Why is it easier to tell your dog how you feel than the people in your life?
I’m Sarah, the counsellor behind Pawsitive Directions. I work with women aged 21 and over who are feeling anxious, low, stressed, burnt out or stuck, or grieving a loss, including a pet, and who haven’t found their fit with traditional counselling.
Counsellor, animal lover and farm girl at heart, I’ve seen how much easier it can be to open up with an animal nearby.
Animals and nature are part of how I work. Stroking a cat, watching fish glide through a tank or walking beside your dog gives your body something to settle into, and the conversation often follows. The animals always choose whether to take part, and you choose how involved they are.
Choose how we meet:
Online across Australia via Zoom, with your own animals welcome to join
At my home clinic in Merrifield (Mickleham), with my cat, birds and fish
Walk and talk outdoors, within 20 minutes of Merrifield or Narre Warren
In your home within 20 minutes of Merrifield or Narre Warren, working with your own animals in your own space, so counselling becomes part of your everyday life
We can work with your own animals, or if you don’t have any, with nature and wildlife, or with mine if you come to my home clinic in Merrifield.
I draw on CBT, ACT and mindfulness, solution-focused and Gestalt-based work, alongside creative therapies, and I trained in animal assisted psychotherapy with EAAPI. You’re the captain of your own ship, and I’m the passenger making suggestions.
Your first session is held online, and you don’t need to tell your whole story at once. We’ll get to know each other and map out together where you want to go and how we’ll get there.
No referral or Mental Health Care Plan needed. Sessions are by appointment five days a week, including evenings and weekends. Book a free 15-minute call to see if we’re a good fit.
Find out more and book online at www.pawsitivedirections.com.au
- Animal Assisted Psychotherapy (AAP)Animal Assisted Psychotherapy (AAP) is a specialist application of Animal Assisted Therapy that incorporates animals into the psychotherapy process. AAP is Psychotherapy, delivered by licensed or registered psychotherapists or counsellors, or allied health professionals trained in psychotherapy. In Animal Assisted Psychotherapy (AAP), clients are offered safe experiences with an animal, or different species of animals (including farm animals, domestic animals, animals in zoos and wildlife sanctuaries, for example) for the purpose of exploring self-experience, relationship, developing self-awareness, mindfulness and insight, psychological and emotional expression and development, and addressing clinical or therapeutic goals which clients have identified or agreed to.
- CounsellingCounselling is a form of talk therapy that enhances self-understanding and promotes mental well-being. Through deep listening and empathy, counsellors establish a positive working relationship which creates a safe and confidential space. Within this context, clients can develop effective ways to deal with anxieties and negative life patterns and gain new perspectives in a non-judgemental environment. Sessions can be carried out in person or via telephone or videoconferencing. In some countries, Counselling is regulated. It is essential you are familiar with and adhere to the laws in your state/province or country which govern the appropriate use of titles, require licensure/registration, or a specific level of education.