individual therapy
'The aim is to help people become a mature, wise adult and to be relational with yourself and relational with other people, so you become part of the solution on the planet. The most important thing is to teach you how to value yourself and how to go through a process enough so you realise that your strengths don't make you better than others and your weaknesses don't make them less than others. Your strengths ease your journey, your weaknesses are your teachers.' Pia Mellody
How does it work?
The form of therapy I practice differs from a talk therapy, where you sit down and talk through your problems with your therapist. Combining aspects of Hakomi somatic psychotherapy, Internal Family Systems and Relational Life Therapy, as well as clarifying and promoting healthy thought patterns, this way of working operates at the level of body, feeling, emotion and memory to help free you from the hold that past memories, traumatic events, unhelpful habits and bad experiences have on you.
As we work together over time, you build an understanding and skill of how to be with and even transform your challenges, and it gets easier and quicker to move through emotional blocks and back into the natural qualities of joy, ease and serenity. We reconnect with a natural cycle of clarity around what is important for us, an ease in engaging with that, enjoying our accomplishments and prioritising rest as needed.
This is a solution focussed approach that offers ideas and tools for life. What I'd like to offer you is an approach that helps dissolves the power the past has on you, and that helps you face everyday life and find a way forward despite the challenges you face.
As we unpack what's going on for you, you can understand directly for yourself what’s been holding you back and begin to release the old patterns. As the old patterns release and your understanding grows, your natural confidence and self-esteem also flows naturally. As we free up the old patterns that don’t help anymore, together we’ll build your inner resources and resilience skills to help you cope better and even thrive in every-day life. The aim is to empower you to enjoy life.
What are the benefits of this therapy?
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Skills to manage anxiety, emotional stress and your inner critic
- Feeling better about yourself rather than thinking that there is something wrong with you
- Feeling grounded to face the challenges of everyday living
- Being able to express anger in a helpful way and choice about how it comes out. Resolving resentment and standing up for yourself with love.
- Better understand the roots of fear, anxiety, doubt, anger, giving up
- Improved relationships and and a better understanding of the dynamics of what is happening in your relationships
- Resolving past trauma and shame
- Improved body image, self-esteem, self-worth and confidence
- Improved communication skills to help your confidence
- Help and guidance and someone to talk to
- Being able to recognise destructive patterns and deal with unresolved family conflicts and history
- Freeing up feeling stuck in life
- Uncovering a sense of what gives meaning and/or purpose to your life. Getting your mojo back.
Who is this for?
This work is designed for anyone who is committed to getting to the heart of the matter and taking the steps needed to see some real change.
Some of the things we can work together with are
- Facing and not only soothing anxiety, terror, panic, but also appreciating what that part of us really cares about and giving tools to achieve that
- Transforming anger, rage, frustration, annoyance, contempt into effective ways to stand up for ourselves and ask for what we want
- dealing with controlling behaviours, our own and others and learning ways to be relational in a warm firm loving way
- Learning ways to communicate that deal with harshness and it's impact on others
- Abusive tendencies
- Understanding avoidance and procrastination so that we can engage and respond in ways that feel rewarding and satisfying.
- Putting yourself and your needs second and finding your voice (with love)
- Moving from shame and guilt to being enough, despite any mistakes and mess ups we've made in life.
Who is this not for?
If you think therapy is a bit of a one shot process, this is not for you. This might sound something like, "I'll go in and have a session or two and everything will be sorted or if I'm not fixed by then, he's useless or not for me."
The challenges and emotional problems you face in your present life have all come about due to events and experiences that have happened in your life, whether you chose them or not. We could call them either capital "T" trauma, this is the obvious ones such as physical or sexual assault or a road crash injury/trauma. Or there are less obvious traumas, such as the relational harm of neglect. i.e. always being picked up 30 minutes late from school.
If they are not resolved at the time, these life experiences can build up in our mind, body and heart and it takes time for it to change. If we are going into a new fitness program when we've not done much or any sort of fitness work for a long time, it takes time and effort for the body to adjust and build strength. The same goes for our nervous system, heart and mind.
To come to a place of resolution, possibility and even joyful participation in the world takes time, patience and consistent effort over months, and sometimes years. Our brain, nervous system, emotions, mind and body are not a machine and need time, the right sort of approach and effort and understanding to change. It's rare that change happens with a "are we there yet" or 'why aren't we there yet' approach. Each avoids the reality of what's in front of us and looking closer to see what would be most helpful now and what is possible.
"Anton has been my therapist for nearly 5 years. I come back and choose this place for healing and growth because I know I have a true ally in Anton, someone who has walked the path himself, knows both the joy and the challenge of it all, and humbly holds the space and compassion needed to support others to do the same. I cherish this space so much and couldn’t recommend Anton more highly". Dr Emma S.
How to meet up for Sessions?
Come to the office for sessions - Fairfield, Victoria. The address is supplied when you book.
or
Online with Zoom - A Zoom link for your session will be sent once you have booked.
Cost
One hour sessions are $150 for in person or Zoom sessions, and pro-rata for longer sessions.
If paying by card, a 1.9% transaction fee applies. This is what I'm charged by the payment processing company.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What therapy modalities do you use?
A. I use a mix of Hakomi therapy, Internal Family Systems (IFS), Real Life Therapy (RLT) of Terry Real and I've also trained with PSI The Psychodelic Somatic Institute. All of the work is experiential and relational in some way, either to ourselves and the difficulties we experience inside, or relational to others and the challenges we have with them or in our day to day life. This is not a conventional talk therapy model, it's deeply healing and practical.
Q. Do you work with trauma's like historical sexual or emotional abuse?
A. Yes I do. All of the modalities I use help address how trauma is held in the body, the mind and emotions. Slowly through a process called memory reconsolidation, relational empowerment and relational skills building, the emotional charge of the trauma can be released and new possiibilities opened.
Q. Can I claim a medicare rebate, or set up a mental healthcare plan with you?
A. No, I don't work within the medicare system.
Q. Can I claim sessions with my private health fund?
A. No, I don't have a provider number for that.
Booking Sessions
If you'd like to have a chat before we start sessions, please follow the link below to book a free 15 minute call
If you are in a different time zone to Melbourne Australia.
Please choose the time zone you live in so you get the reminders in your correct time.
Click here to book a 15 minute intro call
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