BUNDABERG COUNSELLING Counselling with a Difference
Why We're Different
At Bundaberg Counselling, we strive to make a difference in the lives of our clients through counselling, education and compassionate support.
We offer caring and supportive therapeutic counselling using a broad range of evidence-based therapies.
Our aim is to build awareness about the issues you are facing and teach you what’s happening, why it’s happening, and how to change what is happening. We want you to have the practical skills you need to regain a sense of control in your life and move forward to a more positive and a meaningful life.
OUR VALUES
It's all about the relationship
Our values underpin all of the work done in our counselling sessions with clients:
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It is with warmth and kindness we are held with compassion.
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It is through connection and understanding we gain courage and insight.
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It is when we experience empathy and acceptance that we feel heard and valued.
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It is by opening ourselves up to new ways of responding to situations that we regain our inner balance.
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It is in the quiet stillness that we hear our breath.
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And it is in these moments that we are able to heal and find strength to move forward.
© Karen Barlow
Karen Barlow - Counsellor
Hi. I'm Karen Barlow and I strive to make a difference in the lives of all my clients through counselling, education, information, and compassionate support.
My vision is to provide a responsive and supportive service that will help you move forward and live a meaningful and rewarding life.
My desire is to explore your counselling goals and help you move towards achieving these goals. The aim is that you will learn something new at every session and be able to apply these strategies to your everyday life.
I also allocate some sessions each week for quick response needs and referrals from GPs.
I can help you in so many areas of your life including: stress, fear, anxiety, emotions, coping, communication, parenting, grief, domestic violence, boundaries, work issues, relationships, confidence, motivation, relaxation, self-care, grounding and self-soothing strategies, and so much more.
I have 25 years’ experience working in the areas of counselling, domestic violence, youth work, schools, parenting, community support and group facilitation. I also was a school counsellor in Beirut, Lebanon in 2008 and 2009.
I have been providing trauma-informed counselling for ten years and education on a broad range of topics and I am interested in health and wellbeing. I am keen to help people learn more about stress and how it impacts their body.
I am dedicated to delivering compassionate, client-centred counselling services that promotes mental health and well-being, along with emotional healing and personal growth. It means a lot to me when I can help people navigate life's challenges with resilience and confidence. I believe in the potential of every family and individual.
If you are looking for a responsive, caring counsellor, Bundaberg Counselling is the ideal counselling service for you.
Telephone Support Services
If you are struggling and need support any time of the day, please talk to a trained telephone counsellor from one of the services below:
Lifeline Australia 13 11 14
Mensline Australia 1300 78 99 78
Kids Help Line 1800 55 1800
1800RESPECT 1800 737 732
Why Blue Fairy Wrens are our Mascot
Our Little Blue Fairy Wrens
We have embraced the Australian blue fairy wren as our mascot as it is a beautiful symbol of our counselling ethos of Live, Learn and Thrive.
The Blue Fairy Wrens are Aussie birds, with the males being blue and the females are brown and very cute.
It is fascinating to know that the young male birds are taught a song to sing from an early age. Over time they learn new skills and develop their song. With lots of practice, these gorgeous birds perfect the songs into their own exquisitely beautiful song that is uniquely theirs.
That's a bit like what happens in counselling. You come with your story and start to learn new things about yourself and how you function in this world. Over time, you develop a new and richer story about your self.
It's all about being able to Live, Learn and Thrive.
COUNSELLING TOPICS
Here is a general guide to the topics we regularly help people with. But it's really up to you. You are welcome to contact us to talk about your concerns and how we may assist you. If your issues are outside our area of expertise, we will do our best to suggest a service that may be able to help you.
Anxiety - understanding how stress and anxiety affect our brain, body and health, and learning effective therapies and strategies to transform anxiety from fear to confidence
Restlessness and fidgeting - why we sometimes can't sit still
Thoughts - racing, negative, critical, replaying them repeatedly
Emotions - emotional overwhelm, healthy ways to release emotions
Weariness and fatigue - running on empty
Pre-marriage counselling - building a great relationship
Interpersonal - understanding differences, conflict v co-operation, communication, enrichment: caring, kindness, admiration, sharing
Parenting - better ways of guiding our kids, step parenting, solo parenting, grandparenting
Sleep - why it's important, difficulty getting to sleep, why we wake up, sleep hygiene
Our brain - seven ways for optimum brain health
Our brain and gut - how to get our lives back on track using our hormones
Workplace - stress, bullying, work/life balance
Boundaries - how to set them, when to say yes, when to say no
People pleasing - feeling like a door mat &/or wanting to be liked
Coping strategies - why Aussies lean towards unhelpful coping strategies and how to replace them with strategies that actually work
Addictions - understanding why they occur, learning about options
Self-harm and eating disorders - looking beyond the obvious
Grief and loss - life transitions, the grief journey: the path that helps us heal
Suicide bereavement
Health issues - caring via empathy, warmth and self-kindness
Menopause from a counselling perspective - support, empathy, grief & loss
Developing gratitude and Mindfulness
Relaxing, soothing, calming and slowing down, and
Having the confidence to reach out for help.
Never give up. There is always hope!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Here are some answers to the questions we often get asked.
There is a saying that 'Time heals all wounds', but according to Dr Henry Cloud the co-author of 'Boundaries', it's not time that heals wounds, it is what you DO in that time that heals emotional wounds. Counselling provides insight, awareness and understanding about the issues you may be facing. It also provides knowledge and skills to help you cope better and move forward to help you have a more positive approach to life. Ultimately, the aim of counselling is for our lives to be renewed.
During COVID I spent 2 years providing a high level of counselling to my clients and many of them opted to stay with phone counselling even after COVID was over. One of the benefits of phone counselling is that you don't have to worry about transport and parking. Another benefit is that you can sit in your own comfy chair at home, get a hot or cold drink and chill out. At the end of each session, I offer a relaxation, and that means you can stay in your chair and stay in a relaxed state for a lot longer than if you had to get in a car and drive home. It's lovely!
There has been a lot of research done in the areas of mental health and wellbeing, and there are many helpful activities that have been proven to decrease stress and improve your wellbeing. Some of these include:
massages
tai chi
walking with a friend
moving your body
swimming
going to the beach
breathing activities
singing
listening to positive peaceful music
yoga
gym classes
riding a bike
smiling
guided relaxations and
Mindfulness activities.
It's also really important to slow down, notice your breathing, be in the present moment, and be kind to yourself.
Bundaberg Counselling is a fee for service business that provides competitive rates.
Individual sessions - $100
We are now providing PHONE/VIDEO counselling on Saturdays. This allows us to provide sessions so that people who work or live in regional areas can have access to counselling.
You get the same level of service but at a reduced rate of $90. T
We are happy to take referrals from your GP and other health professionals. We also welcome self-referrals and you can simply contact us and book an appointment.
We will look at NDIS support in the near future. For the time being you can do a Google search and find lots of providers out there in our community who can assist you.
Payment for counselling is done by bank transfer at the start of every session. You will be provided with our BSB and Account Number at your first session.