Phone 0480 329 660
Clinic hours: Monday - Friday 9am - 5pm, Wednesday & Thursday 10am - 6pm
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From broken to beautiful
One of my favourite leisure activities is exploring walking trails with KIT Psychology's therapy dog (in training) Bodhi.
Hello
Michelle Maya
Therapeutic Counsellor & Director
Hello, I'm Michelle, and I'm here to offer you support as you navigate life's challenges and work towards improving your mental health, relationships, and overall well-being.
My purpose and passion are reflecting and connecting fellow humans with their strengths and inner resources. I'll help you see and embrace difference and uniqueness as gifts, integrate your experiences with your identity, and utilise your unique gifts to navigate life's challenges, as you journey with purpose towards a more meaningful and joy-filled future.
I value authenticity, compassion and kindness and embody this in my work and life. You will find me sincere, supportive, perceptive, and accepting. I am genuinely interested in helping you identify and achieve your hopes and goals. Whatever you bring into the room, I won’t judge you. I will likely challenge and encourage you to consider different perspectives. I won't tell you what to do, but I will help you explore your options, gaining clarity and self-knowledge, so that you, as the expert in your life can choose what is right for you.
Michelle's Distinctive Approach:
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Accredited Expertise: Endorsed by the Australian Counselling Association (ACA), the Neurolinguistic Programming Association of Australia (NLPAA), the International Coaching Federation (ICF) and the International Institute for Complimentary Therapies (IICT), Michelle's qualifications are a testament to her commitment to professional development and client care.
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Holistic Modalities: Depending on your needs and preferences, Michelle employs a variety of therapeutic tools, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT), Motivational Interviewing (MI), Embodied Processing (somatic), conscious hypnosis, and neurolinguistic Matrix Therapy. These methods provide a framework through which clients can identify and modify desired and undesired behaviors, connect with unconscious beliefs, and reconnect with and nurture parts of the self needing attention, allowing the integration of transformative insights into the present. This integrative approach ensures that therapy is personalised and responsive to the unique needs of each client.
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Scientific and Spiritual Harmony: Michelle's approach blends evidence-based practices with spiritual understanding, offering a comprehensive outlook on mental health and personal development.
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Lived Experience: Michelle's authentic connection to her clients is deepened by her own journey through growth, recovery, and self-discovery.
A Tailored Therapeutic Experience:
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Genuine Connection: Michelle's values of authenticity, compassion, and kindness create a therapeutic environment that is sincere, supportive, and non-judgmental
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Personalised Strategies: Each session is collaborative, with strategies tailored to resonate with you and your life journey.
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Empowerment and Empathy: Michelle's ethos revolves around empowering you as the expert of your own life and supporting you to navigate your challenges with empathy and understanding. Michelle's client-centered approach ensures that each individual's values and preferences guide the therapeutic process.
My Story
It was in the dawn light of one stormy summer morning in December 2007. 'Break my Stride' was playing in one ear; my 1980's joy mix delivered into one ear on while I cycle my way to my accounting job, through the rolling hills of the Latrobe Valley where I was raised. A brief thought of 'I'm doing pretty well right now' sparked across my mind as in a dare to the universe, as if as a prelude to white four wheel drive that was about to quite literally impact my trajectory. The memory of the impact may never return, (retrospective amnesia seldom does) but the memory of consciousness slowly returning, marked by the slow and steady increase in volume of my 80s soundtrack (ipod still playing) along with the sight of lighting flashing beyond my feet down the road that I lay in the middle of, on my back, is a memory I'll likely never forget. A car accident involving a four-wheel drive while cycling. This incident led to serious and enduring health challenges and the need for significant adaptation. The irony of the song
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In the aftermath, I faced a complete identity overhaul. This life transition brought with it a newfound spiritual connection, the dissolution of long standing relationships and the emergence of a new life chapter, and a relocation to Ballarat came greater personal alignment and a chance to reconceptualise .
Among my lived experiences are the psychological and physical impact of traumatic injury (PTSD), and the daily challenges of living with 'invisible' chronic pain and illness. I have also navigated the emotional challenges associated with depression and anxiety, social isolation, grief and loss, and identity acceptance (personal, spiritual and sexual) all within a medical model that is keen to diagnose at surface level, and too infrequently looks beneath the surface.
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The resilience I developed through my life's unique challenges underpins my empathetic approach to guiding others through their own unique transformative journeys. Most recently, I have discovered that throughout all of this, I have been navigating a neurotypical world with a neurodivergent brain, an insight which has empowered me with grater understanding, self acceptance and self compassion, as it does for many diagnosed later in life.
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My journey to becoming a therapist has been inspired by my own therapists and wise mentors who continue to guide me. I hope to pay this forward by helping you reconnect with your true self and move towards your desired future.​
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Whatever's been preventing you from living the life you desire, as my client we’ll walk together to explore your concerns, discover clarity and insight, and identify solutions, options, and ways to move forward.
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If you've found me because you feel ready to work with someone who'll listen with true empathy, and who’ll support and believe in you wholeheartedly, please reach out and connect.
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Michelle
Contact
If you've found me because you feel ready to work with someone who'll listen with true empathy, and who’ll support and believe in you wholeheartedly, please do reach out and connect.
0480 329 660
"In our sessions Michelle has a presence that establishes instant rapport, holding a trusted space for me as a client to go deep.
I value the agility Michelle brings to apply different methods that are insightful and genuinely fit the challenges I was conflicted with, enabling me to move forward in my own power with new realisations and strategies.
If you are looking for someone to support and guide you to move forward and make the breakthroughs you are searching for, the I encourage you to engage Michelle".