Colibri Counselling & Psychotherapy welcomes people from all walks of life.
My practice is a safe, respectful, non-judgmental,
and affirming space.
I honour the richness of diversity
and approach each person’s unique story with empathy, grace, and humility, while recognising the values and experiences that shape who they are.
Who I help
I support teenagers, adults, and older adults who are experiencing grief, loss, trauma, emotional overwhelm, existential concerns, life transitions or major changes.
Many people come to grief counselling after losing a loved one, a partner, a parent, a friend, a pet, or a part or version of themselves that feels lost. Some are facing prolonged or complicated grief, an unspoken kind of grief that others, or society, may not fully recognise.
Others seek therapy during major life changes, separation or divorce, moving, relocating, displacement, illness, caregiving, or shifts in identity and purpose. These experiences can leave people feeling unanchored, anxious, or unsure of who they are becoming.
I support people experiencing ongoing stress, anxiety, depression, exhaustion and burnout, or feeling emotionally reactive and overwhelmed. This can include trauma-related challenges like complex trauma (CPTSD), attachment wounds, or long-standing patterns shaped by early experiences.
I work with people who are preparing for end-of-life, supporting a loved one through illness, processing trauma, or looking for deeper self-understanding and growth.
I also support autistic and ADHD individuals in a neurodiversity-affirming way, as well as partners and family members who want to understand and navigate neurodiversity in their relationships.
Together, we aim for clarity and a stronger sense of self. Colibri Counselling and Psychotherapy is based in Sydney and offers individual online therapy across Australia, in English and French.
The stories below are composite illustrations drawn from my clinical work. They reflect the kinds of experiences people bring to therapy and how change can unfold. They do not represent any single individual. Names and identifying details have been changed to protect privacy.
Grief & Loss
Grief after the death of a parent: Several months after her mother’s death, Sarah felt numb and more overwhelmed each day. She kept working and looking after her family, but daily life felt empty, and tears would come without warning.
Sarah slowly realised that her tiredness and mood changes were normal signs of love and loss. As she let herself grieve more openly, her feelings became less intense. She still missed her mother, but grief no longer took over her life.
Sudden loss: When her brother died suddenly, Emma felt numb and distant. She started to worry that something was wrong with her because she could not cry.
Emma understood that feeling numb had protected her from the shock. As she talked about the loss in therapy, her emotions slowly returned. She could remember her brother with both sadness and warmth.
Grief after the death of a partner: After his wife of 45 years died, Peter, age 74, started counselling for the first time because his son encouraged him. Living in rural Australia with little social contact, Peter became more withdrawn and irritable. He described his days as something he just had to get through.
Over time, he saw that his anger was hiding deep loneliness and shame. As he returned to old routines and reconnected with people, he started to feel more like himself again. His grief was still there, but he was living his life again.
Grief after the death of a child: After her son died, Margaret felt like the world kept moving, but her own life had stopped. Waves of grief hit her constantly. She kept asking herself what she might have missed or done differently. Sometimes, her guilt felt almost as heavy as her loss.
Margaret was not told to move on, but to stay with her feelings. Sometimes we sat together in silence and felt them together. Over time, she found more compassion for herself. She discovered ways to stay connected to her son while slowly returning to life.
Unresolved childhood grief: After years of drinking and feeling numb, Kate decided to start therapy. She said she had spent much of her adult life on autopilot, with little joy or connection to others. Her father had died suddenly when she was a child, a loss she thought she had already dealt with.
As Kate looked back on her early grief with kindness instead of judgment, she started to feel more alive. Over time, she found healthier ways to manage her feelings and slowly stopped depending on alcohol. What once felt empty became a deeper sense of connection with herself and others.
Life Transitions, Ruptures & Changes
Migration: When Claire moved overseas to support her husband’s career, she felt alone and uncertain about her new life. Without her usual work, friends, or routines, her confidence faded. As self-doubt grew, she started to avoid social situations.
In therapy, Claire saw how the move brought up old insecurities about her needs and identity. By exploring these feelings with curiosity rather than judgment, she learned to tell the difference between feeling unsure and feeling not good enough. She reconnected with her values and strengths. Her confidence grew again, not because life got easier, but because she felt more aligned with herself.
Divorce: When Jack’s 25-year marriage ended, he wasn’t sure who he was without it. His adult life had revolved around the relationship, so its end left him feeling lost and abandoned. He faced both the pain of separation and the loss of the future he had pictured.
Jack started to think about how he handled closeness, conflict, and his emotional needs in relationships. He found old interests, friendships, and values that used to mean a lot to him. As he figured out what mattered most for his future, he began to feel a new sense of direction. The pain of separation was still there, but it no longer controlled his future.
Family violence: After her father left home because of violence, Lily was referred to counselling. Even though her home was safer, she still felt anxious and overwhelmed by what had happened. Sometimes, she struggled to focus at school or feel comfortable in her daily life.
In counselling, Lily had a safe place to make sense of what happened and talk about feelings she couldn’t name before. As she realised she was no longer in danger, she started to feel safe again. With time, the changes at home felt less scary and easier to handle.
Existential crisis: Even though Elena was successful and settled, she started to feel uneasy inside. Her work, routines, and relationships no longer felt as meaningful as before. She wondered how she got to this point and if her life still matched who she really was.
Elena was able to explore these questions without rushing to resolve them. Rather than seeing the crisis as a failure, she began to understand it as a moment of transition. As she reflected on her values, choices, and hopes for the future, the uncertainty became less frightening. She began to reconnect with a deeper sense of authenticity and direction.
Displacement & Collective Trauma
Maya left her home country as a child because of war and violence. Years later, when news of global conflicts appeared, she felt unsettled. Old memories returned, along with fear and helplessness. Outwardly, Maya managed her daily life well. Inside, though, she felt divided between cultures and mourned in silence a lost home and childhood that others could not truly understand.
Maya realised that being uprooted early and facing repeated trauma had shaped who she was. When she started to accept these experiences instead of avoiding them, she felt more stable and complete. She understood that perfect peace might not be possible, but she could still find acceptance and meaning. This helped her live with her own complexity and feel less overwhelmed.
Illness, Mortality & Existential Concerns
Fear of death & mortality: In her early twenties, Sophie became preoccupied with death and uncertainty. Occasional thoughts grew into persistent, intrusive fears. Though healthy, she was caught in cycles of rumination and anxiety, overwhelmed by life's vulnerability.
Sophie approached her fear of mortality as something to investigate rather than remove. As she clarified what gave her purpose and built greater tolerance for uncertainty, her anxiety eased. She became more present and engaged.
Facing the end of life: When Steve was diagnosed with a terminal illness in his early fifties, much of his fear focused not on dying itself, but on his children's future after his death. Thoughts about the life he would not witness left him anxious and deeply sad.
Steve spoke openly about his fears without overwhelming his family. As he reflected on what was still meaningful, his focus shifted to connection, love, and the moments he still had.
Anticipatory grief & caregiving: While caring for his partner with a degenerative illness, Daniel became emotionally and physically exhausted. Alongside his caregiving responsibilities, he carried the burden of confronting the illness alone.
Daniel explored his mix of anticipatory grief, love, fatigue, and fear. By strengthening boundaries and self-care, he felt less alone and more confident in supporting his partner and himself.
Trauma & Nervous System Distress
Complex Trauma & Emotional Dysregulation: Nicole entered therapy feeling like something was fundamentally wrong with her. She had been given a diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder, which had left her feeling more misunderstood and stigmatised than supported. She described intense emotional swings, unstable relationships, and a deep fear of abandonment.
It became clear that many of Nicole's patterns had developed in response to repeated relational trauma. Working through a complex trauma (CPTSD) lens, rather than a personality disorder framework, changed something for her. For the first time, she began to see her emotional intensity as an adaptation, a response to what had happened to her, rather than a defect in who she was. Over time, her nervous system became more regulated and her sense of self more grounded.
Traumatic experience: Laura began counselling after witnessing a fatal accident. She experienced intrusive memories and reactivity. She avoided driving, felt anxious crossing busy streets, and was startled by sudden sounds or movement around traffic.
With regular support, Laura learned how her nervous system had remained on high alert after the event. Over time, her body settled. She regained a sense of safety and was no longer overwhelmed by reminders of the accident.
Stress, anxiety, burnout & fear of judgement: Persistent burnout and emotional reactivity led Julian to seek therapy. He described feeling constantly on edge, as though his mind and nervous system could never fully calm down. The stress showed up in his body as well. Tension, recurring back pain, and occasional panic attacks left him feeling exhausted. He avoided meetings and social situations, worrying about being judged or saying the wrong thing.
As Julian learned to understand his emotions and manage his stress, his reactions became less intense. He found more clarity in his relationships and felt more grounded and purposeful in his daily life.
How I help
Colibri Counselling and Psychotherapy is an online practice based in Sydney, NSW, offering individual therapy to clients across all Australian states and territories. Sessions are conducted via secure telehealth. No referral needed.
Sessions take place in a confidential, protected space using a secure Australian-owned, Melbourne-based telehealth platform (Zanda). Therapy is accessible wherever you are located, provided you have a stable internet connection, allowing you to attend from your home or any other place where you feel comfortable.
Appointments are available at flexible times to accommodate work, caregiving, or study commitments.
Resources, reflections and optional exercises are shared through emails.
Sessions are offered in English or French.
If you would like to explore whether this approach feels right for you, you are welcome to book a complimentary 25-minute consultation or to reach out with any questions.
