Olivia Jurcik Counsellor

Olivia Jurcik Counsellor Registered Clinical Counsellor working within a Private Organisation
Specialist in addiction & mental health.

Olivia is a Registered Clinical Counsellor employed as the Clinical Services Manager for Hader Clinic Queensland, a private organisation specialising in long term treatment for alcohol and substance use disorders and co-occurring mental health issues. Olivia has worked in AOD for over a decade and has a keen interest in addiction, mental health, and trauma. Olivia prides herself on delivering person-centred care with warmth, empathy and authenticity to achieve positive outcomes.

💟 What Long-Term Recovery Looks Like 🎉 Recovery doesn’t end after 30, 60, or 90 days. It is not a finish line, a single ...
22/08/2025

💟 What Long-Term Recovery Looks Like 🎉

Recovery doesn’t end after 30, 60, or 90 days. It is not a finish line, a single decision, or even a single path. It’s a lifelong relationship with change, self-awareness, and growth. Long-term recovery is about building a life where substances are no longer needed to survive or cope. A life that feels meaningful and worth staying present for.

It includes sustainable routines, meaningful relationships, emotional regulation, and ongoing growth. There will also be setbacks - moments of doubt, grief, or fatigue. This is normal. Healing is not linear. We return to the same places, each time with more understanding. There are still challenges, but now there are tools.

Long-term recovery isn’t perfect, but it is deeply human. It’s about moving from crisis to stability, and from surviving to thriving. People begin to ask different questions:

➡️ How do I stay grounded when life feels good, not just when it’s hard?

➡️ What does purpose look like for me now?

➡️ How do I give back, while still protecting my own wellbeing?

Recovery becomes not just what you leave behind but what you move toward. Recovery isn’t about perfection, it’s about persistence. And hope is not naïve, it’s necessary.

If you are walking this path or supporting others who are, know that the work you’re doing matters. The quiet, consistent effort. The moments of choice. The courage to continue one day at a time.

🔹 I’d love to hear what gives you hope. What keeps you going - personally or professionally? What helps you trust that healing is possible, even in the hard seasons? Let’s celebrate the hope of recovery.

18/08/2025

It’s a common misconception to think that all alcohol addiction looks the same. Some people drink to excess, and yet still show up to work, keep up appearances, and maintain relationships. This group of people is often referred to as ‘functional’ or ‘high-functioning alcoholics’, and because their life hasn’t “fallen apart,” their addiction will frequently go unnoticed.

However, behind the scenes, many people are silently struggling. Keeping up the façade is exhausting. When factoring in the secrecy, the denial, the growing dependence, it all starts to take a heavy toll.

Just because someone doesn’t fit the stereotype of addiction doesn’t mean they aren’t at risk. Functional alcoholism still carries serious health impacts and emotional strain.

At Hader Clinic Queensland, we see past the surface. We understand that addiction doesn’t always look obvious, and that reaching out for help can feel even harder when everything seems fine.

If this sounds familiar, you're not alone. We’re here when you’re ready with private, compassionate, and judgement-free support.

It’s Not Just the Individual: Healing the Family SystemAddiction affects everyone in the system, not just the individual...
15/08/2025

It’s Not Just the Individual: Healing the Family System

Addiction affects everyone in the system, not just the individual using substances. Families often develop patterns of enabling, rescuing, blaming, or avoiding.

Healing the family system means creating space for everyone’s pain, not just the person in recovery. It also means setting boundaries, redefining roles, and learning new ways of relating.

Family therapy, education, and support groups can be transformative. Recovery is more sustainable when families grow together, not apart.

No one heals in isolation and families, too, deserve care.

🔹 If you’ve experienced recovery in a family context, what helped your relationships heal? Your insight might offer a path forward for someone else.

🧠 Healing the Nervous System After Addiction 🤗 Addiction doesn’t just impact the brain, it imprints itself on the entire...
23/07/2025

🧠 Healing the Nervous System After Addiction 🤗

Addiction doesn’t just impact the brain, it imprints itself on the entire nervous system. For many in recovery, it’s not just about abstaining from substances; it’s about slowly, gently learning how to feel safe again in their own bodies.

Chronic stress, unresolved trauma, and long-term substance use leave the nervous system in a state of dysregulation, often swinging between hypervigilance and numbness. This is why somatic healing and nervous system regulation are such vital elements of long-term recovery.

Practices like conscious breathing, grounding techniques, mindful movement, and body-based therapies offer more than just momentary relief - hey help restore a sense of safety, presence, and connection. Over time, these practices support the formation of new neural pathways that foster emotional regulation, resilience, and a felt sense of calm.

This isn’t just psychological recovery....it’s deeply physiological. And it’s often in these quieter, more embodied moments that some of the most profound healing occurs. Supporting the body in recovery is just as crucial as supporting the mind. When we hold space for both, we help people rebuild from the inside out.

🔹 What somatic or nervous system practices have made a difference for you or the people you support in recovery?

🥹 Grief: The Unspoken Part of Recovery 😢 When we think of healing from addiction or mental health challenges, we focus o...
14/07/2025

🥹 Grief: The Unspoken Part of Recovery 😢

When we think of healing from addiction or mental health challenges, we focus on resilience, growth, and change - and rightly so. But grief walks hand-in-hand with transformation. It’s the quiet companion in the background, mourning what’s been lost.

Recovery often brings people face to face with:

➡️ Lost time - years spent surviving instead of living.
➡️ Lost relationships - connections strained or broken by substance use and the associated behaviours.
➡️ Lost opportunities - education, careers, dreams deferred or derailed.
➡️ Lost identity - the person they once were or imagined they’d be.
➡️ Loss of a coping mechanism and security blanket they’ve carried for so long.

Even when people are doing well in recovery, these losses can surface unexpectedly. There’s joy in moving forward, yes but also sadness in letting go.

Grief isn’t a sign that someone isn’t grateful or committed to healing. It’s a sign they’re processing the full weight of what recovery truly means. And unless that grief is acknowledged, it can quietly fester, becoming a trigger for relapse or emotional shutdown.

In clinical work, giving space for grief is part of the work. It means allowing people to say, “I miss who I used to be,” or “I wish things had turned out differently,” without rushing to fix or reframe.

It’s through grieving that people make peace with the past - not by erasing it, but by integrating it.

Grief is not a detour on the road to recovery it’s part of the path.

🔹 Have you encountered grief in the healing process? What helped make space for it? Sharing your experience can help normalise one of the most overlooked aspects of recovery.

Who Am I Without Addiction? 🤔 In early recovery, many people ask: Who am I now? Addiction and mental illness can erode a...
08/07/2025

Who Am I Without Addiction? 🤔

In early recovery, many people ask: Who am I now?

Addiction and mental illness can erode a person’s sense of identity. Over time, people begin to define themselves by their diagnoses, their lowest moments, negative core beliefs, or the labels society places on them: addict, alcoholic, broken, unstable, unworthy.

When substances are removed, there can be an unsettling emptiness. But this space also holds possibility. It’s the slow, courageous process of asking: Who am I now? Who do I want to be?

Recovery invites a rediscovery of identity. It may involve grief for what was lost but also joy in what is being reclaimed.

In therapeutic work, we often explore:
➡️ Values: What truly matters to this person?
➡️ Strengths: What qualities helped them survive?
➡️ Passions: What sparks healthy interest, pleasure or joy, even in small ways?
➡️ Narratives: What stories do they tell themselves and how might those stories change?

Purpose, values, creativity, and connection begin to surface. The person is not lost, they are on their way to becoming.

One of the most powerful moments in recovery is when someone starts to see themselves for all that they are, and all that they can become.

🔹 What parts of identity have you rediscovered in recovery? How can we support people in building a sense of self that goes beyond addiction and old maladaptive narratives? Your reflections are welcome.

Understanding Relapse: A Part of the Healing ProcessRelapse is one of the most misunderstood aspects of recovery. It’s o...
02/07/2025

Understanding Relapse: A Part of the Healing Process

Relapse is one of the most misunderstood aspects of recovery. It’s often seen as a failure, a step backward, a sign that someone “doesn’t want it enough.” But in truth, relapse is a common, and often important, part of the healing process.

Addiction is not just a behavioural issue. It’s a complex interplay of biology, psychology, trauma, and environment. Change takes time and it’s rarely linear.

Many people relapse not because they’ve given up, but because they’re still learning how to live differently. Stress, grief, triggers, lack of support, or even sudden success can all disrupt the delicate balance in early recovery. Recovery is a process of change that involves new ways of thinking, feeling, and coping. When stress, trauma, or old patterns resurface, returning to substance use doesn’t mean someone has failed. It means they need support.

Instead of viewing relapse with shame, we can view it with curiousity. What happened? What was needed? What can be learned? These questions open the door to growth, instead of self-blame.

Relapse can sometimes be a turning point - a moment when a person realises just how much they want to change. But this only happens in the context of support, not shame.

This doesn’t mean relapse is inevitable. Many people recover without it. But for those who do experience it, compassion makes all the difference. When someone is welcomed back instead of pushed away, they’re far more likely to re-engage in the healing process.

One of the greatest gifts we can offer people in recovery is the message: You are not broken. You are learning. You are worthy of support.

🔹 If you’ve experienced relapse, or supported someone who has, what helped turn things around? How can we talk about relapse in ways that reduce stigma and increase hope? Let’s open the conversation.

When Mental Health and Addiction Co-existAddiction rarely exists in a vacuum. Many people who use substances also experi...
26/06/2025

When Mental Health and Addiction Co-exist

Addiction rarely exists in a vacuum. Many people who use substances also experience anxiety, depression, or other mental health challenges. This is known as dual diagnosis or co-occurring disorders.

Integrated care, where both issues are addressed together, is vital. It ensures people aren’t blamed for their symptoms but supported holistically. Anger, grief, anxiety, shame - these feelings often rush in when the numbing effect of drugs or alcohol fades and people are left with feelings that were never fully processed and few tools (if any!) to manage them.

That’s why emotion identification and regulation is such a vital part of recovery. It’s not just about achieving or maintaining sobriety, it’s about learning to ride the waves of emotion without drowning in them.
In treatment, we often teach clients how to:
¡ Name and normalise their emotions.
¡ Use mindfulness and grounding techniques.
¡ Develop healthy outlets like journaling, art, movement, or talking to someone supportive.
¡ Create space between trigger and reaction.

Importantly, we remind people that having strong emotions is not a sign of weakness or failure but rather one that makes them human. It’s a sign of healing. After years of numbing through the use of alcohol and other drugs, learning to sit with one’s emotions is an act of courage.

Learning to cope without substances doesn’t mean becoming emotionally invincible. It means building a toolbox that grows over time. And it means giving yourself permission to feel it all, without shame.
Recovery becomes not just about abstaining from substances, but about creating stability, safety, and self-understanding on multiple levels.

🔹 What’s been your experience with co-occurring conditions? What emotional regulation strategies have helped you or those you work with?

👭 Connection as a Medicine: The Power of Being Seen 👬 Addiction thrives in isolation. Recovery thrives in connection.One...
18/06/2025

👭 Connection as a Medicine: The Power of Being Seen 👬

Addiction thrives in isolation. Recovery thrives in connection.

One of the most profound needs we all carry is to be seen, heard, and valued. Addiction often isolates. It creates a deep sense of disconnection - from others, from ourselves, and from meaning. This is more than a poetic idea, it’s backed by decades of neuroscience and therapeutic experience. Human beings are wired for connection. When that need goes unmet due to trauma, neglect, stigma, or mental health challenges, people often turn to substances to fill the void.

Substances provide a fleeting sense of relief, belonging, or numbness, but eventually, they disconnect people from their emotions, from others, and from their true selves. That’s why recovery isn’t just stopping substance use, it’s rebuilding connection.

Therapeutic communities, group therapy, peer support, and 12-step or alternative programs often provide that first experience of connection. In these spaces, people begin to say things out loud that they’ve carried in silence for years and discover for the first time - they are not alone. For some, it’s the first time they’ve experienced genuine, supportive relationships where they can be honest without fear of judgement.

When someone feels seen not as a problem, but as a person, the shame begins to loosen. Hope starts to return. The nervous system settles. Recovery roots itself in this human-to-human recognition.

And connection isn’t only external. Recovery invites people to reconnect internally - with their values, their feelings, and their inner voice. Many describe the process of learning to listen to themselves again, or even for the first time. When people feel connected to others, and to themselves, they are more likely to stay on the path of healing.

🔹 Have you experienced or witnessed the healing power of connection? Share a moment where being seen changed everything.

🛑 Setting Healthy Boundaries: A Lifeline for Healing 🫸 In early recovery, learning to set boundaries is one of the most ...
11/06/2025

🛑 Setting Healthy Boundaries: A Lifeline for Healing 🫸

In early recovery, learning to set boundaries is one of the most transformative AND challenging skills. For many, this is brand new territory.

Addiction often flourishes in environments where boundaries are blurred, absent, or constantly violated. People may have grown up in homes where saying “no” wasn’t allowed, where emotions were ignored, or where codependency became the norm. Over time, these patterns teach people to put others' needs ahead of their own, or to isolate entirely as a way of staying safe.

In early recovery, many people struggle with the fear that setting boundaries will lead to rejection. They may worry they’ll be seen as selfish, cold, or uncaring. But the truth is: boundaries are not about pushing people away - they are about protecting your wellbeing.

A boundary might look like:

¡ Saying no to people, places, or behaviours that trigger cravings.

¡ Creating space from loved ones who are not supportive of recovery.

· Communicating clearly what is and isn’t okay in a relationship.

¡ Prioritising time for therapy, rest, or self-care (even when it disappoints others).

Boundaries are a form of self-respect. They say, “I matter. My recovery matters. My peace matters.”

They protect our time, our energy, and our sense of self. They teach others how to treat us and allow us to step out of roles rooted in people-pleasing, codependency, or fear.

What’s powerful is that the more someone practices setting boundaries, the more they begin to feel grounded and in control. Relationships become more authentic.

Healthy boundaries are an act of self-respect. They are a daily practice of reminding ourselves: I am worthy of safety, space, and self-care.

🔹 What’s one boundary you’ve set that made a difference in your recovery or your professional practice? Your insight could offer someone else a starting point.

Collaboration is a team sport 🏈In several conferences I've attended in the past 2 year, the theme of collaboration has a...
08/06/2025

Collaboration is a team sport 🏈

In several conferences I've attended in the past 2 year, the theme of collaboration has always been high on the agenda. Collaboration is not just a concept or the new buzzword, it's a state of being. And when successfully executed the rewards are ever-giving.

The Brisbane Broncos played an important game of on Saturday night sporting their all black jerseys in support of the Black Dog Institute for men's mental health round. It was also Adam Reynold's 300th game of Rugby league.This was an important match for more reasons than simply the numbers on the scoreboard at the end of the night.

The Broncos were always going to come out fighting for this match. After some serious criticism from some recent losses, the Broncos had to truly collaborate. It isn't easy being in the public eye when a win or a loss can define how you see yourself as a person or the public perception due to narratives of the media. This can leave players feeling unworthy, not good enough or undeserving.When put in the spotlight without the correct supports, their mental health is dictated by the next story on their news feed.

Whilst the numbers on the scoreboard showed a dominating win for the Broncos, it was the collaboration of teammates on the night that truly shone bright. From the coach to the players to the supporters in the stand - there was a great sense of coming together at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday night.

This is the true meaning of collaboration and what a powerful beast. When we all work together, the possibilities are endless and the successes go far beyond the 80 minutes on the field or the 8 hours in the work day, or the minutes, hours, and months of preparation towards an end goal. When we talk about collaboration in the health sector it is about showing inclusivity of the healthcare workers, the consumers, those with lived and living experience, and the support network of those who are seeking treatment.Collaboration is key and it is ongoing.

14/10/2024

Mental health should be a priority each and every week and last week was such a good reminder of this!

If you don't make time for your wellness, you will be forced to make time for your illness! ✌️

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