top of page

About

Holly Shires

Areas: Grief, loss & bereavement (people and pets), workplace stress & burnout, anxiety & depression, trauma, loneliness

Available: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, in person & online/telehealth
IMG_0090.jpg

I provide compassionate and respectful counselling for people to navigate the root cause of the challenges they may be facing. I aim to create a therapeutic space that is warm, kind and welcoming, in which clients feel safe to explore and identify their personal and professional goals, free from judgement and fear. I hold a deep and genuine interest in every person and seek to learn and truly understand their unique story.


I have a special interest in providing counselling for trauma, grief and loss, offering a nurturing space for clients to express themselves freely, at their own pace. I then support clients to explore the world around their significant life events with gentle curiosity. We collaborate in partnership to find a way to move naturally through pain, loss or dissociation, to re-establish meaning and embrace life again. I am also trained in the Flash Technique, to assist in reducing traumatic disturbance in daily life. I work with many types of loss and trauma, including bereavement, medical trauma, interpersonal trauma and the loss of relationships, family, friends, careers, identity, and future dreams.


Another area I am passionate about is counselling for women in the workplace. I support women who are experiencing workplace trauma, mental load overhwelm, burnout, and difficulties with boundaries, assertiveness, and communication. With over ten years of corporate experience across various industries, I have a thorough understanding of the complex and silent issues that women often face across multiple industries and at many levels. I also specialise in providing support for the unique challenges faced by vets and animal care workers, including providing counselling for the trauma, burnout and grief that is often experienced in this industry.


I work from a Narrative Therapy framework, where I invest the time and expertise to learn and understand the rich details of my client’s personal story. I offer respectful, judgement-free therapy and celebrate all forms of identity, communication and diversity. Upon learning each client’s unique story, I assist in uncovering the roadblocks they may face and help clients to identify the inner strengths and external supports that can be drawn upon and nurtured. I am inspired by each person’s innate determination to seek their best lives and move away from patterns that may be holding them back. 


I use an integrative approach to tailor a way forward and through the roadblocks. This can include such outcomes as developing healthy coping strategies, breaking unhelpful patterns to create new pathways, living by core values, improving relationships, improving communication skills and emotion regulation, developing self-compassion, and moving through trauma and grief to resilience and new meaning.


I am trained in and practice CBT, ACT, Narrative Therapy, Solution Focused Therapy, Grief Therapy, Trauma-Informed Approaches, Flash Technique (FT), Crisis Therapy and am continuing my learning in Schema Therapy and DBT.

Qualifications

Degree: Master of counselling (completing February 2024)

Flash Technique Certificate (2023)

Bachelor of Industrial Design (QUT)

Membership: Australian Counselling Association Student Membership

Client Focus

Age: Adults 18 - 65+

Types of clients: Individuals

Areas I work with

Specialties:

  • Ambiguous and disenfranchised grief and loss

  • Bereavement (people and pets)

  • Trauma & PTSD

  • Anxiety and stress

  • Depression

  • Workplace support for women

  • Workplace support for vets and animal care workers

  • Loneliness

  • Peer support for Defence lifestyle


Other areas I also work with:

  • Relationship difficulties

  • Elderly adults

  • Crisis

  • Burnout and mental overload

  • Communication difficulties

bottom of page