Counselling for Women’s Health: Inclusive Support for Life’s Complex Challenges

Your Mental Health Matters — And It’s All Connected

Living with a chronic or gender-specific health condition isn’t just a physical experience - it impacts every part of your emotional and mental wellbeing. I see it every day in my practice, and I’ve felt it in my own body too.

From hormonal imbalances to chronic pain and reproductive challenges, the emotional toll is real. Too often, it’s misunderstood, minimised, or dismissed.

As a Holistic Women’s Health Counsellor and Somatic Psychotherapist practicing in Melbourne and the Macedon Ranges, I offer trauma-informed counselling for women and gender-diverse individuals navigating the complex intersections of physical and emotional health.

My goal is simple: to provide care that genuinely understands your lived experience - your story, your body, your mind.

When Physical Health Impacts Mental Wellbeing

Both research and lived experience show that when our physical health is challenged, our mental health often follows. People living with chronic or gender-specific health conditions experience higher rates of:

• Anxiety

• Depression

• PTSD and trauma symptoms

• Isolation and emotional overwhelm

Beyond the physical symptoms, many also face medical gaslighting, dismissal of pain, or social stigma - experiences that can leave deep emotional scars.

In my counselling practice, I specialise in supporting clients living with chronic and often misunderstood conditions, including:

• Endometriosis

• Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)

• Fibroids

• Fibromyalgia

• Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD)

• Pelvic pain and vaginal health concerns

• Menopause and perimenopause

• Fertility challenges and reproductive trauma

If this sounds familiar, please know that what you’re feeling is valid — and you don’t have to carry it alone.

Counselling That’s Tailored to You

No two people experience health and healing in the same way. That’s why I offer individualised, trauma-informed therapy that honours your unique experience, body, and identity.

Here’s how I can support you:

Chronic Illness and Pain Management - Learn tools to cope with ongoing symptoms, manage emotional fatigue, and reconnect to your body with compassion.

Medical Trauma and Healthcare Navigation - Together, we can process experiences of dismissal, misdiagnosis, or invalidation within medical settings.

Mood Disorders: Anxiety, Depression, PMDD - Receive holistic care that integrates emotional, hormonal, and physical aspects of wellbeing.

Gender Identity and Body-Based Distress - Explore your relationship with your body in a safe, affirming, and inclusive space.

Fertility and Reproductive Grief - Gentle, compassionate support for miscarriage, IVF journeys, pregnancy loss, or reproductive trauma.

Life Transitions and Emotional Overwhelm - Counselling for the big life moments - parenthood, menopause, career or relationship shifts, and identity transitions.

LGBTQIA+ Affirming Support - My practice is proudly inclusive and welcoming of all sexual and gender identities.

Why Choose To Work With Me?

Affirming & Inclusive - I centre the voices of women and gender-diverse individuals - your identity and your story matter deeply here.

Mind-Body Aware - I work from a somatic perspective, recognising the deep connection between physical and emotional health.

Collaborative Care - As part of Fertile Ground Health Group and Twentynine Collaborative Allied Health, I collaborate with a team of experienced practitioners specialising in trauma, chronic illness, and integrative health.

Flexible & Accessible Care - You can choose between in-person counselling in Melbourne, the Macedon Ranges or secure telehealth sessions from anywhere in Australia. No referral required.

A Safe, Judgment-Free Space - Your story is safe with me. I listen without judgment, and I believe in you.

Start Your Healing Journey

If you’re feeling unseen, unsupported, or disconnected from your body, please know - you are not alone.

Counselling can help you reclaim your mental wellbeing, reconnect with your body, and find strength and peace in your healing journey.

I invite you to book a session with me - a safe, compassionate space to be heard, understood, and supported just as you are.

💬 Book a free 10-minute consultation to explore if counselling feels like the right fit for you.👉 Click here to book with me

About Me

I’m Nina Isabella - a Holistic Women’s Health Counsellor, Childbirth Educator, and Somatic Psychotherapist practicing in Melbourne, the Macedon Ranges and online. I offer trauma-informed counselling and somatic psychotherapy such as breathwork, mindfulness and therapeutic yoga tailored to your unique physical and emotional needs. Whether you’re navigating chronic pain, hormonal changes, fertility challenges, or life transitions, I help you reconnect with your body and find tools for relief — one breath at a time.

You deserve to feel seen, supported, and empowered in your care.

Evidence Linking Women’s Health Conditions to Mental Health

1. Endometriosis and Mental Health

“Women with endometriosis are more likely to experience depression, anxiety, and a lower quality of life.”📄 Chen et al. (2016). Journal of Affective Disorders, 190, 282–285.🔗 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2015.10.041

2. Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) and Emotional Health

“Women with PCOS report higher levels of anxiety, depression, and body dissatisfaction compared to controls.”📄 Brutocao et al. (2018). Endocrine, 62(2), 318–325.🔗 DOI: 10.1007/s12020-018-1692-3

3. PMDD and Mental Health Burden

“PMDD is a severe mood disorder linked to significant impairment and high rates of suicidal ideation.”📄 Epperson et al. (2012). American Journal of Psychiatry, 169(5), 465–475.🔗 DOI: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2012.11081302

4. Menopause, Hormonal Shifts, and Depression

“Perimenopausal women are at increased risk for new-onset depression due to hormonal fluctuations and life stressors.”📄 Freeman et al. (2006). Archives of General Psychiatry, 63(4), 375–382.🔗 DOI: 10.1001/archpsyc.63.4.375

5. Chronic Illness & the Mind-Body Connection

“Chronic pain conditions like fibromyalgia are highly comorbid with anxiety, depression, and trauma-related disorders.”📄 Thieme et al. (2004). Psychosomatic Medicine, 66(6), 837–844.🔗 DOI: 10.1097/01.psy.0000146329.63158.40

This article is an extended version of the article written for Fertile Ground Health Group.