About Counselling with Rachel
Rachel Whitton’s counselling approach is warm and non-judgmental. Rachel works from a range of counselling frameworks to ensure she can provide each person she meets, with a counselling session that is tailored to their individual needs. She works with couples, individuals and families. Rachel is also a Certified Clinical Specialist in Autism (ASDCS) and uses trauma-informed neurodiversity affirming therapy.
She uses predominantly:
· Narrative Therapy (NT)
· Solution Focused Therapy (SFT)
· Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
· Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT)
· Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT)
· Neuropsychotherapy and Polyvagal Theory informed
· Attachment Theory and Trauma informed
This all means Rachel can use a variety of evidence-based therapy practices and understands the way memories of trauma are stored in the brain and in the body. She works to ensure that you feel safe, listened to and valued so that your sessions can bring healing and closure to any trauma/emotional wounds you may have experienced as a child and/or as an adult. Rachel understands how your nervous system can become hypervigilant to danger and will help you edit your nervous system’s responses. This helps you move from being in the state of fight/flight/freeze and towards feeling safer, more connected and grounded. She works to give you practical strategies to use yourself outside of the therapy room, in order to ease feelings of anxiety or depression. With Rachel’s help you can work towards adding peace, hope and a sense of feeling grounded in your life.
In addition to the above therapy styles, when Rachel works with couples, she uses techniques from various interventions (eg: Gottman Institute, Crucible Therapy - Dr David Schnarch, Attachment Based Couples Therapy, Prepare/Enrich, Esther Perel’s relationship and erotic intelligence, etc) to help you build trust, discover good communication tools and strengthen your relationship to be more intimate and satisfying. Rachel also has a passion for helping couples build a strong marriage foundation in premarital counselling. Rachel works with families using a Family Systems Therapy style (in addition to the above therapy styles) where she works to find a unified family story/goal and connects with each family member to ensure they are involved and have a chance for input into the conversations and changes being made.
See ‘Services’ tab for more information.
Qualifications and registration
Rachel holds a Bachelor of Behavioural Science (Psychology) and a Master of Counselling. Rachel participates in at least 20 hours per year of professional development and is insured. She also holds a blue card and is registered as a Clinical Member of Psychotherapist and Counsellors Federation of Australia (PACFA). Also holds certification as Clinical Specialist in Autism (ASDCS).
“Change is inevitable. Harnessing this change can be challenging when you are overwhelmed. Counselling can help you discover strategies and tools needed to find the path that will take you to where you are meant to be.”
- Rachel Whitton
Some counselling issues Rachel works with:
- Individuals/Couples/Family
- Sex and Intimacy issues
- Neurodiversity Affirming Therapy
(for Autistics, ADHDers, etc)
- Grief, Loss and Bereavement
- Depression / Anxiety
- Trauma and Abuse
- Family Therapy
- Self-esteem
- Stress and Burnout
- Parenting / Behavioural Management support
- Foster and Kinship Care issues
- Premarital Counselling
- Christian Counselling and Worldview struggles
“I am a counsellor who has a passion for assisting others during times of crisis and healing.” - Rachel Whitton
About Terebinth Trees
Artwork 'Terebinth Tree' is by the very talented artist - Jennie Bell. Please check out her other pieces at Jennie Bell Art - click the Terebinth Tree or here to go to her Facebook Page.
Terebinth Trees are often mistaken for oak trees but they are a different species all together, they are actually a turpentine tree. Growing well in fields and valleys, they tend to grow together with smaller dense Terebinth Trees surrounding each other. They are also found growing out in the wilderness on their own. When they grow on their own, they will often grow tall and wide. They can be seen from miles away and locals know each tree’s location because they provide much needed shade and protection on hot dusty days. They are a signpost for travellers.
They have been used by travellers as a place to meet on a tired and long journey. Terebinth Trees are a place to rest and a place to receive promises and blessings from special loved ones. The trees have green leaves and they bear red fruit which can be eaten (one way to consume them is coffee - my favourite drink to enjoy!) so they can be a place of nourishment. The Terebinth Tree also has traditional medicinal uses so are also a place of healing. Soap can be made from the fruit (turpentine soap) so they can be a place of cleansing.
I could talk about Terebinth Trees for days, as you may have guessed by now! This tree, to me, is a lovely symbol of the therapy process and the work people do (both individually and in relationship with others).
So… come and sit with me, underneath the Terebinth Tree.