Life can sometimes feel overwhelming. You may be struggling with anxiety, relationship difficulties, low mood, stress, or a season of change and finding it harder than usual to manage on your own.
I offer warm, professional and non-judgemental counselling where you can talk openly, better understand what is happening beneath the surface, and develop practical ways to move forward.
You don’t have to have everything figured out before reaching out. Counselling can help you find greater clarity, connection and confidence as you navigate what comes next.
Counselling in Joondalup, Burns Beach, and Online
I provide integrative, evidence-based counselling for adults and couples in Joondalup, Burns Beach and online. Areas I commonly support include:
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Anxiety & overthinking
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Depression & low mood
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Relationship difficulties
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Stress & overwhelm
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Self-esteem & perfectionism
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Life transitions & midlife
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Grief & loss
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Parenting & family concerns
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Women’s wellbeing
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Faith & spiritual concerns
Hello and Welcome
I’m Jen, the founder and counsellor at Above the Waves Counselling. I hold a Master of Counselling qualification and am a Registered Counsellor and Supervisor with the Australian Counselling Association.
My professional background has included teaching, school chaplaincy and counselling in a college setting, as well as private practice.
On a personal note, I have been married for over 30 years, am a mother of five, and am an expat who has made Australia home. These parts of my life are often things clients connect with when deciding whether I might be the right counsellor for them.
I know choosing a counsellor can feel very personal, so I hope sharing a little about who I am helps you get a sense of the person behind Above the Waves.
Counselling for Individuals
People come to counselling for all sorts of reasons. Sometimes something specific has happened. Sometimes life has gradually become harder than it used to be. You might be feeling anxious, low, overwhelmed, stuck, or simply not quite like yourself.
My approach is strengths based and very individual. I want to understand what is difficult for you, but I am also interested in who you are as a person. What has shaped you, what matters to you, what you are good at, what has helped you get through hard things before, and what you would like to be different now.
You do not need to come to counselling with everything worked out. You do not need to say the right thing or present the best version of yourself. You can just come as you are.
We may look at patterns in the way you think, feel or respond, as well as experiences from the past that still affect you now. We can also focus on practical ways to cope better, communicate differently, set boundaries, make decisions, or respond to situations in a way that feels more helpful.
I do not see counselling as a process of changing you into someone else. I want to help you understand yourself better, recognise your strengths, and feel more able to live as the person you actually are.
I work in an integrative way, which simply means I use different counselling approaches depending on the person rather than expecting everyone to fit the same model. Christian counselling is also available if you would like faith to be part of the conversation.
Couples Counselling
Most of us want to feel loved, accepted and emotionally connected to our partner. When that connection becomes strained through poor communication, frequent conflict, low intimacy, infidelity, parenting pressures, work stress, addictions or other difficulties, a relationship that once felt supportive can begin to feel exhausting, lonely or disappointing.
Couples can easily become caught in the same patterns over and over again. You may feel unheard, invalidated, unappreciated, criticised or alone, while your partner may be experiencing the relationship very differently. Often it is not only what you are arguing about that matters, but what is happening underneath the argument.
In couples counselling, I help you slow these patterns down and understand what is happening between you. We look at attachment styles, emotional needs and the ways each of you may reach for connection or protect yourselves when you feel hurt, rejected or misunderstood. Understanding this can help you respond to one another differently rather than continuing to fall into the same cycle.
I draw on both the Gottman Method and Emotionally Focused Therapy. This allows us to work on practical skills such as communication, conflict and repair, while also paying attention to the deeper emotional connection between you.
The aim is not to create a relationship where you never disagree. It is to help you understand one another better, communicate with more care and honesty, rebuild trust and connection where it has been lost, and develop a more secure attachment so that the relationship feels like a place where both of you can feel valued, respected and loved.
Professional Supervision
As an ACA Registered Supervisor, I provide a collaborative and reflective space to explore client work, ethical issues, professional development, boundaries, self-care and the challenges of working in helping professions.
Supervision is tailored to your experience, professional goals and individual needs.
