phone, switch it completely off prior to 2pm.

24/07/2026

https://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/movie/bob-trevino-likes-it/2432549443689

Watched this fantastic movie tonight, and thought it might be something many here would enjoy.

I love the growth arc of Lily... the beautiful hearted soul trapped in a web of people pleasing and anxious attachment, as she falteringly begins to learn that it's ok to take up space in her own world.

The actor portrays her so well, and brilliantly captures what it's like to be terrified that the very act of just being you, and having normal, human needs, will be what turns people away from you.

And the writers do a brilliant job of teaching us, and Lily, that sometimes, as perfectly imperfect as we all are....people stay. ❤️

Watch Bob Trevino Likes It for free with SBS On Demand, your ultimate destination for diverse entertainment. Stream now!

23/07/2026

Finding someone who feels comfortable enough to talk things through with, can feel like a task. And it's also something most of us need to do at some point in our lives.

I'm Mel, the counsellor behind Hunter Valley Walk & Talk Therapy. If you're looking for someone warm, down-to-earth and genuinely curious about your story, we might be a good fit.

My work is women-centred and growth-oriented. Much of what I offer centres around the wounds many carry from childhood - not to blame or demonise those who raised us, but to explore how our early experiences shaped the way we view ourselves, our relationships, and the choices we make today.

This isn't about endlessly revisiting the past or dive bombing, unsupported into painful memories. It's slower and gentler than that. Together, we begin to understand the younger parts of you that learned to adapt, protect, survive and cope. With compassion rather than judgement, we create space for those parts to finally receive the understanding and kindness they may have missed the first time around.

I've been counselling for eight years, and I'm still learning every day. I don't believe healing happens because a therapist has all the answers. I believe healing can get a foothold partly because of a strong, therapeutic relationship. My role is to offer a non judgemental, compassionate space where you can speak honestly, make sense of where you've been, and discover new possibilities for where life might lead next.

If that sounds like the kind of support you've been looking for, I'd love to hear from you.

A few practical details:

• 70-minute sessions -$160
• No Mental Health Care Plan or Medicare rebates
• Low-income appointments available
• Self-funded NDIS participants welcome (sessions charged at the current maximum rate)
• I also work with men who are reflective, honest and willing to engage fully in the therapeutic process. I work within a women-centred framework, and that may not land well - I support, but I also gently challenge where required.
• Appointments are available Tuesday to Thursday, from 11.00 am until late.

You'll find everything else you need to know, including fees, FAQs and how Walk & Talk Therapy works, on my website:

https://huntervalleywalkandtalktherapy.com.au/

19/07/2026

This little bundle of love isn't mine, but whenever I visit his home we become firm bffs for the day. He snuggles with me, sits next to me, paws at me for attention, and I am always struck by what a beautiful thing it is to be so chosen by such a divine little soul.

Its a feeling I imagine many with pets might experience because being loved so unconditionally can really help to settle and ground us.

Perhaps that's why the relationships we feel safest in, are the ones that don't ask us to perform. They accept us, mess and all, and are simply just delighted that we exist.