When I started imagining a dedicated women's counselling service, accessibility was one of the most crucial qualities that guided me.
Just what does it take to make a women's counselling service accessible?
It came down to this:
For me, accessible women’s counselling refers to providing a counselling and somatic psychotherapy service tailored to the unique needs of women and gender diverse individuals; a service that strives to be easily accessible by overcoming major obstacles to obtaining quality care.
I arrived at a list of necessary components for an accessible women's counselling practice. Like most lists, for me, it reads a bit like a recipe:
· Inclusive and welcoming practice
· Readily available
· Collaborative
· Affordable
· Accessible locations
· Diverse modes of counselling
· Telehealth options
· Flexible scheduling
· Communicative
An inclusive and welcoming practice:
My practice is warmly inclusive and respectful of the glorious diversity of humanity. It's an honour to walk alongside clients of diverse ability, age, spirituality, religion, ethnicity, linguistic background, gender identity, sexual orientation and neurodiversity.
I take a client-centred approach, tailoring my services to my client’s needs; taking every measure possible to ensure clients can access and fully participate in services I offer. My practice is a safe space, free from discrimination and bias often faced by people who do not align with the dominant cultural paradigm.
I regard myself as a constant gardener to my personal and professional development. This means I am always curiously seeking creative ways to enhance the quality of the care I offer. So that in all possible ways I am providing you with the care you need when and how you need it.
Readily available:
If you’re seeking counselling, you don’t need a GP Referral or Mental Health Care Plan.
This means minimal wait times with appointments available sooner to help you access the support you need when you need it most.
Collaborative:
As a counsellor oriented in feminist theory, my therapeutic approach focuses on empowering you to make informed decisions about your own therapy journey.
This is done in collaboration, where we as therapist and client work together to place you - your hopes and dreams - at the centre of your own healing process.
Affordable:
I believe mental health support and assistance should be affordable. I try to keep my fees below the gap payment (your out-of-pocket expense) in relation to most mental health services (eg: psychologists, social workers, occupational therapists).
If you are experiencing financial difficulties, please let me know at the time of your discovery call and we can explore ways to support you, this can include concession rates for in-person sessions and accessing counselling services at a reduced rate via telehealth.
Diverse modes of counselling:
In addition to traditional in person sessions conducted in a clinic setting; accessible modes of counselling make therapy accessible to individuals with diverse needs.
Counselling modes on offer include:
· In-person held in the clinic setting.
· Walk and talk sessions can be scheduled around one of the lovely outdoor locations in North Fitzroy or Kyneton.
· Telehealth
Accessible locations:
I am available for in-person appointments at two lovely and welcoming clinics -
Metropolitan - North Fitzroy
Regional - Kyneton.
Each location can be reached by public transport or car travel.
Telehealth options:
If you live out of reach of my clinics, living in a remote location or living with mobility limitations I can offer virtual sessions via phone call or video link (zoom).
When we don’t need to travel to see each other, we can save on travel time and cost + I offer a reduced rate for all telehealth sessions.
Flexible scheduling:
I am offering appointment options that include week day evenings and weekend hours to accommodate different work/ life schedules.
Communicative:
You can find clear information about my services, costs, and appointment processes on my website.
I’m always happy to offer clarification of any question you might have about my practice.
So that's my list
If you have been feeling that there are just too many obstacles between you and accessing counselling, I'm hoping that this article has been is helpful in clearing the path for you.
If you'd like to explore how we might work together, please reach out and contact me. If you still feel there are issues blocking your path the assistance you feel you need; again please reach out.
Let's collaborate to ensure you receive the assistance you need when and how you need it most.
Nina Isabella - Womanly Counsellor
Nina is a Holistic Counsellor and Somatic Psychotherapist with over twenty years experience working with women. Nina brings warm, person-centred counselling + nervous system nourishing somatic psychotherapies of mindfulness, breathwork and therapeutic yoga seamlessly entwined for compassionate explorations of contemporary womanly themes:
· fertility, pregnancy, birth preparation and birth debriefing
· embracing the bliss and ambivalence of matrescence
· riding the ebb and flow of relationships
· harnessing the transformative momentum of menopause
· honouring shifts in identity, orientation and life purpose
· living intentionally with chronic health conditions
· integrating loss & grief
· and every step in between
Nina engages in a range of evidence-based counselling interventions including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. As a counsellor oriented to humanist model, Nina is responsive to her client’s diverse needs and preferences; listening warmly and deeply. She is inclusive and her approach is grounded in intrinsically trauma informed; strengths based; person-centred counselling with emphasis on the cultivation of empathy, cultural safety and genuine connection.