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Hi, I'm Jess

I a Clinical Counsellor and Accredited Supervisor with special interests in attachment-based trauma, grief, and relationship issues.

I am also an approved Victims Services Counsellor and a certified Prepare-Enrich facilitator.

Jess' Experience

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​Jess completed a Masters of Counselling at Morling College while working as a pastoral ministry trainee at a local church. Over her professional career, she has moved from a focus in couples therapy to a specialised interest in complex trauma, and grief and loss. Jess' dedication and drive has seen her undertake further training in Emotionally-Focused Therapy, Complex Trauma, and Grief and Bereavement, and attained a qualification as an Accredited Supervisor with PACFA. Jess is currently working towards becoming a certified Grief and Bereavement Counsellor.


Jess has held various roles professionally, including trauma support with Blue Knot Foundation for people affected by the Disability Royal Commission, and Carer Gateway for carers of people who have long-term medical conditions, live with mental illness, disability, or who are frail due to age.

 

Jess has been sought after by organisations such as The Benevolent Society and local churches to run educational and interactive workshops on areas such as grief and mental health. She has a long-held enthusiasm for integrating faith-based Christian Counselling and has had the joy of working with pastors, ministry trainees and everyday Christians.
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Other relevant extended professional development training includes areas such as:​​​

  • Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT) with the Anandale Institute

  • Healing Childhood Sexual Abuse

  • Domestic Violence (Lifecare

  • Trauma-Informed Care and Practice (Blue Knot Foundation)

  • The Body Remembers: Integrating Mind and Body for Trauma Recovery with Janina Fisher

  • When Words Are Not Enough: How to Engage the Body to Disrupt Entrenched Patterns with Pat Ogden

  • Introduction to Dissociation (Blue Knot Foundation)

  • Grief Across the Lifespan (Centre of Existential Practice)

  • Grief and Liminality: Living and Working with the State of 'In-Between' (Centre of Existential Practice)

  • Grief and Trauma (Centre of Existential Practice)

  • Grief and the Body (Centre of Existential Practice)

  • Complex and Prolonged Grief (Centre of Existential Practice)

 

Jess maintains the highest level of ethical conduct and professional standards as a counsellor by receiving on-going professional development training and regular clinical supervision that meet PACFA requirements.

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WORLDWIDE

PACFA Reg Clinical 24151

Christian counselling

Jess' story

 

I was born into a mixed-cultural family in Sydney and we migrated to Singapore when I was 7 years old. From a young age, I learnt how to 'speak' the language of different cultures and integrate into a new country that prized collectivism and did not nurture individuality and creativity. My younger self learnt to adapt by rejecting parts of her true creative self. As the eldest child, I was the first to return to Sydney to pursue my studies, which led me to discover my spirituality and forge my independence.  My background makes me culturally sensitive to the unique challenges of forming multicultural identities and the courage it takes to live one's authentic, created and creative self.

 

Along the way, I discovered a desire to help others and took brave steps to leave the world of Finance to pursue a career in counselling. In those formative years, I also started seeing a therapist. Counselling didn't eliminate problems in my life, but having a safe other to talk to helped me see new ways of thinking and feeling and empowered me to face challenges with courage and agency. Through my therapist, I developed an appreciation for having a safe attachment relationship and a witness to my story. I learnt that counselling isn't about achieving an outcome as much as about developing a new relationship with myself. These ideas continue to anchor my work with clients.

 

My journey has also rekindled my childlike curiosity about play and creativity, which I bring into my therapy room. Outside of work, I enjoy keeping active, chasing the sunshine, reading novels, baking, and walking my dog, Sally. More recently, I have started dabbling in vocal lessons, sketching, and watercolour painting.

Being a therapist gives me profound joy and I am filled with gratitude for my clients who continually teach me about the resilience, hope and courage of the human spirit

Green Succulent Plant

To heal is to touch with love that which we previously touched with fear.

 

Steven Levine

My Approach

My Values & Approach

Emotion-focused

I provide a safe holding space for you to explore, experience & express your most authentic emotions. I believe that there are no "bad emotions" -- all emotions are valid and our body's means of communication.

Respectful

I respect your autonomy, values and beliefs. I enjoy working with all kinds of people. My clients include Christians and non-Christians and come from different ages, backgrounds, cultures, spiritualities, and stages of life. It makes counselling so rich and rewarding.

Person-centered

I uphold your value & worth as a person & see you as the expert of your own story & journey. I take the time to get to know your unique person, strengths & experience as we work collaboratively towards your goals.

Integrative

Your journey is unique & there is no 'one size fits all'. I tailor counselling towards you, drawing on different modalities to provide a creative & holistic approach. Some of the theories & modalities I draw upon include: - Emotionally-focused Therapy - Attachment-based Counselling - Gestalt Therapy - Interpersonal Therapy - Art Therapy - Sensorimotor Psychotherapy

Trauma-informed

Trauma-informed care shifts the focus from “What’s wrong with you?” to “What happened to you?”. I integrate my knowledge about trauma into all areas of my practice to create a safe space for you.

Hopeful

Whatever your situation, I always look for hope. I do not overlook the courage to take steps towards living the life you want. I truly believe that given the right emotional support, every person is capable of and has the capacity to change, heal and thrive.

How therapy can help

6 ways therapy can help you

 

  1. ​Develop self-awareness and knowledge
    Knowledge is power and I empower you through psychoeducation to help you understand more of who you are, the coping mechanisms you have developed from past experiences and how they develop into patterns of feeling, thinking and functioning. The brain is highly  and new information can be integrated to give you more choice on how to react, and increase your capacity to grow and transform.

     

  2. Discover your unique strengths and resources
    I work from a strength-based approach to discover and honour the strengths and resources you already possess, as well as develop new skills.

     

  3. Strengthen the connection between heart, mind and body
    Research shows that healing, especially from traumatic experiences, doesn't just occur through changing our thinking (top-down), but through learning how to mindfully tune into our body and emotions (bottom-up). I create a safe holding space to help you tune into the wisdom of the body to increase your capacity for self-regulation and healing. 

     

  4. Heal from old attachment wounds
    We develop our own unique styles of relating from our past experiences with our early caregivers or those who were meant to provide us with unconditional love. Therapy can help you understand and work through the unique challenges you faced in those formative years and the ways you learnt to adapt and cope that might be causing some difficulties in the present. We work to strengthen your adult self to give your inner child the nurture and care that you deserve.

     

  5. Communicate your feelings, emotions, needs and boundaries
    Through past experiences of not having our attachment needs met, many of us have learnt that it unsafe to feel our emotions and communicate our needs. Creative therapy approaches can help undo shame and discover how to honour and assertively communicate your needs and boundaries in your relationships.

     

  6. Work through grief and loss
    Almost every issue, including complex trauma, can be seen through the lens of grief and loss. Therapy is a safe space for you to mourn not only the things that have happened, but also the things that should have happened and didn't. 

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CONTACT DETAILS

The Crossing provides individual counselling and pre-marriage counselling in North Parramatta.

After-hours, weekend & online sessions are available.

 

 

Jessica Joseph

jess@thecrossingcounselling.com.au

Christian Counsellors Association of Australia
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We operate as a member of Christian Counsellors Association of Australia, and accept and adhere to the professional standards and ethical guidelines established by the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia,

Copyright © 2024 The Crossing Counselling Services

All rights reserved

The Crossing Counselling acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the land on which our practice resides.
We recognise and pay respect to Elders past, present and emerging.

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