Emergence Therapy

Healing the ground between us.

“There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.”

maya angelou

I’m a Gestalt therapist offering psychotherapy and counselling for adults in Northern Rivers (Murwillumbah & Lismore) and Brisbane (West End), as well as online across Australia.

I support people experiencing anxiety, trauma, grief, burnout, depression, major life transitions, ecological and existential distress and relationship challenges.

I’m committed to providing therapy that is non-pathologising, trauma-informed, and attuned to your unique needs. I bring curiosity, warmth, and care to our work together, creating a space where we can explore your experience at your own pace.

My approach is relational, ethical and deeply attuned to context, recognising that who we are emerges not in isolation, but within families, communities, cultures, and ecosystems.

As a woman, mother, and therapist with lived experience alongside complex mental health challenges and family systems, I hold space for the depth of human struggle.

I trust that everything we feel makes sense when we can pause and listen closely. My hope is to walk alongside you as you discover new ways of relating – to yourself, to others, and to the world – with presence, curiosity, courage, and compassion.

Contact Me

“Heartbreak may be the very essence of being human, of being on the journey from here to there, and of coming to care deeply for what we find along the way.”

David Whyte

I offer therapy & counselling support with…

Tending to grief, loss, trauma, and major life transitions
Holding ecological and existential distress
Supporting stress, burnout, anxiety, and depression
Reframing shame and self-criticism with dignity and care
Exploring identity, power, belonging, and the effects of cultural and social pressures
Navigating relationships, intimacy, and complex family dynamics
Deepening connection with self, community, and the more-than-human world

See the About page for more details.

We all face moments of loss, overwhelm, or uncertainty. Together, we can explore how to meet these challenges with compassion, resilience, and a renewed sense of belonging and connection.

Feedback

“Working with Lou for the past few months has been a deeply supportive experience for me. I have leaned into her tender and strong presence, and said “yes” to stepping into the mystery, with her invitations to experiment with such things as empty chair work, and using creative art activities as a way of articulating feelings and experience, as well as just sitting with what is arising in the here and now. I have found her way of offering Gestalt Therapy to be very accessible, and I have felt safe enough in her heart-felt presence, to experience vulnerable spaces within myself, and to work through personal difficulties both past and present. She is clear and attentive in her communication, both in and outside of our sessions. I would recommend Lou, if you are needing to be held with tenderness, openness, strength, curiosity, patience, and kindness. I feel closer to myself and others in my life due to spending regular time with Lou, and I am very grateful to her for that.”
Dan Collinson
Physiotherapist

“Lou is a highly empathetic, open-minded and insightful therapist. She draws from the depth of her own inner work and capacity to sit with difficult feelings in herself and in others. Invaluable in her skills as a therapist is her lived experience in supporting others through addiction, mental health concerns, codependency and working with the issues confronting young people. If you are ready to do the work I recommend Lou as a therapist you can journey with.”
Michelle Walter
Trauma Counsellor

“Lou was my first ever experience of Gestalt Therapy. And what an experience! I’ve never before felt so seen, heard and understood by a therapist. I would highly recommend Lou to anyone.”
Katie

“As a new client of Lou’s, and being a first time Gestalt client, I knew pretty much nothing about Gestalt therapy and was quite nervous before meeting Lou. But from the first greeting Lou was so welcoming and culturally respectful, as I am of South Sea Islander and Indigenous heritage. Lou’s understanding of my struggles of identity and where I belong made me feel comfortable and safe. All thanks to Lou – she is definitely a special person who has and is still helping me navigate and understand how to work with my emotions and thoughts. I do recommend Lou for anyone who is ready to understand themselves.”
Carlie

“I couldn’t more highly recommend Lou. She is professional and supportive in her approach to therapy. I felt comfortable when discussing complex matters of the heart. I felt sessions with her were empowering but also solutions based. I walked away feeling more empowered to deal with the issues at the time and have continued to use some of those strategies today. I really enjoyed the art therapy component which was new to me. Thank you for supporting me in my growth.”
Ly Nguyen

I acknowledge the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People as the Traditional Custodians of the land on which I live, work, and continue to hope. I honour their ongoing connection to their history, their living culture, their dreaming and to water, story and country. I pay respect to Elders past and present, and extend this respect to all First Nations Peoples. I acknowledge that sovereignty was never ceded. Always was, always will be, Aboriginal land.

I also recognise the strength and diversity of all communities, including LGBTQIA+ people, and am committed to fostering an inclusive, affirming space for all.