Welcome to Collaborative Connections Counselling
Collaborative Connections Counselling | Trauma-Informed Counsellor in Bendigo
Feeling overwhelmed by anxiety, trauma, relationship difficulties, or life transitions? If things feel stuck, heavy, or hard to manage on your own, you’re not alone—and you don’t have to navigate it alone.
Collaborative Connections Counselling offers trauma-informed counselling in Bendigo, supporting individuals and couples both in person and online across Australia. I provide gentle, effective, and personalised therapy for people who want more than traditional talk counselling.
I work as a trauma specialist, counsellor, and couples therapist, helping people move through anxiety, unresolved trauma, emotional distress, and relationship challenges with care, clarity, and respect.
I support people with:
Anxiety and chronic stress
Trauma and unresolved past experiences
Depression and low mood
Grief and loss
Self-esteem and motivation difficulties
Relationship and couples challenges
Emotional regulation and life transitions.
📍 Located in Golden Square, Bendigo (opposite St John of God Hospital)
💻 In-person and Telehealth available Australia wide
🎯 First session is free—no pressure or obligation
My approach is integrative and person-centred, meaning therapy is shaped around you, not a rigid model. I draw from evidence-based approaches including Eye Movement Therapies, trauma-informed counselling, and couples therapy to support meaningful and lasting change.
You can explore my services below or book a free first session to see whether we’re a good fit.
Your Journey With Us
Taking the first step into counselling can feel daunting. Many people arrive unsure of what to expect, or worried about whether counselling will truly help. My aim is to make the process clear, supportive, and grounded from the very beginning.
Here’s how your counselling journey typically unfolds:
Book an Appointment
Get in touch by phone, text, or email to arrange an initial session at a time that suits you. I offer both in-person counselling in Bendigo and telehealth appointments Australia wide.
Initial Intake Session
Your first session is a chance to meet, talk, and see whether working together feels right. We’ll explore what brings you to counselling and what you’re hoping for, without pressure or obligation. There is no cost for this initial session, so you can decide whether my approach feels like a good fit.
Ongoing Counselling
If you choose to continue, sessions focus on your goals, concerns, and lived experiences. I listen without judgement and work collaboratively with you to shape an approach that feels safe, respectful, and effective.
Personalised Support
Therapy is always tailored to you. I draw on a range of trauma-informed, evidence-based approaches to support emotional healing, growth, and meaningful change at your pace.
Inclusive, Person-Centred Counselling
At Collaborative Connections Counselling, I provide inclusive, person-centred counselling in a safe, welcoming, and non-judgemental space.
I work with people from diverse backgrounds, identities, and life experiences, including LGBTQIA+ individuals, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, migrants, first responders, and those navigating complex or long-standing challenges.
Counselling is collaborative. You are the expert in your own life. My role is to support you with care, curiosity, and evidence-based practice, so you feel heard, respected, and supported as you move toward greater wellbeing.
Integrative Counselling in Bendigo
There is no one-size-fits-all approach to healing. I draw from a range of proven therapies, including trauma-informed counselling, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Solution-Focused Therapy, Parts Work, and Impact Therapy, depending on your needs and goals.
This flexible approach is particularly helpful for people experiencing:
Trauma and complex trauma
Anxiety and chronic stress
Grief and loss
Relationship difficulties
Life transitions and identity challenges
Integrative counselling allows us to focus on what matters most to you, at a pace that feels safe and sustainable.
Eye Movement Therapies for Trauma and Anxiety
I specialise in eye movement therapies, including Eye Movement Integration Therapy (EMIT) and EMDR. These are evidence-based approaches that support the brain and nervous system to process distressing experiences more effectively.
Eye movement therapies can be particularly helpful when:
Past experiences feel “stuck” or overwhelming
Talking alone hasn’t been enough
Emotional reactions feel intense or out of proportion
Trauma is held more in the body than in words
These approaches are gentle, structured, and client-led. You remain in control throughout the process, and there is no requirement to relive or retell painful memories in detail.
Couples Counselling in Bendigo
Every relationship experiences moments of tension, distance, or disconnection. Couples counselling offers a space to slow things down, understand what’s happening beneath the surface, and rebuild emotional safety.
I work with couples to:
Improve communication
Reduce conflict and defensiveness
Rebuild trust after hurt or betrayal
Strengthen emotional connection
Using Gottman Method Couples Therapy principles alongside other evidence-based approaches, sessions focus on what helps relationships thrive: empathy, understanding, and effective repair.
Coming Soon
Accelerated Reprocessing Therapy
Counselling in Bendigo and Online
Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) is a brief, evidence-based psychotherapy that helps people resolve trauma, anxiety, grief, and other emotional difficulties, often within fewer sessions.
ART uses guided eye movements and imagery to help the brain reprocess distressing memories without requiring clients to talk through traumatic experiences in detail. This makes it a gentle and empowering option for people who find traditional talk therapy overwhelming.
📍 In-person counselling in Golden Square, Bendigo
💻 Telehealth available Australia wide
🎯 First session free to meet, ask questions, and explore how counselling may help
ART has shown effectiveness for PTSD, depression, phobias, pain, and stress-related concerns. Full details will be available soon.
You do not need to have the right words.
You do not need to know where to start.
You simply need a place where you can begin.
If you’re looking for trauma-informed, inclusive counselling that respects who you are and what you’ve lived through, you’re welcome here.
Danie Beaulieu: developer of EMI and Impact Therapy, author and consultant
“Metaphorically, traumatic memories are like chlorine: they are caustic and damaging in concentrated form. EMI Allows that chlorine to be diluted with clear, healthful water in the form of healing information, rendering the traumatic memories harmless and even purifying, in the same way that chlorine added to drinking water supply or a swimming pool is purifying.”
Laural Parnell: author, consultant and trainer of EMDR
“Why EMDR? EMDR works fast, is integrative, doesn’t necessitate prolonged exposure (which can be re-traumatizing), and requires no homework. It activates natural processing capacities of the brain that are frozen and deactivated by trauma. It re-establishes disrupted communication between the brain regions impacted by traumatic experience and enables the traumatized brain to heal In addition to the treatment of PTSD, EMDR is also used to treat the psychological effects of smaller traumas that manifest in symptoms of depression, anxiety, phobias, low self-esteem, creativity blocks, and relationship difficulties.”
Katherine Andler: author of EMDR texts
“Research has indicated that the bilateral eye movements performed in EMDR may replicate the rapid eye movements (REM) during the dream stage of sleep. Scientists have long believed that during REM sleep our brains process the events of the day, including our emotions, beliefs and physical sensations.”
Laney Rosenzweig - ART Founder
“Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) is a unique approach to psychotherapy. ART is unique because the ART Therapist guides the client to replace the negative images in the mind that cause the symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress with positive images of the client’s choosing. And this is done quickly, most often within one session! Once the negative images have been replaced by positive ones, the triggers will be gone. Nightmares and repeated intrusive thoughts will stop.”