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ACA Level 2 · Health & Wellbeing Counselling
You don’t have to face this alone.
Counselling for people living with chronic illness, disability, cancer, or any serious health condition — and for the carers and families beside them. I offer a space to process what you’re carrying without having to stay strong for everyone else.
Chronic Illness
Cancer Support
Disability & Adjustment
Maladaptive Behaviour
Carer Support
Grief & Loss
Life-Limiting Conditions
ACA Accredited · Toowoomba
Health & Wellbeing Counselling
- Chronic illness, cancer & disability
- Patients, carers & families
- Adjustment, grief & identity
- Fear, uncertainty & meaning-making
- Face-to-face, phone or via Zoom
$150
per session
no referral needed
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Understanding the Support
A health challenge changes
everything — and it’s okay to need help.
Whether it’s a diagnosis of chronic illness, an acquired disability, cancer, or another serious health condition, the impact reaches far beyond the physical. It affects your sense of self, your relationships, your plans, and your understanding of what the future holds. The emotional weight is immense — and many people find they don’t have adequate space to process it all.
“A serious health challenge is not just a physical experience. It touches who you are, what you fear, and who you love. That deserves careful, unhurried attention.”
— Lee McCullagh
I bring specialist experience supporting people through a wide range of health conditions — including cancer, chronic illness, disability, maladaptive behaviour, and life-limiting diagnoses — at every stage of their journey. I also support carers and family members who are often deeply affected but rarely given adequate support themselves.
This isn’t about staying positive or finding silver linings. It’s about having somewhere honest and safe to bring the full complexity of what you’re going through — the fear, the anger, the grief, the love, and everything in between.
About This Service
ACA Level 2 Accredited Member
Specialist — Health, Wellbeing & Maladaptive Behaviour
Sessions run 60 minutes
First session 90 minutes
Strictly confidential
Available in-person, phone call or Zoom
No referral required
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Who This Is For
Support for you, your carer, and your family.
A serious health condition ripples outward. I work with anyone whose life has been touched — whether you’re the patient, the person beside them, or the one trying to hold everything together.
Living with Chronic Illness or Disability
A new diagnosis of MS, diabetes, chronic pain, or an acquired disability can upend everything you thought you knew about yourself and your future. I support people through the grief of a changed identity, the practical and emotional demands of adjustment, and the long road of learning to live well with a lasting condition.
Cancer Diagnosis & Treatment
The shock of a cancer diagnosis — and the gruelling experience of treatment — carries enormous emotional weight alongside the physical. I provide a steady, non-clinical space to process what’s happening: the fear, the disruption to everyday life, and the uncertainty that doesn’t simply end when treatment does.
Recovery & Survivorship
Life after treatment or acute illness is rarely a simple return to normal. Many people experience anxiety about recurrence or relapse, identity confusion, or unexpected emotional difficulty once the immediate crisis is “over.” This period is very common — and very underserved.
Carers & Family Members
Caring for someone with a serious illness or disability is one of the most demanding roles a person can take on. I work with carers who are exhausted, grieving, and struggling to maintain their own wellbeing alongside the needs of the person they love.
Palliative & Life-Limiting Conditions
When a cure is no longer the focus, counselling shifts to meaning, legacy, relationships, and facing what is coming with as much peace as possible. I hold this space with deep care and respect — for those living with a life-limiting condition, and for those who will be left behind.
Maladaptive Behaviour
Behaviours that once helped you cope — with trauma, stress, loss, or difficult life experiences — can over time become patterns that cause harm in your relationships, health, or daily life. These might include avoidance, overcontrol, self-sabotage, or other coping strategies that have stopped working for you. I support people in understanding these patterns with compassion and curiosity, and in gradually building new ways of responding.
“A serious health condition changes everything. It changes your body, your relationships, your sense of the future. What it doesn’t have to change is whether you have someone genuinely in your corner.”
— Lee McCullagh
Whether you’re newly diagnosed, in treatment, adjusting to a disability, caring for someone you love, or navigating grief after a loss — this is a space where you don’t have to manage how you’re received, stay strong for others, or pretend things are okay when they aren’t.
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My Approach
Meeting you exactly where you are.
There is no single right way to respond to a serious health condition. I meet each person exactly where they are — without judgement, without agenda, and without false reassurance.
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Person-Centred
Following Your Lead
You know what you need better than anyone. I don’t arrive with a script or a fixed plan. The sessions follow what matters most to you — whether that’s processing fear, navigating relationships, finding meaning, or simply being heard without having to be brave.
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Grief-Informed
Holding the Full Weight
Serious illness and disability involve layers of grief — for your former self, your plans, your sense of safety, and sometimes the people you love. I draw on contemporary grief models to help you understand and move through these losses without being swallowed by them.
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Meaning & Values
Finding Your Footing
Existential questions — about identity, purpose, legacy, and what matters most — often surface sharply when health changes. I use meaning-centred and values-based approaches to help you find clarity and a sense of agency, even in circumstances that feel out of your control.
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The Process
What working with me looks like.
From your first contact through to ongoing sessions, here is what you can expect when you reach out to me for health and wellbeing support.
Free 10-Min Chat
Before committing to anything, you’re welcome to have a brief, free phone conversation with me. Ask questions, check the fit, and get a sense of how I work. There’s no pressure to book.
First Session
The first session runs 90 minutes and is about you and your situation — what you’re carrying, what kind of support feels right, and what you hope for. Nothing is forced. The pace is yours from the beginning.
Ongoing Sessions
Sessions run 60 minutes, weekly or fortnightly depending on what you need. As your situation evolves — through different stages of illness, treatment, recovery, or adjustment — I adapt the work accordingly.
Flexible & Responsive
I understand that health conditions rarely follow a tidy schedule. I aim to be as flexible as possible with appointments, and can accommodate sessions via phone or Zoom when attending in person isn’t feasible.
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Questions About Booking
A few things people often ask.
Do I need a specific diagnosis to access this support?
Not at all. I work with people facing a wide range of health challenges — chronic illness, cancer, acquired disability, life-limiting conditions, and more. You don’t need a formal diagnosis or a particular severity of illness to seek support. If your health is affecting how you feel, how you relate to others, or your sense of who you are, that is reason enough. Carers and family members are equally welcome in their own right — you don’t need to be a patient to come.
I'm caring for someone with a health condition — is this support available for carers too?
Yes — absolutely. Carers are often the most overlooked people in a serious illness or disability context. The emotional demands of caring for someone you love can be immense — and carers frequently put their own needs last. I offer dedicated support for carers and family members. You don’t need to attend alongside the person you’re caring for, and you don’t need their permission. Your wellbeing matters independently.
What does health and wellbeing counselling actually look like — what will we talk about?
The content of sessions is led entirely by you. Some people need to process fear about treatment or prognosis. Others are navigating how relationships have shifted, or wrestling with identity questions — who am I now that my body is different, or my life looks nothing like I planned? Others are thinking about meaning, purpose, or adjusting to a new way of living. There is no agenda beyond what matters to you. My role is to offer a space where you don’t have to manage how you’re received.
More questions about fees, sessions, or getting started?