when life changes you, who are you now?
Online counselling for adults going through significant changes in life, when what has happened has affected their sense of self and left them wondering what comes next.
Based in Perth, Western Australia | Online across Australia
Sometimes life changes suddenly. Things may have been difficult for a long time. You may be grieving, dealing with illness, struggling at work, going through a relationship change, or simply finding that the ways you used to cope aren’t working anymore.
Changes like these can affect your sense of self and leave you wondering who you are now and what comes next.
Sometimes what helps isn't another strategy or piece of advice. It’s having somewhere to talk things through, understand what's actually going on and work out what it means for you.
You don’t need to have everything figured out before you come to counselling. We can start with what’s happening now.
you may be in the right place if…
You're grieving someone or something that other people don't fully understand.
You've been through a divorce, redundancy, retirement or another major change and aren't quite sure what comes next.
You're managing work and day-to-day life, but privately finding things much harder than you used to.
You don't feel quite like yourself anymore.
Illness, a diagnosis or changes to your health have affected more of your life than you expected.
some of the things people come to counselling for
These can look like very different problems, but they can all disrupt your sense of self and leave you trying to work out who you are now and what comes next.
grief isn't only about someone dying
You may be grieving a relationship, an estrangement, a pregnancy loss or the loss of a pet.
You may be grieving someone who is still alive but feels lost because of dementia, addiction or distance.
Sometimes the loss is connected to your health, your work, or the life you thought you were going to have.
Perhaps you've never really had the chance to deal with what happened.
And sometimes the people around you don't understand why grief still affects you.
life can look very different from what you expected by the time you reach your 40s, 50s or 60s
Divorce or separation. Retirement. Children leaving home. Migration. Career change. Starting again.
You may have spent years being a partner, parent, professional or the person everyone relies on, and then find yourself wondering what comes next.
Sometimes the change is something you chose. Sometimes it isn't. Either way, it can take time to work out what life looks like now and where you fit in it.
work starts affecting more than work
Burnout, redundancy, workplace change, leadership pressure or returning to work after illness can affect much more than your job.
You may have spent years building a career and being someone other people depend on. If that role changes or ends, it can affect your confidence, your relationships and your sense of who you are.
You’re still getting everything done and appearing to cope, yet personally you're finding things much harder than you used to.
illness changes more than your health
A diagnosis, surgery or ongoing illness can change much more than your health. It can affect your confidence, your relationships, your work, your plans for the future and your sense of who you are.
Even when treatment is over, or other people think you have recovered, you may not feel like the person you were before.
There may be fear about what happens next, anger about what has happened, or grief for the life you expected to have. Sometimes you simply need somewhere to make sense of it all and to work out how to live with what has changed.
counselling is my second career
After 15 years in management and leadership, I returned to study and built a second career as a counsellor.
I now work with adults going through significant changes in their lives.
Yolande Barkhuysen
Master of Counselling | Clinical Supervisor
ACA Member
how I work
we start with what is happening now
You don't need to know exactly what is wrong or what you want from counselling. We can start with what has brought you here and work from there.
more than the immediate problem
Sometimes it helps to look beyond the issue that brought you in and understand how you got here, what is keeping things stuck, and what might help.
counselling that fits the person
Different people need different things. How we work will depend on you, your situation and what you find useful.
no fixed programme
I don't use the same approach with everyone. We can draw on different ways of working depending on what makes sense for you.
at a pace that makes sense for you
Some people come for a relatively short time. Others find they want or need longer. We can work that out together as we go.
private pay counselling
Sessions are privately paid and aren't billed through Medicare. You don't need a GP referral or Mental Health Treatment Plan, and no diagnosis is required.
ready to begin?
If you’re wondering whether this practice is the right fit, you’re welcome to reach out for an initial conversation.
There’s no obligation, just a chance to talk and see whether this feels like the right place to begin.
Yolande Barkhuysen, Master of Counselling
Based in Perth, Western Australia | Online counselling across Australia
ACA College of Supervisors | Australian Counselling Association (ACA)
If you are in crisis, please contact Lifeline 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue 1300 22 4636
I acknowledge the Whadjuk people of the Noongar nation as the traditional custodians of the Country and its waters on which I live and practice. I pay my respect to their Elders, past, present and emerging; and honour the traditional custodians’ culture, knowledge, wisdom, languages and ongoing connection to Country.