Not your typical counsellor…
I’m Rachel Joll, a registered counsellor and the person behind Shaking Up Perspective Counselling.
I’m warm, curious, pretty down-to-earth and probably not the counsellor who’s going to sit quietly, nod in all the right places and leave you wondering what just happened for the last hour.
I’ve led a colourful life, and I don’t mind a bit of colourful language. And sitting in the counsellor’s chair doesn’t suddenly make me a different person.
I like real conversations. I’ll ask questions, I’ll listen properly and, when it might be helpful, I’ll challenge the way you’re seeing something. Sometimes we’ll sit with the hard stuff. Sometimes we’ll laugh. Usually, there’ll be a bit of both.
I believe counselling should be conversational, relational and transformative — not a clinical, stale exchange.
For me, counselling is also about self-discovery. I’m interested in what sits underneath the patterns you keep finding yourself in — the stories you’ve carried about yourself, the expectations you’ve learnt to live by and the things you do automatically without really knowing why.
It’s not about me telling you who you should be. It’s about helping you understand yourself a little better, question some of the old “should’ s”, and work out what actually matters to you.
You don’t need to have the right words, know exactly what’s wrong or have everything figured out before we start.
You can just turn up as you are. We’ll start there.
WHAT I WANT FOR YOU
I want you to understand yourself well enough that you can stop living by all the things you think you should be doing, and start making choices that actually feel like yours.
To feel more confident in who you are. Trust yourself a little more. Have relationships that feel genuine, connected and safe. And build a life that actually feels like yours.
Not a perfect life. Just one that feels more like yours.
My Experience
I’ve been working as a counsellor for more than 12 years, across both public and private settings, supporting individuals and couples through all sorts of stages of life.
I completed my counselling degree in New Zealand, where I was born and raised. Over the years, I’ve worked across community services and private practice, providing individual counselling, relationship counselling and group work.
While I draw on evidence-based approaches and years of training and experience, I don’t believe counselling should feel like someone is applying a textbook to your life.
I bring the knowledge. You bring your experience of being you. We work from there.
Qualifications & Approach
Bachelor of Counselling — Bethlehem Tertiary Institute, New Zealand
Registered Counsellor — ACA Level 3
ACA College of Supervisors — Australian Counselling Association
ADHD Certified Clinical Services Provider (ADHD-CCSP)
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
Narrative Therapy
Schema Therapy
Motivational Interviewing
Person-Centred & Integrative Counselling
Gottman-informed relationship counselling
What can you expect from me?
You can expect me to be warm, curious, honest and genuinely interested in understanding what’s going on for you.
I’ll listen properly, but I won’t just sit there and nod. I’ll ask questions, notice patterns, offer another perspective and, when I think it might be helpful, gently challenge you.
You won’t be judged for what you think, feel, have done or haven’t done. You don’t need to edit yourself in the counselling room or worry about saying the “right” thing.
I also really value feedback. If something I say doesn’t land, if I’ve misunderstood you, or if something about the way we’re working isn’t helpful — tell me. Counselling should be something we do together, not something I do to you.
And while there will absolutely be room for the serious stuff, there’s room for humour too. Sometimes both turn up in the same conversation.
Basically, you can expect a real person sitting on the other side of the screen, having a real conversation with you.
Give you a non-judgmental space where you can actually be yourself
Let you talk, swear, cry, laugh - whatever turns up
Listen properly and remember the things that matter
Ask questions that help you look at things from a different perspective
Notice patterns and help you understand what might be sitting underneath them
Gently challenge you when I think it might be helpful
Help you work out what you want, rather than what you think you should want
Keep learning, questioning and developing my skills
Believe you’re capable of understanding yourself, growing and doing things differently
WHAT WORKING WITH ME LOOKS LIKE
What I do
What I don’t do
Tell you what you 'should' be doing
Sit silently, nod occasionally and leave you wondering what just happened for the last hour
Talk to you in psychobabble
Assume I know your life better than you do
Give you a worksheet and pretend that automatically fixes everything
Promise quick fixes for complicated stuff
Judge you for the choices you’ve made or the things you’re struggling with
Expect you to have the right words or know exactly what’s wrong
Client Love
“I love how Rachel has guided me on being able to process my thoughts and feelings.”
I always tell this to everyone that I share my experiences with; a day with my counsellor beats a day at the spa.
I always feels like a very heavy weight is lifted off my shoulders after every session.
I love how Rachel has guided me on being able to process my thoughts and feelings so they become easier to deal with and then learning how to dispute these feelings and thoughts so that as a result you can learn to love and forgive yourself more.
I’m looking forward to more sessions with her. One doesn’t have to reach a point of crisis before reaching out for help.
THERESA
