Individual Counselling

Areas of Specialisation

Our individual counselling and longer term individual therapy, or Psychotherapy, cover these areas:

• Addictions - alcohol, drugs and gambling
• Addictions - sexual and internet
• Adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse
• Anger management
• Cross cultural counselling
• Domestic violence and family violence
• Eating disorders
• EMDR (eye movement desensitisation & reprocessing)
• Emotionally Focused Therapy
• Emotions - understanding and managing
• Family of origin work
• Fear, guilt and shame issues
• Grief, loss and bereavement
• Life transition and migration issues
• Major life adjustments
• Missionary debriefing and assessment
• Psychotherapy
• Recovery from emotional, physical and sexual abuse
• Relationship issues
• Same-sex attraction
• Self esteem issues
• Self harm
• Separation anxiety
• Sexual abuse (childhood and adulthood)
• Spirituality (Christian perspective)
• Stress management
• Student issues
• Suicidal and obsessive thoughts
• Work place grievances and issues

Short Term Individual Counselling

We specialise in short term individual counselling. Short term counselling tends to be more structured and goal oriented.

Who provides Short Term Counselling?

Our counsellors listed below are competent, by having

• extensive specialised or postgraduate training
• experienced supervisors in this area

Our individual counsellors are listed below, in order of first name. Click on their name for a full profile.

David Bridges

• Masters degree in Counselling
• 16 years experience

Elise Olivier

• MAPS - 19 years experience

Faye Hansen

• MAPS - 25 years experience

Gillian Evans

• Bachelor degree in Counselling
• 20 years experience, 2 years with couples counselling

Jenny FitzGerald

• Voc Grad Dip Relationship Counselling, Grad Dip EFT
• 4 years experience

Kerrie Whitaker

• Masters degree in Counselling, Voc Grad Dip Relationship Counselling
• 1 years experience

Magdalena Liem

• Masters degree in Counselling (Hon)
• 16 years experience

Ralph Holwerda

• Masters degree in Counselling
• 9 years experience

Rochelle Dawson

• Masters degree in Counselling
• 9 years experience

Sylvia Belsey

• Masters degree in Counselling
• 16 years experience

William Fernandes

• Masters degree in Counselling
• 9 years experience

Enquiries: 9683 1444

Ring us and we will recommend the best counsellor qualified and experienced for your situation.

Bridges Counselling - a team of ten counsellors based in North Parramatta, specialising in:

• Relationship and Family Counselling
• Individual Counselling
• Mental Health
• Counselling Services for Christians

We are open weekdays 9am - 9pm, Sat 8am - 6pm.

Our 5-room counselling centre is centrally located close to Parramatta, Carlingford and Baulkham Hills. See Location page.

Psychotherapy

Psychotherapy generally involves working through chronic issues, childhood abuse or past trauma.

Psychotherapy deals with more deep-rooted problems, the personal dysfunctions, problematic feelings, and multiple issues that are interrelated to each other. Psychotherapy works on the core of problems and the developmental needs of clients, and is therefore a longer-term treatment.

Counselling, as distinct from psychotherapy, usually refers to a short-term treatment such as gambling counselling, grief counselling, and addiction counselling. Short term counselling helps clients to identify their problems and empowers them to take positive action to resolve their problems.

Who provides Psychotherapy?

First of all, you need to choose which problems and issues you want to work on. Secondly, you need to ensure which type of therapist is best skilled in the area of your problems and issues.

Several of our team have many years of experience in psychotherapy. When you discuss your concerns with us, we will make recommendations for longer term psychotherapy on a case by case basis.