How can I support you?
Many people come to counselling feeling anxious, hurting, overwhelmed or quietly struggling, even when on the outside they seem to be coping just fine.
If you’re a highly sensitive person, or someone navigating grief or loss, you may feel things deeply, carry a lot internally, and wonder why it feels so hard to keep going at times.
This doesn’t mean there is something wrong with you. It often means your nervous system is responsive, your capacity for empathy is strong, and your experiences have mattered sometimes more than others realise. Anxiety, stress, and grief are normal human responses to what you are going through or have lived through.
I work with people going through challenge and change, who experience anxiety, stress, and grief and loss (including perinatal grief and loss, with lived experience), in a trauma informed, empathetic, understanding and non-judgemental manner. I also support people with the Highly Sensitive personality trait also known as Sensory Processing Sensitivity, again with lived experience.)
Stress and anxiety can show up in many ways, often quietly and unexpectedly. It might feel like a constant tension in the body, restless thoughts, or trouble sleeping. Some people notice irritability, difficulty concentrating, or a sense of being “on edge,” while others feel an internal pressure to keep moving, solving, or controlling. Anxiety can also show as avoidance, in putting off decisions or situations that feel overwhelming. These experiences are your mind and body’s way of signalling that you are navigating pressure, uncertainty, or unprocessed experiences, inviting gentle awareness rather than self-criticism.
Grief doesn’t follow a predictable timeline or a single pattern. It can appear as sadness, emptiness, or waves of emotion that come when least expected. Sometimes it shows physically through fatigue, loss of appetite, or difficulty sleeping. For others, grief may show in a sense of restlessness, irritability, or even numbness. It can arrive after the loss of a loved one, the ending of a relationship, a missed opportunity, or a significant life change. Grief is a natural response to what matters to us, and it often requires space, attention, and self-compassion to process.
Being highly sensitive means experiencing the world a little more vividly. Everyday sights, sounds, or social interactions can feel intense, and emotions can come with extra depth. You may notice feeling easily overwhelmed, mentally drained, or physically fatigued even after what others consider ordinary days. Research shows that highly sensitive people (HSP’s) often have more responsive nervous systems, meaning their brains register subtle cues and emotional information more deeply, which is part of why life can feel so rich, but also so intense. This heightened responsiveness is not a flaw, it’s part of how your nervous system is wired to processes life. In counselling, we can explore what this trait looks like for you personally, helping you better understand your experiences and develop strategies to cope, regulate, and even thrive. Together, we can identify ways to manage overwhelm, honour your needs, and harness the strengths that come with sensitivity.
Some people hesitate to reach out for support. It is ok to feel this way and it is quite common too. Though rather than asking yourself “Why am I not over this yet?” or “why can’t I manage this myself”, it can be gentler to ask yourself “What might my system be trying to protect me from right now?” This small shift can open the door to compassion instead of self-judgement.
If any of this resonates, you don’t have to navigate it alone.
I’m based in Camden, NSW, and offer counselling support to people locally as well as via telehealth across Sydney and New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, Western Australia, Tasmania, and the Northern Territory.
In a nutshell, my focus is on supporting people with anxiety, stress, grief and loss, including perinatal grief and loss and those who identify as highly sensitive. Therapy can be a space to slow things down, make sense of what you’re carrying, and feel understood without needing to minimise your experience.
Thank you as always, simply for being here,
Karen 🙂