Grief is a normal reaction to loss, especially the death of a loved one. It includes a wide spectrum of emotional, physical, cognitive, and behavioural responses. Understanding grief's multidimensional character and using supportive measures may help people navigate this difficult life journey.
Emotional reactions of grief may be: sadness, despair, anger, frustration, guilt, regret, anxiety and fear.
Physical reactions of grief may be: fatigue, sleep disturbances, appetite changes, somatic symptoms.
Cognitive reactions of grief may be: disbelief, denial, confusion, preoccupation.
Behavioural reactions of grief may be: social withdrawal, changes in routine, searching.
Grief counseling may be quite effective when dealing with the wide spectrum of grieving feelings.

The experience of losing a loved one, regardless of whether the departure is abrupt or foreseen, presents a significant and complex challenge.

Professional grief counselling offers a nurturing and empathetic setting, allowing individuals to navigate their emotions and develop approaches to manage their loss.

Dan's professional expertise, combined with his personal experiences and background in grief counselling, can play a vital role in guiding individuals towards a sense of regularity and peace of mind, particularly when their sorrow feels overwhelming. Dan can provide you skills and methods to help you mourn in your own manner and at your own pace while working through your emotions, thoughts, and behaviours. There is no timetable for grieving.

Trauma counselling, also referred to as trauma therapy, facilitates the exploration, processing and healing of psychological and emotional repercussions stemming from past traumatic experiences.

Trauma counsellors facilitate a safe environment for individuals to articulate their experiences, ensuring they are received with understanding rather than judgement or dismissal. Methodically and cautiously delving into their recollections of the distressing incident, enabling them to fully comprehend their experiences and emotions.

The objective is to assist individuals in reclaiming a sense of autonomy, controlling their nervous system, and nurturing adaptive coping strategies. Restoring their dignity and developing post-traumatic growth, thereby fostering an innate feeling of resilience and empowerment.

Dan provides a safe, confidential space that allows people to contemplate their past experiences at their own pace, gain understanding of their emotions and associated behaviours, and develop effective coping mechanisms.

Navigating the complexities of life can often feel daunting and cause significant stress. Stress encompasses a wide range of issues such as occupational stress, academic demands, interpersonal or familial disputes, financial anxieties, persistent health conditions, or significant life changes.

Stress Management Counselling serves as a therapeutic method aimed at assisting individuals in recognising the origins of their stress, comprehending its impact on their lives, and cultivating more effective coping mechanisms.

Creating effective stress management techniques and lifestyle changes aimed at enhancing your overall well-being.

Dan works together with you to assess and identify stressors, understand your stress responses and guide you to develop coping strategies.

Anxiety/Depression: Different periods of life often bring about existential questions and transitions, which can contribute to mental health struggles such as anxiety and depression.

Depression represents a condition that can hinder an individual's capacity to navigate life.  Identifying the indicators of depression is an essential component in the process of addressing it effectively. 

Counselling for depression and anxiety represents a methodical and nurturing approach to therapy, designed to assist individuals in navigating  the multifaceted emotional, mental, and physical consequences of these conditions. It emphasises the exploration of underlying factors, the transformation of detrimental cognitive patterns, and the development of adaptive strategies.

Working with an experienced mental health professional, whose deep understanding and perspective form the foundation for fostering a healthier and more resilient mindset, is crucial.  This type of professional guidance can significantly influence individuals in navigating a path towards well-being and fulfilment.

In the context of Life’s Challenges, Dan is committed to be a beacon of support for you, a trusted guide through life’s transitions, helping you redefine priorities and discover new paths forward.

Across cultures, societies, generations and communities, Family Structures can exhibit a significant degree of variation. Examples of family structures include nuclear, combined, extended, single-parent, step-family, divorced, childless, same-sex, foster, and grandparent arrangements.

Intra family dynamics refers to the complex interactions, relationships, and patterns of behavior that occur within any particular family unit. These dynamics can involve various aspects such as communication styles, power structures, roles and responsibilities, money dynamics, conflict resolution methods, and emotional connections among family members.

Fairness: The perception of fairness in family units is subjective and often results in conflicts if not openly and honestly discussed.

Close relationships are often a source of profound joy and happiness. Unfortunately, even the most close of relationships may involve conflict, stress, and alienation. A dispute is a disagreement, conflict, or argument between two or more parties or individuals, typically arising from differences in opinions, interests, rights, or claims.

Disputes can occur in various contexts, including legal, business, family, personal, or interpersonal relationships. They often require resolution or negotiation to reach a mutually acceptable outcome or resolution.

Internal family disputes can involve issues related to raising children, relationships, contracts, property, finances, interpersonal conflicts, legal matters, and more. They may be resolved through counselling, mediation, negotiation, arbitration, or legal proceedings, depending on the nature and complexity of the dispute.

Dan works with you to untangle the complex networks of behavioural patterns, history, emotions, personal characteristics and expectations that are often at the cause of the disputes.

Guardianship of the Person is a legal arrangement in which the guardian is accountable for the personal care of an individual, which includes the decision-making process regarding living arrangements, healthcare, and daily activities.

Guardian of Financial Affairs is responsible for the financial affairs of an individual, which encompasses handling income, managing assets, and paying expenses. The guardian of the Person and the guardian of Financial Affairs may or may not be the same individual. Each situation is unique, may be highly complicated and may depend on whether spouses, family members or any children, siblings or dependants are alive and involved in the person's life.

The Mental Health of a guardian/carer is an important often overlooked consideration. Taking on the responsibility of caring for another individual can have significant emotional and psychological impacts.

Emotional Burden: Guardians of family members may experience feelings of guilt, anxiety, or depression related to the responsibility of making decisions for another person's well-being. 

Social Isolation: Caregiving responsibilities can limit a guardian's ability to socialise and maintain connections with friends and family, leading to feelings of isolation and loneliness. As a carer, learning how to care for yourself in such demanding circumstances is vital for maintaining positive physical and mental health.

Dan offers carers and guardians a safe space to explore emotions, confront challenges and attempt to make sense of the many mixed emotions that may occur in a caring role which may or may not be a family member. Dan’s insight into Guardianship assists in the comprehension and identification of practical solutions during emotionally charged circumstances including elders with various physical and psychological ailments.

A myriad of factors contribute to the experience of loneliness, including the increasing number of individuals living independently, residence locations, changes in social dynamics, bereavement, unemployment, relationship breakdowns, ideological rifts, the influence of social media, advancements in technology, and the effects of major events such as a pandemic.

Social isolation and loneliness affect individuals of all ages, yet it is particularly concerning to observe a rising trend among the younger population.

Addressing the challenge of loneliness requires a thorough approach, which includes not only aiding those who experience feelings of isolation but also examining their individual underlying causes that contribute to such disconnection.

Dan works with you to understand the complexity of contributing factors, emotions, personal characteristics and expectations that are often at the cause of the isolation & loneliness.

Money dynamics exist in every relationship, couple, family and extended family. It is one of the most sensitive topics in people's lives. We all have varied attitudes to money and finance related matters. Differing attitudes to money create challenges and may become highly emotive.

Diversity of Family Structures, including nuclear families, same-sex families, extended and step families, lone-parent families, no child families, reconstituted families, and grandparent families, this can all become exceedingly complicated.

Dynamics and Conflict: Irrespective of the monetary value involved, financial help is common. Partners may financially help each other, couples may help each other, married and de facto couples may receive access to funds from their partners, parents may financially help children, grandparents may help grandchildren, siblings may help siblings.

Monetary Disputes frequently arise regarding disparities in expectations, amounts gifted or borrowed and allocation of resources to various family members. These conflicts have the potential to severely impact mental well-being and may permanently sever bonds.

Inheritance can be a complex and highly sensitive topic, often involving intricate legal, financial, and emotional considerations.

Expectancy of an Inheritance: Amid the loss of a loved one, anticipation of receiving an inheritance can lead to conflicts and tensions within families, especially if there are differing expectations or perceptions of fairness.

Inheritance Inequity: Actual or perceived unequal distribution of inheritance can exacerbate existing tensions and lead to feelings of resentment and betrayal among family members. Disputes among heirs, perceived or actual unequal distributions, complex asset and trust structures, debts, liabilities or executor complications seem more common than not.

Dan provides clarity, guidance and direction while you navigate the complexities of personalities, legacies, complex financial issues and familial expectations. Dan discusses the impacts of differing attitudes to money, the challenges associated with differing attitudes to money in families. He supports you through the challenges associated with the intricate and emotive processes of money related issues..

Families of LGBTQIA+ individuals are diverse in structure encompassing a wide range of configurations.  

The amount of acceptance and support among Biological Families varies. Some LGBTQIA+ individuals have supportive parents, siblings, and extended family members, whilst others may experience rejection, misunderstanding or estrangement.

Many LGBTQIA+ individuals create Chosen Families consisting of friends and loved ones who provide support, understanding, and acceptance. These families may be critical for people whose biological families are not welcoming.  

It is becoming more prevalent for LGBTQIA+ individuals and couples to become parents via a variety of routes, including adoption, surrogacy, fostering, and having biological children. Same-sex couples and transgender people are increasingly recognised and protected by law, however problems persist in certain locations.

Legal recognition for LGBTQIA+ households varies. This may have an impact on adoption rights, parental recognition, inheritance, and eligibility for family health benefits. In certain areas, legal progress has been achieved to protect and assist LGBTQIA+ families, while others face major legal barriers.

Dan offers family members, individuals, couples or chosen family members the ability to safely and freely discuss challenges. He offers tools, advocacy, lived experience and support for LGBTQIA+ individuals and/or family members encountering challenges.

50 minute online live Telehealth Electronic - Consultations via private and secure video link. Facilitated by Zoom or a comparable video conferencing application. Convenience, accessibility, long-distance support, flexibility, and supplementary communication opportunities are all benefits of online live video link Electronic -Counselling.

$160 INCL GST

A therapeutic modality that takes place in an outdoor environment, utilising walking as a means of engagement rather than adhering to the conventional confines of an office or room space.

This approach may prove advantageous for individuals who articulate their emotions more readily in motion or who have a preference for engaging with nature.

$170 INCL GST

Home consultations at the client's place of residence. This is primarily for people who experience challenges with online video E-counselling, have travel/mobility restrictions or other confidential requirements or simply prefer to have the consultations at their home. Home consultations take place only via mutual agreement.

$170 INCL GST

Face to Face Consultations take place in person at my rooms on St Kilda Road, Melbourne and are 50 minute duration. Personal, face to face counselling provides a secure and conducive environment that encourages open and uninhibited communication, free from concerns of interruption.

$180 INCL GST

The purpose of a 90 minute extended consultation is to build rapport, collect comprehensive information about the client’s background and understand the reasoning for coming to counselling. Ongoing extended consultations of 90 minutes are at the discretion of the client and via any of the three consultation options of their choice.

LONG-VIA ZOOM: $220 INCL GST

LONG-YOUR HOME: $250 INCL GST

LONG-MY ROOMS: $270 INCL GST