Gemma is a Registered Clinical Counsellor having received her Master's degree from Charles Sturt University in Australia. She focused much of her studies on how people cope with major life changes, in particular how to manage the anxiety, depression and relationship issues that often surfaces during times of transition. Life isn't always straightforward. There are so many things that can be thrown at you unexpectedly, leaving you feeling like you don't have the resources to cope and that the people around you just don't seem to understand. Whether it is separation or divorce, death of a loved one, moving, a career change, losing a job, an unexpected illness or scary diagnosis, going back to school, trying to blend families, or some other major life event; all have the potential to leave you feeling lonely, stressed, anxious and depressed.
Gemma has worked with Lifeline Crisis Counselling in Australia, the Canadian Cancer Society in Vancouver and Lifetime Networks and Royal Roads University in Victoria, helping individuals, couples and families to manage times of change and difficulty and see their way clear to where they want to be.
Gemma is a friendly professional who is warm and caring as well as practical and insightful. She loves to laugh and is also comfortable sitting with deep sadness, anger, frustration and everything in between. She is motivated to see her clients on their way to where they want to be, and feeling how they want to be feeling, as quickly as possible.
Using her varied experience, Gemma works with clients to come up with a counselling or support plan to meet their individual needs. This sometimes involves Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, Solution-Focused Therapy or utilizing Positive Psychology interventions. Sometimes it means just listening quietly and allowing clients to talk freely about what's on their mind. She focuses on helping clients resolve current problems quickly, as well as allowing for any work that might need to be done around past problems and trauma. Gemma is encouraging without pressuring and her style is straightforward, warm, proactive and solution-focused.
For counselling sessions at State of Mind Victoria you can always choose between meeting in the office, meeting via Skype or meeting outside for a Walk and Talk session.
