Haven Therapy Co

Haven Therapy Co ✏️ Counselling & Education
📍Telehealth Appts Available
💻 On Demand Webinars
📖 Custom Therapeutic Resources
www.haventherapyco.com.au

📍Perfectionism and healthy striving can look similar from the outside, both involve working hard, caring about outcomes...
09/03/2026

📍Perfectionism and healthy striving can look similar from the outside, both involve working hard, caring about outcomes, and wanting to do well. But the place they come from is very different.

Perfectionism is often driven by fear. Fear of making mistakes, fear of disappointing others, or the quiet belief that our worth depends on getting things exactly right. When perfectionism takes over, even success can feel heavy, because nothing ever feels good enough. 🧐

Healthy striving, on the other hand, comes from a place of growth. It’s about putting in effort, learning along the way, and allowing space for mistakes. Instead of asking “Did I do this perfectly?” it asks “Did I do my best with what I had?” 🤗

The difference isn’t about lowering your standards, it’s about changing the relationship you have with yourself while you pursue your goals. Progress becomes possible when effort is guided by self-compassion rather than self-criticism. And growth becomes sustainable when mistakes are seen as part of learning, not proof of failure. 🌱📈

You deserve goals that challenge you without making you feel like you’re never enough. 💙🙌

📍Shame is one of the most difficult emotions to talk about, especially in close relationships. It often hides beneath si...
06/03/2026

📍Shame is one of the most difficult emotions to talk about, especially in close relationships. It often hides beneath silence, defensiveness, withdrawal, or the fear of being misunderstood. Many people carry shame quietly because they worry that if they reveal it, they might be judged, rejected, or seen differently.

Talking about shame in relationships requires emotional safety. ❤️‍🩹 It means creating space where both people feel heard, respected, and not criticized for their vulnerabilities. When partners approach these conversations with patience and curiosity rather than blame, it becomes easier to express the feelings that are often kept hidden. 🔐

Instead of focusing on who is right or wrong, it can help to name the emotions underneath the experience, feelings like embarrassment, insecurity, or fear. Being able to say what something felt like opens the door for understanding and empathy. 🗣️🫂

Listening also plays a powerful role. When someone shares something they feel ashamed about, being met with validation rather than judgment can reduce the weight of that shame. Small moments of compassion can strengthen trust and deepen emotional connection.

💙 Healthy relationships are not the ones without difficult emotions, they are the ones where those emotions can be talked about openly. When shame is met with kindness and understanding, it becomes easier for both people to feel safe, seen, and supported.

Vulnerability is often misunderstood. Many people think it means oversharing, losing control, or being emotionally fragi...
03/03/2026

Vulnerability is often misunderstood. Many people think it means oversharing, losing control, or being emotionally fragile. 🤯 In reality, vulnerability is simply honesty, with yourself and, when it feels safe, with others. 🫂

It can look like admitting you don’t have the answers yet. Like saying no when you’re stretched too thin. Like acknowledging that something hurt, even if you’ve “moved on.”

Vulnerability doesn’t make life harder, avoiding it often does. When feelings are pushed down or ignored, they tend to surface as shame, tension, or disconnection instead. 🤗

Being open doesn’t mean you have to explain yourself to everyone. It means allowing yourself to notice what’s true, without judgement. If this feels difficult, there’s a reason. Many of us learned early that being vulnerable wasn’t safe. That doesn’t mean you’re weak, it means you adapted. 🙌

And slowly, in the right spaces, vulnerability can become a place of strength, clarity, and genuine connection. 💙🍃

Shame often isn’t just an emotion. It’s an experience that moves through the body, the mind, and our sense of self. 🙌It...
25/02/2026

Shame often isn’t just an emotion. It’s an experience that moves through the body, the mind, and our sense of self. 🙌

It can begin with a moment, a comment, a mistake, a memory, and suddenly the body feels heavy or tense. 🤯 The mind fills with thoughts like “I can’t do anything right” or “Everyone can see my flaws.” There’s an urge to hide, withdraw, or pull away from others.

📍This is what shame can feel like: A spiral of self-doubt, harsh self-talk, and disconnection. Shame doesn’t mean you are weak or broken. It’s a learned response, often formed in moments where being vulnerable didn’t feel safe. The nervous system is trying to protect you, even if the protection feels painful now.

Noticing shame with curiosity and compassion is often the first step toward easing its grip. You don’t need to fix it straight away. Simply recognising, “This is shame”, can begin to slow the spiral. If this resonates, you’re not alone, and there is nothing wrong with you. Help is Available here. 💙🙂

&vulnerability

📍This image reflects what healing often feels like. On one side, there’s the tangle, overwhelming thoughts, confusion, t...
23/02/2026

📍This image reflects what healing often feels like. On one side, there’s the tangle, overwhelming thoughts, confusion, trauma, anxiety, or emotions that feel messy and hard to understand. On the other side, there’s clarity, insight, regulation, steadiness, and a sense of calm.

Between the two is a person carefully walking a tightrope. Healing can feel exactly like this: vulnerable, uncertain, and sometimes risky. You may feel like you’re balancing between chaos and calm, unsure if you’ll lose your footing. 🤯

That’s where safety and control become essential. 🤗

In therapy, you are not pushed across the rope. You are not forced to “untangle” everything at once. Instead, we focus on creating a space where your nervous system feels safe enough to explore at your own pace. 💙

Safety means:
•You choose what to talk about
•You decide how deep to go
•You can slow down or pause anytime
•Your experiences are met with compassion, not judgment

At Haven Therapy Co, we understand that clarity cannot be rushed. It develops when you feel grounded, supported, and empowered. Healing isn’t about jumping from chaos to calm overnight. It’s about taking steady, supported steps, knowing you don’t have to walk the rope alone. 🌿🫂

Healing isn’t linear, and that’s not a flaw in you, it’s the nature of growth. 🌱Some days you feel grounded, empowered, ...
20/02/2026

Healing isn’t linear, and that’s not a flaw in you, it’s the nature of growth. 🌱

Some days you feel grounded, empowered, and certain that you’ve moved on. Other days, a small trigger can bring back emotions you thought you had already worked through. It can feel confusing and discouraging, like you’re starting all over again, but you’re not.

📈Healing moves in waves, not straight lines. There will be progress, pauses, setbacks, breakthroughs, and quiet in-between moments that don’t look like growth, but they are. Every time you choose to feel instead of numb, reflect instead of react, rest instead of quit, you are moving forward… even if it doesn’t feel like it.

Growth often looks messy before it looks beautiful. Just like a line with ups and downs, every dip carries lessons, awareness, and strength you didn’t have before. Revisiting pain doesn’t mean you’ve failed, it means you’re processing it on a deeper level. 🙌

Be patient with yourself on the heavy days. Speak to yourself kindly and Celebrate the small wins. Progress is not measured by perfection, but by persistence. 💙🤗

You are not back at the beginning. You are healing in layers, And one day, you’ll look back and realize that even the broken pieces were shaping something stronger, softer, and more whole. ❤️‍🩹

Today's self regulation between clients is digital colour by numbers 🎨🖍️ I swear this is the best thing I have ever come...
20/02/2026

Today's self regulation between clients is digital colour by numbers 🎨🖍️ I swear this is the best thing I have ever come across.. 🙂

When people hear the word trauma, they often think of something extreme or life-changing. But for many people, trauma lo...
18/02/2026

When people hear the word trauma, they often think of something extreme or life-changing. But for many people, trauma looks much quieter than that. 💭🧐

It can come from growing up without emotional safety. From being constantly criticised, dismissed, or made to feel small. From loss, instability, ongoing stress, or feeling like you had to survive on your own for a long time. 🤯

🔺Trauma isn’t about how “bad” something looks from the outside. It’s about how unsafe, overwhelmed, or alone you felt on the inside. That’s why it can still show up years later, in anxiety, people-pleasing, perfectionism, shutting down, or always being on edge.

These aren’t flaws, they’re signs your nervous system learned how to protect you. If parts of this feel familiar, you’re not weak and you’re not broken. You adapted the best way you knew how. And with understanding, support, and care, healing is possible. 🫂🤝🤗

You don’t have to carry it alone. 💙


We are having issues with our phones. ☎️Please send us a text or an email and we will return your call 🤗
16/02/2026

We are having issues with our phones. ☎️
Please send us a text or an email and we will return your call 🤗

So many of us learned to ignore our own feelings before we even learned how to understand them. We were told to “be stro...
14/02/2026

So many of us learned to ignore our own feelings before we even learned how to understand them. We were told to “be strong,” “move on,” or “not take things so personally.” 🧐

Over time, we start believing that our emotions are too much, too sensitive, or inconvenient. Validation is the opposite of that. It’s when someone takes a moment to say,
“I see you.”
“That makes sense.”
“Your feelings matter.”

And no, validation doesn’t mean agreeing with everything. It doesn’t mean saying someone is always right. It means recognising that their emotional experience is real and deserves respect. 🙌🤗

When people feel validated, they feel safer in relationships. They’re more likely to communicate honestly. They’re less likely to shut down, explode, or carry everything alone. 💔

And when you learn to validate yourself, something shifts. You stop fighting your emotions and you start listening to them. That’s where real emotional growth begins. 💙

Confidence is often portrayed as being loud, outgoing, and always certain of yourself. But for many people, confidence l...
09/02/2026

Confidence is often portrayed as being loud, outgoing, and always certain of yourself. But for many people, confidence looks much quieter than that. 🧐

It can look like knowing your limits. Trusting your own choices. 🗣️ Speaking up when something doesn’t feel right and walking away from what no longer serves you. 🙌

Real confidence isn’t about attention or approval. It’s about feeling secure enough to be yourself, even when you’re unsure, even when you’re still learning.

If you’ve ever felt “too quiet” or “not confident enough,” this is your reminder: strength doesn’t have to be noisy to be real. Your calm, thoughtful presence matters and it counts. 🤍💙

06/02/2026

Finding the right counsellor can be such a mind field … 🤯

For me the top things to consider are:
✔️ Do you feel safe with this person?
✔️ Do they have skills and experience that match what you need?
✔️ Does their modality and fees meet your needs?
✔️ Are they appropriately qualified?

Below is a link that can help your to explore some counsellors and psychotherapists that meet your needs 🙌🏻

If I can answer any questions or you would like to book a discovery call with me send us a message 📧

👉https://theaca.net.au/aca-directories/find-a-counsellor
👉https://pacfa.org.au/portal/Portal/Find-a-Therapist/Find-An-Accredited-Supervisor.aspx

Address

10-12 William Street
East Maitland, NSW
2320

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+494348772

Website

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