About Us
Supporting your journey to recovery and thriving one step at a time
Havilah Social Work and Counselling Services.
Havilah Social Work and Counselling Services offers compassionate, high-quality support for individuals navigating challenges such as trauma, mental health, and personal growth. We serve private-paying clients and those registered with NDIS, WorkSafe, and TAC, with concessions available.
Our long-term vision is to develop into the Havilah Trauma Recovery Centre, a therapeutic hub for healing from life-changing events.
We use a bio-psychosocial and spiritual framework to promote overall well-being and apply evidence-based therapies, including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Narrative Therapy, and Trauma Therapy. Our approach also incorporates techniques like psycho-education, journaling, drawing, and goal-setting to empower clients in their healing journey.
Rooted in Christian values, we believe in fostering resilience and personal growth through active client involvement. With a blend of compassionate care and professional expertise, we guide clients toward lasting healing and positive change.
Our long-term vision is to evolve into the Havilah Trauma Recovery Centre, a comprehensive therapeutic hub offering diverse services to aid clients in their healing journey from trauma and life-changing events.
Our Approach.
We adopt the bio-psychosocial and spiritual framework (when applicable), recognizing the interconnectedness of physical, psychological, social/relational, and spiritual health. This holistic model forms the foundation of our work and ensures that each client’s unique needs are addressed comprehensively.
Evidence-Based Therapeutic Methods.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT): A mindfulness-based approach that promotes psychological flexibility by encouraging acceptance and value-driven action. Effective for anxiety, depression, chronic pain, and trauma (Hayes et al., 2006).
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT): Focuses on changing unhelpful thoughts and behaviours to improve emotional regulation. Widely supported for treating depression, anxiety, and PTSD (Beck, 1979; Hofmann et al., 2012).
Narrative Therapy: Helps clients reframe their life stories to build agency and resilience, particularly in trauma recovery (White & Epston, 1990).
Trauma Therapy: Utilizes techniques like grounding, somatic experiencing, and trauma-focused CBT to address trauma's effects and enhance emotional well-being (van der Kolk, 2014).
Christian Principles.
For clients who wish to incorporate spirituality into their healing journey, we integrate Christian principles to promote hope, purpose, and resilience. This faith-informed approach complements the therapeutic process by addressing spiritual needs in alignment with the client’s values and beliefs.
Commitment to Empowerment.
At Havilah, we believe in empowering our clients to take an active role in their healing journey. Through techniques such as psycho-education, journaling, goal setting, and creative expression, we encourage clients to build self-awareness, resilience, and confidence as they move toward recovery.
References:
Beck, A. T. (1979). Cognitive Therapy and the Emotional Disorders.
Hayes, S. C., et al. (2006). Acceptance and Commitment Therapy: An experiential approach to behavior change.
Hofmann, S. G., et al. (2012). The efficacy of cognitive-behavioral therapy: A review of meta-analyses. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 36(5), 427–440.
White, M., & Epston, D. (1990). Narrative Means to Therapeutic Ends.
van der Kolk, B. A. (2014). The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, mind, and body in the healing of trauma.
About Susan.
I am a social worker who recently completed a graduate diploma in counselling, with a career that spans a range of roles within the mental health and disability sectors. My journey began as a support worker, case manager, and NDIS Support Coordinator, where I developed a strong passion for helping individuals, particularly those facing mental health challenges. I found that I could deeply relate to my clients, which made the work even more fulfilling. Later, I worked in the National Redress Scheme at Services Australia, supporting survivors of institutional child sexual abuse through the redress process.
Before pursuing social work, I spent over 15 years in the disability sector, supporting children, young people, and adults with a wide range of physical, intellectual, and sensory disabilities.
I am driven by a passion for supporting people from all walks of life, especially in addressing the challenges they face. I have a particular interest in trauma and trauma-related symptoms, and in my role as both a social worker and counsellor, I prioritise my clients’ dignity, respect, and well-being. My goal is to offer my best support, counselling and therapeutic approaches, and empowering individuals to heal, grow, and thrive.
We offer a range of Social Work, Counselling and Mental Health Coaching solutions. Some of our services include:
Social Work Services through NDIS and Work Safe.
Counselling Services.
Mental Health Coaching.