Awake Counselling

25/01/2026

The new year often arrives with pressure - to reset, improve, transform, become someone “better.”

But for many, stepping into a new year carries mixed feelings:

- Hope alongside fear.
- Excitement alongside exhaustion.
- Curiosity alongside self-doubt.

If last year held loss, trauma, or big transitions, your body may still be catching up - even if the calendar has moved on.

Growth doesn’t require urgency. Healing doesn’t follow January timelines.

You don’t have to know who you’re becoming yet.

You’re allowed to arrive slowly.

This year doesn’t need to be perfect - it just needs to be honest.

21/01/2026

For 2026, I’ve chosen five values to guide how I live and work:

• Peace
• Joy
• Gratitude
• Kindness
• Legacy

Choosing values isn’t about having a perfect year. It’s about having a clear reference point when life pulls us in ten directions.

Here’s how I’ll use these values as a practical filter:

• Time - Does this create peace or drain it?
• Energy - Does this bring me closer to joy, or further away from myself?
• Finances - Does this purchase support my values or distract from them?
• Work goals - Does this reflect kindness (to clients and to me) and build something meaningful?
• Relationships - Does this grow the kind of legacy I want to leave behind?

If you want to try this for yourself, start here:

• Pick 3 - 5 values
• Write one small behaviour for each value (something you can actually do)
• Then choose one decision this week to make through that values lens

Values don’t remove uncertainty - but they help us meet uncertainty with clarity, steadiness, and self-respect.

18/01/2026

When life feels busy (or messy), goals can start to feel like pressure.

Values do something different - they act like a compass.

They help you answer:

• What matters most to me?
• What do I want my life to stand for?
• What am I willing to protect, prioritise, and practise?

One of the most helpful tools I use (personally and in therapy) is the Brené Brown “Dare to Lead” values list. It gives language to things we often feel but can’t quite name.

A simple practice to start:

• Look at the values list (save it)
• Circle 10 that stand out
• Narrow to 5 that feel like “home”
• Then ask: “Where am I already living these - and where am I out of alignment?”

Because once we know our values, we can connect them to:

• Goals we set
• Time we spend
• Energy we give
• Money we invest
• Relationships we nurture
• Boundaries we keep

In therapy, values work is one of the clearest ways to move from “what’s the point?” to “this is what matters to me - even now”.

15/01/2026

When the world feels overwhelming, it’s easy to slide into “what’s the point?” thinking.

Apathy often gets misunderstood as not caring – but more often, it’s a sign of emotional exhaustion. It’s what happens when hope feels too heavy to carry and control feels out of reach.

In my work, we don’t try to force optimism. Instead, we slow things down and return to values – the small, human choices that still belong to us even when the world feels unstable.

Values don’t fix everything. But they help answer a different question:

“Given the world as it is, how do I want to show up – even in small ways?”

Sometimes meaning isn’t found in changing the whole system. Sometimes it’s found in:

• Choosing connection over withdrawal;
• Choosing care over numbness;
• Choosing honesty over silence;

These choices matter. They regulate the nervous system. They rebuild agency. They remind us that even in difficult times, our presence and actions still have weight.

Therapy can be a place to hold these questions safely – without rushing answers, without pretending things are okay when they’re not.

14/01/2026

There is a lot of unrest in the world right now.

Many people are carrying a quiet heaviness - a mix of overwhelm, sadness, anger, grief, and a creeping sense of “what’s the point?”

These responses make sense. They are not personal failures or signs of weakness – they are human reactions to prolonged uncertainty, injustice, and emotional overload.

When systems feel unstable and the world feels loud, our nervous systems often move into survival modes – numbness, withdrawal, cynicism, or apathy. Sometimes disengaging is the only way our system knows how to cope.

In therapy, I often remind people that feeling this way doesn’t mean you’ve stopped caring. It usually means you’ve been caring for a long time without enough space to rest, process, or feel supported.

Acknowledging what’s happening – both externally and internally – is not pessimism. It’s honesty. And honesty is often the first step toward regulation, compassion, and reconnection.

You’re not broken for feeling this. You’re responding to the world as it is.

13/01/2026

07/01/2026

One of the most important parts of therapy is finding a therapist you genuinely ‘gel with’.

Research and experience both tell us that the relationship matters – feeling safe, understood, and able to build trust over time is often more important than any single technique or approach.

Therapy isn’t about someone ‘fixing’ you. It’s about working together – exploring patterns, making sense of experiences, and learning new ways of relating to yourself and others. That kind of work happens best when there is a strong relational connection.

Finding the right therapist – and the right type of therapy – can take time. It can be a journey of trial, reflection, and learning what feels right for you. While that process can feel frustrating at times, it’s also an investment in yourself that is genuinely worth making.

In my own practice, I value collaboration, curiosity, and meeting people where they are. Therapy works best when it feels like a shared process rather than something done to you.

If you’re considering therapy, know that it’s okay to take your time finding the right fit. The relationship you build can become a powerful foundation for growth and change. Who is ready for that dance with that part of you?

05/01/2026

As a new year begins, I’ve been taking some time to reflect on the past one.

I feel deeply grateful to everyone who has been part of this journey with me – clients, colleagues, peers, and the many people who have trusted me with their stories over the years.

Choosing to begin therapy is not an easy decision. It takes courage, commitment, and a willingness to stay with the process even when things feel bumpy or uncomfortable. I don’t take that lightly. My commitment is always to walk alongside people with care, honesty, and respect, even when the road feels uneven.

There are also some truly wonderful people I’ve met along the way who have shaped my work and reminded me why I do what I do. A special thank you to B for the unexpected and generous gift of EMDR books – a thoughtful gesture that meant more than you probably realised.

As we step into this new year, I’m holding a lot of gratitude – and a renewed commitment to working in ways that are values-led, relational, and deeply human.

Wishing everyone a gentle start to the year ahead.

30/12/2025

Wrapping up my time at the Surry Hills therapy space feels a little bittersweet.

I’m deeply grateful to everyone who walked through that door over the past year - clients, colleagues, and the many conversations that unfolded with courage, care, and trust.

From here, Awake Counselling will be operating fully via telehealth, Monday to Thursday.
Same values. Same depth. Same connection - just through the screen.

As we move toward the new year, I’m reflecting on what matters most - working in ways that are sustainable, values-led, and supportive of both clients and myself.

Thank you for being part of this chapter.
Wishing you a gentle close to the year and a steady, hopeful start to the next.

23/12/2025

For some, this time of year is full of connection and warmth.

For others, it brings anxiety, grief, conflict, or the reminder of what’s missing - or never felt safe to begin with.

Family time can be nourishing. It can also be overwhelming, triggering, or not available at all.

All of these experiences are valid.

If you’re navigating complicated family dynamics, estrangement, or loneliness, it makes sense that your nervous system might be on high alert - especially around old roles, expectations, or unspoken histories.

You’re allowed to take breaks.
You’re allowed to have boundaries.
You’re allowed to choose kindness toward yourself - even if others don’t understand.

Support can still exist, even when family feels complicated.




❤️

21/12/2025

As the year comes to a close, many people notice a quiet heaviness beneath the Christmas lights.

The end of a year can feel like a small death - the closing of chapters, unfinished hopes, changed relationships, losses carried quietly, jobs that shifted, people we wish were still here.

Even when life looks “fine” from the outside, the body often remembers what the mind tries to move past.

If this season feels tender for you, there is nothing wrong with that.

Grief, exhaustion, relief, gratitude and sadness can all coexist.

This is a time to move gently.
To rest where you can.
To soften expectations.
And to offer yourself the same compassion you so easily extend to others.

You don’t need to be joyful to belong here.

18/12/2025

Your goals, habits, and values don’t shape just this year - they shape the next version of you.

Tara Brach beautifully explores how growth happens in layers, through presence, reflection, and self-kindness.

🔗 https://www.tarabrach.com

Every choice you make - every boundary, every moment of noticing, every tiny course correction - becomes part of your long-term story.

You don’t have to get it perfect.
You just have to keep showing up.

What long-view dream feels quietly important to you this year?