In essence, counselling is a process of talking about personal problems with a professional who will help you to address the issues in a positive way and develop strategies to move past the problem.

The Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia (PACFA), define psychotherapy and counselling as “Professional activities that utilise an interpersonal relationship to enable people to develop self-understanding and to make changes in their lives.”

A Counsellor is a trained professional that can help people develop a better understanding about themselves and share strategies and therapeutic interventions to solve personal, interpersonal, and intrapsychic problems.

To learn more about Benjamin Watkins Performance counselling can help you click here.

Coaching aims to improve an individual’s performance in any given area, or areas, of their life. In a coaching session, Benjamin provides the space and opportunity to help you unlock your potential and work towards goals to improve your daily life and your future.

Benjamin will ask thought-provoking and motivating questions and share tools to help you stay focused and on track. In searching for the answers, you will usually come up with the insights and solutions you need to help you take action and accomplish your goals.

Unlike counselling, coaching is not therapeutic in nature, however both can cross over. As a qualified Performance Counsellor & Coach, Benjamin can help if counselling is also required.

To find out how Benjamin Watkins Performance Coaching can help you click here.

A quick Google search of ‘counsellors & coaches near me’ will throw up an abundance of dedicated professionals, and unfortunately, some that are not so professional. Of the utmost importance when searching for a Counsellor or Coach is to make sure the person that you’re dealing with is qualified. A quick search on the Psychotherapy & Counselling Federation of Australia (PACFA) website will confirm your Counsellor’s qualifications.

A Counsellor should provide a safe, comfortable, and confidential environment and make you feel at ease when you first meet.

A great Coach will take the time to really find out what you need from your sessions and deliver that with empathy, compassion and a genuine interest in your wellbeing.

You should feel heard and listened to without fear of judgement. And you must feel supported to take the challenging steps you might need to take in order to achieve your goals.

Your mental health and sense of satisfaction with your life can affect everything from your ability to eat, sleep, work and socialise.  If you’re feeling that you’re not coping as well as you ought to be, or simply not living the life you want, then counselling and/or coaching can help you.

People are awesome at developing coping mechanisms to help them push through tough times or trauma in their lives. However, some ways of dealing with stress or dissatisfaction can become detrimental over time. We all need someone to talk to and a support network to help us thrive.

Counselling & coaching sessions will help anyone who’s struggling with destructive behaviour patterns, a personal concern or feeling like they need support to achieve their goals.

No, you don’t need a referral from a health professional to see Benjamin. Most of Benjamin’s clients are referred via word-of-mouth, or self-referred. Other Counsellors also recommend Benjamin when they feel he’s a better fit for the person’s concerns.

Booking online is quick and easy. Click here for available appointment times.

Fees are subject to change, so we advise that you click on the booking you’d like to make here to clarify current fees.

Counselling & coaching is available in person or via telehealth:

• Individual counselling (50 minutes): $140 incl GST
• Couples (50 minutes): $195 incl GST
• Coaching, Team, Group & Corporate fees can be discussed directly with Benjamin.

Telehealth is payable via credit card or bank transfer prior to the session. In-person sessions can be paid with cash or card on the day.

NDIS service agreements are available and invoices can be provided. Please contact Benjamin directly to clarify details.

In Australia, Registered Counsellors are not included in the Medicare Benefits Scheme (MBS) so unfortunately cannot offer Medicare rebates.

Some mental health plans allow for rebates with board registered Psychiatrists. If appropriate, Benjamin may be able to recommend a psychiatric service for you. You can contact Benjamin here.

Private health insurance rebates are not available at this time.

Appointment times are in high demand, so if you can’t make your appointment, we respectfully request 48 hours’ notice. Cancellations or reschedules made within 48 hours of your booked appointment time incur a cancellation fee of $105. This will be deducted from your card at the original appointment time (if booking was made online) or will be payable within 24 hours of the original appointment time.

Non-attendance to your booked appointment will be charged at the full rate.

Changes to appointments made prior to 48 hours will not incur a fee.

Individual Counselling

Benjamin recommends booking an individual counselling appointment if you’re feeling sad, overwhelmed, anxious, isolated, finding it hard to regulate your emotions or wish to explore his anger management program. Counselling is also very valuable if you’ve experienced trauma or are navigating a life transition, such as a relationship breakdown.

Book now.

Individual Performance Coaching

Need help unleashing your untapped potential so you can achieve optimal daily performance? Benjamin’s mission is to help you find your life’s purpose, thrive in relationships, achieve financial success, exceed in athletic performance and much more.

Book your first individual Performance Coaching session now.

Couples Counselling

Benjamin offers couple’s counselling for couples that need support to establish trust, improved communication and emotional connection in their relationship.

Book now.

Team, Group & Corporate Coaching

Benjamin Watkins’ approach to Team, Group & Corporate Performance Coaching results in cohesive and motivated teams in the workforce and sporting environments. Sharing communication strategies and tools to define roles, establish mutual purpose, agree on a unified vision, and take positive action to reach a common goal.

Benjamin Is masterful at engaging and motivating individuals to work more efficiently together to develop skills, improve communication to create an environment of success. Book an intro call with Benjamin today to get your team performing at their best.

Book now.

Your first visit to a new Counsellor and/or Coach can be daunting, so Benjamin will often start by having a chat to make you feel at ease. If you’re ready to talk, he’ll ask you some questions to get to know you better. And of course he’ll allow time for you to ask any questions about working together, his therapy style and essentially decide if it feels like a good fit.

Some questions he might ask are:

• Why are you seeking counselling or coaching?
• Are you experiencing any symptoms like insomnia, anxiety, stress etc?
• If you’ve tried anything else to help with any issues.
• Do you have a support network?
• What you’re hoping to achieve from counselling and/or coaching?
• What does a successful outcome look like?

Ben might also explain some of the counselling & coaching strategies and methodologies he might use to help you achieve your goals. By the end of your first appointment, you should have a plan for follow-up sessions and better clarity on how he can help you perform at your full potential.

Ideally, we should be able to estimate how many Counselling or Coaching sessions you might need within your first or second appointment. However, as each person and situation are different, please remember that this is only an estimate.

Some people may only require a few sessions to reach their goals and might want monthly, quarterly or annual reinforcement sessions. Whereas others might prefer weekly sessions for months until they fully resolve the issue they were tackling. You and Benjamin can discuss the possibilities and develop a plan that works for you.

Absolutely. As a qualified Counsellor and member of the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia (PACFA) Benjamin takes his Client’s confidentiality very seriously, adhering to a strict code of ethics.

The exception is when Benjamin has a legally binding duty of care to report something that threatens your wellbeing or the wellbeing of others or if otherwise confidential notes are subpoenaed by the courts.

Counsellors are also expected to occasionally seek advice from other therapists in what is known as Supervision. Although case details might be discussed, Client’s identities remain protected.