Brigitte House, PACFA

Brigitte House is a psychotherapist and counsellor who supports people to strengthen their wellbeing and transform difficult experiences into opportunities for growth. With 22 years of experience in the community services and not-for-profit sector, she began in social work and around ten years ago expanded her practice to include psychotherapy, counselling and the teaching of meditation. Her work has taken place in both agency and private practice settings, delivered face-to-face and via telehealth, and has involved a wide range of presenting concerns including stress, anxiety and panic, depression, grief and loss, relationship difficulties, trauma and abuse, existential questions, gender diversity and sexuality, and addiction recovery.

She practices in a person-centred, trauma-informed, somatic-based and process-experiential manner that places the therapeutic relationship at the heart of healing. That approach emphasises connecting with inner experience, building self-awareness, and developing practical coping resources. Brigitte holds PACFA, the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia credential, and she aims to help people find deeper connection with themselves, uncover meaning, and build the capacity to manage life’s challenges with more confidence.

Approaches that translate well to online therapy

Client-centred therapy focuses on creating a respectful, non-judgemental therapeutic relationship where the person’s own goals and experiences guide the work. It helps with a wide range of concerns including self-esteem, relationship difficulties and life transitions. Somatic therapy attends to bodily sensations and the ways trauma and stress are held in the body; it uses mindful awareness of physical experience to support regulation and recovery from trauma, anxiety and persistent stress. Trauma-focused therapy concentrates on processing and integrating traumatic experiences in ways that reduce their ongoing impact and help restore a sense of safety and agency.

Finding the right approach is part of the therapy journey and Brigitte will work collaboratively with each person to determine which methods best fit their needs, goals and preferences. That collaborative planning can evolve as progress is made and as different issues emerge.

Online therapy through video calls, phone sessions, live chat or text-based messaging offers practical flexibility for people with busy schedules, mobility constraints or those who prefer remote care. These options make it easier to maintain continuity of support, access appropriately qualified or registered professionals from different locations, and choose the format that feels most comfortable for each stage of therapy.