Yvette is a qualified Counsellor and Masters of Counselling Candidate registered with the Australian Counselling Association and AHPRA. Yvette has worked in health care for almost thirty years with extensive experience as a Registered Nurse supporting clients and families encountering major health issues and stressful life events. Yvette’s interest in mental health began as a young nurse where she found that a genuine, empathic and active listening approach had a significant and transformative impact on her client’s mental and physical health. This has led to her completing a Bachelor of Psychological Science (with Distinction) in 2021 (Deakin University) and going on to undertake her Masters of Counselling.
Yvette is passionate about providing a psychologically safe and trusting therapeutic relationship that is person centered and seeks to help clients understand themselves from the context of their whole life experience. Yvette has a special interest in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) where she works with clients to develop a sense of awareness and understanding of the areas of life they are stuck and that may be causing disease both mentally and physically. She assists clients to generate an attitude of curiosity and self-compassion that helps them navigate those areas with a sense of safety and personal growth and meaning. Yvette has experience working with issues such as grief and loss, major life transitions, childhood trauma, anxiety/depression, Alcohol and other Drugs and family/domestic violence.
Yvette also has a special interest in working with couples in helping to improve their communication and strengthen their relationship using Emotion Focused Therapy, Schema Therapy and Acceptance Commitment Therapy.
Yvette has another role working as a Trauma Informed Mental Health Clinician at Geelong Head to Health where she provides trauma informed assessment and counselling for clients in distress. She has spent eight years living in India and Nepal where she has worked in remote Himalayan communities as a nurse and studied yoga and meditation. She returns frequently with her partner and two children.