EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a psychotherapy that enables people to heal from the symptoms and emotional distress that are the result of disturbing life experiences. Repeated studies show that by using EMDR therapy people can experience the benefits of psychotherapy that once took years to make a difference. It is widely assumed that severe emotional pain requires a long time to heal. EMDR therapy shows that the mind can in fact heal from psychological trauma much as the body recovers from physical trauma. When you cut your hand, your body works to close the wound. If a foreign object or repeated injury irritates the wound, it festers and causes pain. Once the block is removed, healing resumes. EMDR therapy demonstrates that a similar sequence of events occurs with mental processes. The brain’s information processing system naturally moves toward mental health. If the system is blocked or imbalanced by the impact of a disturbing event, the emotional wound festers and can cause intense suffering. Once the block is removed, healing resumes. Using the detailed protocols and procedures learned in EMDR training sessions, clinicians help clients activate their natural healing processes. ​ More than thirty positive controlled outcome studies have been conducted on EMDR therapy. Some of the studies show that 84%-90% of single-trauma victims no longer have post-traumatic stress disorder after only three 90-minute sessions. Another study, funded by the HMO Kaiser Permanente, found that 100% of the single-trauma victims and 77% of multiple trauma victims no longer were diagnosed with PTSD after only six 50-minute sessions. In another study, 77% of combat veterans were free of PTSD in 12 sessions. There has been so much research on EMDR therapy that it is now recognized as an effective form of treatment for trauma and other disturbing experiences by organizations such as the American Psychiatric Association, the World Health Organization and the Department of Defense. Given the worldwide recognition as an effective treatment of trauma, you can easily see how EMDR therapy would be effective in treating the “everyday” memories that are the reason people have low self-esteem, feelings of powerlessness, and all the myriad problems that bring them in for therapy. Over 100,000 clinicians throughout the world use the therapy. Millions of people have been treated successfully over the past 25 years. EMDR therapy is an eight-phase treatment. Eye movements (or other bilateral stimulation) are used during one part of the session. After the clinician has determined which memory to target first, he asks the client to hold different aspects of that event or thought in mind and to use his eyes to track the therapist’s hand as it moves back and forth across the client’s field of vision. As this happens, for reasons believed by a Harvard researcher to be connected with the biological mechanisms involved in Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep, internal associations arise and the clients begin to process the memory and disturbing feelings. In successful EMDR therapy, the meaning of painful events is transformed on an emotional level. For instance, a rape victim shifts from feeling horror and self-disgust to holding the firm belief that, “I survived it and I am strong.” Unlike talk therapy, the insights clients gain in EMDR therapy result not so much from clinician interpretation, but from the client’s own accelerated intellectual and emotional processes. The net effect is that clients conclude EMDR therapy feeling empowered by the very experiences that once debased them. Their wounds have not just closed, they have transformed. As a natural outcome of the EMDR therapeutic process, the clients’ thoughts, feelings and behavior are all robust indicators of emotional health and resolution—all without speaking in detail or doing homework used in other therapies. Click here to go to the EMDR Therapy Video

Jay adheres to best practice principles for complex trauma client work as defined by Blue Knot Foundation. Please see below link: https://www.blueknot.org.au/resources/Publications/Practice-Guidelines What is complex trauma? Complex Trauma is defined as exposure to multiple traumas over a lifetime as well as the symptoms of this exposure on a person’s life and emotional well-being. Complex trauma is generally interpersonal and involves feelings or experiences of being trapped. The abuse or trauma is often planned, extreme in nature, ongoing and/or repeated. Complex trauma often has more severe, persistent and cumulative impacts on an individual than single event trauma does. It can involve challenges with feelings of shame, inability to trust, low self-esteem, loss of or lack of identity and the inability to regulate emotions successfully. This means when big emotions surface it can be hard to calm yourself down from them. Often people will use different coping strategies to address the way they are experiencing life such as with alcohol and drug misuse, self-harming, over or under eating, over working, various addictions, etc. Complex trauma affects emotional and physical health, overall well-being, relationships and day to day functioning. In other words, it affects a person’s ability to live life in the way they chose and in a way which enables them to reach their full potential. So…a common question clients ask….can I recover from complex trauma? It has been proven through in-depth research and the telling of survivor stories that people can and do recover from complex trauma. Survivors need to receive the right help and support but they can heal. Generally, it takes more than the therapist to enable healing, it takes the trusted and safe family members, as well as partners and friends to be supportive and understanding too. It is a well-known fact that when parents work through their own trauma their children do better as a result. Any work done to heal yourself positively impacts those around you. It is also important to focus on hope and optimism that life can and will be better in the future. Complex trauma counselling Complex trauma counselling has to be tailored towards the individual once a trusting and safe therapeutic alliance is established. This can take different lengths of time depending on the individual. The counselling is client-led and client-paced and sessions focus in areas the client defines as most meaningful to them. Jay utilises a host of interventions and strategies to assist clients towards healing which includes EMDR, psycho-education, strengths and resilience building, trauma focused processing, providing strategies to help with symptoms, referrals where necessary, self-care techniques, etc. The counselling is always provided in line with best practice principles. Jay is a counsellor on Blue Knot’s referral database, is registered on the Trauma Support Directory and is a registered provider for the National Redress Scheme and Victims of Crime, Victoria.

What is Child Consultancy? A Child Consultant assists parents to focus on and support their child(ren) through family separation. Jay is a qualified Child Consultant with several years of experience working in Family Dispute Resolution (or mediation). Jay has extensive knowledge surrounding the developmental and emotional needs of children and young people during the separation process and adheres to best practice principles as defined by Dr Jen McIntosh https://childrenbeyonddispute.com Why engage a Child Consultant? The way a child reacts to a stressful event such as family separation is complex and unique. Supporting children throughout the separation process and encouraging a continued relationship with all family members (where appropriate) is an important responsibility for parents. Research on the impact of separation on children has shown that ongoing parental conflict can result in negative psychological consequences for children. Children and Young People may not understand all they are feeling and often don’t have the words to be able to ask for help. Parents may instead notice changes in behaviour which are unusual for their child. It is important to remember that there are positive steps parents can take to reduce the likelihood of emotional and behavioural problems for their child(ren). Some separated families with children, including those in de facto or same sex relationships struggle to communicate in ways which support the best interests of their child/ren. As mentioned previously this can negatively impact a child’s development. What is involved? The Child Consultant spends time hearing from the concerned parent(s) before meeting the child(ren). Work is then completed with the child(ren). Throughout this work an assessment is undertaken to gather a snapshot of how the child(ren) are being impacted by the separation. The work is largely play-based and symbolic in nature. The child(ren) are never asked leading questions such as who they might want to live with. This decision is one that only parents can make on behalf of their child(ren). Following the session with the child(ren) the Child Consultant provides information, referrals (if necessary), recommendations and support to parents to assist their child(ren) to cope with the family separation in ways which as completely centred on the child(ren)’s best interests. This service can stand alone or be used as part of a Child-inclusive Mediation process and is informed by strong adherence to the Family Law Act (1975). The Benefits of Child Consultancy It allows parents to receive independent professional feedback about how their child(ren) are coping with the separation. Parents will get to hear about what is working for their child(ren) and how they can continue to support their child(ren) post-separation. Parents often report being able to negotiate more objectively with their co-parent as they have information which centres the process on their child(ren)’s needs. Additionally, children have an opportunity to express how they feel freely to somebody outside of the family. Please see also: http://www.familycourt.gov.au/wps/wcm/connect/fcoaweb/family-law-matters/family-dispute-resolution/

Jay was trained in the UK as a transpersonal counsellor before emigrating to Australia in 2006. Since then she has continued her training and work in the field of transpersonal therapy. Integrated Core Counselling is named after Transpersonal philosophy and its’ philosophy is embedded throughout Jay’s work. The old saying that “the doctor is the one who stands by while the patient heals himself” is nowhere truer than in transpersonally-oriented helping, where every client is seen as having the capacity for self-healing. The therapist’s role is not to provide a “fix”, “cure”, or “solution” for what ails the client, but to facilitate the client’s tapping into inner resources which allow the natural healing or growth process to occur. Beyond that, there is the assumption that the natural tendency of the human organism is to seek ever-greater enhancement and expansion in the process of self-actualisation. Thus, qualities or capacities that may lie dormant within an individual when that person is experiencing great conflict or stress can be brought to bear as healing resources when the transpersonal is accessed. Balanced integration As clients come to disidentify from beliefs which they thought were part of them or which they took for granted, they are able to discard or transcend limiting views and thereby heal psychological splits. In this process, disowned parts of the psyche (component parts of one’s psychological shadow) can be re-integrated, yielding an accelerated resolution of internal conflicts. The client can then achieve another aim of transpersonal therapy: namely, the balanced integration of physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual aspects of oneself and one’s wellbeing (Vaughan, 1979). What is involved? A mixture of interventions are used including sand tray work, guided meditations, symbolic work, drawing therapy, work with Oracle cards, sub-personality identification, etc. Sessions are tailored to the individual client and are always client-led and client-paced.

Counselling appointments are available to individuals affected by domestic and family violence. Counselling provides a safe place to discuss, explore and work through experiences of abuse and violence as well as assistance with safety planning. The access to support and information individuals gain through counselling often plays an important role in a person’s journey towards healing from the impact of domestic and family violence. Jay can also provide referrals to a range of other services as required. Taking the step to talk to someone about domestic violence and abuse is a courageous decision and it is often difficult to make. Jay will listen to you and work with you. You will never be forced into making any decision that you are not comfortable with. What is domestic and family violence? Domestic violence is a pattern of controlling and intimidating, abusive behaviours of various types. This list is not exhaustive: Physical abuse Physical violence includes direct assaults on the body, use of weapons, reckless driving, destruction of property, abuse of pets in front of family members, assault of children, locking the victim out of the house, and sleep deprivation. It can also involve restricting the survivor from getting medical treatment, pressuring into marriage or in staying in relationship. Verbal abuse Verbal abuse includes continual ‘put-downs’ and humiliation, either privately or publicly, with attacks following clear themes that focus on intelligence, sexuality, body image and capacity as a parent and spouse. Spiritual abuse Spiritual abuse often called ‘religious abuse’, involves using spiritual or religious beliefs to hurt, scare, control, or force the victim to participate or stop participating in religious practices, the use of religious teachings to excuse or justify abusive behaviour, e.g. stopping the victim from getting medical treatment, pressuring into marriage or in staying in relationship. Emotional abuse Emotional abuse includes blaming the victim for all problems in the relationship, constantly comparing the victim with others to undermine self-esteem and self-worth, sporadic sulking, withdrawing all interest and engagement, e.g. weeks of silence. Social abuse Social abuse includes systematic isolation from family and friends through techniques such as ongoing rudeness to family and friends, moving to locations where the victim knows nobody, forbidding or physically preventing the victim from going out and meeting people — in effect, imprisonment. Sexual abuse Sexual abuse includes any form of forced sex or sexual degradation, e.g. sexual activity without consent, causing pain during sex, assaulting the genitals, coercive sex without protection against pregnancy or sexually transmitted disease, making the victim perform sexual acts unwillingly, criticising, or using sexually degrading insults.

Play focused therapy is a therapeutic approach which provides an opportunity for children to ‘play out’ feelings and problems, using toys to symbolically represent their inner and outer worlds. Play is a child’s natural language and their way of making sense of their experiences-through the use of play. By relying less on language, play focused therapy is a developmentally sensitive treatment modality, and particularly appropriate for children who have experienced trauma. During trauma, the verbal part of the brain shuts down- the experience is stored at a sensory level and words become inaccessible. Play is experiential and allows these memories to be expressed and explored non-verbally so that they can eventually be integrated into a more verbal narrative. Through the appropriate combination of acceptance, attunement and structure, the therapeutic relationship creates a sense of safety. Jay follows your child’s lead, thereby honouring his or her pace and readiness to explore trauma-related themes.

Family Therapy helps people in close relationships to help each other. It enables family members, couples and others who care about each other to express and explore difficult thoughts and emotions safely, to understand each other’s experiences and views, appreciate each other’s needs, build on strengths and make useful changes in their relationships and their lives. Individuals can find Family Therapy helpful, as an opportunity to reflect on important relationships and to find ways forward. Research shows Family Therapy is useful for children, young people and adults experiencing a very wide range of difficulties and experiences. This way of working involves engaging with the whole family system as a functioning unit. While the individuals in the family are as important in family therapy as in individual therapy, family therapists also deal with the personal relations and interactions of the family members. Family Therapy aims: To be inclusive and considerate of the needs of each member of the family and/or other key relationships (systems) in people’s lives To recognise and build on peoples’ strengths and relational resources To work in partnership ‘with’ families and others, not ‘on’ them To be sensitive to diverse family forms and relationships, beliefs and cultures To enable people to talk, together or individually, often about difficult or distressing issues, in ways that respect their experiences, invite engagement and support recovery. Jay’s Family Therapy work is informed by Family Systems theory as well as Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy work.

Jay is an ACA Accredited Clinical Supervisor and can be found listed on the ACA website: https://www.theaca.net.au/counsellor/jay-ellul She adheres closely to ACA’s Supervision Policy: https://www.theaca.net.au/documents/ACA%20Supervision%20Policy%20V12.2019.pdf Jay has worked as a Clinical Supervisor for a large number or organisations within Brisbane as well as for individual counsellors since 2014. Working under clinical supervision means that a counsellor uses the services of another counsellor to review their work with clients, their professional development, and often their personal development as well. Supervision is a professional service, rather than a managerial role, and for counsellors who work in institutions, supervision and management will normally be entirely separate. The supervisor acts not as a ‘boss’, but as a consultant. Who needs Clinical Supervision? All counsellors need clinical supervision. Not only do most professional bodies in Australia require counsellors to attend supervision, but it is also seen by many as an ethical imperative. Supervision exists for two reasons: to protect clients, and to improve the ability of counsellors to provide value to their clients. Supervision protects clients by involving an impartial third party in the work of a counsellor and client, helping to reduce the risk of serious oversight and helping the counsellor concerned to reflect on their own feelings, thoughts, behaviour and general approach with the client.