My name is Sarah Cole; I’m a non-aboriginal woman, born and raised in the Kulin nation and living in Wurundjeri country. I’m a certified counselling practitioner and relationship expert!
My journey to becoming a counsellor began before I knew what counselling was. I experienced childhood trauma and became a mum at a young age.
What had happened to me wasn’t my fault. I sought counselling and was enlightened by the realization that I was carrying not only the trauma of my own experience but that this trauma went back generations. Physical and emotional abuse, alcoholism, PTSD and other mental health conditions peppered (heavily!) going back multiple generations. It was vital for me to learn about traumas and how letting them inform my future is up to me and to ensure that my children live a life free of those burdens.
Accreditations – Certified Divorce Coach, accredited Clinical Hypnotherapist, Counsellor and Psychotherapist. Registered member of the Australian Counselling Association.
Counselling style – I studied counselling to gain further skills in being able to help and guide people on their journey to wholeness. To free themselves of the pain, anxiety, feelings of shame, guilt, and unworthiness that hold them back from living a whole life. What it also did, was open me up to new skills that I get to put into practice for my personal growth.
How we relate to the people in our lives, be it at work, friendships, romantic relationships, family and even the relationship we have with ourselves, is shaped by our own experiences – from the very beginning of our lives. Healthy relationships are crucial to happiness! This is why my additional studies have been focused on living relationally. We live our lives consciously, engaging in respectful practices within ourselves and others.
Counsellor self-care – Looking after our well-being and finding strategies that allow us to centre ourselves is pivotal in maintaining a sense of identity and clearing our minds of the white noise that is other’s opinions and projections – or even our negative self-talk. For me, this means spending time belly laughing with my crazy kids, dancing like nobody is watching, and drowning out the chaos in my mind with loud 80s rock music while ignoring the ever-growing washing pile!
