Do you ever feel like you’re treading water, sinking, or even drowning under the pressures of everyday life?
Perhaps you’ve been coping for a long time, but lately things feel harder to manage. You may be struggling with anxiety, low mood, relationship difficulties, life changes, or simply feeling overwhelmed and unsure how to move forward.
At Above the Waves Counselling, I offer a warm, professional and non-judgemental space where you can slow things down, make sense of what you’re experiencing, and begin to find a way forward.
You don’t have to have everything figured out before you come to counselling. We can start with what feels most important to you right now.
With the right support, greater clarity, connection and meaningful change are possible.
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 experiences are part of who I am and have shaped the perspective, warmth and understanding I bring to my work.
I hope sharing a little about myself 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.
There is no particular way you need to be in counselling. You can talk openly, take time to find the words, ask questions, or simply begin with what has been happening lately. My role is to meet you where you are and help us make sense of things together.
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.
