Compassionate connection to mind, body and spirit

Gabrielle Batson - Psychological Counselling  

Compassion does not see the world’s pain and sorrow as other;
it is shared it is ours. (Thich Nhat Hahn)

Gabrielle’s work has evolved through her own life journey and learning. The experience of two years of adventurous travel in both the east and the west during her early twenties opened her to the unconscious mind and holistic health. It also inspired a career path to walk on the inner journey with others.
“Formative childhood experiences become the template that we often replicate or react to in adulthood, and the challenge is to find a pathway that is uniquely our own. Psychological understanding helps us to make sense of our responses, and is an important starting point to living consciously. Working with the mind body relationship can deepen this awareness and create new pathways for change”.

Gabrielle offers a supportive environment to address personal stressors and difficulties and the possible underlying experiences that are held within. She has a holistic approach to health and wellbeing and engages in a co operative way with the different aspects of self to guide the process towards integration, acceptance or change. Sessions provide a space to move beyond the story of difficult experiences to engage with the mind, body and spirit through somatic and mindfulness approaches, cognitive understanding, breathing and body awareness techniques and or creative expression through play and art work.

Her specific interests include working with unresolved traumatic experiences, grief and loss, and patterns of anxiety and depression. Gabrielle also enjoys working with parents and their children, and young mothers with peri-natal issues including depression and attachment difficulties.

“Life and relationships have been my teachers and I am enriched by our inspiring local community, my love of water, swimming in the sun, walking the pilgrim’ path, dance and movement and being still with my own inner spirit. My beautiful grown children have enriched my path with their own presence and teachings and my gorgeous partner is the other set of footprints in the sand.”

Gabrielle is an accredited Mental Health Social Worker, qualified Child and Family Therapist and registered Medicare Provider with 24 years counselling experience. She has also trained in Art Therapy, Mindfulness Therapy and the Treatment of Trauma and is currently studying Somatic Psychotherapy at the Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Institute.

Articles by Gabrielle

Calming the Anxious Mind and Body. Gabrielle talks about the "body as barometer": how our bodies respond to anxious thoughts, and how focussing awareness on thoughts and physical sensations can help reduce anxiety.

Qualifications

Graduate Diploma in Mental Health Sciences, Child Adolescent and Family Therapies (2008)
Bachelor of Social Work (1992)
Associate Diploma of Arts - Welfare Studies (1979)
Certificate in Initiatic Art Therapy (2006)
Certificate in Mindfulness Based Core Process Therapy (2005)
Member of the Australian Association of Social Workers