A compassionate, embodied approach to finding your way forward
I support women who are rebuilding after grief, relationship change, migration and other experiences that have changed the shape of their lives.
Many of the women I work with are capable, caring and used to holding everything together. They may continue working, parenting and supporting other people while privately feeling anxious, exhausted, disconnected or unsure of who they are now.
My role is not to tell you who you should become or push you to move on before you are ready.
It is to offer a warm and collaborative space where you can slow down, understand what your mind and body have been carrying, and begin trusting your own experience again.
You may understand what happened and still feel it in your body
Sometimes insight is not enough.
You may understand why a relationship affected you and still find yourself repeating the same pattern.
You may know that the crisis has ended while your body remains tense, alert or unable to rest.
You may recognise that you need stronger boundaries and still feel anxious or guilty when you try to set them.
This does not mean that you are failing or that something is wrong with you.
Our nervous systems and protective patterns often continue doing what once helped us cope, even when those responses are no longer serving us in the same way.
My work includes the body in the therapeutic process, not only the thoughts we have about our experiences.
Working with the body, not just the mind
My approach is somatic, trauma-informed and grounded in compassion.
Rather than asking only, "What are you thinking?", we may also become curious about:
- What you are noticing in your body
- What happens inside when you consider setting a boundary
- Which parts of you feel responsible for keeping everything together
- What your anxiety, numbness or overfunctioning may be protecting
- What helps your nervous system experience more support
- What matters to you beneath fear, expectation and obligation
- What a small, realistic next step might look like
Depending on your needs, our work may draw from:
- Somatic and nervous-system-informed therapy
- EFT tapping
- Parts work informed by Internal Family Systems
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
- Polyvagal-informed practices
- Attachment theory
- Mindfulness and grounding
- Breath and gentle body awareness
- Culturally sensitive support for migration and identity
These approaches are offered as invitations, not requirements.
You remain in choice throughout the process. You will never be pressured to disclose more than feels right or pushed into an experience before you have enough support.
Fifteen years of walking alongside people rebuilding
I completed my psychology degree in Brazil in 2001 before moving to Australia in 2002.
My career in Australia has included more than 15 years of supporting people through counselling, education, migration, identity changes and the many emotional challenges involved in building a life away from home.
I currently work as a student counsellor in higher education, supporting a culturally diverse community of students through anxiety, academic pressure, relationships, grief, financial stress, homesickness and major life decisions.
Alongside this work, I provide private online counselling and somatic therapy. I also develop and facilitate wellbeing workshops for educational institutions, workplaces and community organisations.
My professional development has increasingly focused on the relationship between the body, nervous system, emotions and protective patterns.
I am particularly interested in the places where insight alone has not been enough, and in helping people experience change rather than only understand it intellectually.
What I have learned from rebuilding my own life
My work has also been shaped by my own experiences of migration, identity change, grief and rebuilding.
Moving from Brazil to Australia taught me that migration involves much more than changing countries. It can affect our identity, relationships, confidence, sense of belonging and connection with the person we once were.
More recently, profound personal loss changed the shape of my own life.
That experience deepened my understanding that grief is not only about missing someone. It can also involve grieving the future we imagined, the routines that gave our lives structure, the person we were before the loss and the sense of certainty we once carried.
I know that rebuilding does not mean forgetting, replacing what was lost or returning to an old version of yourself.
Sometimes it means learning how to carry love and grief while slowly making room for life again.
I bring this understanding to my work with honesty and care, while maintaining clear professional boundaries. Our sessions remain centred on you, your experiences and what you need.
The women I support
I work with women who may be navigating:
- Grief and bereavement
- Separation, divorce or relationship change
- Anxiety and emotional overwhelm
- People-pleasing and difficulty setting boundaries
- Attachment and recurring relationship patterns
- Burnout and prolonged survival mode
- Loss of identity or direction
- Migration, homesickness and cultural adjustment
- Difficulty resting or receiving support
- A major transition that has left life feeling unfamiliar
You do not need to fit neatly into one category.
You may feel grateful for parts of your life and still grieve what has changed. You may be functioning and still need support. You may be healing and still have difficult days.
All of these experiences can exist at the same time.
A therapeutic relationship that is
Warm and respectful
You will be met with compassion, curiosity and respect rather than judgement.
Collaborative
I will bring professional knowledge and guidance, but I will not position myself as the expert on your life. We make sense of what is happening together.
Sensitive to the nervous system
We pay attention to pacing, choice and what helps you remain connected to the present.
Culturally aware
I understand that culture, migration, family expectations, language and belonging can shape emotional wellbeing and relationships.
Honest and grounded
Compassion does not mean avoiding difficult conversations. When appropriate, I will gently invite you to notice patterns, contradictions and possibilities for change.
Practical
Alongside insight, we may develop practices you can use in daily life, including grounding, EFT tapping, nervous-system regulation, values-based action and compassionate boundary setting.
Training and credentials
- Degree in Psychology, completed in Brazil
- Registered counsellor with the Australian Counselling Association
- Training in EFT tapping
- Training and professional development in Internal Family Systems-informed parts work
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
- Polyvagal Theory and nervous-system regulation
- Trauma-informed and somatic approaches
- Attachment and relationship work
- Mindfulness, breath and embodied practices
- Ongoing professional development and clinical supervision
Find the right fit for you
Individual Somatic Therapy
A focused 60-minute online session for support with something affecting your life now. This may suit you if you have a particular concern, want to experience my approach or are not ready to commit to ongoing therapy.
$190 per session
Explore Individual TherapyReturn to Self Private Pathway
A personalised six-session somatic therapy pathway for women who want consistent individual support after grief, relationship change or another major life transition. Sessions are held weekly wherever possible and no less frequently than fortnightly.
$1,080 upfront, or two payments of $540
Explore the Private PathwayROOTED Group Program
An eight-week online somatic program for women rebuilding their sense of safety, identity and self-trust after loss or significant change.
$1,200 or two payments of $625
Explore ROOTEDSomatic Yoga & Events
Small yoga classes, embodied workshops and supportive experiences designed to help you slow down and reconnect with your body.
Explore Yoga & EventsYou do not need to know exactly what you need before reaching out
If you are considering working with me but are unsure where to begin, you are welcome to book a free 15-minute introductory call. We can briefly discuss what you are looking for, answer any questions you have and consider which option may be most appropriate.
You do not need to share your complete story during the call, and there is no obligation to continue.