Jessica McMillan – MA Counselling Psychology, Level 3 IFS, BA Psych, Dip. Remedial Body Therapies, AHPRA Reg 0002420093

WELCOME!

I am a holistically minded psychologist based in Coffs Harbour, NSW. I provide compassionate, empowering and effective therapy for adults and adolescents.

Are you stuck in a rut? Feeling disenchanted with life?

Struggling with addictions or self worth issues?

Are you transitioning into another phase of life and finding it more challenging than you thought?

Perhaps you’re just ready to have more JOY in your life…

My passion is helping people to be present with what is going on. From here I can offer new experiences, or a new perspective, which ultimately allows space to open for change to happen. I have worked with groups and individuals for years, and always feel incredibly lucky to be able to be a part of positive transformation in people’s lives.

Come in and have a chat and we can both decide if we are a good fit. I am happy to have appointments where we sit on the couch in the office, or stay in our own respective spaces and use Telehealth (Zoom or Skype).

“This process of the good life is not, I am convinced, a life for the faint-fainthearted. It involves the stretching and growing of becoming more and more of one’s potentialities. It involves the courage to be. It means launching oneself fully into the stream of life.” – Carl Rogers, On Becoming a Person

Remember – We are meant to THRIVE, not just survive!!

My Story

I decided to study psychology while working in a psychiatric hospital with children and adolescents. I was in my first year of undergraduate study, trying to figure out how to make a difference in the world. The children had often been abandoned by their parents, and society. This is where I got my first taste of what holding the space, and listening without judgement did to start healing the distrust and pain.

Several years later I was back in Australia, had my degree, and I had begun working with children with Autism. I realised that relating to the parents and children was much more rewarding, for me, than anything diagnostic that I was doing. I felt that a lot of the therapeutic work that I had been asked to do wasn’t actually HEALING anyone and I was completely drained at the end of each day. Thus began my search for a Master’s program where I could learn a more holistic approach.

Back to the US, and 3 more years of studying. This time the program was integrative, holistic and mindfulness inspired. I worked with adults with eating disorders, addictions, young mothers and an array of individuals living in poverty. I added in equine assisted psychotherapy to my training, and started to hone in on how to help people FEEL their feelings in order to come to a sense of peace.

I have learned that through being present with what arises in this moment, we can connect to whatever needs to be heard. We can all heal…given time, energy and the desire. My life experiences have shown this to be the case. We are incredible beings, capable of incredible things. Once we release the pain and unlock our potential, amazing things begin to unfold.

Therapy/Therapeutic modalities

I use Gestalt therapy, somatic experiencing and mindfulness. I am also a level 3 trained Internal Family Systems therapist.

I do not come from the view point that people are broken, or that they fit into a one size fits all diagnosis. We are all different, with different stories; however, we also all have parts of us that have been hurt along the way. This, in turn, is why our system creates protective strategies & beliefs – to keep us from feeling those feelings, or being hurt again (ie. polishing off a bottle of wine in order to keep away the anxiety associated with another stressful day at work). My job is to help you get in touch with these parts so that we can help to release their pain.

Session options:

Office – a more traditional session where we sit on couches within the office

Skype or Zoom – Sometimes getting into an office is just too much on top of everything else. I am more than happy to meet you half way and have online sessions.

Walk and talk.