COUNSELLING SERVICES
Intuitive Online Counselling
Jessica Demuth is an online relationship counsellor offering assistance to both individuals and couples. She offers an intuitive approach that focuses on reconnecting and healing.
Book a free, 10-minute introductory call
Counselling
Individual Counselling
At some point in our journeys, many of us find ourselves in need of the comforting guidance and support of a therapist. This collaborative process unfolds as a client and therapist build a relationship to navigate challenges, including the emotional or stressful aspects of the client’s experience. A therapist plays a vital role in helping clients see situations from new perspectives, offering clarity, and honing in on specific emotions or behaviors, all aimed at fostering positive change.
Engaging with a counsellor provides a safe haven for clients to delve into aspects of their lives and emotions that might be challenging to share with family or friends. This open dialogue, free from judgment, allows clients to express difficult feelings confidentially. A therapist may gently encourage the exploration of uncharted territories, helping clients consider alternative paths, break free from repetitive patterns, and develop new coping strategies.
In the heart of counseling lies the aspiration to empower clients, not by dictating ‘what to do,’ but by aiding them in making thoughtful decisions that lead to positive shifts in attitudes and behaviors. The ultimate goal is to guide clients toward their own decisions, allowing them to make choices that align with their well-being and personal growth.
Jess, with her therapeutic approach rooted in attachment theory, emotionally focused couples therapy, the Gottman method, and somatic-based work, warmly invites you to embark on a journey of self-discovery and positive transformation.
Attachment Theory
Attachment is our emotional bond with another person. Attachment theory focuses on relationships and bonding (particularly long-term) between people, beginning with the parent and child relationship and moving into our romantic partners. The theory suggests that the earliest bonds formed by children with their caregivers have a tremendous impact that continues throughout life. It is part of our survival mechanism and plays out throughout our lives within different relationships.
Emotionally Focused Therapy
Emotionally Focused Therapy is an intervention-based therapy designed to address distress in intimate adult relationships. It aims to connect and improve distressed emotional attachment and is useful in helping people achieve a better understanding of their emotional responses and the emotional responses of those in their lives.
The Gottman Method
Gottman Method Couples Therapy is used to disarm conflicting verbal communication; increase intimacy, respect, and affection; the focus is aimed at removing barriers that create a feeling of stagnancy, and create a heightened sense of empathy and understanding within the context of the relationship.
We recognise that every client is different, and as a result, we tailor our treatment plans to be the best possible fit for you.
COUPLES COUNSELLING
At the beginning of most relationships, love feels fresh and invincible. The honeymoon period sparkles with joy, and there’s a magical sense that this bliss will last forever. Yet, as relationships evolve and mature, we might encounter the realization that our partners aren’t flawless, and their quirks and behaviors, once endearing, can turn frustrating. This shift can strain communication and, at times, lead to couples feeling disheartened. It’s during these moments that some couples turn to the landing place of couples counseling, seeking support to mend any cracks and return to the core of their bond.
All couples can benefit from couples counselling, not just those in long term relationships or married. We see couples including:
- Relationships in all forms
- Challenges with Intimacy and Desire
- Couples where one, or both, have a history of childhood or adult trauma
- Couples who want help following affairs or infidelity
- Coping with parenting, or infertility
- Culturally diverse couples
Navigating relationship challenges can be a delicate task, often requiring an unbiased perspective to breathe fresh solutions and insights into persistent issues. In those moments, we offer the invaluable skills of communication and conflict resolution, serving as a guiding light to rediscover joy and positivity within your relationship. Couples counselling is a transformative space for not only those facing troubles but for anyone seeking to enhance their relationship.
Recognizing that each couple and situation is unique, we customize sessions to suit your specific needs and goals. While most prefer attending together to share perspectives, we honor individual preferences. Our collaborative approach ensures both parties feel respected and understood, paving the way for a positive way forward.
In Jess’ warm and non-judgmental environment, she focuses on holistic, evidence-based methodology to help you achieve your relationship goals. Our focus extends beyond the immediate issues, prioritizing the individuals involved. Together, we embark on a journey of healing from past challenges and rebuilding the foundation of your relationship.
AREAS OF SPECIALTY
Anxiety
Anxious feelings can be a common response to any stressful situation, however, when these feelings don’t reside, this can become persistent and deplete your emotional and physical energy. Anxiety is the most common mental health condition in Australia; with one in four people experiencing this at some stage in their life.
Anxiety can begin with worrisome thoughts, or physiological responses and become overwhelming or unrelenting. If you are experiencing anxiety, just know that it’s ok, and there are ways to help manage. Counselling can help implement strategies to manage high levels of stress, worry, and persistent states of anxiety. Coupling this with understanding the deeper reasons why it has such a strong-hold, can help us focus toward long-term management and self-stability.
Depression
Depression, or depressed mood, can be unrelenting. It can leave a dark shadow over our day and impact the way we see, feel, and experience the world. Left untreated, depression can be debilitating and can lead to long periods of sadness and low mood. Depression can feel like it has drained your energy and hope, making it difficult to seek help, but it is not impossible. Counselling has proven effective in the treatment of depression and depressive symptoms. Aiming to create a space to share what is going on in your internal world, what drove you away from your passion and connection, and help you re-connect to healing your sense of self. If you are feeling disconnected to yourself and the world, please feel free to reach out and let us help support you on your recovery journey.
If you are really distressed and need to talk to someone right away, contact the closest 24-hour emergency service:
Dial 000
Call Lifeline: 13 11 14
Or, go to your nearest Emergency Hospital
Disordered Eating & Body Issues
No matter your age, gender, size or background, disordered eating and body issues do not discriminate. Whilst trauma, exposure to violence and abuse can increase the risk of developing disordered eating or body issues, pressure to conform to cultural and social norms can also play a part. Poor sense of self can lead to low self-worth, obsessing about body and appearance, frequent comparison to others, and changes to eating and exercise behaviours in order to dramatically change our appearance.
Disordered eating can include behaviours that reflect the symptoms of anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorders or other specified feeding and eating disorders (OSFED). These behaviours are the most common indicators of developing an eating disorder, and can lead to other mental health issues including depression and anxiety.
Knowing you’re not alone, and you don’t need to suffer in silence. Our practice is eating, and body-issue informed. We understand the impact this can have on your sense of self and the tight grip it can hold over you everyday. If you are struggling with eating, body issues, or low self-esteem/ self-worth, please touch base with us for a complimentary connect call.
Trauma
A traumatic experience can leave us feeling disconnected, wounded and deeply hurt. If left unhealed or untreated, we can find destructive ways to cope, manage or numb the hurt we have experienced. Understanding this is key to being able to heal the wound, rather and disconnect from it. Counselling can create a safe space to identify ways to self-soothe and manage distress while working through and healing that deeper hurt that has left you numb or with ineffective coping strategies.
Grief, Loss
Many believe that grief is only experienced after the death of a loved one, but grief is experienced for a number of reasons including loss of a job, end of a relationship, the loss of health, as well as, the loss of a loved one. Loss can be overwhelming, and deeply impact the way we see the world, ourselves and others. Coming to terms with significant loss can take months and sometimes years; saying this, it can be helpful to share this pain in a safe and non-judgemental space. Counselling can help understand the deeper hurt you have experienced, as well as, develop coping strategies in order to assist with the grieving process.
Stress, Sleep Issues
Stress and anxiety can lead to abnormal sleep patterns, which can in turn interfere with physical, mental and emotional functioning; often worsening mental health conditions. People with interrupted sleep, or insomnia, experience fatigue, irritability and excessive sleepiness throughout their day. Counselling can help identify some of the stressors which are adding to this distubred sleep, and create a safe space to unpack what impacts your body’s natural need for rest and recovery.
Relationship counselling
Bringing outside pressures into our relationships is not uncommon, and can lead to resentment, arguments or avoidance. Some of the most common motivations for seeking relationship counselling can be communication issues and life events, but even the most well established, stable relationship can hit speed bumps. Counselling can provide a supportive and non-judgemental environment to assist in identifying issues within a relationship, and finding a way through them.
Intimacy and Reconnection
Reconnecting after trust has been broken can be very difficult, and becoming intimate with your partner after you feel as though you have been betrayed can be impossible for some. It can cause a cycle where after trust is broken, the thought of being intimate with a partner is upsetting and then both parties withdraw. Intimacy is crucial for a relationship, and as a result trust must be re-established. Being intimate with your partner can release hormones and assist in building trust and emotional connections, but it can be difficult to get to this stage without the assistance of a safe space to heal. Therapy can provide this for couples seeking to reconnect and heal after trust has been broken.
Sexual issues and Aversion to Intimacy
Individuals within a relationship can have very different needs when it comes to sex and intimacy. With some connecting deeply to touch and affection, while others needing a gentler or more holistic approach. Understanding this, and speaking the same ‘sexual language’ as your partner can help manage some of the issues that arise with sex, intimacy and aversion. Counselling can create a space to discuss this, in a non-judgemental environment; a place to learn the language of yourself, or your partner and reconnect to desire, sex and intimacy.
Coping with infidelity
An affair outside of a relationship can have a catastrophic impact on any relationship, and cause deep hurt for a couple. For some couples, an affair can point out a deep disconnect in the relationship which may have been slowly, overtime breaking the pair apart. For other couples it is a chance to heal, reconnect and shine light on the unmet relationship needs that drove the wedge between you both. Counselling can create a safe, non-judgemental, space in order to discuss this hurt, and for both parties to be able to express their hurt and needs going forward.
Relationship Stress
Stress can affect the quality of our lives in many ways, especially when it comes to our close relationships. Stress can cause people to become withdrawn, distracted and less affectionate, which can lead to alienation between partners. It can also lead to a lack of empathy and interest in a relationship, which can lead to deeper hurt and mounting issues in a relationship. In order to create balance, it can be effective to find the root of the stress, manage this, and help heal the relationship.
AREAS OF SPECIALTY
Anxiety
Anxious feelings can be a common response to any stressful situation, however, when these feelings don’t reside, this can become persistent and deplete your emotional and physical energy. Anxiety is the most common mental health condition in Australia; with one in four people experiencing this at some stage in their life.
Anxiety can begin with worrisome thoughts, or physiological responses and become overwhelming or unrelenting. If you are experiencing anxiety, just know that it’s ok, and there are ways to help manage. Counselling can help implement strategies to manage high levels of stress, worry, and persistent states of anxiety. Coupling this with understanding the deeper reasons why it has such a strong-hold, can help us focus toward long-term management and self-stability.
Depression
Depression, or depressed mood, can be unrelenting. It can leave a dark shadow over our day and impact the way we see, feel, and experience the world. Left untreated, depression can be debilitating and can lead to long periods of sadness and low mood. Depression can feel like it has drained your energy and hope, making it difficult to seek help, but it is not impossible. Counselling has proven effective in the treatment of depression and depressive symptoms. Aiming to create a space to share what is going on in your internal world, what drove you away from your passion and connection, and help you re-connect to healing your sense of self. If you are feeling disconnected to yourself and the world, please feel free to reach out and let us help support you on your recovery journey.
If you are really distressed and need to talk to someone right away, contact the closest 24-hour emergency service:
Dial 000
Call Lifeline: 13 11 14
Or, go to your nearest Emergency Hospital
Disordered Eating & Body Issues
No matter your age, gender, size or background, disordered eating and body issues do not discriminate. Whilst trauma, exposure to violence and abuse can increase the risk of developing disordered eating or body issues, pressure to conform to cultural and social norms can also play a part. Poor sense of self can lead to low self-worth, obsessing about body and appearance, frequent comparison to others, and changes to eating and exercise behaviours in order to dramatically change our appearance.
Disordered eating can include behaviours that reflect the symptoms of anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorders or other specified feeding and eating disorders (OSFED). These behaviours are the most common indicators of developing an eating disorder, and can lead to other mental health issues including depression and anxiety.
Knowing you’re not alone, and you don’t need to suffer in silence. Our practice is eating, and body-issue informed. We understand the impact this can have on your sense of self and the tight grip it can hold over you everyday. If you are struggling with eating, body issues, or low self-esteem/ self-worth, please touch base with us for a complimentary connect call.
Trauma
A traumatic experience can leave us feeling disconnected, wounded and deeply hurt. If left unhealed or untreated, we can find destructive ways to cope, manage or numb the hurt we have experienced. Understanding this is key to being able to heal the wound, rather and disconnect from it. Counselling can create a safe space to identify ways to self-soothe and manage distress while working through and healing that deeper hurt that has left you numb or with ineffective coping strategies.
Grief, Loss
Many believe that grief is only experienced after the death of a loved one, but grief is experienced for a number of reasons including loss of a job, end of a relationship, the loss of health, as well as, the loss of a loved one. Loss can be overwhelming, and deeply impact the way we see the world, ourselves and others. Coming to terms with significant loss can take months and sometimes years; saying this, it can be helpful to share this pain in a safe and non-judgemental space. Counselling can help understand the deeper hurt you have experienced, as well as, develop coping strategies in order to assist with the grieving process.
Stress, Sleep Issues
Stress and anxiety can lead to abnormal sleep patterns, which can in turn interfere with physical, mental and emotional functioning; often worsening mental health conditions. People with interrupted sleep, or insomnia, experience fatigue, irritability and excessive sleepiness throughout their day. Counselling can help identify some of the stressors which are adding to this distubred sleep, and create a safe space to unpack what impacts your body’s natural need for rest and recovery.
Relationship counselling
Bringing outside pressures into our relationships is not uncommon, and can lead to resentment, arguments or avoidance. Some of the most common motivations for seeking relationship counselling can be communication issues and life events, but even the most well established, stable relationship can hit speed bumps. Counselling can provide a supportive and non-judgemental environment to assist in identifying issues within a relationship, and finding a way through them.
Intimacy and Reconnection
Reconnecting after trust has been broken can be very difficult, and becoming intimate with your partner after you feel as though you have been betrayed can be impossible for some. It can cause a cycle where after trust is broken, the thought of being intimate with a partner is upsetting and then both parties withdraw. Intimacy is crucial for a relationship, and as a result trust must be re-established. Being intimate with your partner can release hormones and assist in building trust and emotional connections, but it can be difficult to get to this stage without the assistance of a safe space to heal. Therapy can provide this for couples seeking to reconnect and heal after trust has been broken.
Sexual issues and Aversion to Intimacy
Individuals within a relationship can have very different needs when it comes to sex and intimacy. With some connecting deeply to touch and affection, while others needing a gentler or more holistic approach. Understanding this, and speaking the same ‘sexual language’ as your partner can help manage some of the issues that arise with sex, intimacy and aversion. Counselling can create a space to discuss this, in a non-judgemental environment; a place to learn the language of yourself, or your partner and reconnect to desire, sex and intimacy.
Coping with infidelity
An affair outside of a relationship can have a catastrophic impact on any relationship, and cause deep hurt for a couple. For some couples, an affair can point out a deep disconnect in the relationship which may have been slowly, overtime breaking the pair apart. For other couples it is a chance to heal, reconnect and shine light on the unmet relationship needs that drove the wedge between you both. Counselling can create a safe, non-judgemental, space in order to discuss this hurt, and for both parties to be able to express their hurt and needs going forward.
Relationship Stress
Stress can affect the quality of our lives in many ways, especially when it comes to our close relationships. Stress can cause people to become withdrawn, distracted and less affectionate, which can lead to alienation between partners. It can also lead to a lack of empathy and interest in a relationship, which can lead to deeper hurt and mounting issues in a relationship. In order to create balance, it can be effective to find the root of the stress, manage this, and help heal the relationship.