Strong Foundation Support

04/02/2026

There’s a lot of stress sitting in the NDIS space right now and most people I speak to are feeling it in some way.

Plans are changing.
Reviews feel harder.
Communication is inconsistent.
Rules seem to shift without warning.

If the NDIS feels overwhelming at the moment, you’re not alone. And importantly, it’s not because you’re doing something wrong.

A few practical things that can help with navigating the system right now:

Keep everything in one place
Have a single folder (digital or paper) for plans, reports, emails, and letters. When things move quickly, being able to find documents fast reduces a lot of stress.

Get important information in writing
If something is discussed over the phone, ask for it to be confirmed by email. Verbal information can be misunderstood or disputed later. Written records protect you.

Don’t wait until a crisis to ask questions
If something doesn’t make sense, ask early. Waiting often leads to rushed decisions under pressure, especially around reviews or funding changes.

Use your supports, don’t carry it alone
Support coordinators, plan managers, and advocates exist for a reason. If you’re unsure who to ask, that’s usually a sign you need another set of eyes, not that you’ve failed.

Pace yourself with NDIS tasks
You don’t need to solve everything in one sitting. Break tasks into smaller steps. The system is demanding enough without expecting yourself to do it all at once.

The NDIS is complex. Feeling stressed or overwhelmed by it doesn’t mean you’re not coping. It means the system asks a lot of the people inside it.

You’re allowed to slow things down where you can.

02/02/2026

Hi, I’m Allan.

I’m a qualified counsellor based in Cairns, offering individual counselling for adults and young people aged 14 years and over. I work with people experiencing anxiety, stress and burnout, emotional distress, grief and loss, trauma, addictions and substance use concerns, crisis situations, and major life transitions. I also provide counselling support for NDIS participants.

My approach is grounded, practical, and relational, informed by evidence-based and trauma-informed practice. As a counsellor, I draw on established theory. As a person, I show up calm, direct, and genuinely present. Many people tell me they feel steadier simply having the space to talk things through without being rushed, judged, or pushed toward quick fixes.

I work flexibly using a range of therapeutic approaches including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Solution-Focused Brief Therapy, Gestalt therapy, and Emotionally Focused Therapy. This allows counselling to be tailored to the individual, whether the focus is understanding patterns of thinking and behaviour, developing emotional regulation, working with relationships, or making practical and achievable changes.

My work is shaped by both professional training and lived experience. Earlier in my life, I represented Australia in swimming and held world records. High-performance sport gave me first-hand insight into pressure, expectations, performance anxiety, identity, and how quickly life can change when circumstances shift.

I have also trained as a competitive marksman. This experience reinforced the importance of focus, controlled breathing, emotional regulation, and decision-making under pressure. It deepened my understanding of how small internal shifts in attention, stress, or self-talk can significantly affect performance, a pattern I now regularly see reflected in the everyday challenges people bring into counselling.

Alongside this, I am a dedicated family man. Being a partner and parent has deepened my understanding of responsibility, connection, boundaries, and the quiet emotional load many people carry while trying to hold things together for others. This experience informs how I work with clients navigating family stress, role strain, relationship challenges, and the tension between personal needs and the needs of those they care about.

I also live with disability. This gives me a genuine understanding of the emotional and practical challenges that can come with injury, chronic stress, navigating systems, loss of independence, and changes to confidence or identity. This perspective supports my work with people whose wellbeing or sense of self has been impacted by long-term stress, health changes, or disability.

In sessions, I provide a calm, structured, and supportive therapeutic space and I do not rush the process. Counselling is a place to slow things down, make sense of what is happening beneath the surface, build coping capacity, and work toward meaningful and sustainable change at your own pace.

Sessions are available in person in Cairns and via telehealth across Australia.

After-hours appointments are available through flexible scheduling.

01/02/2026

Happy Sunday 🙂
Enjoying a bit of fresh air and greenery today. Hope you are having a good one too.

31/01/2026

Choosing an NDIS provider can feel overwhelming, especially if you are not sure what you should be asking before saying yes.

There are a small number of questions that can make a big difference to whether support actually works for you or not.

I’ve put these into a short, free guide for NDIS participants and families to help you:
• slow the process down
• feel more confident in your choices
• protect your choice, control, and independence

If you are about to choose a provider, or already working with one and feeling unsure, this guide may help.

Download the free guide here:
https://linktr.ee/strongfoundationsupport

30/01/2026

I received the following email today and wanted to share it here for awareness

Effective immediately from 30 January 2026, Cairns Taxis has advised they will no longer be providing direct billing accounts for NDIS clients. This decision is due to ongoing administrative challenges and reflects their position as an unregistered NDIS provider.

Key points from the email:
• All NDIS client accounts with Cairns Taxis are now closed
• Weekly invoicing has ended
• A final invoice is being processed for services provided between 17 and 30 January

Transport going forward:
NDIS participants can continue to use Cairns Taxis. Payment will now need to be made at the time of travel, with a receipt obtained and submitted to the plan manager for reimbursement through the NDIS plan.
I’m sharing this so Support Coordinators and Plan Managers can update participants as soon as possible to avoid confusion or disruption to transport arrangements.

Sharing in case this helps others who may not yet be aware.

Send a message to learn more

29/01/2026

HOW COUNSELLING ACTUALLY HELPS

A lot of people think counselling is about being analysed, judged, or told what to do.

Counselling helps slow things down when anxiety, injury, disability, or life changes have made everything feel harder to manage. It creates space to talk things through properly, instead of carrying it all in your head or trying to push through on your own.

It can help you make sense of patterns, reactions, and pressures that have built up over time. Not to label them, but to understand what’s contributing and what’s keeping things stuck.

The focus is practical. We look at what’s actually helping, what isn’t, and what small, realistic changes might make things more manageable. This is especially important when life looks different than it used to and the old ways of coping no longer fit.

27/01/2026

I’m sharing this because I’m still seeing too many NDIS participants and families get caught out not because they’re careless, but because the system is complicated and people are trying to do the right thing.

In this video, I talk through some common NDIS red flags families often miss, and what you can put in place early to protect your funding and reduce stress.

If you’re involved with the NDIS, it’s worth watching.

25/01/2026

👉 If you want help understanding your NDIS plan or building real-life skills, visit www.strongfoundationsupport.com.au

Or send me a message here.