
About me - Nicky
I’m not the expert in your life; that’s you
You are the expert in your life and your experiences. I am here to listen to you with compassion, attune to your needs without judgment, and support you with insights and individualised strategies and techniques for where you are at, just now.
As a fully qualified counsellor and yoga and meditation teacher, I integrate coaching, counselling, psychotherapy, and mindfulness practices, and training, into my work with clients. My purpose and intention is to create a holistic, tailored experience for you, as my client. My professional training, and life experience, allows me to draw from a variety of tools and methodologies, depending on what works best for your unique personality, style and current situation.
How I work
I’m here to support you and be your safe place - to attune to what you need and walk with you through change and toward a more joy filled future.
My approach is not locked into one method. Whether you're seeking therapeutic coaching, counselling, or mindfulness practices, I tailor our sessions to meet you where you are.
You don’t need to lie on a couch or sit cross-legged and chant—unless that’s your thing! Our work is grounded in scientific, evidence-based approaches, always centered around what’s achievable and sustainable for you. The therapeutic relationship we build is crucial—it’s the foundation for healing, change, and growth.
I work as your coach, helping you develop a vision for your life, set goals, and create actionable plans to bring them to life. I’m also your counsellor, offering a safe, compassionate space for deeper exploration when life’s challenges require more than just practical strategies. And if mindfulness is part of your journey, I serve as your teacher, helping you embed these practices into your daily life.
A little about me
I made a big shift in my own life when I left my high-pressure corporate finance role of over two decades, after retraining as a counsellor, to start my own business—helping others live fuller, more meaningful lives. I’ve experienced extreme stress, burnout, and overwhelm. I know what it feels like to juggle work, parenting, grief, loss, and support loved ones through chronic, and terminal, illnesses. These personal experiences allow me to connect with my clients on a deep and personal level.
Whether we’re working together as coach and client, engaging in therapeutic counselling, or developing a consistent mindfulness practice, I’ll be by your side. My approach is collaborative, focusing on what’s needed for you at this time, in your situation, and with your life experience.
Professional accreditations
There are many counsellors and coaches online, and finding a highly qualified practitioner can be overwhelming. I am a Registered Clinical Counsellor with the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia (PACFA). I am also a registered Meditation and Yoga Teacher. I practice yoga and meditation daily and teach yoga classes in my local community. I walk my talk and am committed to lifelong learning, driven by my passion for helping people improve their mental wellbeing and my curiosity in how we live and grow as humans. I am committed to ongoing professional, and personal, development.
Fun fact: Before retraining as a counsellor, I held a Bachelor of Economics and was a Certified Practicing Accountant (CPA). My experience in Corporate Finance has been invaluable in working with high-achieving clients, especially those navigating stress, overwhelm, anxiety, and career transitions. I understand the pressures, the expectations, and the culture you’re working in.

Book an initial call
Please do reach out for a chat if my approach resonates with you. It’s obligation free and you can ask me your questions, get a sense of how it is speaking with me, and how we could work together.
Qualifications, Certifications, Courses & Supports
Qualifications
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Interpersonal Process in Psychotherapy (2023)
Key Competencies in Brief Dynamic Psychotherapy (2023)
Child & Family Therapy (2024)
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Psychotherapeutic Theories & Models (2019)
Person-Centred Therapy (2019)
Facilitating Therapeutic Change (2019)
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (2019)
Ethics & Professional Development (2020)
Assessment Process (2020)
Treatment Planning (2020)
Placement - Internship as a Counsellor in a Community Health setting (2020)
Previous career qualifications - Certified Practicing Accountant (CPA) Program (1994-1995), Bachelor of Economics - Monash University (1990-1993), Cert IV in Project Management - UXC (2013), The GROW Model or Coaching & Mentoring (2015)
Certifications
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Meditation Teacher Training - Melbourne Meditation Centre (2017)
Integrative Restoration - iRest, Level 1 Yoga Nidra Meditation Training (2019)
Integrative Restoration - iRest, Level 2 Yoga Nidra Meditation Training (2019)
Yoga Teacher Training (200 hour) - Byron Yoga Centre (2015)
Yoga Teacher Training (350 hour) - YIMI (Yoga & Integrative Medicine Institute), with Celia Roberts (2016-2017)
Modern Qigong Teacher Training with Nicole Lee (2018)
Bayside Tai Chi Centre - Beijing 24 Completion (2009)
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Level 1 Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT - Tapping) - Embrace Empowerment (2021)
Level 2 Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT - Tapping) - Embrace Empowerment (2021)
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Introduction to Counselling Skills, Cairnmillar Institute (2015)
Advanced Counselling Skills, Cairnmillar Institute (2018)
Level 1 Wellness Coaching - Foundations of Wellness Coaching, Wellness Coaching Australia (2015)
Level 2 Wellness Coaching - Coaching Skills in Practice, Wellness Coaching Australia (2016)
Continuing Professional Development (CPD)
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Somatic Therapy for Complex Trauma Certification Training: Body-Based, Polyvagal & Neurobiological Techniques for Mind-Body Healing (PESI)
Finding a Faster Way to Treat Trauma: A Neurobiologically Informed Approach - Janina Fisher (November 2024 - 2 hrs)
Complex PTSD Clinical Workshop: A Comprehensive Approach to Accurately - Assess and Effectively Treat Clients with Chronic, Repeated and/or Developmental Trauma - Arielle Schwartz (November 2024 - 12.5 hrs)
Somatic Therapy Course - Abi Blakeslee:
- Module 1: Somatic Therapy to Tame the Survival Response and Heal Implicit Trauma Memories (November 2024 - 6.75 hrs)
- Module 2: Foundations of Somatic Therapy for Trauma: The 9 Key Techniques for Effective Body-Based Therapy (November 2024 - 9.25 hrs)
- Module 3: Somatic Therapy to Create Healthy Attachment: Strategies to Heal Development and Relational Trauma (November 2024 - 6.75 hrs)The Body Keeps the Score: Trauma, Attachment & Neuroscience - Bessel van der Kolk (March 2023 - 11 hrs)
Frontiers in the Treatment of Trauma - Various NICABM Experts (2021-2022)
How to Work with the Part of Trauma that your client can't verbalise Various NICABM Experts (2021)
Expert Strategies for Integrating Compassion Based Approaches into Trauma Treatment Various NICABM Experts (2021)
Trauma Focused ACT - Russ Harris (2022)
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Awake in the Body: Introduction to Somatic Movement Therapy - Cathy Williams (2024)
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3Rs of Change - Anna the Anxiety Coach (2024)
Expert Ways to Work with Anxiety - Various NICABM Experts (2022)
ACT (Acceptance & Commitment Therapy) as Brief Intervention - Russ Harris (2021-2022)
ACT for Depression & Anxiety - Russ Harris (2022)
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Compassion Motivation and Action in Clinical Practice. Novopsych (August 2024)
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ACT for Grief & Loss - Russ Harris (2022)
Griefline Volunteer Training Course (2020)
Advanced Grief Counselling Certification Training Course (2025):
- Grief Treatment: Evidence-Based Strategies for Helping Clients Make Meaning After Loss (12.5 hrs)
- Post-Traumatic Growth for Loss, Grief and Related Trauma: Guide Your Clients through the Losses in Life and Help Them Reinvest Themselves in a Life Worth Living (5 hrs)
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Focusing Oriented Therapy: Part 2- Biliana Dearly (2023)
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Motivational Interviewing - Foundational, with Miller, Rollnick & Moyes (2022)
Motivational Interviewing for Addiction, with Miller & Moyes (2022)
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Single Session Thinking
Single Session Thinking in Practice
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Working with Core Beliefs of Not Good Enough -Various NICABM Experts (2023)
How to Work with a Client's Emotional Triggers - Various NICABM Experts (2022)
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Australian Meditation Conference, Melbourne, 2 days (2018)
Australian Meditation Conference, Zoom, 2 days (2022)
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Psych-K Basic Workshop, with Rosi Peltzer (2023)
Psych-K Advanced Workshop, with Rosi Peltzer (2024)
Re-sit of Psych-K Basic Workshop, with Rosi Peltzer (2025)
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The Happiness Trap Online Program - Russ Harris (2022)
Emotion Focused Therapy - Attachment Science in Practice - Sue Johnson (2022)
Various PD trainings offered by PACFA, PESI & PDP (ongoing)
Men in Mind, Therapist Training (pilot - 2022)
Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training - ASIST - Living Works (2021)
Chronic Suicidality and Self Harm in BPD: Managing the Risk - Kelly Watt-McMahon (2021)
Effective Working with High Levels of Stress and Overwhelm - Biliana Dearly (2021)
Various PD trainings offered by The Mental Health Academy (2021-2022)
Mindfulness in Therapy - Thupten Lekshe (2019)
Personal Practice, Retreats & Supports
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Personal pilgrimage; walking part of The Camino de Santiago in Spain (2024)
5 day Silent Retreat with Fuyuko Toyota (2024)
5 day Silent Retreat with Melbourne Meditation Centre (2023)
5 day Yoga Retreat at Rocklyn Ashram (2022)
5 day Silent Retreat with Melbourne Meditation Centre (2021)
4 day Silent Retreat with Fuyuko Toyota (2019)
5 day Silent Retreat with Melbourne Meditation Centre (2018)
Weekly Yoga Class attendance at Bay School of Yoga - Helen Kershaw (2005-2023)
Monthly Mindfulness Meditation Sessions (2019-2023)
Mindfulness Meditation Series of weekly sessions, with Thupten Lekshe (2020-2022)
Mindfulness Meditation Series of weekly sessions on Cultivating Emotional Balance, with Thupten Lekshe (2023)
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Regular personal therapy & coaching sessions (2016-2024)
Currently on a break
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Monthly individual supervision (2024-2025)
Weekly individual supervision (2023)
Fortnightly individual supervision (2021-2022)
Monthly group supervision (2024-2025)
Business coaching (2018-2024)
Business mentoring (2021)
Weekly co-working with professional colleagues (2022-2025)
Weekly accountability sessions with professional colleagues (2022-2025)
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Active member of Dr Kristin Neff’s Self-Compassion Community - attending regular Self-Compassion Mentoring sessions (interactive; online sessions), guest interview sessions, and conversation sessions with Dr Neff.