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Maxime Willems - Therapy & Training

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Australia
South Ballina, NSW
Maxime Willems - Therapy & Training

Trauma-Informed Counselling, Equine Assisted Therapy, and Professional Wellbeing Programs in a serene beachside setting.
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Specialising in depression, anxiety, trauma, relationship challenges, and personalised support for individuals, couples, families.

06/03/2026

This week I met a mum who came to see us because she has been experiencing high anxiety and a constant feeling of being unsupported. She spoke about struggling with anxiety, depression and PTSD, and often feeling emotionally overwhelmed. A big part of our conversation was also around parenting confidence.

At the beginning of the session she presented with a lot of curiosity about the horses, asking many questions about their personalities and about who they are.

Once she was invited to meet the horses in whatever way felt right for her and for them, there was a lot of physical distance. She kept creating more space between herself and the horses.

When we gently unpacked this together, she noticed how much care she carries for her daughter. A missing. A longing for connection. At the same time, there was such a deep intention in her to be a “better parent”. Being here for her was really about supporting herself so that she could show up differently for herself, in her relationship with her daughter and so also support her daughter’s wellbeing.

Another layer that emerged was that being with the horses felt quite triggering. Horses and animals are something that deeply connect her and her daughter — it’s something they would normally do together. And so there was a feeling of guilt for being here without her. In that moment she could really feel the love and care for her daughter in her heart.

By the end of the session, she realised that what she truly wanted was not to do this work alone, but to continue the journey with her daughter beside her.

So our next step will be moving towards mother–daughter equine assisted therapy sessions, supporting both of them, and their relationship, together. 🐴💛

26/02/2026

You’re allowed to change your mind a million times.

I heard this yesterday at the end of an evening of Five Rhythms dancing. After two hours of moving, we were invited to really slow down. To check in.

What do you need right now?

Do you need to lie down?
To sit?
To stand?
Do you feel like being close to another person, close to a human being?
Or do you feel like being by yourself?

Maybe you even feel like some kind of touch, some kind of touch with another human being that feels right, comforting, that would allow you to soften.

And she added:
If you’re not sure what you need or want right now, why don’t you check it out? Why don’t you experiment?

And you’re allowed to change your mind.
To change your decision.
To change position.
A million times.

Hearing that really allowed me to soften.
That I was allowed to try something out, and if it didn’t feel right, to try something else.

This is one of the powers of equine-assisted therapy.

All of our activities, our experiences, are experiential. We’re here to experiment with new ways of being. To experiment with relating to others in a different way that maybe feels unfamiliar.

We’re here to try things out.
To see what might feel like a more helpful, healthy way of being when we’re out in the world again, when we leave the paddock and step back into life.

You’re allowed to change your mind.

25/02/2026

Life goes so fast.

So many things are asking, sometimes screaming, for our attention.
The notifications.
The expectations.
The opportunities.
The responsibilities.

What do we prioritise?

In a world that rewards productivity and urgency, it’s easy to live in constant response mode. To move from one task to the next. To keep saying yes because we can. Because we care. Because we don’t want to disappoint.

But amidst all of this…
How often do we pause?

How often do we celebrate the quiet wins?
The beauty that exists in the ordinary?
The aligned yeses?

The moment you chose presence over pressure.
The boundary you expressed kindly.
The breath you remembered to take.
The softness instead of the rush.

Life is not only made of achievements.
It is made of moments.

Maybe the practice isn’t doing more.
Maybe it’s noticing more.

What is your intention for today?

To notice?
To celebrate?
To sit down in silence?

For now, for today, what feels enough?

12/02/2026

Those who know me well probably know that one of my greatest joys in life is dance.

This evening I drove home from a night of dancing with a question echoing in me, something I heard:

What if you chose opening?
What would you be opening toward?

Rather than turning away, holding in, restricting, blocking, or facing away…
What would it mean to gently turn toward instead, or at least open up toward it?

11/02/2026

🌿 This week in session 🌿

One of our participants shared that he doesn’t feel judged by our horses.

He often struggles with confidence around others. With men he feels compared to or less competent, and around women he can only look down and it changes the way he speaks.

In a number of sessions, we focused on:
🐴Emotional awareness
🐴Emotional safety
🐴Verbal communication skills
🐴Practicing these skills with our herd
🐴Experimenting with his comfort zone and gently exploring how to widen his boundaries

Being with the horses gives him space to explore confidence and connection in a way he often can’t with people.

10/02/2026

When I was preparing to become a mother, I started exploring doula support 🤍.
At first, it was simply for myself and my own family.

But along the way, I realised it felt like a natural extension of the work I already do as a counsellor, therapist, and yoga & meditation teacher.

Holding space.
Listening deeply.
Connecting with the body, breath, intuition, and inner wisdom.

I’m now offering holistic pre- and postnatal doula support, gently supporting women and families through pregnancy, birth preparation, and the postpartum transition.

If you’re moving through pregnancy or postpartum and feel drawn to this kind of support, I’d love to connect 🌿🙏🏼.

02/02/2026

Join us for ✨Horse Wisdom✨, an equine-assisted healing experience held on the ancient healing lands of in the Byron Bay Hinterland, guided by equine-assisted therapy practitioner, trauma-informed yoga teacher and counsellor and her herd 🐴.

This gentle, immersive morning invites you to slow down, step out of the mind, and enter into meaningful connection with horses as wise, intuitive guides.

How can the wisdom of horses provide significant healing?
✨ Horses live in a state of present-moment awareness and offer profound insight into our emotional world, patterns of relating, and nervous system responses - without judgement or words.
✨ Horses are highly sensitive, relational beings who respond honestly to what we carry within. Their ability to attune to subtle shifts in emotion, energy and intention makes them powerful co-facilitators in emotional healing and self-discovery.
✨ Their wisdom reminds us how to slow down, trust our inner knowing, and reconnect with ourselves in a deeply embodied way.

✨Event Details✨

Date: Sunday 26 April 2026
Time: 9:00 am – 12:00 pm
Location: Heartwood Farm, 498 Binna Burra Road, Federal NSW .events

Spaces are limited to ensure an intimate, supportive environment.

Reserve your spot and gift yourself a morning of presence, connection and gentle self-discovery.

>>> See Trybooking link in Bio

We can’t wait to hold space for you .events with .

28/01/2026

One of our participants visits us weekly to help explore meaningful friendships, including growing awareness around personal boundaries, reading body language, and practising verbal communication with others.

24/01/2026

One reason I do weekly therapy with Maxime and her horses is simple: I want someone to listen.

Otherwise, it’s just me, carrying my thoughts and challenges alone. I worry that others will judge or reject me. Sometimes it just feels too heavy.

Saying it out loud, without judgement, gives space, space for my thoughts, my feelings. Somehow, it lets go of some of the tension, some of the heaviness.

It’s so special to have somewhere to go where there are no expectations, where I can just be me. And to experience someone who truly listens with empathy, curiosity, and compassion, makes all the difference.

The other day, we did an exercise with the horses around “I am” statements. I had no idea how I sometimes talk to myself. No wonder I feel exhausted at times. But slowing down also showed me the positives:

I am here.
I am learning.
I am doing my best.

And for now, that is enough. 🩵

22/01/2026

Restless? Ready for change? 🐎

The Year of the Horse asks us to listen to instinct, not overthink.

Where is your next step calling you?

Address

259 Keith Hall Lane
South Ballina, NSW
2478

Opening Hours

Monday	8am - 6pm
Tuesday	8am - 6pm
Wednesday	8am - 6pm
Thursday	2pm - 6pm

Telephone

+61490404490

Website

http://www.mwtherapyandtraining.com.au/

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