Written by Louis Chalouhi, Counsellor (Master’s in Counselling), ACA Level 2 and PACFA member.
Last updated
Family life can stretch everyone, especially through separation, a blended family, a new baby, a teenager finding their way or caring for someone who’s unwell.
Family counselling gives each person a voice and helps the whole family see the patterns that play out at home.
I support parents with practical strategies for boundaries, connection and calm communication.
Sessions can include one parent, both parents or the wider family.
Families I support
- Parents feeling stretched, unsure or at odds about parenting approaches
- Families adjusting to separation, a blended family or a new living arrangement
- Households where communication has become tense or distant
- Carers looking after a partner, parent or child and needing support for themselves
- Parents of children and teenagers who are finding things hard emotionally or behaviourally
Concerns I work with
- Parenting challenges
- Family conflict
- Changing family dynamics
- Co-parenting
- Carer stress
- Assertiveness and boundaries
How family counselling works
I draw on CBT, DBT and Compassion-Focused Therapy to help each person understand their reactions and build new ways of relating.
- Hear each person’s viewWe start by understanding what’s happening from each family member’s perspective.
- Notice the patternsTogether we look at the cycles that lead to conflict or distance, and what each person needs.
- Practise new habitsYou try practical strategies for boundaries, listening and repair at home, and we refine them in sessions.
Support for carers
Caring for someone you love can be deeply meaningful and exhausting at the same time.
Counselling gives carers space to look after their own wellbeing, process difficult feelings and find sustainable ways to keep going.
In person or online
I see clients in person in Bella Vista, Liverpool and the Inner West, and online by Zoom or phone, anywhere in Australia or overseas.
Appointments run Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 7pm, subject to availability, and the days at each room vary.
You can book directly, with no GP referral needed, and your first step is a free 15-minute call.
Read more about online counselling, or about fees, rebates and booking.
Common questions
Does the whole family need to attend?
Each family is different.
Sessions can include one parent, both parents, a parent and child, or the wider family, and we decide together what will help most.
Can you help us co-parent after separation?
Yes.
Counselling can help separated parents communicate more calmly and keep their children’s wellbeing at the centre of decisions.
Do you work with blended families?
Yes.
Blended families bring their own adjustments, and counselling can help everyone settle into new roles and relationships.
Support at any hour
Mind Therapy Room offers booked appointments, so for urgent support please use one of these services.
- Emergency000
- Kids Helpline (ages 5 to 25)1800 55 1800
- 1800RESPECT (domestic, family and sexual violence)1800 737 732
- Lifeline, 24 hours, 7 days13 11 14