Meet the Psychologist

Hello, I am Abelina and I am so grateful to have you here on your journey of returning to your true self. I started my journey as a psychologist in 2016, working for a number of years with young people in an Early Psychosis program where I quickly learned that our life experiences truly matter and can have a significant impact on our sense of self, and our relationship to the world around us.

Through these observations, and also my own personal life experiences, I continued to carry these learnings into private practice work where I consistently aim to approach the concerns that clients may come to therapy with through a curious and open mind (and heart) in order to better understand what might be going on for an individual on a deeper level (going beyond what "seen" or simply said through words alone).

Over the years, I have noticed a re-occurring theme of clients showing significant progress in their journey once they had an understanding of the underlying causes and reasons to why they had been feeling a certain way or struggling in certain areas of their life for so long. It has been through offering a supportive space in helping clients build awareness and find connection to themselves again, that there was a shift in how they started to feel and live in the world. That being said, I do not see myself as the “expert” on your journey – I believe that every individual can find their way back to their already held strengths simply through a safe and reflective space to help them better understand their experiences and learn more about themselves.

What is my approach?

My approaches to therapy tend to stem from a combination of holistic approaches, as well as psychodynamic and attachment theories. This means we would explore and consider the mental, emotional, and bodily or physical aspects, while also exploring how any unconscious beliefs related to certain early life experiences or childhood attachment patterns may be impacting us and showing up in our adult relationships or even in the relationship with ourselves. Through my own interest and understanding of the relationship between mind, body and emotions, I therefore consider the importance of exploring the "whole person" and incorporating any somatic or movement-based theories in session that may be beneficial and necessary.

My own personal spiritual values also lead me to approach therapy with open-mindedness and gently offering clients inquisitive and reflective questions to offer opportunity and guidance for them to learn more about themselves and recognise that they already hold the tools and resilience that they need to thrive in life. It is important to note that every individuals is different and unique, which means that the approaches within therapy sessions are always flexible and suited to support the client based on their goals and needs.

Other approaches that I instinctively use in therapy sessions include:

Mindfulness and meditation approaches
Trauma-informed approaches including somatic work or nervous system support
Inner child and parts work
Motivational interviewing to support desired changes and outcomes
Positive psychology approaches
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT)
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

Qualifications

Bachelor of Social Science (Psychology)

Graduate Diploma of Psychological Sciences

Masters of Professional Psychology

Other Learnings:

2023 - 20-Hour Foundational Training in Trauma Center Trauma Sensitive Yoga (TCTSY)
2022 - Somatic Experiencing-Informed Online Training for Trauma
2018 & 2021 - Blueknot Foundation "Working with Complex Trauma" Training
2017 - Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT) Training