Compassionate counselling

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The Real Affect is a humanistic, trauma-responsive, compassionate counselling service in Canberra.  We believe people have untapped capacities to resolve their own challenges and experience emotional healing, given a relationship with a warm, empathic, accepting and understanding listener.  

Humans are designed to heal. We just need the right conditions, namely a compassionate counselling context that provides safety, trust, choice, collaboration, empowerment and respect to help you restore your sense of agency and reignite your joy for life !

We do not 'treat' you, nor do we 'fix' you. 

Instead we invite you into a real relationship... 

We are not the expert in the white lab coat, nor do we believe that something is wrong with you but rather we are curious about what happened to you and what you might need now.

We all want relief from our suffering and resources to help us cope with life.  

Alison's relatable counselling style is all about emotional connection and practical support: 

• Mindfulness   by focusing your attention non-judgmentally on what is happening as it actually happens, you become the curious observer, radically increasing your level of awareness & range of choice, transforming your inner experience

• Compassion   imagine relating to your own pain & suffering with an attitude of care and genuine kindness like you would a good friend, loosening the grip of shame and increasing your sense of wellbeing and motivation to act 

• Somatic awareness practices   learn to befriend your emotions and bodily sensations by utilising breathwork & body scanning for emotion regulation/ calm/relaxation; inner child work can help you become your own best parent 

• Narrative Therapy  understand & reauthor problematic stories to expand your self-concept and  life choices