About Sharon
Sharon is an Accredited Mental Health Social Worker with over 15 years’ counselling experience in both government and non-government settings. She has provided therapy to people from all walks of life, including children, parents and foster carers in the child protection system and military service personnel and their families.
Complex trauma – the name given to lifetime challenges that arise for people who have experienced adverse childhoods – has been a primary focus of her career. In 2009 she received an Ian Potter Fellowship grant and travelled to the USA where she completed training with Bessel Van der Kolk at JRI Institute in Boston MA and spent a month visiting Colin Ross’ inpatient unit for survivors of childhood trauma in Dallas TX. She has delivered training and spoken at conferences throughout Queensland in this area. It was on this study tour that she came to understand more fully how trauma experiences are stored in one’s body, rather than only in one’s mind and she subsequently completed 3 years of training in Hakomi, a mindfulness based body-inclusive psychotherapy, on return to Australia.
What Can Sharon Offer You?
Sharon offers a compassionate and respectful presence, and works to form an ethical and purposeful connection with clients, allowing them to slow down from the general busy-ness of life and pay attention to the difficulties that have brought them to counselling. She offers a safe space in which clients can be supported to feel, acknowledge and explore their edges, listen deeply to their own internal wisdom, and experiment with new ways of thinking and being.
Sharon offers counselling support for a wide range of challenges and contexts. These include:
- Trauma/Abuse – including historical or current, sexual abuse, domestic violence
- Life crises and transitions
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Stress
- Relationship difficulties
- Parenting, including step-parenting
- Grief
- Personal development
Sharon draws from a wide range of theories and learnings, including (but not limited to) cognitive behavioural therapy, psychodynamic therapy, mindfulness strategies, interpersonal therapy, internal family systems theory, motivational interviewing, strengths perspectives, family therapy, self psychology, existential therapy, eastern philosophies, and attachment theories. This eclectic yet integrated framework allows her to find the approaches and strategies that best fit the client’s situation, always guided by ongoing feedback and joint observations.
What Happens During a Session?
Sessions are generally 60 minutes long. Sharon works with individual adults and teenagers aged 16 years and older. She may sometimes suggest inviting other relevant individuals into a session, but only proceeds with this option with the consent of the client. While face-to-face is the preferred modality, phone and Skype sessions can be arranged.
How much does it cost?
$150. Medicare rebates are available if a client has a Mental Health Care Plan drawn up by their GP.
Can I claim on my Health Fund?
No
Other Services
Supervision to students, welfare workers, social workers and counsellors.
How can I find out more?
You can ring Sharon on 0413 745 419 during business hours Monday to Wednesday, or email her any time at Sharonmullercounselling@gmail.com. Sharon is available for appointments on Tuesday nights.