Seaway Counselling

03/09/2026

I recently contributed to Mamamia’s important discussion on financial infidelity and the often profound impact secrecy around money can have on trust, safety and intimacy within relationships.

Financial betrayal isn’t simply about the money lost or spent - for many couples, it is the deception and erosion of trust that causes the deepest injury.

You can read the full article here.

"I felt just as betrayed as if he had cheated on me."

01/09/2026

An timely read about what Australian boys really need from the adults around them.

The conversation about boys and masculinity can so easily become focused on what is going wrong. Yet this piece offers a more hopeful picture.

Our boys are growing up in an extraordinarily complex digital world - exposed to algorithms, po*******hy, misogyny and increasingly rigid messages about masculinity.

We may not be able to control everything they encounter, yet we can influence what happens next.

As a psychotherapist and a parent raising a young boy, this particularly resonates - boys need emotionally available adults who listen without shame or judgement, model healthy masculinity and make space for vulnerability.

Connection, emotional literacy and safe relationships matter.

What they need is guidance…

Women’s Agenda has partnered with The Man Cave, Movember and the Foundation for Masculinity with a goal to empower young men and boys.

21/08/2026

I find this infographic by Lindsay Braman - Therapist & Psychoeducator one of the simplest yet most informative illustrations of something I see so often in clinical practice - rupture and repair.

Many of us simply don’t know how to repair after conflict or disconnection, let alone how to demonstrate repair to someone else. It may not have been modelled to us growing up, or we may simply not yet have acquired the skills.

Repair is also so much more than saying “I’m sorry.”

Ruptures in relationships are inevitable. What matters enormously is what happens afterwards.

These are simple steps, but incredibly useful ones - in intimate relationships, families, friendships and beyond…

19/08/2026

19/08/2026

I was pleased to contribute to this body+soul piece exploring why the death of someone we’ve never personally known can affect us so deeply.

From a clinical perspective, celebrity grief can be about far more than the person who has died. A public loss can act as a grief trigger, reconnecting us with our own experiences of bereavement, particularly losses that may never have been fully processed. Grief isn’t linear or neatly compartmentalised - one loss can awaken another.

I also spoke about the role of social media in modern grief. It doesn’t necessarily create the grief, yet the constant stream of tributes, images and memories can magnify it, validate it and keep us immersed in it for longer.

An interesting exploration of grief, memory, connection and why some public deaths touch something deeply personal within us…

19/08/2026

Fashion trends may seem superficial, but what draws us towards them can tell us a lot about human psychology.

I recently spoke with body+soul about why something we initially find strange - or even unattractive - can suddenly become desirable once we see it repeatedly, particularly when it’s being worn by people we admire.

Social proof, belonging, status and identity all play a role. Often, we’re not simply buying the shoe, bag or outfit - we’re buying into the meaning attached to it.

A fun piece exploring the psychology behind why we fall for even the most unlikely trends…

Guys, we’ve lost the plot

16/08/2026

An insightful look at the anxious–avoidant relationship dynamic: one partner seeks closeness to feel safe, while the other seeks distance to feel safe - often creating a painful cycle of pursuit and withdrawal.

In my clinical practice, I see how easily this dynamic can leave both partners feeling misunderstood, disconnected and emotionally unsafe. Attachment patterns can help explain behaviour, yet they aren’t to excuse it. Creating a more secure relationship requires both people to recognise their patterns, take responsibility and learn new ways of moving towards each other. Elephant Journal

The avoidant partner is bound to this dynamic because of their own past wounds, too. They are secretly in awe of the anxious partner's emotional expressiveness, warmth, and capacity for passion (the very qualities they were forced to suppress within themselves during childhood).

30/07/2026

Have you ever delayed something important because you didn’t feel “ready”?

Wonderful to contribute to this News.com.au body+soul feature exploring “readiness anxiety” - that unsettling feeling of never quite believing we’re ready, despite being capable.

I see this often in my work. Many people mistake readiness for certainty, when in reality growth usually asks us to step forward before we feel completely prepared. Waiting until fear disappears often means waiting indefinitely.

Read why this happens, how perfectionism, self-doubt and our past experiences can shape it, and what we can do to move through it with greater self-compassion.

When planning for the worst becomes a coping mechanism

27/07/2026

Pleased to contribute to this important conversation for News.com.au on the hidden risks Australia’s new AusAlert system can present for people experiencing domestic and family violence.

While emergency warning systems are intended to save lives, it’s critical we also recognise the unintended consequences they can have for victim-survivors who rely on concealed “safe phones” as part of carefully developed safety plans.

Technology can be both a means of protection and a tool of coercive control, which is why there is never a universal approach to safety.

Every person’s circumstances are unique, and effective safety planning must always be individualised, trauma-informed, and responsive to their specific level of risk.

I’m grateful to see this often-overlooked issue brought into the public conversation, helping raise awareness of the complex realities many victim-survivors navigate every day.

https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/real-life/news-life/domestic-violence-victims-urged-to-switch-off-hidden-phones-ahead-of-national-alert-test/news-story/6b444b7df75601f5baa82636d88cea97?utm_source=News.com.au&utm_medium=Facebook&utm_campaign=EditorialSB&utm_content=SocialBakers&fbclid=IwcGRvZgVmZGlkFlC12vHtwNieWd1Qjk0z9Gge0j111DZleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEe9VIP5LyuH1ncd7P1w9vY2crt1irUhNKyd4nTyAaV60cobumHtS5fdmas0qg_aem_-Zcl-u9ecQSUFx71XlSLfA

Domestic violence advocates are concerned that today’s emergency alert caused more harm than good for victims.

23/07/2026

As a psychotherapist, this article resonates deeply.

Every week I speak with people who delay seeking support because of cost, or who face lengthy wait times despite there being highly qualified counsellors and psychotherapists available to help.

This isn’t about replacing psychologists or other mental health professionals. It’s about recognising that quality mental health care is strengthened by a diverse workforce, where people can access the right clinician for their needs.

The recent National Standards for Counsellors and Psychotherapists acknowledge the important role our profession plays. The next conversation is ensuring Australians can access that care more affordably.

Mental health care works best when it is accessible, collaborative and centred on the person - not limited by unnecessary barriers.

Thank you Women's Agenda for continuing this important discussion.

I’ve posted this before, yet because this topic remains so relevant - and continues to matter for so many people - I wanted to share it again.

Australia’s mental health system undervalues women’s work, leaving care workers underfunded and access to support unequal.