Meet Elle.
A professional coach and registered counsellor who is deeply fascinated by what makes us human. Elle finds fulfilment in helping others draw on their inner strengths to get through rough times and to develop their confidence to achieve their goals.
Psychology was always an area of interest of hers, even in her early years. However, and as it often can be in Mediterranean and Eastern-European migrant families, there was always stigma associated with psychotherapy and counselling, and even more so if she ever needed to seek therapy for herself.
After 10 years of deliberating whether to pursue behavioural studies while building a career in the corporate finance sector as a leader and manager, Elle finally sought help from a therapist to better manage her anxiety which lead her to follow through with her passions and study counselling.
And to make things more challenging, while working on her degree she also was raising two kids with her husband MJ, as well as moving her in-laws from India to Australia in the middle of a pandemic.
My Credentials
Bachelor of Counselling (Major in Coaching), Australian College of Applied Psychology (ACAP)
Diploma of Management & Leadership, Swinburne University
Certificate IV of Training and Assessment, RMIT
Member of Psychotherapy & Counselling Federation of Australia (PACFA, No. 28740)
15+ years experience in leadership and professional roles at the "Big Four" banks
Student counselling placement at Odyssey House Victoria in the AOD (Alcohol & Other Drugs) sector
Crisis Support Worker at Lifeline Direct (13 11 14)
Volunteer as a Peer to Peer Mentor for the Australasian Birth Trauma Association (ABTA)
Who will get the best out of me?
People who need to feel recognised and acknowledged as a person, not for their issues or limitations.
I have experience working with a range of clients including students, professionals, tradies, parents, families, war veterans, music producers, chefs, long-term unemployed, vulnerable persons, victims and perpetrators of family violence, and those living with disability.
Coming from a blended European-South Asian family, I also bring a real sense of understanding with clients from a range of cultural backgrounds and the constant juggle to balance the intricacies of heritage while living in a western society.
In summary, if you're looking for the "traditional" counsellor who wears a cardigan and speaks to you in an airy voice, that's not what you'll get from my approach. Though I may wear a cardigan if it is working with the rest of my look, I prefer to keep things simple, realistic and inject a little creativity where appropriate as I help you to connect the dots while being true to you and your wellbeing.
Sounds like a good fit?
Get in touch!