Hi, I'm DENISE

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I remember seeing Martin Luther King deliver his famous ‘I Have A Dream’ speech. Watching him on our black-and-white TV as an 11-year-old, I was awestruck. I saw so much courage, conviction, and perseverance in him. I realised that’s what I’d need in my own life in order to survive living in a home with a father who had a severe mental illness. 

When I was 15, I used to talk to the alcoholics in the local park, much to my mother’s dismay. As they told their stories and shared their backgrounds, I could see and hear their pain. One day, one of the men I would stop and talk with asked me why I did. I asked him in return, “Why wouldn’t I?” 

I’ve always had a fascination with human beings; I love people. I value connection and helping people to feel seen, heard and acknowledged. We all deserve to be treated with empathy, respect and care. We all deserve to have someone hold us and support us when we don’t have the strength to do it for ourselves. It's important to look beneath the surface of an individual to see who they are at their core, what is important to them and what they see as deal breakers.

As a Central Coast counsellor, I have the honour of helping people in pain, like you, find happiness, self-acceptance, confidence, and so much more. I believe that we all do the best we can with what we have. Together we can help you grow beyond the limitations that hold you back from living a life that you can be proud of.  

So, are you ready to start really living?